Four vie for presidency of Nunavut’s Inuit land claim org

Beneficiaries watch voting results roll in during an NTI election held in 2010. This year’s presidential vote, held to fill the expired position of incumbent Cathy Towtongie, has attracted four candidates, including Towtongie. Election day is Dec. 12. (FILE PHOTO)

Two former Nunavut government deputy ministers, and one former MLA and cabinet minister will on Dec. 12 contest the presidency of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. against incumbent candidate Cathy Towtongie, a list of candidates released Nov. 4 reveals.

The NTI election is scheduled for Dec. 12, when the Qikiqtani and Kivalliq Inuit Associations will also hold elections to fill executive and community director positions.

The candidates for NTI president are:

• Aluki Kotierk—Kotierk, who is now on leave from her current job, director of NTI’s employment and training division, has in the past served as a deputy and assistant deputy minister with the Government of Nunavut. She served as assistant deputy minister and deputy minister of Human Resources, deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and as of April 1, 2012, became deputy minister of the new Department of Family Services where she served until March 2014, when she resigned for personal reasons. She began her current job at NTI after a stint as director of strategic planning for the Office of the Languages Commissioner;

• Joe Adla Kunuk—Kunuk has served in his current job, president of Nunavut Arctic College, since November of 2015. Before that job, he served as the GN’s deputy minister of Culture and Heritage, deputy minister of Human Resources, and principal secretary to former premier Eva Aariak. Kunuk has also served as associate deputy minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs, CEO of NTI and mayor of Iqaluit;

• Levinia Brown—Brown served in the Nunavut legislature as MLA for Rankin Inlet South-Whale Cove between 2004 and 2008, and sat in the Nunavut cabinet as deputy premier, minister of Health and Social Services, minister responsible for the status of women, and minister of Community Government and Services. She has also served as mayor and deputy mayor of Rankin Inlet; and,

• Cathy Towtongie—Towtongie has served as NTI president continuously since 2010, when she was elected to the job in a by-election. She was re-elected in 2012 to a four-year term that expires by the end of the year. Towtongie also served as NTI president from 2001 until 2004, when she was defeated by Paul Kaludjak.

Until Nov. 7, 5 p.m. local time, candidates were given a chance to withdraw their nomination papers, but none have done so.

NTI will hold advance polls Dec. 5 and has also provided for mail-in ballots, proxy voting and mobile polls.

Anyone enrolled or eligible to be enrolled under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement who is a Canadian citizen and aged 16 or over as of Dec. 12 is eligible to vote in the NTI election.