Two-way race in ITK presidential election
Natan Obed and Kevin Kablutsiak vying for top job at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Natan Obed, left, and Kevin Kablutsiak are the two candidates who put their names forward for the upcoming Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami presidential election. (File photos by Jeff Pelletier and courtesy of Kevin Kablutsiak)
Two candidates will be on the ballot in September for the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami presidential election.
Incumbent Natan Obed will face former CBC North managing editor Kevin Kablutsiak.
ITK, the national organization representing Canadian Inuit, made the announcement Friday morning, a day after the nomination deadline.
The winner will be determined Sept. 18 during the organization’s annual general meeting in Cambridge Bay.
Obed, 49, has been at the helm of ITK since 2015. He is the longest-serving president in the organization’s history.
He won the 2015 and 2018 presidential elections, then was acclaimed in 2021 when no one ran against him. Obed announced he will run in the upcoming election as a “veteran,” despite previously saying this would be his final term.
Kablutsiak, 47, is a first-time candidate for political office.
Along with previously holding several positions at ITK, Kablutsiak’s resume includes work for various organizations such as Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., First Air and Canadian North. He also served as executive director for the Arctic Inspiration Prize and managing editor at CBC North.
ITK presidents are not directly elected by Inuit Nunangat beneficiaries.
Instead, the head of the organization is selected in a vote among four recognized Inuit organizations: Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.; Makivvik Corp., representing Inuit in Nunavik; Inuvialuit Regional Corp., of the western Arctic; and the Nunatsiavut government, the Inuit land-claims organization for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Two delegates from each region and the vice-president of ITK cast a ballot to decide the winner.
Let’s go Kevin! We need change! Nathan’s been there too long!
It is not good if the only point made for Kevin is that Natan has lots of experience. Good, strong points need to be made for Kevin. Please list when able 🙂
I guess us normal folks dont have a say.
” DON T CARE ” !!!
Obed is the one with strategic abilities.
They are both inadequates but Obed is the good old boys choice; guaranteed.
There is no “election” taking place here. Just a corporate appointment despite all the window dressing from ITK.
obviously you know nothing about what you say. Nathan has made tremendous strides in fed-Inuit relations: he insisted and got the federal gov’t to concede and capitulate that it should consult and involve Inuit in its activities that affect Inuit (article 32 like); he is and has been involved in the study towards the creation of an Inuit Nunangat University; and, he has a solid track record of stability and presence; he’s a policy wonk.
these are only a few examples of Nathan’s record.
I wonder which Inuit gets to vote? Never seen Nunavut residents voting for ITK.
12% turn out to vote in Nunavut, where the real Inuit are.
Want higher turn out , gift cards , vouchers , free , that will work
what is a real Inuk?
How come folks without experience in an organization run for president of them? A managing editor for the CBC north and the ED of the Arctic Inspiration Prize doesn’t seem like an appropriate resume for leading the ITK. There may be others out there who could lead the ITK better than Natan, and in years, I am sure, those folks will be needed, but I’m not convinced the competition is more appropriate than the current, at all.
You hit the nail on the head with that comment, Plus CBC is owned by the liberals! Do you want a Liberals leading ITK, just look at what have they done to this country, I’ll bet he add a different carbon tax on Inuit, like cost of living isn’t already so high. I already can hear all of Kevin’s empty policy’s. and then $7 bucks a litre for gas!
Did you not read the article about Kein?! He has held several positions at both ITK and NTI. That’s pretty good experience to me…
How long was Kevin in those positions? Not long.
Agree. Why do people with zero political experience try for these high profile positions?? The likes of Lyall, Hayward, and Camphaug come to mind of those jumping in and not succeeding. Build your political base before going for the home run.
Natan is a disaster – a circus act. Hope he loses badly.
Says the person who *checks notes* is commenting on Nunatsiaq
Oh really, can you point it out to us all real Inuit? I’d vote for him, hope all you people that actually vote, vote for him as well.
Perhaps you should educate yourself on the election process for ITK President. The vote is determined by the ITK Board, which is made of the four elected leaders of the Inuit land claim regions as voting members. Voter turn out for this election is 100% lol.
