Terry Fenge, Nunavut negotiator, Arctic scholar, dies in Ottawa

Terry Fenge is pictured here, centre, at the Canadian Studies Centre at the University of Washington in 2010, where he led a roundtable discussion on the Arctic Council. He’s pictured with Arctic Initiatives interns Adam Akerblom, Sophie Hubbell, Zoe Cosford and Charlotte Dubiel. (PHOTO COURTESY OF U OF WASHINGTON)

Nunavummiut are paying homage this week to Terry Fenge, a Nunavut land claims consultant and researcher who died of a heart attack in Ottawa last weekend.

Fenge was well-known for his work for Inuit in Nunavut and across the circumpolar world.

For eight years, Fenge served as a research director and senior negotiator for the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut in land claims talks with the federal government that led to the completion, signing and ratification of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement between 1990 and 1993.

Fenge also served as executive director of the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee and later as strategic counsel to Sheila Watt-Cloutier when she was chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (now Council.)

Reacting to news of his death on Twitter, Iqaluit lawyer Anne Crawford called Fenge a “stalwart of the process, committed to Inuit rights.”

In a Nov. 10 release, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. credited Fenge for his “remarkable and creative contributions” to the negotiation of the Nunavut agreement, and the support and encouragement he offered to the Inuit of Nunavut, especially young people he worked with.

The Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples Secretariat paid tribute to Fenge in a Nov. 11 release, calling him a fierce defender of Indigenous rights.

“Terry will be remembered as an extremely creative and thoughtful political scientist, dedicated, strong-willed, opinionated and committed person,” the secretariat said.

“He believed strongly that Arctic indigenous peoples deserve a place in the great debates over the fate of one of the world’s most important regions. He was dogged and determined and took pride at being a thorn in the side of officialdom when necessary.”