Kusugak: “It’s an offer I can’t refuse”

Jose Kusugak, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, announced on Tuesday that he will seek a second term as leader of the national organization, after stating this past spring that he would not contest the seat.

Kusugak will join six others in the race: John Amagoalik, Ruby Arngna’naaq, Violet Ford, Peter Ittinuar, Jerry Komaksiutiksak and Pitseolak Pfeifer.

Another candidate, Robbie Watt, withdrew his name after the board of ITK extended the nomination deadline to draw “a wider range of candidates.”

But Kusugak, who was nominated for re-election by Pita Aatami, president of Makivik Corp. and one of ITK’s eight board members, may not even break a sweat in this particular race. In fact, he speaks as if he’s already won.

He said in an interview this week that he has talked with all but one member of ITK’s board, as well as several federal cabinet ministers. All, he said, were eager for him to return.

“I think it’s probably best for everybody, in my opinion, and I think in the opinion of most of the board members, that it is important to have continuity at this time,” Kusugak said during a stop-over in Iqaluit on his way to Rankin Inlet.

“After all, I did quite a bit of rebuilding of the organization in the first three years, and now we can actually keep the work going.”

But this time around, Kusugak may be keeping that work going from a home base in Rankin Inlet. During this month’s annual general meeting in Puvirnituq, board members will be discussing, among other things, whether it’s necessary for the president of ITK to live in Ottawa.

In addition, Kusugak said the board has already decided to increase the president’s vacation allowance from one trip home a year to six.

So when he returned to Ottawa in early September, after spending the summer at home, he had already decided that if he was asked to stay, he would.

“My wife and I mutually agreed that if they do call me and ask me to stay, and if the candidate list was really short, I would accept,” he said.

“If you really come down to it, it’s an offer I can’t refuse.”