“Natan Obed (10 year ITK President) will face former CBC North Managing Editor”… that sentence alone shows who i should vote for. I cant believe people are hating on Natan and praising a CBC Editor.. what has this world come to
When someone is trying to get a job, it is indeed a slow news day -and it implies a great deal of potentially unwarranted enthusiasm- for this to be said like someone is “vying” for the position.
When there is an open competition for a job where people are applying, being screened, and interviewed for the job, it is rarely referred to as a “race”.
When there are fewer than a dozen people deciding whether you get that job, that is called a hiring committee that is bigger than it ought to be, not an “election”.
When you have been hired into that job, and your organization takes sole direction from a consortium of varied elected officials, (and you do not count yourself as a peer among those elected officials), you are not a “politician”, you are some kind of administrator.
I am all for having a top notch Inuk down there in the City That Fun Forgot making sure federal officials remember there are us Inuit up here that need to be considered. I am also all for all of our Inuit Organizations getting this done together to have a common voice and priorities.
Let us just be honest and acknowledge that the President of ITK, as a person, has no political mandate whatsoever from the Inuit of Canada.
Until such time as all Inuvialuit, Nunavut and Nunavik Inuit, and Labradormuit all together decide to scrap our organizations and consolidate, this will hold true.
Is this like NTI election where you get a gift card to vote or will it only be 10% of eligible voters casting a ballot?
From what I’ve heard, they will be doing something similar, the catch is, you have to read two paragraphs that is in Inuktitut, because only real Inuks can qualify for the Gold Star sticker, the rest of us that do vote, get to debate and have real conversations about the outcome.
Same pile.
Different day.
Blah Blah Blabiddy Blah
My prediction is, this will be one of the biggest turn out of voters ever, and people that not competent that shouldn’t vote, and are thinking they are voting to get Natan out to get Kevin in, are going to be in for a big surprise when they realize he isn’t fit for the job. Like what does Kevin really bring to the table? A senior newsroom leader?, Please! Try run a Inuit nation, not a news room.
I’m curious who you think is going to be voting? The President of ITK is elected through a democratic process where voteds are cast by the designated Member Representatives of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makivvik and the Nunatsiavut Government, in addition to two delegates per region, and the Vice-President of ITK. As for voter turn out – I sure hope the entire Board of ITK shows up for the election lol
ITK must make Inuit Regions Vote and not let the ITK Board Members of Select Few decide who the President is and make it Inuit Nunagat Wide Vote.
This way back room deals of ITK Regional Representative do not make personal decisions instead of Representation Choices. This is how ITK Elections run and have run and is a faulty Voting Process without due process.
ITK has NEVER given all Regions from Inuvik to Hopedale a Voice to Vote for a President as it is an inside Job with no Checks and Balances or Accountability in hidden back room deals made to select their Choices and not the whole Inuit Representation.
Natan will get Voted In again by Personal Choices of one (1) Representative of a Whole Region.
ITK has to Vote and Elect a President and NOT the Board of Directors. If I were a Board Member I would break cycle and go for Grass Roots Inuit Lived and Spoken Representative as any and all Western Academia Graduate is informed but lack real Inuk Values by having lived and come from it. Western Academia only endorses keeping Western Values front and center as detached from complete Inuk understanding by living it and coming from it as are 90% of Population
As a Voter I would vote Kevin but can’t as perhaps my Regional Representative favours Natan instead of what my Lands and People Need
I wonder who will be elected, hopefully they tell the board all their stories about what each of them have done and what they want to do leading to this point. Rather then just telling us to wish in one hand and anak in the other and tell them which comes first.
Too bad , Sideshow bob is not , a inuk , I would like him to run
2 candidates only from so many regions. Any official elected wears on their person a bullseye but still. 2 is a slight improvement over an acclamation as happened with the previous non-vote. There is a lot of ground to make up ITK in raising the profile.
oops: Natan, not Nathan.
Where are all the polling stations in all Nunavut Communities? When are they open? How do I vote in Nunavut?
Is this not an appointed position by vote of the ITK Board of Directors? ITK represents the 4 Inuit regions. If there was a public vote, that would have to take place in all 4 regions, no?