The territory of Nunavut was created on April 1, 1999. It was originally part of the Northwest Territories, and when it was decided to create a new territory, there were many discussions about who owned the land and where the new boundary should be. The Inuit claimed to the eastern section, and the western section continued to be called Northwest Territories. Since its population would be 80 percent Inuit, it was decided that it should carry the traditional name for the Inuit homeland. The name is Nunavut, which means “our land” in Inuktitut.

The creation on Nunavut was a landmark for the Inuit: at last they control the evolution of the land their ancestors settled so long ago. And a magnificent land it is, a rugged wilderness of incomparable beauty studded with settlements in which Inuit arts and crafts flourish.