Here’s to more voters, informed voters in NTI election

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.’s unconventional way of encouraging more voters by offering a $100 voucher for a gift card to any registered voter who shows up should bring out more people in Monday’s presidential election.

Hopefully, Inuit beneficiaries won’t lose sight of how important the position is and will also make informed votes.

Regardless of how you feel about the incentive, most people would agree the 17 per cent turnout rate in the 2021 presidential election was not good enough.

NTI is the organization responsible for ensuring promises made by the federal and territorial governments under the Nunavut Agreement are carried out.

It has sweeping powers that directly affect the economic, social and cultural lives of Inuit.

It gets income from the Nunavut Trust, the $1.1-billion payment that was given to Inuit in exchange for their title to the traditional land in the Nunavut Settlement Area.

It receives royalties from natural resources extraction — mining — in the territory.

And it’s frequently the steward of federal government funding aimed at improving the lives of Inuit and at reconciliation.

NTI had $345 million in assets on March 31, 2022. It had approximately $120 million in revenue, according to its 2021-22 annual report, the most recent report published on its website.

NTI is an enormous organization. Its president is an enormously important role. Inuit beneficiaries deserve a strong, qualified, capable leader running the organization. While they’re not directly affected, non-Inuit also have an interest in a well-run NTI.

Nunatsiaq News has given readers some information to help them make an informed vote.

Nunatsiaq published profiles of all four presidential candidates — Nicole Camphaug, Andrew Nakashuk, Cathy Towtongie and Jeremy Tunraluk. Those profiles are online and appear on pages 8 and 9 of the Dec. 6 print edition.

Kudos to them for doing interviews with reporters. In territorial and municipal elections, we haven’t always had that kind of success getting candidates to talk.

It’s an encouraging sign that all four candidates recognize the importance and value of speaking with the media to get their messages to Inuit beneficiaries.

This paper also covered the only candidates’ debate last Saturday at Iqaluit’s Inuksuk High School. That story is on page 7 in print.

And Nunatsiaq published an article explaining why NTI matters to Inuit beneficiaries.

Finally, we wanted readers to know about the legacy of president Aluki Kotierk, who announced in October she would not seek a third term.

Kotierk declined requests to talk about her record over the past years — a sort of exit interview for the outgoing president who has held that position since 2016. The next best thing was to ask several other Nunavut and Inuit leaders about Kotierk’s accomplishments.

So, there’s a little bit of homework for any NTI voter to do over the weekend before casting a ballot in Monday’s election.

We hope this election will be a turning point in the interest Inuit beneficiaries take in how NTI is led.

Nunatsiaq News looks forward to working with whoever wins next week’s election so our readers and NTI’s members better understand what the organization does, and how it does it.