Les parcs nationaux du Nunavik : une offre touristique au service des sociétés autochtones ?

Abstract

Today, the creation of national parks contributes to the development of arctic territories for tourism promotion purposes, as is the case in Nunavik, a region located in northern Quebec. The major objective of these protected areas is based both on the natural heritage that their emblematic landscapes constitute and, on an invitation to their reasoned visitation. This environmental and tourism challenge is at the heart of the development challenges of Nunavik, which, because of its marginality, is not as attractive as other territories of the high latitudes. However, the in-depth analysis of the Nunavik national parks network leads here to rethink the concept of a national park as such, by showing original designs in aboriginal territory. By looking at the process of co-construction of these parks between the Quebec administration and residents (mostly Inuit and Cree) and by analyzing the different custumers investing in the parks, this article questions how and in what way the national parks of Nunavik were conceived from the moment they were implemented from a double original perspective : protecting nature and becoming a lever of knowledge of Inuit culture, by and for the Inuit.

Keywords

• national park
• territory
• landscape
• tourism
• indigenous
• Nunavik