Paul Irngaut elected NTI vice-president
Results announced early Tuesday show he defeated closest challenger Jack Anawak, 2 others in Monday’s election
Paul Irngaut has been elected vice-president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., according to results posted Tuesday morning on NTI’s website. (Photo courtesy of Paul Irngaut)
Nunavut Inuit have elected Paul Irngaut to be the next vice-president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the organization responsible for ensuring Nunavut Agreement obligations to Inuit are upheld.
Results from Monday’s election posted early Tuesday to NTI’s website show Irngaut won the election by nearly 450 votes over Jack Anawak, who finished in second place.
“I’m very humbled,” Irngaut said in an interview.
“I’m going to do my best to represent Inuit nationally, internationally and within Nunavut as well,” he added.
Irngaut said he started his new job right away, getting sworn in Tuesday morning after the election results came in.
“I had about three hours of sleep,” he said.
Irngaut also thanked the other candidates for running.
“It’s a tough place to run. It’s a huge territory. You need money to travel. It takes a toll on people physically, mentally and financially,” he said.
“They’re very good candidates.”
The total breakdown of votes is as follows, according to data on the NTI website:
- Paul Irngaut: 1,728 votes;
- Jack Anawak: 1,284 votes;
- Clayton Tartak: 1,034 votes; and
- Jacopoosie Peter: 276 votes.
Irngaut is the former director of wildlife and environment with NTI.
Irngaut will serve a four-year term, until December 2026.
Voter turnout in the NTI election was approximately 18.3 per cent, NTI said in a news release Tuesday.
Voter turnout was low across the territory — none of the territory’s three regions topped 20 per cent.
The three regional Inuit associations also held elections for various positions on Monday.
Irngaut will replace former vice-president James Eetoolook, who retired after holding the position for 29 years.
“They’re big shoes to fill. I have my job cut out for me for sure,” Irngaut said.
Too bad the voter turnout was so low.
Congrats to Paul.
Where does Paul stand on Aluki’s plan to bring ‘Self Government’ to Nunavut?
What do you mean? Is NTI working on self government?
This is new, why haven’t we heard about this?
I can’t find anything about self government by NTI. When did this start?
I’m not sure how you couldn’t find anything? Try a google search for: ‘NTI self government’
https://www.tunngavik.com/news/inuit-self-government-in-nunavut/
Ok thank you! I was looking and other news items from NTI were popping up, nothing on cbc, Nunatsiaq about this.
Maybe I didn’t look hard enough lol. This is new to me, I wonder where they are at with this now?
It is very easy to miss this information as NTI has not brought this to the beneficiaries, a small write up somewhere on their website is not enough, where is the consultation from NTI? Most of us have not heard about this.
It’s not on their annual report, beside a blurb on their website there is really no information for us.
Interesting when they have a dept but no info on that department.
‘Inuit Self Government’ was all over the news about a year ago. Maybe you weren’t around then?
To help you get up to speed:
This is interesting, our Premier, when still with QIA was pushing for this. I wonder if he still agrees? Someone should ask him?
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/nunavut-tunngavik-inc-board-considers-self-government-options/
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/nti-says-it-will-seek-to-negotiate-inuit-self-government-with-ottawa/
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/ntis-push-for-inuit-self-government-the-right-thing-says-idlout/
I wish it was Clayton. Kivalliq and kitemeot will loose out. Paul a follower and no voice.
Nothing wrong with Self Government, Labrador did it.
https://athomeinthenorth.org/partners/nunatsiavut-government/#:~:text=Nunatsiavut%20is%20the%20first%20of%20the
Sure, but we already have a Land Claims Agreement that enshrined a public government following a decades long process. The choice between that an self government has already been made and can not easily be undone, in fact it can not be done without the agreement of the Government of Nunavut. In other words, Aluki is wasting time and resources… a habit with her, it would seem.