Maggie Emudluk first woman to lead KRG

KUUJJUAQ – The Kativik Regional Council elected Maggie Emudluk last week to chair the organization for the next two years.

Emudluk becomes the first woman to head up Nunavik’s regional government, which has about 300 employees in 14 communities.

Emudluk, with 13 votes, won the election to replace the departing Johnny Adams, beating Kujjuaq’s former mayor, Michael Gordon, who took eight votes.

Emudluk, who observed that she has never lost an election, said she is surprised by the result.

“It’s good for women,” Emudluk told Nunatsiaq News, “and that I’m an Inuk.”

Emudluk, married and a mother of two, comes from Kangiqsualujjuaq, a neighbouring community to Kuujjuaq. She arrives at the top KRG position with more than 15 years of experience in municipal politics.

“My goal in the short term is to keep the continuity of service,” Emudluk said.

Maintaining contact with Nunavimmiut will be another priority for Emudluk: “we have to give service and be open to people even if we don’t see them every day.”

Emudluk plans to spend her weeks in Kuujjuaq, when she’s not traveling – and her weekends in Kangiqsualujjuaq.

A former school centre director for 10 years in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Emudluk was first elected as a municipal councilor there in 1987. She was elected as the community’s mayor in 1993, and at the same time was appointed as the regional councillor, becoming a KRG executive member in 1995.

As mayor, Emudluk guided her community through the aftermath of the Jan. 1, 1999 avalanche that killed several residents and leveled the community’s school.

Emudluk continued as mayor during the rebuilding of Kangiqsualujjuaq. She negotiated many deals for new services and infrastructure on behalf of Kangiqsualujjuaq, and millions of dollars of improvements came into the community as many residences were moved out of the avalanche zone and a slew of new public buildings were constructed.

After four consecutive terms as mayor, Emudluk ran as municipal councillor in 2001. Staying on as the community’s regional councillor, Emudluk became the vice- chairperson of the KRG in 2001, serving on many boards, including the Katutjiniq Regional Development Council, responsible for promoting economic development, and the Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau.

In early 2003, Emudluk received the commemorative medal from the Governor General of Canada. This medal is presented to Canadians to recognize significant achievement or distinguished service to fellow citizens in their community or to Canada.

More recently, Emudluk has served as a self-government negotiator for Nunavik – a position she said she plans to give up, particularly as an agreement-in-principle on self-government for Nunavik is close to being signed.