On April 1, 1999, the Nunavut Territory will be officially proclaimed. This paper presents a prospective analysis of the future legislative and administrative structures of the government of Nunavut and its financing. What kinds of political structures will Nunavut inherit in 1999? The author examines some of the political challenges and dilemmas generated by the emergence of Nunavut, and the reasons which motivated the federal government to establish this new political unit in Canada's north.