The Nunatsiavut Assembly is the

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

branch of the government of

Nunatsiavut Nunatsiavut (; iu, italics=no, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᑦ) is an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous area claimed by the Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The settlement area includes territory in Labrador extending to the Quebe ...

, Canada.

History

On January 22, 2005, the Inuit of Nunatsiavut signed the Labrador Inuit Lands Claims Agreement with the federal and provincial governments covering of land, including the entire northern salient of Labrador north of Nain as well as a portion of the Atlantic coast south of there. The agreement also includes of sea rights. Although the Inuit will not own the whole area, they were granted special rights related to traditional land use, and they will own designated Labrador Inuit Lands. The Labrador Inuit Lands Claims Agreement is a treaty between the Inuit of Labrador, the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the federal government of Canada, that is constitutionally protected under the aboriginal and treaty rights of

Indigenous peoples in Canada In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and ''Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider them ...

granted by

section 35 Section 35 of the ''Constitution Act, 1982'' provides constitutional protection to the indigenous and treaty rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. The section, while within the Constitution of Canada, falls outside the ''Canadian Charter of Righ ...

of the Constitution Act, 1982. The agreement was ratified by the Labrador Inuit, the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, and the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the ...

, where it received

Royal Assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

on June 23, 2005. On December 1, 2005, the constitution was formally adopted, and a swearing-in ceremony was held for the first cabinet, an interim government which consisted of members of the Labrador Inuit Association board of directors. This day marked the official transfer of power from the provincial government to the newly formed Government of Nunatsiavut "to make their own laws relating to cultural affairs, education and health". In October 2006, Nunatsiavut held its first election to form a nine-member government, which was sworn in on October 16 in Hopedale. The current

Nunatsiavut Assembly Building The Nunatsiavut Assembly Building in Hopedale, Newfoundland and Labrador is the seat of the autonomous Nunatsiavut Assembly. The building opened in 2012 and is the Assembly's first permanent home since it first sat in 2008. The Assembly previous ...

in Hopedale opened in 2012.

Marlene Winters-Wheeler Marlene Winters-Wheeler is an Inuit politician in Labrador. She has been the speaker of the Nunatsiavut Assembly The Nunatsiavut Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of Nunatsiavut, Canada. History On January 22, 2005, the Inuit ...

became speaker in February 2021.

Electoral system

The Nunatsiavut Assembly consists of 10 ordinary members (6 for Nunatsiavut and 4 for its diaspora), the president of Nunatsiavut and the heads of the

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

Community governments and corporations. Nain, Canada and Upper Lake Melville are each represented by 2 members while Hopedale, Makkovik, Postville and Rigolet are each represented by 1 member. Only Inuit residents of each constituency can vote in Nunatsiavut's elections (Inuit make up 88% of Nunatsiavut's population) while minorities are represented in municipal councils which each have a non-Inuit member to promote minority interests. Nunatsiavut does not use a party system.

Current members

Nunatsiavut Assembly Building in Hopedale

Additional members

The President of Nunatsiavut also serves on the Nunatsiavut Assembly. The holder of this role since 2016 is Johannes Lampe.

Inuit Community Government heads

The heads of the Inuit Community governments (official title is "AngajukKâk", serve a similar role as a

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

) also serve in the assembly. Additionally, the chairperson of the NunaKatiget Community Corporation and the chairperson of the Sivunivut Inuit Community Corporation serve on the Nunatsiavut Assembly. The 2 corporations represent the Inuit of Upper Lake Melville (Sivunivut represents North West River while NunaKatiget represents Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Mud Lake).

Executive Council

First Ministers of Nunatsiavut

* Kate Mitchell *

Anthony Andersen Anthony (Tony) Andersen is a Labrador Inuit politician who serves on the Nunatsiavut Assembly. Personal life He was born to Edgar Andersen and Muriel Andersen. His brother Wally Andersen is also currently a member of the Nunatsiavut Assembly ...

References

External links

The official website
{{Canadian Legislative Bodies

Local government in Newfoundland and Labrador Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador