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60-755: Maskwacis Cultural College is a member of the First Nation and Adult Higher Education Consortium, a non-profit organization in Western Canada, which coordinates the efforts of its members to provide quality adult and higher education, controlled entirely by people of the First Nations. In 1974, the Four Bands of Hobbema established Maskwacis Cultural Centre under the Cultural/Educational Centres Program of Indian Affairs Canada . From 1974 to 1986,

120-757: A body created by then Prime Minister John A. Macdonald for the purpose of administering the Dominion Lands Act of 1872. When the Department of the Interior dissolved in 1936 (with the Natural Resources Act s transferring control over natural resources to the Prairie provinces ), Indian Affairs fell under the purview of the Department of Mines and Resources . However, the need for social and health-care services in

180-490: A majority of its spending - are delivered through partnerships with Aboriginal communities and federal-provincial or federal-territorial agreements. CIRNAC also works with urban Indigenous people, Métis and Non-Status Indians (many of whom live in rural areas). CIRNAC supports indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and Northerners in their efforts to: CIRNAC also works with urban First Nations, Métis and Non-Status Indians (many of whom live in rural areas) through

240-736: A post-secondary institution. In July 1988, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta passed the Maskwacîs Cultural College Act (Bill PR20), establishing the Maskwachees Cultural College as a Private Post-Secondary Institution in Alberta with authority to grant certification to students at the Certificate and Diploma levels. In 1987, Maskwacis Cultural College's university courses were recognized as transfer equivalencies to

300-649: A small part of Yukon, together called the Inuvialuit Settlement Region , and sometimes includes Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk. The central Arctic covers the pre-division Kitikmeot Region, Northwest Territories . Since 1925, Canada has claimed the portion of the Arctic between 60°W and 141°W longitude, extending all the way north to the North Pole : All islands in the Arctic Archipelago and Herschel , off

360-654: A variety of upgrading, certificate and diploma programs. Students are instructed by professors from affiliated universities and colleges. Some of the academic programs offered at MCC are as follows: The Government of Canada sponsors an Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool that lists over 680 scholarships, bursaries, and other incentives offered by governments, universities, and industry to support Aboriginal post-secondary participation. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Crown – Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada ( CIRNAC ; French : Relations Couronne-Autochtones et des Affaires du Nord Canada )

420-506: Is home to the various sub-groups of the Inuit , a people unrelated to other Indigenous peoples in Canada . These are people who have traditionally relied mostly on hunting marine mammals and caribou , mainly barren-ground caribou , as well as fish and migratory birds. The Inuit lived in groups that pursued a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, with a basic governmental system in which power was exercised by

480-601: Is in the true Arctic, being north of the Arctic Circle ), sometimes excluding Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk ; Nunavik , an autonomous part of the province of Quebec; Nunatsiavut , an autonomous part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador; and perhaps a few parts of the Hudson Bay coast of Ontario and Manitoba. The western Arctic is the northernmost portion of the Northwest Territories (roughly Inuvik Region ) and

540-530: Is one of the federal government departments responsible for meeting the Government of Canada's obligations and commitments to First Nations, Inuit and Métis , and for fulfilling the federal government's constitutional responsibilities in the North. The department's responsibilities are largely determined by numerous statutes, negotiated agreements and relevant legal decisions. Most of the department's programs, representing

600-509: Is overseen by two cabinet ministers, the Minister of Crown–Indigenous relations (whose portfolio includes treaty rights and land negotiations) and the Minister of Northern Affairs . Its headquarters is in Terrasses de la Chaudière , in downtown Gatineau, Quebec . " First Nation " has been used since the 1970s instead of the word Indian , which some people found offensive. The term Indian

660-608: Is represented in only the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Nunavut (NU) regional offices and headquarters. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement was implemented in 1993 between the Inuit of the Nunavut Settlement Area and the Government of Canada subject to the Constitution Act of 1982 . The territory of Nunavut was formed in 1999. CIRNAC has major responsibilities for managing the lands and resources of Nunavut. With respect to

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720-470: Is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for Canada's northern lands and territories, and one of two departments with responsibility for policies relating to Indigenous peoples in Canada (the other being the Department of Indigenous Services , or ISC). CIRNAC, along with ISC, were established to replace the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development ( DIAND ). The department

