Aluki Kotierk, seen in a 2021 file photo, is now a co-chair of the National Advisory Committee on Indigenous Teacher Education, which the Rideau Hall Foundation announced this week. (Photo courtesy of Aluki Kotierk)
Aluki Kotierk picked to lead Indigenous education advisory body
Former NTI president to co-lead National Advisory Committee on Indigenous Teacher Education
Aluki Kotierk added another line to her growing resume this week when the National Advisory Committee on Indigenous Teacher Education named her a co-chair.
Kotierk served as a member of the forum’s 10-member committee since it was first established by the Rideau Hall Foundation in Janaury 2023. The foundation announced the appointment Tuesday.
“Kotierk leads by example,” the foundation website states. “(She is) driven by her passion to empower and improve the lives of Inuit.”
The other co-chair is Annette Trimbee, president of Grant MacEwan University, in Edmonton.
The committee is focused on increasing the numbers of Inuit, First Nations and Métis teachers in Canada. The Rideau Hall Foundation is an independent and non-political charitable organization.
It has been a busy year for Kotierk.
In July, she was acclaimed to a four-year term as Inuit Circumpolar Council chairperson at the organization’s general assembly held in Iqluit.
Earlier in the spring, Kotierk was appointed chair of the United Nations’ Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She presided over its 25th session in New York City in April.
In February 2025, then-Northern affairs minister Gary Anandasangaree appointed her as a special ministerial representative responsible for overseeing an external review of Nutrition North. In May, she delivered the report.
Kotierk served as the eighth president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., from late 2016 through 2024.
Before that she held leadership roles with the Government of Nunavut and worked with various Inuit organizations, including Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (now Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) and Nunavut Sivuniksavut, an accredited, Inuit‑led post‑secondary school based in Ottawa.
Ms. Kotierk is using her timely and groundbreaking report on Nutrition North as a springboard to all kinds of important roles for the betterment of Nunavumiutt. We are all so fortunate!!
Somewhere along the line of 20 years now we’ve had some kind of “de-colonized” education system that has not been beneficial in most part to Inuit. It is a cultural embarrassment that we know less than our ancestors and lagging waaay behind in ‘common’ western knowledge,…what will be set up by ‘these’ folks, unfortunately and my hope is that it will not be, but, feels like it will be the final nail in the coffin. I hope, wish, and pray that I am wrong! We are this way because of our leaders.
There’s a deep lesson in this about the human mind, its archetypal projections and the fantasies it blindly casts onto the undeserving.
So, we have officially broken the threshold of absurdity in regard to Inuit associated organizations (both the ICC and National Advisory Committee on Indigenous Teacher Education (NACITE)). They have now, clearly demonstrated their total and obvious disregard for Nunavummiut, and ALL people throughout the North. Imagine releasing this quote, “Kotierk leads by example,” the foundation website states. “(She is) driven by her passion to empower and improve the lives of Inuit.” They said that on the heels of what has recently transpired in regard to Aluki and the comprehensive Nutrition North Report she was hired/commissioned in 2025 to produce and ultimately delivered 3 months late and ended up being simply her “narrative” on the Issue. Follow up question. “Is that your idea of empower and improve the lives of Inuit?”
Do they believe Nunavummiut live under a rock? Do they live under a rock? Based on the recent decisions by ICC and now the NACITE; this latest action clearly demonstrates that they do not care. That they cannot be bothered or think we are all just fools. To which I would say to them, something like, “you have to be _____ joking right. You think we are ok with this nonsense?” (you can insert the inappropriate word I left out because the comment would get censored out).
These organizations through these recent appointments are laughing at Nunavummiut, ALL Inuks and Northerners. Appointing failed individuals to leadership postions simply demonstrates their total lack of seriousness. The NACITE just basically gave a backhand slap to everyone. Question for NACITE. “So you feel that Aluki is the appropriate person to name as co-chair. Is this based on here recent colossal failure to deliver a comprehensive Report to the Federal Government on the issue of Food Insecurity facing Inuks and ALL Northerners”. Is that your idea of leadership?” Well in all fairness, Aluki was hired to provide a report on nothing very serious. It was Just about FOOD and ensuring everyone throughout the North could obtain nutritional food at reasonable prices. Come up with recommendations on how to prevent 7 out of 10 people living in the North from going to bed every night hungry. So not a big deal. Just food. Who needs food anyways? Right?
Aluki and these organizations are an example of everything that is currently wrong throughout the North. Individuals constantly being reward for failures, individuals in “leadership” roles who disavow responsibility, deflect, blame others and gaslight. Who act like no one sees are cares. I wonder if any of those so-called decision makers within those organizations bothered to follow the news. Or look at actual results and contributions from the individuals they select for “Leadership” roles. Or follow the blow back coming from the people in all corners of the North regarding their total lack of satisfaction with Aluki and her performance. It’s not like anyone has to look far. Just look at the articles published in this Newspaper, then the overflowing comments of dissatisfaction, disappointment and outright anger. Or look at other media outlets or all-over social media regarding performance and lack thereof.
It’s as if we are living in a parallel universe. One where the Organizations float around self-aggrandizing and back slapping themselves in self-congratulatory meeting, events and AGM’s. Celebrating their sense of accomplishment. The other, is where Nunavummiut and others from the North stare blankly, bewildered and stunned at the announcements, the lack of progress and meaningful action and wonder if anyone is actually going to do anything to start addressing the vast number of issues, they face every day.
This has gone far beyond a joke now. The simple fact that these organizations and Aluki herself, feel empowered and emboldened only shows everyone just how truly dysfunctional things truly are in the North. With no sign of improving any time soon.
Clearly, they do not care but more importantly they have no shame.
It’s ridiculous how the same politicians get used for such important positions, it makes me wonder how they conduct their review and reference process as obviously they did not do a good enough job.
Some of us who got to work close with her knew how it was, now most up here are starting to see how she is the rest in southern Canada and abroad still have not truly seen the lack accountability and the lack of productivity that she does, it’s the same lecture, we are victims speech that she plays, it’s getting old, it’s past old. I don’t have any high hopes with her in these positions anymore, nothing good comes out of it. It’s really too bad as there are very good people who work in education that could have been a better choice.
Y tho?