Kotierk calls it quits at NTI

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., president announces during organization’s annual general meeting she won’t seek a third term

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president announces she won’t be running for the third term in December. Kotierk has been the president of the corporation since 2016. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)

By Arty Sarkisian

Aluki Kotierk, the president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., won’t be running for a third term as the head of the organization that serves all Inuit beneficiaries in the territory.

Kotierk announced that this is her last term during a speech at the organization’s annual general meeting Tuesday.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. represents Nunavut Inuit, ensuring the promises made under the Nunavut Agreement are carried out.

Kotierk first ran in the presidential election of 2016, winning against the incumbent Cathy Towtongie. Kotierk was re-elected to a four-year term in 2021, in an election that had been delayed over COVID-19 concerns.

Kotierk was one of the signatories of the Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement in January 2024 along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Nunavut Premier PJ Akeeagok.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk along with, Federal Northern Affairs Minister Daniel Vandal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier P.J. Akeeagok celebrating after signing the Nunavut devolution agreement in January at the Aqsarniit hotel in Iqaluit. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)

Kotierk didn’t announce her future plans in Tuesday’s speech.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. presidents are elected for four-year terms. The corporation is holding its next presidential election Dec. 9. The nomination period for contenders to  declare their candidacy runs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1.

So far, nobody has publicly expressed an intention to run in the upcoming election.

Some people at Tuesday’s meeting expressed their farewells to Kotierk.

“Thank you, Aluki. You are a great leader. I don’t know what is coming next for you, but I am going to wish you the best of luck,” James Eetoolook said in Inuktitut during the meeting. Eetoolook, now retired, was the vice-president of NTI for 29 years and one of the original signatories of the 1993 Nunavut Land Claims Agreement

“We are going to miss you, because we worked very closely together,” Kivalliq Inuit Association president Kono Tattuinee said.

In her final report as the president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Kotierk talked about the corporation’s work in the past year on key issues like employment, Inuktitut language conservation, education and tuberculosis.

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(31) Comments:

  1. Posted by Inuk on

    I can’t imagine a better leader than her. Very hard to replace someone like that. Hopefully the new leader though, cleans up senior management.

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    • Posted by Historian on

      While I have to agree that the Senior management at NTI are a disgraceful bunch of lazy, overpaid critics and power trippers, they are the product of two terms of Ms Kotierk’s leadership.

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    • Posted by Umilik on

      Wait for it…

      “The Liberal Party of Nunavut welcomes Aluki Kotierk as its candiate for the riding of Nunavut.”

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      • Posted by Senate Selection Committee on

        I’d bet she goes for Senator. Less work and a guaranteed position till age 75!

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      • Posted by hermann kliest on

        Imagine, hooking up with the Liberals at this time, only a fool would put their names into the hat, if this nearly the truth, Nunavut again would end-up on the wring side of the fence. Nunavut is becoming a loser by voting on popularity….Whoever is on the right side wins with upcoming PCP of Canada who most likely will win majority government. Is there an popular CP person in Nunavut? It’s most likely the key.

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  2. Posted by Old fart on

    No more all expenses paid for vacation for all staff now .

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    • Posted by NUNAVIMIUK on

      Like , our leader here, musical chair will land her , new title.

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    • Posted by Gone but never forgotten on

      With her holiday/duty travel ending in a month, she will be able to focus on teaching Inuktut to her offspring and nurturing their mother tongue skills. May her future be kind to her and dispel the angry woman within, revealing her inner beauty. I wish her a bright future.

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  3. Posted by Hopefully the next is better on

    NTI has been largely irrelevant for years now, which was represented in their overall voter turn-out last election, 17% of eligible voters. As a leader, little to nothing was done to improve the life of Inuit during her tender.

    Employment figures are no better than 10 years ago per Stats Canada, education figures are no better, poverty has increased significantly, housing is near unobtainable for new generations and there’s been no real change in most communities local infrastructure.

    NTI said they had a bunch of ICIF money to build infrastructure, what happened? Nothing.

    NTI said they got 400M+ for housing that was not part of NU3000, what happened? Nothing.

    Where did all this money go?

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  4. Posted by Tundramoon on

    Please indulge us all on what they did for Inuit besides giving piruvik millions? A financial audit for Inuit of Nunavut would be transparent.

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    • Posted by Jamesie on

      The Senate. Another organization for which she’ll do nothing but enjoy an expense account.

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  5. Posted by Have to wonder on

    Does this spell the end of Aluki’s vision for a self governing territory? How did her negotiations with the government of Canada go anyway?

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    • Posted by Colin on

      I think this self governing came from her senior staff, there are some people in the background that have been working on this, using Aluki to push their agenda.

  6. Posted by Premier Kotierk on

    She plans to succeed PJ as Nunavut’s next Premier.

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  7. Posted by Mosesee on

    Thank you for your services. Good luck in your next endeavours. Now the floor is open to all to step up and fix what you didn’t/don’t like.

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  8. Posted by Golden Guess on

    She won’t become a senator or take her brother-in-law’s prominent role; her likely next step is leaving her Inuktut-speaking homeland that she so worked hard for.

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  9. Posted by Rest in Priest on

    Johannes Rivoire has passed so no more France vacays? Time to move on…

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  10. Posted by Ova Nippirra on

    Taking the step to help in some way in the first place takes a strong person, despite all the negativity that is waiting there.
    Doing, Did, Done.
    Wish her all the best with me, join the support for Nunavut……….

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  11. Posted by MIGA!!! on

    All you naysayers wont even dare to put your name in the election for this presidential seat….you guys like to complain and wont even step up for our fellow Inuit. until then, keep ya mouth shut until you can unify and make changes 😀
    Thank you for your service Ms. Kotierk, May you have a great rest.

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    • Posted by Hold up on

      Ah yes, the classic you can’t criticize leaders unless you yourself run for president. A typical ad-hom argument that if often presented when a person can’t actually offer any argument to what is being said. Quite the fallacy.

      So, would you like to elaborate and argue in her favour rather than denying ones opinion of her tenure?

      Where is the infrastructure promised for the 100M+ of infrastructure funding they received.

      Where is the housing for the 450M of housing money allocated to them back in, what, 2022?

      Why have education, housing, healthcare all not seen any significant progress? Any while i realize those items are not all in NTI’s control there’s been little to zero progress made by them in those areas. You would think they would have had an interest in those?

      Why was voter turnout so bad last election? Is it because people dont care because they know NTI does nothing?

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      • Posted by Rebecca Mike on

        I wish Nunatsiaq News would not make comments anonymous and see how many have enough guts to say things they say. It pays to know who is who, when it comes to important issues and concerns. It makes people look coward using assume name.

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    • Posted by John WP Murphy on

      Some of you won’t even put your name to your post complaining about the complainers.

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  12. Posted by I live in the Arctic on

    It would be cool if there was an article on what her original goals were, what were the challenges in reach those goals, what was achieved, rather than people collectively taking a dump on her.

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  13. Posted by Good bye on

    Thank you for your years of hard work and your dedication to advocacy and fighting for Inuit language, our rights and our Land Claim.

    Good luck with your next venture Kotierk!

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