Abstract
The Territory of Nunavut, Canada, was created in 1999 as a vehicle of self-determination for the country’s Inuit population. Carved from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut became Canada’s lowest-income province or territory. At the time, hopes were high for a new model of development based on Inuit values, newly codified land rights, and a wealth of natural resources. A decade later, has Nunavut resulted in a new, effective, and sustainable model of economic development for its residents? Does the territory offer any lessons, in turn, for other low-income regions of the developed or developing world? This paper investigates these questions, based on field research and review of available literature.
