NTI president resigns, vows to run in byelection
Jeremy Tunraluk says Inuit organization don’t seem to understand ‘innocent unless proven guilty’
Jeremy Tunraluk is resigning as president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. but promising to contest the byelection scheduled for December 2026. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Jeremy Tunraluk resigned Wednesday as president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. but promised to run again when the Inuit organization holds a byelection in December.
“They should be more careful than trying to get rid of an innocent person who was elected,” Tunraluk said in a phone interview Thursday, a day after NTI posted the news of his resignation on its website.
The announcement followed a special meeting of the NTI board of directors, held virtually on Wednesday, where they accepted Tunraluk’s resignation and voted to hold a byelection for president in December 2026 – in 11 months.
That election will take place at the same time as scheduled elections for the two vice-president positions.
Until then, vice-president Paul Irngaut will continue to serve as president, the organization said.
“They don’t seem to understand ‘innocent unless proven guilty,'” Tunraluk said.
NTI communications director Ivaluarjuk Merritt said Thursday that the organization’s board determined that Tunraluk “failed to meet the high standards of conduct expected of Inuit leaders.”
That’s why the board passed a unanimous resolution recommending to the NTI membership that they remove Tunraluk as president, Merritt said in an email.
Tunraluk had been on unpaid leave from his role at NTI after Iqaluit RCMP charged him with a single count of assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm on Dec. 3.
At Tunraluk’s first court appearance, on Jan. 15, the Crown stayed the charge. A stay halts the prosecution of a criminal charge, but the Crown can resume prosecution within a year of entering a stay.
The next day, on Jan. 16, NTI’s board voted unanimously to give Tunraluk an ultimatum to either resign or be removed, he said.
On Wednesday, he resigned.
“I was really shocked when my case was cleared in the courts but the NTI administration still wanted to get rid of me,” he said.
Despite the disappointment, Tunraluk said he gives “full props” to the board for trying to protect the organization in light of what he called online attacks against him.
“This was a relationship failure and not an assault by me,” Tunraluk said of the Dec. 4 incident with his ex-wife, noting it left him with physical injuries and scars.
When asked about the incident Tunraluk’s ex-wife Debbie Oyukuluk said in a Facebook message that “any relationship is not perfect, we are just human beings with feelings like anyone else.”
Tunraluk didn’t elaborate about what happened during the incident, but said he will be “reviewing” online comments that labelled him as an “abuser.”
He declined to say whether he might take legal action against people who made those comments.
Tunraluk’s tenure as president lasted just over a year. He won his first term at the helm of the organization responsible for ensuring promises made under the Nunavut Agreement are carried out, on Dec. 10, 2024.
“Now I am unemployed,” he said.
As he departs NTI, Tunraluk also needs to vacate his staff housing unit.
He said he will put his name forward in the byelection in December, and in the meantime will go back to his career as a singer and carver.
“I’m gonna work hard to take care of my family and make sure that I don’t go homeless with my four children,” he said.
Okay Doug Ford!! Lol
Good luck in your journey young fella lots of other places to be in much better ..
Is it a democratic process if NTI staff forced him to resign? Inuit elected him, they should call a referendum and let Inuit decide if he should be removed.
Self-determination has quietly become the determination of only a few.
NTI staff did not ask him to resign. He was placed on Leave from the Board. The board was voted by the beneficiaries. They acted on behalf of the people
Dont even bother JT, you embarrassed yourself and all of nunavut.
I am prepared to listen. To him and consider voting for him.
One RCMP one night decided to charge him. We have all seen times when RCMP were totally wrong
We will throw away a leadership for that?
He is free to explain what they got wrong, no? It’s not before the courts or anything.
I stand with Jeremy. I believe NTI is not being run well. I don’t trust the system as is. I believe policies were not being followed.
There is a conflict at a meeting deciding on the Vice of NTI becoming an Acting President.
One year is too long for one man show acting as President and Voce at the same time . We want to know the salary .
I believe this was decided by board members and one is a bio brother.
It was easy to search the policies. https://www.tunngavik.com/category/organizational-policies/
Bylaws are there too. You could watch the NTI Board meetings on Facebook when they are meeting. Leaders are expected to behave better than the average person. Just look at his past Facebook posts and his wife’s too. Why did he resign if he didn’t want to?
Exactly. I’ve been able to search and get updates and policies from NTI’s website. I’m not even Inuit but I’m interested and engaged in what’s going on with the Inuit community. It’s pretty easy to search and download.
Having these policies is one thing, using them is a whole other thing, board motions and directives have been ignored many times at NTI, if a certain staff member does not agree to them it will sit on her desk and not moved on.
It’s been happening for some years now and it seems to finally be getting out to the public and more people are just starting to learn about it.
More information of this kind will trickle out.
There is a serious problem at NTI and change is needed.
I have seen many statements made by you that are simply ridiculous. It would be a huge benefit to those who listen to you, if you bothered to do your homework before making such comments.
