John Amagoalik OC ONu (born November 26, 1947) is an Inuit politician[1] from Nunavik (Québec). He campaigned for Inuit rights and made a significant contribution to the founding of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. He was Chairman of the Nunavut Implementation Commission and is widely regarded as the "Father of Nunavut".
John Amagoalik | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of the Nunavut Implementation Commission | |
| In office 1993–1999 | |
| President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami | |
| In office 1981 – 1985, again from 1988-1991 | |
| Preceded by | Micheal Amarook |
| Succeeded by | Rhoda Inukshuk |
| Executive director of Nunavut Land Claims Project | |
| In office 1974–1975 | |
| Baffin Regional Information Officer | |
| In office 1971–1974 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 26, 1947 Nunavik, Quebec |
Early life and education
editAmagoalik was born on November 26, 1947, near Inukjuaq in Nunavik in northern Québec.[2] In 1953, his family was relocated to Resolute Bay by the Canadian Government and he was educated in residential schools in Resolute Bay, Churchill and Iqaluit.[3] However, Amagoalik stopped his formal education after grade 9 to support his father who had fallen ill with tuberculosis.[4] His families living conditions after their forced relocation to Resolute was poor, with no vegetation or fish.[5] Years later, Amagoalik and other relocated Inuit identifying themselves as "High Arctic exiles" petitioned for Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper to apologize for the relocation.[6]
Career
editAmagoalik began his political career as the Baffin Regional Information Officer with the Northwest Territories territorial government from 1971 to 1974.[2] In 1974, Amagoalik was appointed executive director of Nunavut Land Claims Project to claim Inuit land.[7] The following year, he succeeded Tagak E.C. Curley as director of Land Claims for the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.[8]
Amagoalik served two terms as President of the Inuit Tapiriit of Canada before becoming a political adviser to the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut.[7] He was also a member of the Executive Council of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference from 1980 to 1983.[3]
After the ratification of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and Nunavut Act in 1993, Amagoalik led the land-claims settlement process with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.[9] From 1993 to 1999, Amagoalik served as chair of the Nunavut Implementation Commission, which was a 10-member body that designed Nunavut's public government.[10] He recommend Nunavut elect a "public government with democratically elected Legislative Assembly [which] will respect individual and collective rights as defined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."[11] He was given the nickname "Father of Nunavut" for his efforts in founding the Canadian territory of Nunavut.[12][13]
In 2014, Amagoalik was honoured with the Order of Nunavut.[14] He later received the Order of Canada for his “leadership in Canada’s North, notably for his integral role in the creation of Nunavut.”[15]
References
edit- ^ "Amagoalik, John | Inuit Literatures ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᓪᓚᒍᓯᖏᑦ Littératures inuites". inuit.uqam.ca. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
- ^ a b "John Amagoalik (November 26, 1947 - )". bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "John Amagoalik". smu.ca. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ "John Amagoalik". qtcommission.ca. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ Farnsworth, Clyde H. (April 10, 1992). "Iqaluit Journal; The Day the Eskimos Were Cast Into Darkness". New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ Byers, Michael (June 12, 2008). "Mr. Harper, apologize to the 'High Arctic exiles'". Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ a b Nuttall, Mark (September 23, 2005). Encyclopedia of the Arctic. Routledge. pp. 74–75. ISBN 9781136786808. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ "Amagoalik succeeds". Fairbanks Tundra Times. Alaska. October 22, 1975.
- ^ Kikkert, Peter (August 9, 2007). "Nunavut". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ Bell, Jim (December 30, 2019). "Five people with ties to Nunavut, Nunavik named to Order of Canada". nunatsiaq.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ Nunavut: Inuit Regain Control of Their Lands and Their Lives. IWGIA. 2000. ISBN 9788790730345. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ "ARCHIVED - Annual Report for 2004-2006 - The Implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement". rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ O'Neill, Katherine (April 1, 2009). "Nunavut's birthday sparks debate about future". Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ "John Amagoalik, 'Father of Nunavut,' honoured in Iqaluit". cbc.ca. October 29, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ^ Neary, Derek (December 27, 2019). "Amagoalik, Issaluk, Nicklen and Svoboda named to Order of Canada". nunavutnews.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
