Herb Nakimayak was appointed Wednesday as interim president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada. (Photo courtesy of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami/Facebook)
ICC Canada appoints Herb Nakimayak as interim president
Nakimayak will also serve as ITK vice-president and is eligible to vote in Thursday’s presidential election
The Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada has appointed Herb Nakimayak its interim president, succeeding Natan Obed, who served in the role for the past eight months.
The transition was confirmed Wednesday at the organization’s annual general meeting in Cambridge Bay.
Nakimayak will hold the position until the next ICC Canada election, scheduled for next summer, a news release said.
The leadership change comes as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national organization representing Inuit in Canada, prepares to elect its president Thursday at its own annual general meeting in Cambridge Bay.
The incumbent president, Obed, is seeking a fourth term and is being challenged by former CBC North managing editor Kevin Kablutsiak.
ITK confirmed via email that Nakimayak, as ICC Canada president, now serves as vice-president of ITK.
That makes him eligible to vote in the presidential election along with 12 designated representatives and delegates from the four Inuit treaty organizations.
The four designated representatives from the four regions are Duane Smith, chairperson and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corp.; Jeremy Tunraluk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.; Johannes Lampe, president of the Nunatsiavut government; and Pita Aatami, president of Makivvik Corp.
Before the vote Thursday, Obed and Kablutsiak will be given 10 minutes each to address the 13 members and delegates. There will also be a question-and-answer period.
The president will then be elected by majority vote, with multiple rounds of voting if no candidate initially receives more than 50 per cent, according to the ITK election procedures handbook.
After the count, chief returning officer Jasmine Redfern will announce the official results. The new president will be sworn in and assume office immediately.
Nakimayak, who is from the Northwest Territories, was elected as ICC Canada’s vice-president of international affairs during the 14th general assembly in Kuujjuaq in 2022. He also served in the role from 2014 to 2018.
His background includes serving as an MLA for four years in N.W.T., chairing the joint secretariat of the Fisheries Joint Management committee in Nunavik, and working extensively on marine management issues in the western Arctic.
In the news release, Nakimayak said that as president he intends to focus on ensuring Inuit voices are heard at a time when Arctic issues are drawing more global attention.
I’m not to sure what this guy even does?
Collects a big paycheque.
Mr. Nakimayak has gotten double pay. He was also appointed to ITK vice president. Nice big pay cheque.
@Paula Jones, ICC service Inuit at the UN and other international bodies. He is not going to help you get a Govt job or help you mooch of the Inuit orgs. Maybe google ICC before commenting or dissing our incoming president or any other leader.
Exactly! What does he do? Have done? Sorry Mr. Jonas bother, you don’t need ask.com or what did you suggest…google, to know this.
Maybe you can enlighten us with what he has done? you seem to know alot?
And how did you get the Govt job out of my question?
I’m clueless in Nunavut, help I don’t understand!
Us to in the west, this guy won an MLA seat cause people were tired of voting for Jackie Jacobson, so anyone that ran that year could have won, just so he did. didn’t bring anything to the table as an MLA, got jobs from the Boys Club. and now (I have know clue how he got here). his acting President? weird ah.
Might as well have appointed Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, for what difference it makes to the average Canadian Inuk!
ICC does not represent Inuit – It represents organizations – NOT INDIVDUALS!
It would help if the ICC stop being run as a junior partner to Canada which is functioning as a junior partner to the US and it’s in turn a junior partner to a military industrial base. Canada”s ICC could speak for the large polar region of Russia which was pressed and is pressed into defending itself from the NATO expansion. NATO trivia, it is the child of the Pentagon in created in 19__? For good measure the nuclear option is split seconds from midnight on that clock.
So another leader that doesn’t speak his language at all, not that it matters, where are all the complainers today? Why cause his from the west, and the rest of you Nunavut complainers don’t know much about him? Nor do you know much about Obed, Natan is a well educated man, be grateful you have him in a leading position.