Don’t bother. She wrote publicly on her Facebook that she writes with her name and she’s not afraid to do so and that she truly believes NTI is on the wrong. But she also is saying she’s not going to look at the responses because people like to argue. Meanwhile she has ALL her comments off on FB so no one can keep her accountable or have a civilized debate. She’s just like Cathy and her other sister Mona. They’re all the mother Mary. The most holy
You were at the meeting? What is the procedure that your talking about that was not followed. You always take side of men, I like like you to stand for your fellow Inuk woman.
Inuit governance has always been rooted in accountability, collective decision making, and respect for process. Those same principles are reflected in modern governance policies. Repeating “I believe” does not, on its own, establish that policies were breached. NTI operates under formal governance rules, including Board oversight, quorum requirements, and conflict of interest disclosures. Acting appointments are made to ensure continuity and stability and are not the actions of one individual acting alone. If there are concerns about favouritism or improper conduct, Inuit values call for clarity and responsibility – naming specific policy breaches and using the proper review and accountability mechanisms, rather than relying on assumption or implication. Trust is strengthened through facts, transparency, and respectful process, not through speculation that risks undermining collective institutions.
At the last NTI AGM, Jeremy helped pass a resolution about zero tolerance;
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) unanimously adopted a Zero Tolerance on Violence and Harassment resolution to tackle gender-based violence, affirming that such behavior has no place in Inuit organizations. Rooted in Inuit societal values of Inuuqatigiitsiarniq (respect) and Pijitsirniq (serving/giving), the policy mandates that leaders are held to the highest standards of accountability.
This should apply to him as will, regardless why the prosecutor decided on the pending the charge that was stayed.
Jeremy, save yourself the trouble. You’re done.
This article is opening a lot of cans of worms.
1. If Jeremy’s case is stayed, he can do a full interview and disclose everything. This way, we are all informed and can re-consider him again in his running.
2. Jeremy should not be bullying the very people he was voted by in saying that he was attacked. He is in a position of authority and should act in that way. This article articulates his immaturity. Him showing up in tiktok with his wife shows that he lives in an environment where there is a lot of drama. Maybe he needs to reconsider how he wants to be seen by the public if he is going to be in positions where he has no choice but to face these kinds of criticisms?
3. NTI needs to make it clear for the public by posting their meeting reports in their website for transparency. There are no minutes in their website.
4. Why the elections 11 months later? If this is the case, wouldn’t it make sense to put the next highest candidate into the seat?
What of a waste of money and time.
And this behavior is every where in all Nunavut organisations.
Thank you
I would love to know what the reason for this is? Can someone summerize what happened to cause this?
I hope NTI won’t waste $ for people to vote.
Can I get a bigger gift card this time?
Hes good man. Good to see young men becoming leaders. I grew up with igloos born parents. Nothing but struggle, always competition, just a waste of time these old people. No good for todays inuit society. Even adults grew up with their grand parents, no education, dont really care of todays society. Real struggle, cannot play sports, cant exercise, eahq horrible live. Useless inuit old fashioned
There is enough drama south of us and we have no time for it. Go back to school and learn a trade as you are still young as you are not meant to be in leadership positions at this time.
Very good advice! Hope you are seeing this.
I want a raise in my gift card for the next NTI election
The lack of emotional intellect holay! Does he think people dont talk?
The truth always comes out.
“Innocent until proven guilty” is a standard of the courts Jeremy. It’s the highest level of scrutiny when it comes to proof. That high level gives us immense freedom and prevents BS accusations or hearsay from landing innocents from jail. It’s what makes democratic countries different and protects people. That standard differs from NTI policy and it could never be the same otherwise it’d be a court case at an NTI BOD meeting. You messed up. If there is ever a burden of proof on NTI to show you have…it’s there. The thing is, that’s all they need. They don’t want the highest leader of Nunavut Inuit messing up. Innocent until proven guilty does not apply. Did you mess up? Yes. Therefore you did not meet the high level of conduct expected of Inuit leaders. Please, give it up. The harder you fight the more desperate you look. And when election times come and you lose, it’ll be that much more pitiful.
I would like to know why it will take a year for elections to happen? It’s not about the cost as NGI has nearly a billion dollars in deferred revenue, making so much on the interests, this is all new funding from the federal government, for housing, for infrastructure, makigiaqta, so on, on top of that NTI has the Nunavut agreement funding, so it’s not about the cost of holding a election, what is it about? The executive staff sure have it good, some one there sure like to play as if she is the President and speaks as a politician when they have never been elected.
This year long absence of an elected President for NTI only give the executive staff more control to what they think NTI should be doing without any oversight or accountability to the people the beneficiaries. How will this change and improvements made?
This is on the board, the President’s of the RIAs, they are too weak and agree to whatever the CEO demands.
Remember this for the next time elections come up.