780-721: Is used for legal and historical documents such as Status Indians as defined by the Indian Act . For example, the term "Indian" continues to be used in the historical and legal document, the Canadian Constitution and federal statutes. The then-Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada used the term Inuit in referring to "an Aboriginal people in Northern Canada , who live in Nunavut , Northwest Territories , Northern Quebec and Northern Labrador. The word means 'people' in

840-526: Is within 20 km (12 mi) of Canadian islands; however, the United States claims that it is in international waters . As of 2023, ice and freezing temperatures have always made this a minor issue, but climate change may make the passage more accessible to shipping. Furthermore, the thawing of the polar ice cap increases the mutual proximity of Canada and Russia as a result of the historically unusable Arctic Ocean becoming increasingly navigable. Using

900-751: The Arctic Cordillera mountain system, are geologically distinct from the Arctic Region (which consists largely of lowlands ). The Arctic and Hudson Bay Lowlands comprise a substantial part of the geographic region often considered part of the Canadian Shield (in contrast to the sole geological area). The ground in the Arctic is mostly composed of permafrost , making construction difficult and often hazardous, and agriculture virtually impossible. The Arctic watershed (or drainage basin) drains northern parts of Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, most of

960-522: The Chipewyan making up the largest sub-group. The three territories each have a greater proportion of Aboriginal inhabitants than any of Canada's provinces. There are also many more recent immigrants from around the world; of the territories, Yukon has the largest percentage of non-Aboriginal inhabitants, while Nunavut the smallest. As of 2021 , the largest settlement in Northern Canada is Whitehorse ,

1020-805: The Indigenous peoples of the Subarctic , that is the First Nations , who were hunters of moose , freshwater fishers and trappers . This region was heavily involved in the North American fur trade during its peak importance, and is home to many Métis people who originated in that trade. The area was mostly part of Rupert's Land under the nominal control of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) from 1670 to 1869, who regarded Rupert's Land as their proprietary colony. In 1670, King Charles II of England in his grant creating

1080-645: The Office of the Federal Interlocutor . CIRNAC also manages the resources of federal lands, including land and subsurface leases and resource royalties. In 1755, the British Crown established the Indian Department . The Governor General of Canada held control of Indian affairs, but usually delegated much of their responsibility to subordinate civil secretaries. In 1860, the responsibility for Indian affairs

1140-651: The University of Alberta , the University of Calgary , the University of Lethbridge and Augustana University College . Since then Maskwachees Cultural College's university courses were brokered to Yellowhead Tribal Council in Edmonton and the MCC Early Childhood Development Program was brokered to Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council at Grouard , Alberta. Students can complete the first two years of various university degrees at MCC, as well as

1200-451: The near north and the far north . The different climates of these two regions result in vastly different vegetation, and therefore very different economies, settlement patterns and histories. The "near north" or sub-Arctic is mostly synonymous with the Canadian boreal forest , a large area of evergreen -dominated forests with a subarctic climate . This area has traditionally been home to

1260-569: The Arctic lie behind differences in territorial claims in the Arctic . This claim is recognized by most countries with some exceptions, including the United States; Denmark, Russia, and Norway have made claims similar to those of Canada in the Arctic and are opposed by the European Union and the United States. This is especially important with the Northwest Passage , which Canada asserts control of as part of Canadian Internal Waters because it

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1320-534: The Arctic watershed. Each of these elements eventually merges with the Mackenzie so that it thereby drains the vast majority of the Arctic watershed. Under the Köppen climate classification , much of mainland Northern Canada has a subarctic climate , with a tundra climate in most of the Arctic Archipelago and on the northern coasts, and an ice cap climate in some parts of the Arctic Cordillera . For more than half of

1380-469: The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development was created as a result of the Government Organization Act, 1966 . Effective June 13, 2011, the department began using the applied title Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada in addition to the legal name of the department. The Northern Development part of the department has its origins in the Department of the Interior ,

1440-529: The Eastern Arctic Patrol beginning in the late 1940s. In August 2017, the Trudeau ministry announced the dissolution of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development ( DIAND ) and announced that it would be replaced by the Department of Indigenous Services and the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. This came into effect as of July 15, 2019. The transition

