Qulliit honours Nunavut women for outstanding contributions

Maatali Okalik, president of the National Inuit Youth Council, was honoured with Qulliit’s 2016 Outstanding Young Woman award, alongside NIYC’s vice-president Sarah Jancke. (FILE PHOTO)

Here’s the NIYC’s vice-president Sarah Jancke, who also won an Outstanding Young Woman Award. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH JANCKE)

Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council is honouring three Nunavut women for outstanding contributions to the territory and to their communities.

Qulliit announced the winners of this year’s Wise Woman and Outstanding Young Woman awards April 19, recognizing the work of Rankin Inlet elder Hannah Benoit and youth leaders Mataali Okalik and Sarah Jancke.

First launched in 2009, the awards were created to honour Nunavut’s women role models for their volunteer and advocacy work, education, counselling or caregiver support.

Benoit, this year’s recipient of the Wise Woman award, was honoured for her work counselling women in her home community. Benoit has long been engaged in teaching cultural and traditional skills to Rankin Inlet youth.

Sarah Jancke of Cambridge Bay was named as an Outstanding Young Woman for her election and dedication to hamlet council, the local recreation committee and youth centre.

“She is always looking for ways to improve herself and encouraging other youth to do the same,” Qulliit said in a release.

Jancke also works alongside fellow Outstanding Young Woman Maatali Okalik at the National Inuit Youth Council.

Okalik was honoured for her strong leadership as president of the NIYC and for her engagement of political leaders on Inuit youth issues.

Okalik, who is based in Iqaluit, has used social media effectively to engage youth and to spread awareness of Inuit issues, Qulliit said.

Last year’s Wise Woman and Outstanding Young Woman winners included Cambridge Bay elder elder Eva Kakolak Avadluk, Joselyn Morrison of Iqaluit and Charlene Ukutak of Arviat.