NTI confirms 4 candidates seek presidency
Nicole Camphaug, Andrew Nakashuk, Cathy Towtongie and Jeremy Tunraluk looking to win over voters on Dec. 9
From left, Nicole Camphaug, Andrew Nakashuk, Cathy Towtongie, and Jeremy Tunraluk are the candidates running to be the next president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (Photos courtesy of Nicole Camphaug, Andrew Nakashuk, Jeremy Tunraluk; file photo of Cathy Towtongie)
Election season is underway to choose the next president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
Four candidates are officially on the ballot seeking the top position at NTI, the organization responsible for ensuring obligations made to Inuit under the Nunavut Agreement are upheld.
The ballot was made official Monday night, after the deadline for candidates to withdraw their names passed.
Nicole Camphaug, Andrew Nakashuk, Cathy Towtongie, and Jeremy Tunraluk will seek Inuit beneficiaries’ votes on Dec. 9 to serve a four-year term as president.
Camphaug, from Rankin Inlet, says she has more than 25 years’ experience working in different roles supporting ministers and the premier with the Government of Nunavut, including as chief of protocol, and most recently at NTI as executive assistant to the CEO.
“I’m running to honour our elders who are keeping our traditions and cultures alive and to empower our youth,” she said in an interview.
Nakashuk, from Pangnirtung, is vice-chairperson of Qulliq Energy Corp.’s board of directors and chairperson for the Nunavut Planning Commission. He previously ran for NTI president in 2021. He lost to Aluki Kotierk, who announced in October she is not running for a third term.
Ensuring people have reliable access to country food, and providing better communication from NTI to beneficiaries, are the reasons Nakashuk said he is running.
“When I was holding public hearings in 2017 and the recent one, I heard from all the people Nunavut-wide there needs to be more communications from NTI to the beneficiaries,” he said of his work, in a phone interview.
Tunraluk said he has served as secretary-treasurer and member at large for Qikiqtani Inuit Association, community director in Arctic Bay, and board chair for Kakivak Association.
“There is a lot of reasons why I decided to run for NTI, and a part of that is transparency for our beneficiaries,” he said in a phone interview.
Towtongie previously served two terms as NTI president and is the former MLA for Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield. She could not be reached for comment for this story.
There are five ways to vote in the election for president — on election day, at an advance poll Dec. 2, by mobile poll, proxy vote, or mail-in ballot, according to the NTI website.
We need someone who has experience running NTI. How can NTI have a 4 million deficit!?
If we’re not entitled to an actual election campaign with thoughtful debates on the issues of the day could we at least get a swimsuit parade?
Camphaug, from Rankin Inlet, says she has more than 25 years’ experience working in different roles supporting ministers and the premier with the Government of Nunavut, including as chief of protocol, and most recently at NTI as executive assistant to the CEO. <– I'm not sure why she claims to be from Rankin Inlet when she has actually spent most of her life in Iqaluit/Alberta. Go figure!
Experience in swapping love notes with Levi Barnabas at the Legislative LoooL
So she was the servant for the CEO, if she becomes President she becomes the boss of this CEO, would she really be the boss though or is this a attempt by the current CEO to keep her job? I think most of us know the current CEO will be removed once one of three become President of NTI.
It’s possible to be from somewhere, and live somewhere else.. this is not unusual.
While it is not impossible to articulate a connection to multiple locations, it often presents challenges when one has predominantly lived in a single place. It can feel disingenuous to identify with a different location, particularly if one has only spent a few years there compared to a decade in another. This complexity is worthy of consideration. Don’t you agree… Go Figure!!
Interesting What is more important to make someone from some place? where there ancestors lived… how far back do you need to go? also which ancestors… because many people have ancestor from many parts of the world that the person has never lived.
or the place an individual lived when young or where they lived for the most of their life?
And if Inuit move south how long till they are no longer from Nunavut?
ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᒃ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᑦᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂ ᓂᕆᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓚᒥᓂᒃ, ᐃᓅᓯᑦᑎᐊᕙᒻᒥᒃ, ᑭᓱᒥᒃ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᑉᐸ ᐅᖃᕈᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕆᓂᕋᕐᓗᒍ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ? ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᐹ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ, ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᒥᒃ? ᐊᒃᑐᐊᓂᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐹ ᑎᒥᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᕌᕈᑎᒧᑦ? ᖃᓄᖅ ᑕᒻᒪᕐᒪᑦ ᐅᖃᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ
An Inuk beneficiary is Inuk and always be an Inuk no matter where they live
Beneficiaries outside Nunavut are over 6 thousand or more. NTI has not taken us seriously as Beneficiaries. They just don’t know what to do with us. We should be benefiting the same as those inside the Territory. To say it’s your choice to move out of the Territory is a rude excuse.
I suggest an constituency office within the big cities, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa.
ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᒍᓱᓕ ᓄᓇᕗᒦᖕᒋᓕᕋᓗᐊᕐᑎᓗᑕ. We are still beneficiaries to the Land Claim. I suggest this be an agenda item of the next president.
We are all shocked about the 4 million deficit of NTI. Please get a president who knows finances and has expense running NTI.
I wonder what benefits you think you don’t get when not living in Nunavut that you should get?
You want hunting rights? you can travel to hunt tuktu or aiviq.
You want your kids to get a good education in Inuktitut? So do I and I live in Nunavut.
you want to live in over crowded social housing? Unless you have a good job and own your own house you might be able to find some cheap place to live and be over crowded if you want.
You think NTI should buy you a Skidoo… would it be used for subsistence hunting?
You want free healthcare.. You have that already.
Is it just you want to take some money that is used to run programs here that are not available like could be in the south.
NTI does have southern offices.
Yes they are always Inuk… but is Nunavut where they are from if they are gone long enough? there are Inuit who have never lived in Nunavut.
Lol Nicole
Nicole – I donno man!
Andrew – donno!
Cathy – Yes!
Jeremy – Please No! Gleams too high with pride.
I’m not throwing my vote away….I’d rather buy my dream house with that kind of money being thrown away!