The Inuit people of Nunavik, in the Canadian province of Quebec, lived for thousands of years in the harsh environment of the Arctic with little contact from the outside world, but Europeans changed that and the Inuit people had to adapt to contact with other cultures and new technologies. In the early days of Inuit culture, people had to be extremely resourceful to help cope with the harsh environment of the Arctic, but when Europeans arrived they made environmental changes and also forced cultural changes on the Inuit people. Now the Inuit people of Canada are forming their own government system that will allow them to protect and gain wealth from their own resources. The geographic features of Nunavik greatly influence how Inuit obtain food and shelter because it is such a harsh environment. As modern technologies became prevalent, traditional methods of survival were forgotten for many reasons. Pita Aatami, president of Makavik Corporation, is a tribal leader who, along with other tribal leaders, has the vision of incorporating modern technologies with traditional values. The Inuit people of Nunavik had a very distinct culture before the arrival of Europeans. Means of transportation consisted of dog sleds and kayaks made of skin and bones. Due to the cold climate, they ate ocean and river animals such as beluga whales, seals and fish. In the summer they found berries to eat. There are no trees in the Arctic, so they used other resources to build a shelter. They mostly lived in igloos, made of blocks of ice and sealed by pouring water on them and letting it freeze. They also built sheds and other buildings from whale bones and various animals... middle of paper... and the Canadian government for the Nunavik Corporation's plan for a Nunavik regional government. He first had the idea for self-government when he was vice-president of the Nunavik Corporation. He is now a board member of Nasavvik (an Inuit agency for health and environmental change) and also serves on the Inuit Circumpolar Health Steering Committee. He has been working on Nunavik's self-government since 2002. The Inuit people of Nunavik have used their incredible resourcefulness to survive in the harsh Tundra environment and have a rich culture, but with the arrival of European technology, governance and environmental destruction, the their way of life has been threatened and much of their old culture has been lost. They are working to preserve their culture by passing it on through education and negotiating for more control so they can do so.