Paul Amagoalik, longtime Qikiqtaaluk leader, dies

Paul Amagoalik, a Qikiqtaaluk and community leader, has died at the age of 73.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association, where Amagoalik represented Resolute Bay in a number of roles, said in a July 13 news release that Amagoalik was a longtime, respected leader for the High Arctic hamlet.

“Throughout his service, he worked to advance opportunities for Inuit, including employment, training, and economic benefits that would strengthen communities,” the statement said.

The QIA statement did not say when Amagoalik died or provide the cause of death.

Amagoalik was born aboard a ship that carried Inuit families who were relocated from northern Quebec to the High Arctic, according to the statement.

He was born in 1953, according to the Iqqaumavara documentary about the Canadian government’s relocation of Inuit families to the High Arctic in the 1950s.

He became involved with the Baffin Regional Inuit Association in the 1980s, when Inuit were beginning to organize politically and discussions about the creation of Nunavut were taking shape. He said renaming the association was a way for Inuit to take greater control over their lives and direction, according to QIA’s website.

He urged Inuit youth to be involved in politics and shape their own futures, and he emphasized that the unique challenges in the High Arctic made involvement and leadership even more important.

“His leadership, experience, and commitment to Inuit will be remembered with gratitude,” QIA president Olayuk Akesuk said in the release.

Paul was a relative of John Amagoalik, considered by many to be the “Father of Nunavut,” who recently returned to the territory after spending time at Embassy West Senior Living in Ottawa.