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NUNAVUT - Premier Paul Okalik has written to Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission but has yet to receive a response.

"I wrote a letter to the prime minister asking why there is no Inuit representation on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission but I have not heard anything back from the prime minister," he said in the legislative assembly last week.

All three of Nunavut's federal candidates in the Oct. 14 election are also supporting the call for Inuit representation on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Recently, three southern residents were named as its commissioners, despite the appeals of Nunavummiut who attended residential schools that Inuk representation is key to facilitating the healing process.

During the past two weeks of their campaign, candidates were asked whether they would like to see the appointment of an Inuk commissioner and a name change for the commission as well.

"It's an issue that we backed as a party," said NDP candidate Paul Irngaut. "I don't know about changing the name, but definitely there should be an Inuk representative within that organisation or that program because it's not only Indians that went to residential schools. I went to one. So there definitely has to be at least one representative from Nunavut, an Inuk."

The Liberal candidate agreed.

"I think we need to have representation of someone from Nunavut, an Inuk," said candidate Kirt Ejesiak. "It's very important, not only because this is a very sad part of our history. They need to ensure that the Inuit perspective is heard and that's one of the key issues I'll be campaigning for."

As a Nunavummiuq who went to residential school, Conservative candidate Leona Aglukkaq said the federal government's attention to the issue is the first step towards reconciliation.

"First of all, I think it was quite historic for the government of Canada to acknowledge and apologize to the residential school students across the North," she said. "I've been talking to individuals that have lobbied to have an Inuk person present. I'm bringing forward that issue to the Conservative Party members."