“The Eskimo Problem”
The “Eskimo Problem” emerged in the 1950s. The Canadian government introduced a policy to remove Inuit people to unsettled Arctic islands. The idea behind the policy was to allow the Inuit to re-establish self-sufficient “traditional” societies away from the insidious influences of Euro-Canadians.
The removal of the Inuit reflected the immense faith that non-Aboriginal Canadians shared in the ability of experts to solve problems such as poverty and disease through social engineering.
The “Eskimo Problem” was defined at a conference on Eskimo Affairs held on 19-20 May, 1952. The “Eskimo Problem” was defined as having three components: an unstable economy, poor health, and a growing dependence on government benefits.
See article by Alan Rudolph Marcus, Relocating Eden: The Image and Politics of Inuit Exile in the Canadian Arctic