by Jay Makarenko
January 8th, 2002 Canada's north is a harsh landscape, often frigid and barren. However, one finds patches of life in this inhospitable place: a small flower, blades of grass, the splash of a seal, the cry of a bird. Each is a testament of life's ability to sustain itself and even flourish in the severest conditions. The story of Canada's Inuit people reflects this northern landscape. It is a tale of harsh conditions, of striving to live in one of the toughest climates in the world, and of undergoing massive social, economic and cultural changes. But it's also a tale about a desire to sustain a way of life while adapting to a changing world.
The Nunavut territory is a new chapter in the Inuit story. It marks the end of years of Inuit struggle for recognition of their unique existence and the power to protect it. It also marks the beginning of a new struggle to overcome the social and economic problems facing the Inuit in the 21st century. An Introduction to the Nunavut Inuit The following is an introduction to Nunavut and the story of the Inuit peoples. This introduction is broken down into the following sections:
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