The Jagiellonian University Press and the Jagiellonian Library are organizing an open lecture by Dr. Marcin Gabryś on his book "Na drodze do samodzielności. Ewolucja instytucji samorządu Inuitów w kanadyjskiej Arktyce” [On the road to self-governance: the evolution of Inuit self-government institutions in the Canadian Arctic].

In his talk, the author will discuss the political changes taking place in northern Canada, explaining the origins, as well as the course, and consequences of the processes leading to establishing the Inuit self-government institution, as well as present the evolution of the territorial system of this area.

The lecture will take place on May 10th, 2023, at 5.00 p.m. in the Jagiellonian Library. The lecture will be in Polish.

Marcin Gabryś, Ph.D. in humanities (specialization in political science) and Canadianist, is an assistant professor at the Department of Canadian Studies at the Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora at the Jagiellonian University. His research interests involve Canadian politics, particularly its constitutional structure, the northern regions of Canada, and foreign policy. He is the author and co-author of books, studies, and scholarly articles, as well as editor of collective works on Canadian issues. He received fellowships i.a. from the International Council for Canadian Studies and was a visiting professor at Carleton University, York University, and the University of Ottawa. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the President of the Polish Association for Canadian Studies. He is also active as a commentator on political events related to Canada.

The monograph is dedicated to the political transformations that have taken place in Canada’s north in connection with the process of reclaiming land rights and gaining self‑government by the Inuit, which began in the 1960s. Its aim is, on the one hand, to show the path that the indigenous inhabitants of these territories went through in order to achieve political independence. It thus explains the origins, the course, and consequences of the processes leading to the institution of Inuit self-government and the creation of autonomous Inuit regions of Nunavik, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, and Nunatsiavut. On the other hand, the analysis conducted in the book focuses on the evolution of the territorial system of northern Canada resulting from the devolution of power. The monograph shows the four parts of Inuit Nunangat - "the place where Inuit live" - in the context of the still‑unfinished transformation of the Inuit socio-political position within the Canadian federation.