NUNAVUT - Eleven people are vying for the presidency of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., a post left vacant following the dismissal of Paul Kaludjak. Nunavut News/North asked each candidate why they are running, what they are hoping to achieve and what they feel will be their biggest challenge once elected. Inuit beneficiaries will elect one of those candidates during the Dec. 13 byelection to fill the remainder of Kaludjak's term, set to expire in December 2012.

Natsiq Alainga-Kango

Natsiq Alainga-Kango, 54, is a former City of Iqaluit councillor and acted as secretary-treasurer of NTI from 1995 to 1997. The mother of five and grandmother to five also helped develop the Nunavut's midwifery and maternal care act, according to her profile on the city's website.

Alaigna-Kango said she won't make any promises in terms of what she wants to achieve.

"I would like to understand what was said at the NTI AGM this fall and review what was said and what plans are in place," she said. "In reviewing all that, then I would like to pursue on the role of the organization."

She said her biggest challenge would be "to have a good communication with other groups or other people because sometimes one person might understand one thing and another would understand it differently," she said.

Alainga-Kango has been a member of the Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Canada since August 2009.

Mikidjuk Akavak

Mikidjuk Akavak said he wants to bring accountability and transparency to NTI.

"We have to be accountable to the beneficiaries of Nunavut because literally, we have millions at stake," he said. "We have to start to engage and inform the beneficiaries in all communities, not just in the three regional centres. Many of the ordinary beneficiaries are saying that NTI is not visible enough in the communities. We need to start investing in all communities, all beneficiaries."

Akavak is a 44-year-old hunter and certified journeyman electrician on leave from his chief executive officer position at the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. He also served as mayor of Kimmirut from 1997 to 2000. Born in Iqaluit and raised in Kimmirut, the married father of four said more needs to be done to address poverty in the territory and the few employment opportunities available.

"We have to take a serious look at investing in Nunavut rather than investing in other areas of the world," he said. "This is Nunavut beneficiary money. We're talking about $1.14 billion. We have a lot at stake."

Assessing where NTI is currently at and determining how to improve things within the organization will be one if his biggest challenges, said Akavak. He added, in his view, the organization has focused too much on what government is doing.

"We cannot be wasting any of the Nunavut beneficiary money," he said. "We have to find ways to make better use for our money, possibly through public-private partnerships with government on infrastructure, on human development and engaging government in a more positive way."

Akavak also ran for the NTI presidency in 2008.

Terry Audla

Terry Audla, on leave from his job as the executive director for the Qikiqtani Inuit Assocation, said he's seeking NTI's top job because he cares.

"I really want to be in a position to be able to make decisions for the betterment of Inuit in Nunavut. I really want to work on the unity of Inuit in Nunavut," he said.

The 40-year-old said though building consensus will be challenging, he's been successful doing it in the past.

"Based on the three regions in Nunavut, each region is unique and have their own priorities and it's a matter of how I can get those regions to agree and to work together," he said.

Audla, a father of two who grew up in Resolute Bay, has worked as a correctional officer and with the Baffin Regional Inuit Association in the past.

His platform states he wants to be accountable and will ensure NTI and other Inuit organizations are accountable, transparent and professional. It adds Audla welcomes the full involvement of beneficiaries, wants to develop the economy while protecting the environment and work effectively with other organizations.

"(I hope) Inuit become more confident in their leader, that they trust their leader, and that Inuit have better opportunities so that they have choices in how they can feed their families and put food on the table," he said.

Helping Inuit understand the importance of education and the opportunities when it comes to contract and mining, for instance, are some of his other goals, he added.

Jerry Ell

Jerry Ell, the chairman of the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, said he feels NTI is going backwards and not representing the beneficiaries. So the 49-year-old decided to seek the organization's top job.

"I am hoping to provide sound corporate and financial management at NTI that can produce results by turning ideas and vision into real action and progress," he said.

Ell said he wants to establish a model of governance where everyone knows their roles and responsibilities and where everything is open, fair and honest. He would also push for financial accountability, for devolution and support the implementation of the suicide prevention strategy, according to his platform.

"I would push the federal government to address a lot of the issues that we're faced with here in the North, for example the housing crisis. I would definitely push the federal government to fund a major housing program all across Nunavut," he said.

He added he would also work with the territorial government to continue its poverty-reduction policy.

Ell is a father of six and a grandfather to nine. He holds a settlement maintenance certificate and is a former president of Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and Kakkivak Association.

He said he wants to internally review NTI, including its staffing levels, and reorganize it to fit back within the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

"It's a large organization in three communities. It's just the magnitude of the review initially that would make it a difficult task," he said.

Niko Inuarak

Niko Inuarak, a 27-year-old resident of Pond Inlet, said he is running for the NTI presidency to help the people of Nunavut.

"I know about Inuit culture and the modern-day living. I want to help Inuit," he said.

The married father of one, who worked several years as a recreation co-ordinator for the hamlet, said his first priority would be suicide prevention. He said he wants to come up with a model, for youth by youth, to prevent suicides but admitted that could be challenging.

"It's very difficult. There is really no answer to it," he said. "The subject is very hard to talk about. Everybody is affected in the North. I will fight this with all my might to lower the high rate of suicide in the North."

Other priorities include sending the communities without docks the necessary heavy equipment to build them as well as addressing the high cost of living, said Inuarak.

