The definitive account of how a decentralized form of government was designed and implemented in Canada’s Eastern and Central Arctic.

On April 1, 1999, after decades of dreams and negotiations and years of planning, the Inuit-dominated territory of Nunavut came into being in Canada’s Eastern and Central Arctic. This was a momentous occasion, signifying not only the first change to the map of Canada in over half a century but also a remarkable achievement in terms of creating a new government from the ground up.

Made in Nunavut provides the first behind-the-scenes account of how the Government of Nunavut was designed and implemented. Written by leading authorities on governance in the Canadian Arctic, this book pays particular attention to the most distinctive and innovative organizational design feature of the new government – the decentralization of offices and functions that would normally be located in the capital to small communities spread out across the vast territory. It also critically assesses whether decentralization has delivered “better” government for the people of Nunavut.

"Made in Nunavut fills an important gap. Up to now little has been written about the process through which the new territory was formed, in the period from 1993 to 1999, and on the extent to which the hopes and aspirations for that territory have been realized in the years following its establishment. This is the subject matter of Made in Nunavut, with a particular focus on the decentralization of certain functions of the Nunavut government to various communities across the territory. It is a work well suited to students of political science, public administration, and northern studies, primarily at the university level, but for some at a college level as well: it provides an enormous information base. It is written in a non-technical manner, and in this sense is also suited to the general reader." - Arctic

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Made in Nunavut is meticulous and beautifully researched. It recounts an experiment in governance in the strangest place on earth, a territory of 1.9 million square kilometres flung across three time zones … Made in Nunavut is the definitive analysis of the nation’s most ambitious trial in home rule.

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With stories and details gathered together for the first time, Made in Nunavut … provides a behind-the-scenes view, a critical evaluation and a solid historical account.