Veteran James Eetoolook re-elected once more as Inuit org VP

Kitikmeot Inuit voters re-elect Stanley Anablak as association president

The Kitikmeot Inuit Association president, Stanley Anablak speaks at the annual general meeting of the organization in 2017. Anablak was re-elected as KIA president earlier this week. (FILE PHOTO)

By Sarah Rogers

The veteran Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. vice-president, James Eetoolook, has been re-elected to yet another term as second-in-command at Nunavut’s Inuit birthright organization.

The election, held on Dec. 10, was delayed when polls in Gjoa Haven and Arctic Bay closed due to bad weather.

Unofficial results posted Dec. 12 show Eetoolook won with 68 per cent of ballots cast, or 2,399 votes.

The only other candidate, Peter Ohokanoak, finished with 31.7 per cent or 1,117 votes.

The results remain unofficial, however, as NTI waits for a final vote count from its poll in Cambridge Bay.

Eetoolook, who’s from Taloyoak, started as a director with the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut and has served as vice-president since the 1990s.

Recount confirms Lucassie as Iqaluit QIA community director

Regional Inuit organizations also hosted elections on Dec. 10, and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association held elections for community directors in six communities.

But final results from that election were delayed as well, due to a tight race in Iqaluit, where candidates Steven Polee Lucassie and Jesse Mike finished with just a few votes separating them.

A recount confirmed on Dec. 12 that Lucassie won that election with 170 votes—just nine more than Mike received.

The following candidates were also elected as QIA community directors:

• Mike Jaypoody in Clyde River

• Abraham Qamaaniq in Hall Beach

• Moses Appaqaq in Sanikiluaq

• Johnny Malaiya Kublu in Igloolik

• Charlie Inuarak in Pond Inlet

P.J. Akeeagok was acclaimed for a second term as QIA president, and Tommy Akavak was acclaimed as community director for Kimmirut.

Kitikmeot Inuit Association president re-elected

Inuit voters in the Kitikmeot region re-elected their incumbent president, Stanley Anablak, on Dec. 10.

Anablak, first elected in 2015, took 503 votes, beating Bob Aknavigak, Vivienne Aknavigak and George Sonny Porter.

Jeannie Evalik was elected that day as KIA’s vice-president of social and cultural development. Evalik drew 352 votes, ahead of two other candidates, Darlene Metuituk and Joe Tulurialuk.

Inuit voters in the Kitikmeot region also elected four community board members to KIA’s board of directors:

• Johnny Kootook in Taloyoak

• Raymond Quqshuun Sr. in Gjoa Haven

• Tars Angutingunirk in Kugaaruk

• Peter Taktogon in Kugluktuk

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(2) Comments:

  1. Posted by Kivalliq on

    What is NTI good for at this point? I mean what did they do in the last year for the Inuit

    Most of the powers with the RIA now for mines so what’s the point for having NTI if we haven’t done anything under NTI. Closer to Inuit they said but not happening at all in my town

    I’m not talking about Eetoolook just the NU systems don’t make sense wasting our trust fund money bigtime

    Nobody even comments on this story NTI just doesn’t matter thats my thinking

  2. Posted by Grizzly Bear on

    #1 you make good points. During the NTI election, were any candidate information posters posted up in your community? Do any of your RIA reps ask you, your region for opinions on issues before they vote? Does anyone challenge the vice or the president or any Inuit Org?

    #1 the RIA’s follow along not sounding any alarm. NTI does on cue yearly hissy fits towards the government, and hands out $’s to RIA’s. Heard any Inuit Org fight for you against Carbon Tax?

    #1 turn you attention to ITK. The President is unelected (more or less is appointed by the various Inuit Orgs who call 13 or 14 total votes, a vote). President unelected doesn’t answer to you. Look how aligned the current ITK president is with Trudeau who’s all in with unelected UN. Trudeau, 2015 The New York Times Magazine “There is no core identity, no mainstream in Canada,” and sees Canada as “the first post-national state.”

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