1500-482: The Government of Canada sponsored annual expeditions to the Canadian North . These expeditions yielded extensive photographic documentation of the lives of northern indigenous peoples by participating explorers, engineers, scientists and medical staff. Explorer, photographer, filmmaker, writer and lecturer Richard S. Finnie accompanied numerous expeditions to the North. His first voyage was aboard CGS Arctic , under

1560-543: The Interior also held the position of Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs after the Indian Affairs Department was established in 1880. In 1939, federal jurisdiction for Indian peoples was interpreted by the courts to apply to the Inuit. A revised Indian Act was passed in 1951. From 1950 to 1965, the Indian Affairs portfolio was carried by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration . On October 1, 1966,

1620-409: The Inuit language — Inuktitut. The singular of Inuit is Inuk." Eskimo is found in historical documents about Canadian Inuit. The term Aboriginal is commonly used when referring to the three groups of indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis ) as a whole. It is also used by Aboriginal people who live within Canada who claim rights of sovereignty or Aboriginal title to lands. CIRNAC

1680-788: The Inuit of Nunavut , the department and its Minister have the challenge of implementing the Conciliator's Final Report, dated March 1, 2006 on the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Implementation Contract Negotiations for the Second Planning Period 2003-2013 "The Nunavut Project" authored by Thomas Berger . This report recommends an increase in Inuit participation in Nunavut's federal and territorial public service. Northern Canada Northern Canada ( French : Nord du Canada ), colloquially

1740-670: The Maskwacis Cultural Centre's mission was to preserve Plains Cree culture and history, to support Cree language development and to provide Post-secondary opportunities to members of the Four Nations by brokering courses from various public institutions. In 1986, the Board of Governors, with assistance and support of the Chiefs of Samson, Ermineskin, Louis Bull and Montana Bands, sought formal recognition for Maskwachees Cultural Centre as

1800-468: The NWT and 0.02/km (0.052/sq mi) for Nunavut), compared with 4.2/km (11/sq mi) for Canada. The region is heavily endowed with natural resources, but in most cases they are very expensive to extract and situated in fragile environmental areas. Though GDP per person is higher than elsewhere in Canada, the region remains relatively poor, mostly because of the extremely high cost of most consumer goods, and

1860-486: The North or the Territories , is the vast northernmost region of Canada , variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada : Yukon , Northwest Territories and Nunavut . This area covers about 48 per cent of Canada's total land area, but has less than 0.5 per cent of Canada's population . The terms "northern Canada" or "the North" may be used in contrast with

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1920-544: The North led to the establishment of the Northern Administration and Lands branch in 1951, which led to the creation of the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources in 1953. This became the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1966. Under the Federal Identity Program , the department is known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Beginning in the early 20th century,

1980-714: The Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and parts of Yukon into the Arctic Ocean , including the Beaufort Sea and Baffin Bay . With the exception of the Mackenzie River , Canada's longest river, this watershed has been little used for hydroelectricity . The Peace and Athabasca rivers, along with Great Bear and Great Slave Lake (respectively the largest and second largest lakes wholly enclosed within Canada), are significant elements of

2040-529: The Provinces Responsible for Indian Affairs. In 1876, the Indian Act , which remains the major expression of federal jurisdiction in this area, was passed and a series of treaties were concluded between Canada and the various Indian bands across the country. The responsibility for Indian Affairs and Northern Development rested with various government departments between 1873 and 1966. The Minister of

2100-567: The Yukon coast, form part of the region and are Canadian territory, and the territorial waters claimed by Canada surround these islands. Views of territorial claims in this region are complicated by disagreements on legal principles. Canada and the Soviet Union / Russia have long claimed that their territory extends according to the sector principle to the North Pole. The United States does not accept

2160-547: The area it had purchased the Northwest Territories . Shortly thereafter the government made a series of treaties with the local First Nations regarding land title. This opened the region to non-Native settlement, as well as to forestry, mining, and oil and gas drilling. In 1896, gold was discovered in the Yukon, leading to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896-1899, and the first substantial white settlements were made in

