NUNAVUT
After almost two years since formal negotiations for the devolution of powers to Nunavut from Ottawa began - halted due to a federal election last October - the new Liberal government has appointed its chief federal negotiator, Fred Caron.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett made the announcement on Nunavut Day, July 9.

Caron is an experienced negotiator on indigenous issues, according to a news release.

"The Government of Canada remains steadfast in our commitment to advance Nunavut devolution and put decision making on lands and resources in the hands of Nunavummiut. I'm confident that Mr. Caron's knowledge and expertise on issues impacting Indigenous Canadians will allow for renewed, good-faith negotiations to begin in the context of a renewed Inuit-to-Crown relationship," stated Bennett.

Devolution would see the transfer of responsibilities over land and resources to the territory.

In October 2014, when then-minister Bernard Valcourt announced a chief federal negotiator, an agreement-in-principle was expected to be reached in a year, with offshore resource negotiations to take place at a later date. The Lands and Resources Devolution Negotiation Protocol signed in 2008 was to serve as the framework for negotiations

With devolution will come "power and other means of generating the territorial government's revenues," Premier Peter Taptuna told Nunavut News/North in January.

"Because, as you know, over 90 per cent of our funding comes from Ottawa. Devolution will allow us to collect royalties from development."

to sitting at negotiations table

Taptuna said, in the July 9 news release, "We are excited to return to negotiations and to step forward together to develop an agreement in principle on devolution with the Government of Canada and NTI (Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.)."

In a separately issued July 12 news release, NTI president Cathy Towtongie recalls that "NTI worked with the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut toward a devolution agreement for many years."

Formal devolution negotiations with the previous federal government took place in 2014 and 2015. Progress was made on a number of devolution issues, including recognizing the importance of implementing Nunavut Agreement Article 23 (Inuit employment) as part of any devolution agreement, according to that news release.

"However, the previous government adopted a take it or leave it approach to negotiations and appeared unwilling to consider creative approaches to issues like marine areas and revenue sharing," it states.

Towtongie adds, "I look forward to negotiations that go beyond expectations that Nunavut's devolution agreement has to mirror the precedent set in the Yukon or Northwest Territories. We need Nunavut solutions to Nunavut issues."

NTI has previously worked with Caron, including on the out-of-court settlement of implementation litigation in May 2015. Udloriak Hanson will continue as NTI's chief negotiator for devolution.

On June 24, Taptuna announced Simon Awa, acting deputy minister of Environment, would return as the GN's full-time chief negotiator.

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