Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI; Inuktitut: Nunavut Tunngavik; Syllabics: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃ) is the legal representative of the Inuit of Nunavut for the purposes of native treaty rights and treaty negotiation and one of the four regional members that make up the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. NTI continues to play a central role in Nunavut, even after the creation of the Government of Nunavut. As the successor of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, which was a signatory of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement on behalf of Inuit, NTI is responsible for ensuring that the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is implemented fully by the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut and that all parties fulfill their obligations.
NTI is governed by a ten member board of directors. Three of the directors--the President, the First Vice President and Second Vice President--are elected directly by beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement who are 16 years and older. Six of the directors are the Presidents and Vice Presidents of the three Regional Inuit Associations located in Nunavut. One director is appointed by the Nunavut Trust, the body responsible for holding in trust the monies received from the Government of Canada as part of the settlement of the Nunavut land claim in 1993. The four member Executive consists of the presidents of NTI and the three RIAs.
NTI’s mission is: “Inuit economic, social and cultural well-being through implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.”
Organizationally, NTI consists of ten departments:
- Lands & Resources
- Wildlife
- Claim Implementation
- Human Resources
- Business & Economic Development
- Communications
- Legal Services
- Finance
- Administration
- Social & Cultural Development.
For NTI, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is the central structure for identifying policy priorities and directions. This follows two main paths:
- First, policy and program priorities are determined by what Claim obligations, either Inuit or government, have yet to be implemented.
- Second, priorities can stem from the necessity of meeting ongoing Inuit obligations.
NTI has gone through a transformation from the political activist body it began as to an organization with significant responsibilities for administering the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Nevertheless, it continues as an advocate for the rights of Inuit.