| The history of the North is one of compressed change. The post contact era has been witness to erosion of aboriginal self-determination. State intervention premised on resource exploitation, maintenance of sovereignty, compassion, and implementation of regional development policies to address economic inequalities set the pace and boundaries of social, economic and political change. There are signs of potential opportunities to redress the asymmetrical power balance. Recognition of aboriginal rights within Canadian federalism has at least tentatively facilitated the necessary debate as part of the political agenda to facilitate change. Evidence of small scale attempts to return increasing levels of control and autonomy. What remains uncertain is whether the promotion of increased community based control and development is real or only interim posturing.;Within a theoretical framework of development and social change, existing and perceived levels of autonomy and dependency are examined. Evidence from other existing land claim settlements is presented to provide pragmatic consideration of the potential for change. Methodology entailed analysis of primary and secondary data through literature review, structured interviews and survey research.;There has been a paradigm shift with respect to aboriginal policy since the 1970s. However, the limits of the new social contract are becoming clearer. The issue of self-determination through self-government has reached an impasse. Breaking this impasse will require a paradigm shift of equal or greater magnitude than occurred with the formal recognition of aboriginal rights and title in 1973. The role of communities in a Northern development strategy is limited by jurisdictional uncertainty, unfavourable factors of production, chronic economic dependency and factionalism among Inuit leaders. Prospects for change through the Nunavut proposal for a separate territory and the land claim settlement, are limited. Evidence of emerging centralized aboriginal regimes and provisions are inconsistent with community development and autonomy. While the need to press for continued change by aboriginal peoples cannot and should not diminish, the stage must reflect the realpolitik of modernization, social change and development in the North. The politics and economies of scale provide opportunities but necessarily set limits on community authority and autonomy. |
