nunavat - history

The history from the first nation starts since at least 12.000 years and encompass the ethnic groups. The designation first nation is comparative recent and means the native people but without the metis and iniut. The Métis are descendants from european and first nation people so strictly they don't appertain to the specific group first nation.

The history began with the adaptation on the natural environment. For this Alfred Koeber splits North America in ten different culture areas and from that ten, five culture areas belong to the todays Canada’s zone. This embarrassed the subarctic, the north-west coast, the plateau, the prairie and plains and the north-west forest landscape around Newfoundland. The nomadism but without cattle-breeding (except dogs and horses) determined the life until the 19^th Century. The life in the regions began to change with colonial phase in the 15^th century with trading with fish, whales and flurs. These trades evoke different wars between the natives and the different colonies mainly the British Empire and France or between the colonies themselves. Allied with the French, the first nations of the WabanakiConfederacy of Acadia fought six colonial wars against the British and their native allies. In the second war, The sixth and final colonial war between the nations of France and Great Britain (1754-1763), resulted in the British conquest of Canada.In this final war, the Franco-Indian alliance brought together American and Canadian First Nations and the French, centred on the Great Lakes and the Illinois Country. At the same time the first nation people get more and more disadvantages and get relegated in reservates. Until the 1960s it was forbidden to go to a choice for the first nation people. They were also forced to use a different language.

Today the first nations are direct descendants from these aboriginal groups who lived before the first european settlers came over. The population is nearly by 700.000 people. Most of them live in British Columbia (ca. 130.000). But from the 700.000 people only 133.000 people belong to the first nation because they don’t have a clan so the state defines them as no Indians.

Role of the Commissioner

The Commissioner’s role is much like that of a Lieutenant Governor of a province.

Nunavut has what is called “responsible government” meaning that the Executive Council holds power only as long as it is supported by a majority of the members of the elected legislative assembly.

The symbolic role of the Commisioner

The Commissioner exercises power by acting as a symbol of the territory, supporting the values the citizens have agreed to be governed by.The Governor General personifies the national and federal interests of all the people of Canada, while the Commissioner personifies the interests of the people of the territory. Over them all the Queen is a figurehead symbolizing the unity of these separate interests.The Commissioner is “Head of State” but not Head of the Government”.No one but the Commissioner plays the role of flesh-and-blood symbol of the territory, representing the interests of the territory’s people.Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly do not become law until they receive the Commissioner’s assent. The Commissioner gives assent to the bills on the advice of the First Minister (Premier)The powers of the commissioner include both statutory and customary responsibilities. Statutory responsibilities include the swearing-in of members of the legislative assembly and executive council, the reading of the speech opening sessions of the legislative assembly and the signing of documents such as orders-in-council, Commissioner’s warrants, statutory appointments and dispositions of Commissioner’s Lands.Customary responsibilities include the Commissioner’s attendance at official functions and issuing declarations that are not legal in nature.

Cabinet

Cabinet, or Executive Council, is the senior decision making body of government and is made up of the Premier and usually seven members, all of which are elected by the Legislative Assembly.

Legislative Assembly of Nunavat

The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut includes the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Premier, the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).  There are 22 constituencies represented in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.