Nuiqsut Confederation

The Commonwealth of The Nuiqsut Confederation ""ᐅᒡᒍᐃᓂᕈᑎ""
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "It takes a nation to raise a people"
Anthem: "The Southern Sky Above"
Capital and	Port Nuiqsut
Official languages	Oqapuik, English, French
Recognised regional languages	Kaquismaq
Demonym(s)	Nuiqsutian
Government	Confederation
• Prime Minister	David Alagalak
• Commissioner	Amanda Nurr'araaluk
Legislature	Nuiqsut Confederation Parliament
• Upper house	Executive Chamber
• Lower house	Aittuik Assembly
Establishment
• The Great Formation of People's	1100 CE
• Nuiqsut Confederation Commonwealth Agreement	1998
Area
•	1,481,346 km2 (571,951 sq mi)
• Water (%)	14.2%
Population
• 2015 estimate	803,439
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Per capita	$60,184
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Per capita	$17,760
Gini (2018)	43.8 medium
HDI (2018)	0.845 very high
Currency	Kenauk Dollars (NKD)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+ 91
Internet TLD	.nu

The Commonwealth of The Nuiqsut Confederation was founded in 1964 by the alliance of city-states and villages. The Nuiqsut Confederation is a largely sparsely populated state in Southern Neria. The country is organized on a direct-democracy model with towns voting on decisions by popular support. Then electing representatives to represent their local town or ward. Although it does not border any county on land, The Nuiqsut Confederation is separated from Salad Land by the Sedna Sea. The nation is well known for its remote and sparse and unspoiled landscapes.

Etymology

The name Nuiqsut comes from the Oqapuik word “Nuiq” meaning “People” and the Kaquismaq word “Sut” meaning land. The word came into existence during the Great Akiratak War to describe the common land of those fighting for independence.

History

People have lived in the region that became The Nuiqsut Confederation since 10,000 BCE. The Paleo-Nuiqustian people settled along the coast, as much of the interior regions remained frozen until around 5,000 BCE, with the melting of several glaciers allowing for settlement along rivers. Artifacts include bones and tools carved in an ancient Oqapuik dialect. However, the first true organization of the people who lived there was in 100 BCE. Several tribes drafted an agreement that translates roughly to "The Great Formation of People's". Although the actual document has since been lost to time. This agreement created a system of understanding between the various villages, and trade flourished. Eventually, a number of tribes adopted a common policy and language between 1100 and 1150 CE. This was called the Oqapuik Agreement. Much of the history of this time was preserved in oral history painted in detailed paintings displayed in public places.

The first historically confirmed king, Enochka took control of the Oqapuik people by uniting the various clans by force and claiming divine force. Engockha then built his capital at Kamsuiq, building several stone permanent structures to conduct affairs. Engockha declared himself as Qausamik of the people of Nuiqust and began a campaign of conquest. However, he died in a snowstorm around the year 1290, leaving the Confederation to his daughter, Liankanni. The arrival of horses from Northern Neria allowed for combat to transform from dog sleds and canoes to horses, which could make distances shorter. This allowed for nomadic lifestyles as travelling communities began to move through the vast Nuqisut interior regions. In the 1500s, Islamic merchant caravans reached Western Nuiqust by land, converting locals to Islam and building the southernmost mosque in the world. However, the Oqapuik rejected Islam and deported those who converted within the Oapuik's controlled lands, the Kasqimaq people are primarily Muslims.

Colonial Era

In 1698, Nuiqsut was visited by explorers from Opthelia establishing the settlement of Port Fredrick on a natural harbor. Opthelia then declared the territory of St John's Land. Port Fredrick soon became a large settlement, as people from further inland began to trade with the settlers. This trade relationship soon collapsed as Opthelia began to establish homesteads and logging camps, pushing tribes away from the coast. The Qausamik at the time, Intinaq II, protested the Opthelian expansion as industrial fishing and whaling destroyed the food supply. Intinaq II travelled to Port Fredrick to make his grievances heard in 1805, he was soon arrested and thrown in jail, leading to a brief war as the Oqapuik faced off against not only the colonial authorities but also other factions such as the Ani-Indiak, who had lived under the Oqapuik for centuries. Intinaq II was soon killed, as his grandson continued to hold the title of Qausamik until 1865 when he was forced to renounce his claim to rule and give all territorial claims to St John's Land. Several towns were built with the extraction of resources in mind such as Bethel. Additionally, the Oqapuik were often forcibly converted from their culture with forced attendance of Christian schools. By 1870, 80,000 Opthelians lived within the newly named St John's Dominion. In addition, traditional communities of Orthodox Christians began to settle in the central regions of Nuiqust due to the separation of modern society and political persecution.

