Canada took a bold step toward acknowledging aboriginal land rights. Autonomy also poses substantial challenges. Many people, including other aboriginal peoples and other Canadians, will be watching to see how well Nunavut prospers under its new government. Observers are also interested to see whether an Inuit government will treat the land and resources any differently than a non-aboriginal government might.
Settlement is so sparse and scattered because the region's environment is cold and harsh.
Most of Nunavut is tundra, too far north for trees to grow, and cold Arctic coastline. People have traditionally subsisted on hunting caribou, seals, whales, and other game. The transition from a hunting lifestyle to a sedentary wage-earning lifestyle has been difficult for the Inuit, as it has for many aboriginal peoples trying to enter the mainstream capitalist economy. The difficulty of distributing food, fuel, and supplies makes life expensive in the far-flung settlements. Because of sparse settlement and limited employment opportunities education has historically been limited, in comparison to the rest of Canada.