Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, July 10, 2008

Iqaluit The next time you meet RCMP officer Jimmy Akavak on the street, be sure to call him sergeant.

The local resident was recently promoted to the new rank from corporal, making him the first Inuk to reach the rank of sergeant in RCMP history.

Akavak traded in his marrulik (two stripes) for pingasulik (three stripes) at a ceremony held June 17 at the Unikkaarvik Visitors Centre.

"Those were the old Inuit terms, not knowing the name of the official terms," he said.

The promotion was a surprise to the former Kimmirut resident, who said he had been asked to attend a ceremony to help with translation.

"They lured me there," he said with a laugh. "Until I arrived in the building and my wife and family showed up, then I knew something was up."

Akavak had successfully passed an exam over the winter which made him eligible for a promotion.

"He's done a lot of really good work in this territory," said Chief Supt. Marty Cheliak. "Since I have been here, Jimmy has been involved with five negotiations in armed standoffs and barricades. He is able to create links because he speaks Inuktitut, knows the culture, knows the people. I have no doubt his involvement has saved lives."

Akavak has also worked to establish a number of programs including anti-bullying in schools, elder advisors and School Action For Emergency (SAFE).

"For the most part I love working with people, and genuinely most people are good. Sometimes people just make bad choices," said Akavak, who has been working for the RCMP for more than two decades now.

"It'll be 24 years now in October, but it seems like yesterday," he said.

In his final year of high school, the class received a number of visitors from government departments and other employers. The RCMP was one of them.

"I applied in March and I was sworn in by October that year," he said. "I knew it was a career, not an easy one, because my father was a special constable and I knew a lot of the specials working with him. It was more to help people, as it's a very public job where you help people all the time."

The history goes back further than his father, Sandy. His grandfather James was a special constable as well.

"Jimmy's not an elder yet; I still use his dad for that kind of advice," Cheliak said.

Akavak, who has three daughters with his wife, Mary, said he hopes more young people will apply to the RCMP in Nunavut.

"At least check it out. We want more Inuit officers in Nunavut to enhance the delivery of services. It's good now, but we can make it better," he said.