NLIS 3
November 29, 2005
(Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs)
The following statement was issued today by
Tom Rideout, Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs. It was also read in
the House of Assembly:
Effective date for the Labrador
Inuit Land Claims Agreement
I rise today in this Honourable House to advise
members that this Thursday, December 1, marks the effective date of the Labrador
Inuit Land Claims Agreement, and to congratulate the Labrador Inuit on this
momentous occasion.
Many changes will be triggered by the effective date. It will have an impact on
the people and businesses throughout Labrador, and I encourage anyone who may be
impacted by this agreement to become informed on what it will mean for them.
Most importantly, the Nunatsiavut Government will officially come into being,
representing a new governing structure for the Labrador Inuit.
The Labrador Inuit have waited almost 30 years for this day, and it will mark a
new era in Labrador. Having this land claims agreement come into effect will
give the Labrador Inuit more control over their own affairs. The agreement sets
out a new regime for land ownership, resource sharing and self-government,
including Inuit ownership of 15,800 square kilometers of land to be known as
Labrador Inuit Lands. This is where the Nunatsiavut Government will exercise
most of its powers.
The date will also mark the formal establishment of the Torngat Mountains
National Park Reserve of Canada under the Canada National Parks Act. This
park consists of approximately 9,600 square kilometres.
The Nunatsiavut Government will also have jurisdiction over language and
culture, and this will enable the Inuit to preserve and promote Inuktitut as the
language of everyday life and to develop an education system in which Inuktitut
and English are languages of instruction. This will provide the Inuit with
further opportunities to prosper and grow.
The Labrador Inuit Association, as well as the governments of Canada and
Newfoundland and Labrador, have worked very diligently and cooperatively to make
this day a reality. In May 2004, the Labrador Inuit voted on this agreement and
the support was both overwhelming and definitive. Approximately 85 per cent of
eligible went to the polls and 76 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in
favour of the agreement.
A day of ceremony is planned for December 1 in Nain and I look forward to
attending along with the Premier, ministers Shelley and Osborne, opposition
members, and Aboriginal and community leaders.
On December 1, the face of Labrador and the province will be forever changed. I
ask my Honourable colleagues to join with me in congratulating the Labrador
Inuit as they celebrate this momentous day in their history.
2005 11 29 1:55 p.m. |