Okalik gets honary doctorate

Premier Paul Okalik will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws from Carleton University tomorrow, as a tribute to his work for Nunavummiut.

Okalik will attend convocation ceremonies in Ottawa to receive the honours with five other accomplished Canadians, including former Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow.

Carleton officials describe Okalik as “a person who cares deeply about Nunavut, its people, and the role Nunavut plays within the rest of Canada and the circumpolar world.”

Okalik previously earned an undergraduate arts degree at Carleton, before getting a law degree at the University of Ottawa.

The award cites several of Okalik’s accomplishments, such as serving as deputy chief land claim negotiator for the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut in the 1980s, and later becoming the first premier of the territory.