2220-446: The capital of Yukon, with 28,201 inhabitants. Second is Yellowknife , the capital of the Northwest Territories, which contains 20,340 inhabitants. Third is Iqaluit , the capital of Nunavut, with 7,429. Although it has not been on the same scale, some towns and cities have experienced population increases not seen for several decades before. Yellowknife has become the centre of diamond production for Canada (which has become one of

2280-625: The command of Captain Bernier in 1924. During the 1930–1931 expedition to the Western Arctic, Finnie served as filmmaker. Lachlan T. Burwash, an exploratory engineer with the Department of the Interior, made a survey of the east coasts of Hudson Bay and James Bay , and the Belcher Islands in the late 1920s. Zoologist Joseph Dewey Soper travelled to the Baffin Island (Qikiqtaaluk) region in

2340-472: The dry cold air prevalent throughout most of the region, snowfall is often light. During the short summers, much of Northern Canada is snow free, except for the Arctic Cordillera, which remains covered with snow and ice throughout the year. In the summer months, temperatures average below 7 °C (45 °F) but may occasionally exceed 18 °C (65 °F). Most of the rainfall accumulated occurs in

2400-498: The early 20th century treaty process, and aboriginal title to the land has been acknowledged by the Canadian government with the creation of autonomous territories instead of the Indian reserves of further south. In 1982 a referendum was held to decide on splitting the Northwest Territories. This was followed by the 1992 Nunavut creation referendum , with the majority of the people in

2460-542: The existence of the British Arctic territory claim nor were they aware for some time afterwards that under international law their territories had just been included in Canada. It was not until 1920, when detachments of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) started being sent into the far north to enforce Canadian law, that Canadian sovereignty over the region became effective. This area was not part of

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2520-555: The far north , which may refer to the Canadian Arctic , the portion of Canada that lies north of the Arctic Circle , east of Alaska and west of Greenland . However, in many other uses the two areas are treated as a single unit. The capital cities of the three northern territories, from west to east, are: As a social rather than political region, the Canadian North is often subdivided into two distinct regions based on climate,

2580-447: The far north voting to leave the Northwest Territories, leading to creation of the new territory of Nunavut in 1999. Very few non-Indigenous people have settled in these areas, and the residents of the far north represent less than 1% of Canada's total population. The far north is also often broken into western and eastern parts and sometimes a central part. The eastern Arctic includes the self-governing territory of Nunavut (much of which

2640-406: The late 18th century to assert its claim to Rupert's Land in response to rival fur traders coming out of Montreal who were hurting profits by going directly to the First Nations. The HBC's claim to Rupert's Land, which, as the company was the de facto administrator, included the North-Western Territory , was purchased by the Canadian government in 1869. After buying Rupert's Land, Canada renamed

2700-401: The late 1920s in order to document the landscape, as well as the plant and bird life. J.G. Wright , Superintendent of Eastern Arctic Patrol and National Film Board photographer, served on the 1945–1946 expedition sponsored by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind . As the Regional Director of Family Allowances for Yukon and the Northwest Territories , S.J. Bailey served as part of

2760-415: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, Canada reduced the size of the Northwest Territory by carving new provinces out of it such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, together with the new territory of the Yukon, while transferring other parts of the Northwest Territory to Ontario and Quebec. The "far north" is synonymous with the areas north of the tree line : the Barren Grounds and tundra . This area

2820-443: The local headman, a person acknowledged to be the best hunter, and the angakkuq , sometimes called shamans. This area was somewhat involved in the fur trade , but was more influenced by the whaling industry . Britain maintained a claim to the far north as part of the British Arctic Territories , and in 1880 transferred its claim to Canada, who incorporated the far north into the Northwest Territories. The Inuit were not aware of

2880-475: The near north. To deal with the increased settlement in the Klondike , the Yukon Territory was created in 1898. Today several million people live in the near north, around 15% of the Canadian total. Large parts of the near north are not part of Canada's territories, but rather are the northern parts of the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, meaning they have very different political histories as minority regions within larger units. In

