A celebration for Pauktuutit

Pauktuutit, Canada’s national Inuit women’s association will celebrate its 20th anniversary in Ottawa this November, at the organization’s 2004 annual general meeting.

At the AGM, scheduled for Nov. 8-10, organizers plan a variety of festivities.

Those events include a cultural evening, with Inuit games, storytelling, country food, throat-singing, sewing and fashions, and the lighting of a qulliq.

The final gala evening will feature awards presentations, a fashion show and some special “surprises,” a Pauktuutit news release says. The organization is inviting guests from the North, from the federal government, the private sector, and will include “key Pauktuutit supporters.”

At the AGM, delegates will elect eight regional board members, a non-regional representative, a youth executive officer, and members for two board committees.

Pauktuutit is now receiving nominations for regional directors. They may be faxed to the organization at: 1-613-238-1787. Any Inuk woman in Canada may nominate any other Inuk woman for a director’s position. The seconder must also be an Inuk woman. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 24.

The organization is also seeking nominations for its Woman of the Year award. The deadline is Sept. 10.

Nomination forms are available at the Pauktuutit office in Ottawa. Their telephone number is: 1-613-238-3977.