Amendments to
Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act
Resolve Claims in Northern Labrador
The Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador has taken an historic step forward with the
introduction of legislation into the House of Assembly
this week that will assist in resolving land claims in
northern Labrador and offshore areas adjacent to
northern Labrador and northern Quebec.
Amendments to the Labrador Inuit
Land Claims Agreement Act will incorporate an
Overlap Agreement reached in November 2005 between the
Labrador Inuit and Nunavik (Quebec) Inuit that resolved
their overlapping land claims in this province. An
Overlap Agreement details how rights and benefits are
shared by two or more Aboriginal groups who have laid
claim to the same area.
"These amendments to incorporate the
Overlap Agreement effectively resolve Nunavik Inuit
claims in northern Labrador and Labrador Inuit claims to
offshore Quebec," said the Honourable Patty Pottle,
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. "The amendments provide
increased clarity and certainty for the future economic
development of the area."
Once overlapping land claims are
resolved by Aboriginal groups, they can only come into
effect if they are incorporated into the land claims
agreement of each Aboriginal group. The Overlap
Agreement was incorporated into the Nunavik Inuit Land
Claims Agreement in 2008; the amendments to the
Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act will allow
for the Overlap Agreement to be incorporated into the
Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement.
Through the Overlap Agreement,
Labrador Inuit share some of their treaty rights with
the Nunavik Inuit in the offshore area and in lands
transferred to the Government of Canada for the creation
of the Torngat National Park, while Labrador Inuit
attain the right to harvest in the offshore portion of
the Nunavik overlap area. As well, once the Government
of Canada gives consent to the Overlap Agreement, it
will provide approximately $33 million over 11 years in
capital transfer payments to the Nunatsiavut Government
for the settling of its claim to offshore Quebec.
Any amendment to the Labrador Inuit
Land Claims Agreement requires the consent of the three
parties � the Nunatsiavut General Assembly approved the
amendments on March 18, 2009; it is expected that once
the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has
implemented these legislative amendments, the Government
of Canada will move forward with its approval process.
"Agreements on land claims help to
define new and positive relationships between
governments and Aboriginal claimants," said Minister
Pottle. "These amendments will resolve outstanding
claims in offshore Quebec and Labrador and establish the
rights of both Nunavik and Labrador Inuit in the overlap
area."
A map of the overlap area can be
viewed at:
www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2009/laa/1203n07pic.htm.
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Media contact:
John Tompkins
Director of Communications
Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
709-729-1674, 728-7762
jtompkins@gov.nl.ca