Makivvik election sees sharp drop-off in voter turnout
Re-elected president Pita Aatami voted in by 18% of the voter base; overall turnout was 26%
Pita Aatami, shown speaking at the Northern Lights conference and trade show in Ottawa in February 2023, has been re-elected president of Makivvik Corp. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Pita Aatami won the Makivvik Corp. presidential election in a landslide last week, but voting day drew the lowest voter turnout in recent memory.
Aatami earned 71 per cent of the vote. A total of 1,900 Nunavimmiut — or 18 per cent of the total voter base — voted him in.
Voter turnout in the Feb. 1 election was 26 per cent. By comparison, in 2021 voter turnout reached nearly 41 per cent and nearly 47 per cent in 2018.
Aatami said he is “deeply honoured” by the trust his fellow Inuit placed in him, in a statement released by Makivvik Corp.
He also spoke of a “journey towards self-determination,” adding he is “committed to ensuring that the voices of our people are heard in the decision-making process.”
Nunatsiaq News contacted Aatami and Makivvik numerous times requesting an interview, but those requests were ignored.
Aatami’s challengers, Harry Tulugak and Suzy Kauki, told Nunatsiaq News they hope for the best for his next term in office.
“I honestly wish him the best,” Tulugak said in a phone interview. “For him to maintain his campaign issues, and succeed in most things that he wanted to do.”
However, one thing remains out of Makivvik’s reach, according to Tulugak — dominion over the land and resources of Nunavik.
“I heard Pita on our local FM station, saying that he wants to get back our land,” Tulugak said.
“There is an admittance that they have lost their land.
“That is Makivvik’s reality, and from all that I have read, its present state and condition under the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement, they will never ever get back any lands.”
According to Tulugak, the land was never lost or stolen. It remains their Inuit birthright.
“This is the part where we need to work together,” he said.
“I am really open and hoping that we will talk, and eventually come up with a solution.”
Kauki said the results did not surprise her, but that the voter turnout raises questions.
“We need to start encouraging Inuit to vote, because Makivvik has an extremely huge mandate and responsibility to support 100 per cent of the population,” she said in a phone interview.
“If 26 per cent of the population is voting, then I would be in serious question of my leadership.”
Kauki hopes Aatami will reopen the Nunavik Justice Task Force created in 1991 and promote the Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families, which was previously known as Bill C-92.
I voted in this election, but with this slate of candidates I am sure many saw no point in voting at all…
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It was pretty clear Peter was going to win once again and that neither Harry or Suzy had a chance to beat him.
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In years where the elections result seems less certain, there seems to be better voter turnout.
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But when the two challenger candidates have “no shot” for being elected – Harry because of his ITN focus/people’s thoughts of his divisive manager experience from Health, and Suzy because of her lack of large organization management experience/people’s lack of familiarity with her, it’s pretty clear they will not get the winning share of votes, let alone when against the super-incumbent Pita Adams….
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I voted, and I did not vote for Pita because I don’t appreciate his actions as President in the past, but I am not shocked to see him win nor am I shocked to see how small the turnout was.
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I bet if there was a closer shot for any of the challengers the turnout would have been higher… if Harry was less divisive and Suzy had more experience/people knew of her more prior to this, I am sure that would have led to more people taking the time to vote for either of them but the writing was on the wall as soon as the candidates were announced.
I AGREE
Only voters get Trust Fund Dividends next terms🤑 Oh yeah and speak any language secret dialect cash group hoarding facades🎭✅
The reason(s) for the low turn out for voters could be: 1) the candidates 2) the people who wanted to be candidates could not speak or understand the Inuktitut language 3) as mentioned by ” I get why, sadly…” is because Pita Adami, Harry and Susie were the only people who were interested in being candidates 4) the voters in this election already knew who was going to win the presidency position. I guess it is time for the MAKIVIK CORPORATION to trash the requirements of who can be elected for Makivik positions since a candidate who wanted to run in the election was refused to be placed on the ballot because he did not speak the Inuktitut language. The Makivik Corporation are treating their brethren similar to what the RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS did to our families while being kidnapped and stolen away from their families and forced not to speak our Inuktitut language. Causing the Inuit to be traumatised. Makivik is doing the complete opposite as the RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS but in reverse and we are being re-traumatized by an Inuit organization for not being able to speak and understand the Inuktitut language. Once again, being re-traumatized for the second time.It is time for MAKIVIK CORPORATION to be treating all Inuit equally instead of judging us by our vocabulary. They should be ashamed of themselves to believe that they are much better than those who don’t speak or understand the Inuktitut language.
Maybe try or add NONE OF THE ABOVE or NO VOTE on the ballot.
Just a thought.