Makivik, Quebec, may sign accord by June

IQALUIT — Nunavik may be back on the path to self-government by the end of June.

That’s the new target deadline set for Quebec, the federal government and the Makivik Corporation to finally sign the Nunavik Political Accord.

This long-awaited deal would create a commission to develop a timetable, plan of action and recommendations for a new Nunavik government.

Although the wording of this agreement and even the members of the six-person, tripartite commission were determined months ago, nervous Quebec officials became increasingly worried over the level of autonomy that the accord seemed to offer Nunavik.

Since the re-election of the Parti Québécois government last November, Quebec has got cold feet on the self-government issue.

But Makivik president Pita Aatami said that a meeting on April 15 with Guy Chevrette, Quebec’s minister of native affairs, helped settle some of the remaining hurdles to the accord’s signature.

In the 15th version of the draft agreement, the words “commitment”, “assembly” and “elected government” have all been struck from the text. These changes were made to appease Quebec bureaucrats fearful of making promises before the commission has tabled its recommendations.

“Let’s get the commission to work,” said Aatami. “It’s just playing with words. We know that this government will be an elected government, so matter what it [the accord] says. How else are you going to have a Nunavik government than by electing it?”

One contentious issue still remains, the problem of who will pick up the tab for the commission’s work. Quebec wants to split the bill into thirds.

Aatami said Makivik is willing to contribute money, but he’s not convinced that it’s fair for an ethnic organization such as Makivik to pay for the development of a public, non-ethnic government.