Port Fredrick as well as nearby Bethel became major centers for timber production as Optherlian settlers cleared the large forests along the east coast of Nuiqsut. In the process coming into dispute with Oqapuik who where often forced into submission or granted leases on the land in which they owned. In addition, starting in the 1890s, children where forced to attend residential school's where culture and languages was striped away in favor of Ophelian culture and following Church doctrine. These children where often subject to abuse and often returned being unable to communicate with older generations of there clans. This led to a new class of Oqapuik unable to speak there native language yet limited from job opportunities by the Opherlian upper-class. In 1925, the first union was formed known as the Resource Workers Guild (RWG), yet it was soon disbanded by force by the imperial authorities. In 1940, religious scholars founded the Restorationist Church of the South which combined Protestant theology with Oqapuik values of fellowship and community. The RCS would gone on to be a vessel of nationalist thinkers such as Albert Kourak and Mordechai Charles.

The Great Akiratak War

In 1959, several tribes came together to hold a convention to discuss discontent with the Opthelian Authority. They then formed the Nuiqsut Independence Party (NIP). The NIP then began to politically organize for the 1960 Election even as many were barred from the ballot due to voter disenfranchisement. Albert Kourak, a pastor of the RCS took control of the NIP organizing a general strike in May of 1960 just 2 weeks before the election, as many candidates had been disqualified. The strike lasted for 6 days, ending only when the St John's Authority declared an end to the unpopular land lease which had segregated native groups. In 1961, Mordechai Charles a mixed-Oqapuik activist, was assassinated at his homestead by an unknown assailant. Public opinion soon blamed the St John's Lumber Company who had been a target of Charles political activism. Albert Kourak and Ezekiel Unraqi soon began a protest in Port Fredrick, being arrested multiple times for them to return. In 1962, taking advantage of the Great War, the NIP re-organized into the Nuiqust Liberation Front. Ezekiel Unraqi declared "the time for peace has gone, there is a great moment of awakening upon us". Settlements in the Western Region where attacked forcing thousands of settlers to flee to Port Fredrick, some Orthodox groups fought back in militias. In response, the Opthelians detained thousands of Kaquismaq people on Ukagavit Island, it's estimated that over 500 died in imprisonment. A combined Nuiqsutian force in 1963, managed to capture a number of villages launching an attack on Port Fredrick on May 19th, 1963. The harbor was destroyed leaving Ophelian forces without supplies, and thus seeking a better resolution surrendered immediately to the new Nuiqust Confederation.

Modern History

Opthelian forces during the Battle of Port Fredrick.

In 1964, The Nuiqsut Confederation held its first election, with Albert Kourak becoming Prime Minister. Kourak established many of the modern government functions such as health services, and police services. Kourak was a controversial figure for maintaining the status quo of his party, the Confederation Party often by force. Kourak remained Prime Minister until 1985 when he died of natural causes. After his death, his successor Eugene Parrish quickly grew unpopular, and Brandon Leman of the Liberal Party won in the 1988 Election. In 1990, the position of Commissioner was established to help better balance the power of the Prime Minister. In 2004, Beverly Paukan became the first Female PM in history. In 2020, David Alagalak of the People's Movement Party was elected. Alaglak has supported a push towards digitalization and high-speed internet access as well as the low business tax to encourage foreign companies to establish operations in Nuiqsut. In 2021, the government established the Nuiqsut Peace Center to act as conflict mediators worldwide but also collect and store "traditional knowledge and language".

Geography

The Nuiqsut Confedration is located in Southern Neria in the Subpolar and Polar zone. The climate sees extreme variations in temperature, although relatively dry, long hours of sunlight lead to good growing conditions in the summer months. The primary biome is the taiga forest, these conditions create a sparse population, with an average density of 1.5 people per square mile. The largest city however is Port Nuiqsut with a population of 300,000, followed by Bethel at 75,340. Both cities are located in the more temperate East Coast of the country. This area's more temperate climate has led to permanent settlements being built to trade, with those from further inland typically migrating during the winter. Much of the country is in the Highlands Region a large area of forests and lakes formed by permafrost, the area is sparsely populated although it's a significant area for mineral extraction leading to Opherlians establishing small communities. The southern coast of Nuiqsut is known as the Capes Region and is a tundral coastal plain meaning there is no tree growth, although the area has the conditions for oil production, leading to oil extraction as early as the 1930s. However, oil production is regulated by the government with tax collected acting as a UBI for citizens of Nuiqsut. The largest city in the region is Mayport with 24,340 people.

