Arlooktoo was a gifted justice minister

In the recent writings in Nunatsiaq News about the late Goo Arlooktoo, I looked in vain for references to his service as minister of justice for the Northwest Territories.

I had the opportunity to serve under Arlooktoo’s leadership in the department of justice in the NWT for a short time before I moved to Iqaluit, and as deputy minister of justice for Nunavut, I attended a national meeting of justice ministers with him, in Regina in the fall of 1998.

He was a gifted politician, with a quick grasp of issues and a commitment to social justice. At the justice ministers’ meeting, his presentation about the creation of Nunavut made a deep impression on all present.

More recently, Arlooktoo contributed to the work to create a Human Rights Act for Nunavut. At a workshop in Iqaluit in March 2001, his leadership was important in encouraging all participants to talk about human rights as they apply to life in Nunavut.

My sincere sympathies go out to Goo’s family. I hope that his children will grow up remembering their father as a man who made an important contribution to Nunavut and the Northwest Territories at a significant time in our history.

Nora Sanders
Iqaluit