Martha Jaw remembered as thoughtful, caring community leader for Kinngait
Pastor and advocate for Inuit culture died Feb. 18 at age 75
Pastor and community leader Martha Jaw, shown here in 2024, “was a very charismatic person, and she was very thoughtful,” says her granddaughter Neevee Jaw. Martha Jaw died Feb. 18 at age 75. (File photo by Arty Sarkisian)
Martha Jaw — a Kinngait pastor, community leader and passionate advocate for Inuit culture — died early on Feb. 18 after a long battle with pneumonia and kidney failure, her granddaughter Neevee Jaw said.
She was 75.
“She was a very charismatic person, and she was very thoughtful,” said Neevee Jaw.
As Kinngait’s sole pastor, in 2024 Martha Jaw opened the doors of her Full Gospel church to all Christians in the community of about 1,400 people after a spree of fires destroyed Kinngait’s two other churches.
Over the years, she also operated food programs to ensure people had access to country food.
“Anybody who approached her needing help, she would help them without batting an eye or asking any uncomfortable questions,” Neevee Jaw said, remembering her grandmother and “soulmate.”
“She had an effect on a lot of people.”
She said she’s received dozens of calls from people around the world who knew her grandmother through her church work and wanted to express their condolences on her death.
Martha Jaw was also recognized as a community leader by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association where she served as a board member.
“Mrs. Jaw has done a great job representing her community of Kinngait. I am thankful for her strong leadership, advocacy, and the time she was able to spend with QIA,” said Olayuk Akesuk, the organization’s president, in a news release Friday.
In an interview with Nunatsiaq News in 2024, Martha Jaw her biggest achievement was preserving her own culture.
“Growing up, I was losing my traditional and cultural style,” she said. “My greatest achievement is not actually losing it. I got to know my identity as Inuit.”
She would also encourage English speakers to learn Inuktitut.
“Have you learned Inuktitut yet?” she would sometimes ask. “Well, hurry up. We learned English, right?”
“Her sense of humor was off the charts,” said Neevee Jaw.
For Martha Jaw, the death of her husband Matthew Saviarjuk Jaw in 2022 was a difficult loss.
She called him “the most handsome man” she had ever met and said she shared the happiest moments of her life with him.
Martha Jaw leaves behind 11 children and “countless” grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Neevee Jaw said.
Her family is working on funeral arrangements with no date set yet for a service.
“Everybody’s been devastated that she’s gone,” Neevee Jaw said.
“But I just know that people reading about Martha — she will give them a little smile of joy.”
I am so sorry to beautiful Marthas family for their huge loss as Martha was always talking about them all, and that she was going to fight her sickness no matter what.
I am thankful I got to see her week before she passed and last year in Ottawa and really enjoyed our chats.
I knew Martha since I was a young child and always admired her beautiful white AMAUTI with a baby in her back, and I was telling her that few months ago how I remembered her coming over to our house in Iqaluit with her late husband.
Martha and her husband would stay with my family every time they came to Iqaluit for holidays or medical, and I was just telling her few months ago how I use to love it when they would stay with us. She was always nice and would treat me with candies and she would tell me to enjoy them.
I will miss seeing you Martha but I know you are defiantly resting in peace now and no more pain.
Akkuluk to everyone in her family especial her children and Grandchildren Naligivatsi.