Land Ownership

Around 65% of the country is currently unowned and is classified as a Public Development Trust, with these regions permanent settlement is banned, although hunting, fishing, and limited resource extraction are granted by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Included within the PDTs are several nature reserves where resource extraction is banned, these include Oiska-Kanhov National Park which includes the highest peak of Mt Kamgari-Ka at 14,573 feet or 4,442 meters tall. Despite Nuiqust being one of the most sparsely populated states in the world, much of the population is concentrated in villages. Each village operates via a shared participatory democracy, with measures being voted on by all members of the village or ward. Villages may also vote to fine a citizen for disobeying community regulations, although 50% of all possible voters must vote to do so. The rest of the country remains under private or corporate control with several natural gas and logging tracts being large enough to require a plane to traver

Demographics

The Nuiqsut Confederation has a population of 803,439, and the primary ethnic group is the Oqapuik, making up 65.5% of the population. This is followed by Ophelians at 15.8%, primarily in Bethel and Port Nuiqsut. The third largest group is the Kaquismaq people at 8.2%. At the same time, 10% of the population is from more than one ethnic group. Additionally, a Haesanite community has existed since the 1970s, mainly along the East Coast making around 4% of the population. The rest of the population is comprised of small localized populations such as Ukagavit Islanders. The official languages are English and Oqapuik, with 92% of the population understanding English while 67% of the population speaks more the one language, with Oqapiuk, Kaquis and Haean being the most spoken secondary languages.

Ethnic Groups in Nuiqsut

Name	%	#
Oapauik	65.5%	526,914
Opherlians	15.8%	127,117
Kaquismaq	8.2%	65,920
Multi-Racial	5.3%	42,603
Haesanite	4%	32,153
Other	1.2%	9,646

Religion

Religion has been a key part of Nuiqustian culture, with Angakkuq being the largest religion by membership. Angakkuq is a set of teachings about the natural and human world, with primary elements including Animism and Shamanism. The religion has seen a significant decline since the 1800s due to conversion to Christianity during the period of Opherlian settlement. Christianity arrived in the 1700s with Protestantism and Orthodoxy being common among settlers. St. John's Land began to favor Protestantism in the 1860s, leading to Orthodox settlers moving to the Central Region and converting local groups. Angakkuq, which had banned, saw resurgent growth in the 1970s. Today, it's common for those who practice Angakkuq to celebrate Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas or for Christians to practice tenets of Angakkuq, such as ancestor and elder worship.

Religious Groups

Name	%	#
Angakkuq	51.7%	415,876
Protestant	17.8%	143,013
Orthodoxy	13.8%	110,875
Islam	5.8%	46,600
Other	1%	8,034
Unaffiliated	9.9%	79,541

Government

The Nuiqust Confederation is organized through a direct-democratic representative system. The country is divided into local villages/wards with each citizen having one vote on issues regarding the village/ward. Although attendance is not required, turnout is generally high, especially during elections where a caucus system elects a chairman. These chairmen then elect the nationwide Executive Chamber a senatorial body. As well as voting on local issues, citizens may also request a meeting with the Executive Chamber, although the current waiting list is estimated to be 3-5 years long. The lower house is elected in multi-round single districts, with each district being 7,500 people. This chamber then elects a prime minister similar to a parliamentary system.

Culture

Nuiqust is renowned for preserving its culture. Starting in the 1990s, the Ministry of Culture collected a wide of traditional art, songs, and literature establishing the Museum of Nuiqsut Culture in 2005. Another key aspect is the preservation of the native language, it's estimated there are almost 200 languages found in the Confederation although many have less than 1,000 speakers. Recordings of these languages are available in the National Language Center to prevent these languages from becoming extinct.

Economy

The Nuiqsut Confederation is a primarily capitalist country, with little government intervention in business, especially foreign business. Although there are a few state-funded companies such as Nuiqsut Rail and Nuiqsut Airlines. Because of its geographically isolated position, the Nuiqust Confederation has pushed foreign investment and infrastructure. For example, the Port of Nuiqust is a hub for Southern Neria and for the export of primary exports of timber, fish, and ores.

Sports

The Nuiqsut Confederation is known for Football, Hockey, and Archery as well as the national sport, High Kick. High kick is a simple game where athletes must jump using two feet, touch a hanging target with both feet and land on both feet, maintaining balance. The competitors are then given ranked based on there combined height of their kicks. Every year in Port Nuiqsut is the HK Games, where qualified athletes compete for the prize. During the rest of the year, numerous qualifying games are held across the country.

Football in Nuiqsut is organized by the Nuiqsut Football Association part of the Confederation of Nerian Football Associations. The most successful football club is Port Nuiqsut FC with 12 league titles and success in the CNFA Champions League.

Health

The Nuiqsut Confederation has become one of the healthiest states in the IDU, thanks to a combination of traditional health practices such as physical activity and a balanced diet as well as expanded state-provided healthcare. In the 2000s, the government partnered with local medical clinics to provide service to even the most remote settlements due to an expanded air and helicopter infrastructure. The largest hospital in Nuiqsut is Nuiqsut University Medical Center located in Port Nuiqsut.