Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act

Canada [1993]

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July 1, 2026

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The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act was enacted in 1993, leading to the creation of Nunavut, a vast territory in northern Canada. This agreement settled Inuit land claims, granting them control over more than 135,000 square miles (350,000 square km) and providing financial compensation. The Nunavut Act, also passed in 1993, established Nunavut as a territory, carved out of the eastern part of the Northwest Territories. Nunavut officially came into being on April 1, 1999, and is named "Our Land" in Inuktitut, reflecting its Inuit heritage.1

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Today in History—April 1
The Creation of Nunavut
Finally, in 1993 the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, the largest Indigenous land settlement in Canada’s history, passed. Work began on logistics, everything from license plates and a flag to electing the new legislative assembly.
Read More
Finally, in 1993 the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, the largest Indigenous land settlement in Canada’s history, passed. Work began on logistics, everything from license plates and a flag to electing the new legislative assembly.
Read More

Nunavut
History of Nunavut
The first, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, settled Inuit land claims against the government by giving the Inuit outright control of more than 135,000 square miles (350,000 square km) of territory and providing cash payments from the federal government over a 14-year period; the second, the Nunavut…
Read More
The first, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, settled Inuit land claims against the government by giving the Inuit outright control of more than 135,000 square miles (350,000 square km) of territory and providing cash payments from the federal government over a 14-year period; the second, the Nunavut…
Read More