How have organizations attempted to help the Inuit sustain their post-colonization economy, and have they been effective?

Abstract

European colonization of the Inuit in Arctic Canada has left a long-lasting legacy in the economies of present-day Canadian first nation communities. The long-term sustainability of the Inuit economy is becoming an ever-present issue. This research explores the ways in which multiple organizations have helped the Inuit sustain their post-colonization economy and their effectiveness in doing so. It focuses on the case of the territory of Nunavut, which has been subject to various policies and efforts to ensure the sustainability of the economy in the long term.. Policy analysis was utilized to draw conclusions from Nunavut and Canadian government policy reports as well as reports that grassroots Inuit organizations have produced. The evidence in this research suggests that governments have been partially successful in creating a sustainable economy through providing employment opportunities and spearheading mining development for the Inuit, but that their policies often encroach upon Inuit traditional values and belief systems amidst their attempted efforts to mitigate those harms. Grassroots organizations, on the other hand, have created a positive and connected environment within the Inuit community by upholding Inuit traditional values, which has been effective in sustaining the Inuit post-colonization economy. Further research and action are necessary to glean further empirical data to measure the precise negative or positive impacts of the policies and initiatives that both the government and grassroots organizations have directed for the Inuit.