"They can make docks with no money. Just pay for the gas and the community can make docks themselves," he said. "The cost of living in the North is just too much. There are ways to help Inuit to lower the high cost of living in the North."

Inuarak graduated from Nunavut Arctic College four years ago with a diploma in management studies. As this is his first run for public office, he said few people in Nunavut know him, which could be a challenge.

Jesse Mike

Jesse Mike, on leave from her position in NTI's social development department, said she is seeking the presidency as the organization needs someone with passion and energy to make needed changes.

She said she hopes to work "with other agencies to make sure that programs are fitted and needs are being met in the communities. I know it's (advocacy) going to take a while but I think what I would want to do in the short period of time is get it started."

The 24-year-old formerly served on the board of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami as the Canadian youth representative and is a past-president of the Embrace Life Council. She also helped establish the Nunavut Stars Hockey Camp.

Born and raised in Iqaluit, Mike said she thinks she is capable of the job.

"Obviously, it's not an easy job but I think I'm able to do it. Changing an organization like that is obviously a big job so that will be a challenge but it will happen eventually," she said.

Patterk Netser

Patterk Netser, a former MLA and minister from Coral Harbour, said he's seeking NTI's highest position as he feels the organization has become disconnected from beneficiaries.

"People are crying out there and they need to know where we are financially. There has been a lack of leadership over there," he said. "People are very concerned over NTI and how they are conducting its affairs over the last few years. People want to know where NTI is actually at the moment."

He added people feel left out of the land claims agreement.

Born and raised in Coral Harbour, the 51-year-old was an MLA from 2003 to 2007 and the territorial minister of the department of the environment, the department of economic development and transportation as well as housing. The married father of six and grandfather to 11 said he wants to review NTI's finances.

"I would like to redo the finances of NTI and bring back credibility to the organization," he said. "There has also been, I feel, a total disconnect between NTI and the GN and also between the federal government. We need to work with these governments to make Nunavut work."

Netser has taken a leave of absence from his current position as constituency assistant for Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq.

Bringing the government and beneficiaries together will be his biggest challenge, said Netser.

"Anything can be done. We don't need to have a big team. We've just got to have a good group of people that really know where NTI stands," he said.

Joe Tigullaraq

Joe Tigullaraq said he feels he can help beneficiaries as he has nearly 40 years of experience working with the territorial government and Inuit organizations so he decided to run for NTI presidency. He added he hopes to increase the financial benefits to beneficiaries, especially elders, and work at improving the social well-being of the people of Nunavut.

"I want to ensure that NTI moneys or moneys provided to regional Inuit associations and NTI are spent with great care because there have been other land claim organizations in the Arctic who have depleted their land claims money," he said. "I want to make sure that Nunavut continues to have a trust fund to work with."

The 56-year-old married father of 11 was born and raised in Clyde River. He has worked as a coroner in the past and acted as the chief executive officer and chairman of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board but now works as a consultant.

He said he wants to "make sure Inuit are heard in terms of the use of the Northwest Passage."

He plans to tackle issues related to the opening of the Northwest Passage, including sovereignty, economic opportunities and social issues.

The Iqaluit resident said he is not afraid of putting in long hours at work as he enjoys being busy.

"Whatever the obstacles are, there is always a way of dealing with challenges," he said.

Cathy Towtongie

Cathy Towtongie, a former NTI president, said she hopes to develop a code of conduct for executives and review the conflict of interest and credit card policies.

"NTI needs immediate accountability and transparency and financial stability," she said. "Anyone running for NTI should have had a criminal record check and a credit card check."

She added the organization needs performance audits.

"The type of audits that we have seen are just audits where we see the figures but performance audits go deeper," she said.

Originally from Coral Harbour and now living in Rankin Inlet, Towtongie has been married for 33 years, has three children and four grandchildren. Last year she helped create headlines by encouraging former governor general Michaelle Jean to eat seal heart at a feast in Rankin Inlet.

She assumed NTI's presidency from 2003 to 2005 when then-president Paul Quassa was kicked out for unexplained charges on the NTI credit card. She is currently on a leave of absence from her government from her current position at the territorial government.

As the remaining presidential term is short, she said won't make election promises.

Andrew Qaunaq

Andrew Qaunaq, a conservation officer for close to 10 years, said he wants NTI to run properly.

"I want more involvement with government – territorial, national and international level," he said. "Even though the land claims does not really involve social issues, I want to pressure the governments that deal with people."

The 38-year-old was born in Iglulik but now lives in Hall Beach. He is in a common-law relationship and has two daughters.

"In the small communities, there is too much corruption," he said. "I want to help the communities to try and stop that and have more confidence in the system."

Joe Sageatook

Joe Sageatook, an electrician with Nunavut Power for more than 14 years, said he is seeking NTI's presidency to determine why the government's workforce is not representative of the Inuit population. He added 85 per cent of entry level government workers are Inuit, representative of the population, but the percentages drop at the senior management and executive levels.

"I want to see where our troubles are with implementing article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Is there no training available? Is there no money available for training of the beneficiaries?" he said. "The Nunavut government is not working hard enough to implement article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement."

The 35-year-old was born and raised in Iqaluit. He is a former union president and vice-president at the energy corporation and is currently the co-chair of the occupational health and safety committee.

"I believe we should be slowing down on development until Nunavut has the qualified workers to supply to the mining industry and oil and gas exploration," he said.

He said his biggest challenge once elected will be funding.

"Without any funding, training is going to be hard to achieve," he said.

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