Paper short abstract:

Since devolution, future-making has never been so much in the hands of Nunavut residents. I examine the role of infrastructure, especially transportation, in community members' desires on the path to territorial food sovereignty and ask how development can better align with Inuit needs.

Paper long abstract:

The beginning of a new future was made official on January 18th, 2024 in the capital of Canada’s youngest Arctic territory. In an agreement between the federal government and the Government of Nunavut, control over Nunavut’s lands and waters was handed over to the territorial administration, a final step in a long process of devolution. While this decision is monumental, it was greeted by some and begrudged by others. Although Nunavut may be considered a geographic periphery, it is of central importance for the majority Inuit population and other long-term residents, as well as for resource extraction companies and the military. Naturally, the futures these groups imagine for the territory do not all align. The Nunavut land claims agreement and devolution process are an example of successful counter imaginaries that have been socially and politically mobilized to create a process for Inuit to take decision-making back into their own hands. Based on data collected through ethnographic engagement since May 2022, this research looks into future-making from the perspective of some of Canada’s most “remote” residents. In a series of workshops and interviews, I asked community members what their ideas and desires for the future of their settlement and territory are. With the help of video material, photographs and audio recordings, I examine residents’ demands in relation to infrastructure development, especially pertaining to transportation and food sovereignty. I apply the qaggiq model (McGrath 2018) to explore how an Inuit-centered infrastructure development approach can better fill the needs of Nunavummiut.