Okalik Eegeesiak wants to put NTI initiatives on the public’s radar

Nunatsiaq News is publishing profiles of the 10 candidates in Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.’s May 27 presidential byelection.

A longtime leader in Nunavut feels she’s got the right stuff for the top job at Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

“I think people see me as a grounded person. People believe when I say I work for the betterment of Inuit and Inuit communities,” Okalik Eegeesiak said of why people should vote her in NTI’s presidential byelection, which is set for May 27.

Eegeesiak is one of 10 people running to lead NTI, the organization responsible for ensuring obligations made to Nunavut Inuit under the Nunavut Agreement are upheld. The byelection was called to fill the vacancy created by Jeremy Tunraluk, who resigned in January.

Eegeesiak is based in Iqaluit. She described herself as an experienced facilitator, moderator and long-time advocate for Inuit and northern communities.

“I think that would be good for not just Inuit but Nunavut in general,” she said. 

She pointed to what she sees as a lack of communication between NTI and beneficiaries, which she says her skills could help solve.

“If Inuit feel they are not hearing enough about NTI, how does one fix that? How do I fix that,” she asked.

Eegeesiak has worn many hats throughout her long career. In the early 2000s, she was president of Tapirisat of Canada, now known as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

She also served two terms as president of Qikiqtani Inuit Association, starting in 2009.

Five years later, in 2014, she was appointed international Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council. The Arctic Council — an Inuit Circumpolar Council forum made up of representatives of the world’s eight Arctic nations — was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize during Eegeesiak’s tenure, for its efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. 

Eegeesiak ran to be MLA of the Iqaluit-Manirajak riding in 2017, but lost to Adam Arreak Lightstone. 

The resiliency and contribution of Inuit women has been a particular focus for Eegeesiak as well. In 2023, she sailed Sir John Franklin’s Northwest Passage route with an all-female crew, stopping in Arctic communities to document how women supported historic Arctic explorers.

Eegeesiak has volunteered with the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation since 2018. She is currently on leave from her job as a senior consultant at NVision Insight Group, a national Indigenous consultancy firm.

As for specific goals, Eegeesiak said she will spend the campaign period focusing on determining what her constituents’ issues and aspirations are.

She said she wants to return pride to Nunavummiut and focus on the original intent of the Nunavut Agreement.

“To get Inuit working, to get Inuit into business and to get Inuktut into schools,” she said.