2940-473: The political definition of the three northern territories, the north, with an area of 3,921,739 km (1,514,192 sq mi), makes up 39.3% of Canada. Although vast, the entire region is very sparsely populated. As of 2021, only about 118,160 people lived there, compared with 36,991,981 in the rest of Canada. The population density for Northern Canada is 0.03/km (0.078/sq mi) (0.08/km (0.21/sq mi) for Yukon, 0.03/km (0.078/sq mi) for

3000-443: The proprietary colony Rupert's Land defined its frontiers as all the lands adjudging Hudson Strait , Hudson Bay or rivers flowing into Hudson Bay, in theory giving control of much of what is now Canada to the HBC. Under the royal charter of 2 May 1670, the HBC received the theoretical control of 1.5 million square miles (3.9 million square kilometres) making up 40% of what is now Canada. Despite its claim that Rupert's Land

3060-492: The region is heavily subsidised by the government of Canada . As of 2016, 53.3% of the population of the three territories (23.3% in Yukon, 50.7% in the NWT and 85.9% in Nunavut ) is Indigenous, Inuit , First Nations or Métis . The Inuit are the largest group of Indigenous peoples in Northern Canada , and 53.0% of all Canada's Inuit live in Northern Canada, with Nunavut accounting for 46.4%. The region also contains several groups of First Nations, who are mainly Dene , with

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3120-422: The sector principle and does not make a sector claim based on its Alaskan Arctic coast. Claims that undersea geographic features are extensions of a country's continental shelf are also used to support claims; for example the Denmark/ Greenland claim on territory to the North Pole, some of which is disputed by Canada. Foreign ships, both civilian and military, are allowed the right of innocent passage through

3180-424: The summer months, ranging from 25 to 51 mm (1 to 2 in) in the northernmost islands to 180 mm (7 in) at the southern end of Baffin Island . The northern territories are represented in the Parliament of Canada by 3 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons (1 from each territory) and 3 senators (1 from each territory). Currently, of the 3 northern MPs in the Commons, 2 are Liberals,

3240-411: The territorial waters of a littoral state subject to conditions in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea . The right of innocent passage is not allowed, however, in internal waters , which are enclosed bodies of water or waters landward of a chain of islands. Disagreements about the sector principle or extension of territory to the North Pole and about the definition of internal waters in

3300-403: The top three countries for diamonds). In the 2006 Canadian Census , the three territories posted a combined population of over 100,000 for the first time in Canadian history. While the largest part of the Arctic is composed of permanent ice and the Canadian Arctic tundra north of the tree line , it encompasses geological regions of varying types: The Innuitian Mountains , associated with

3360-486: The year, much of Northern Canada is snow- and ice-covered, with some limited moderation by the relatively warmer waters in coastal areas, with temperatures generally remaining below the freezing mark from October to May. During the coldest three months, mean monthly temperatures range from −29 °C (−20 °F) in the southern sections to −34 °C (−30 °F) in the northern sections, although temperatures can go down to −48 to −51 °C (−55 to −60 °F). Owing to

3420-456: Was a proprietary colony, the HBC controlled only the areas around its forts ( trading posts ) on the shores of James Bay and Hudson Bay, and never sought to impose political control on the First Nations peoples, whose co-operation was needed for the fur trade. For its first century, the HBC never ventured inland, being content to have the First Nations peoples come to its forts to trade fur for European goods. The HBC started to move inland only in

3480-437: Was not instantaneous, with Orders-in-Council initially separating the portfolios, and formal legislation constituting the new departments being passed in July 2019. According to Trudeau, the rationale behind the restructuring was that "the structures in place at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada were created at a time where the approach around the Indian Act , the approach around our engagement with indigenous peoples,

3540-416: Was transferred from the British government to the Province of Canada ; the responsibility for Indian affairs was then delegated to the Crown Lands Department Commissions Responsible for Indian Affairs. The federal government 's legislative responsibilities for First Nations and the Inuit derive from section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867 and responsibility was given to the Secretary of State for

3600-526: Was very much looked at in a paternalistic, colonial way". The new departments are consistent with the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples' recommendations to improve the delivery of services dramatically and fast-track self-government. CIRNAC has offices in ten (10) regions, at headquarters and to deal with oil and gas leases. The offices are further divided into the broad divisions of treaties and aboriginal government; lands and economic development and education and social development. Northern Development

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