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NUNAVUT - If there are youth who doubt their worth in this world, RCMP Cpl. Yvonne Niego has something to say to them.

"Anybody can do this. You can join the RCMP; you can have a family; you can go places. It will take you anywhere you want to go."

Cpl. Yvonne Niego, right, was promoted to the rank at a ceremony in the Iqaluit Visitors Centre. Chief Supt. Marty Cheliak, commanding officer of V Division, left, presented her with her chevrons. - Carolyn Sloan/NNSL photo

Niego reached out to the younger generation as she accepted her chevrons from Chief Supt. Marty Cheliak, commanding officer of the RCMP's V Division in Nunavut.

On Nov. 14, Niego, a former constable from Baker Lake, became a corporal and the first Inuk woman to be promoted in the RCMP.

"My message was all to the youth and how they can do this," said Niego after the ceremony. "I know my language and my culture. My knowledge of how things go in the North has really helped people and the RCMP just gives me that opportunity to help everybody across Nunavut. And I think a lot of youth, that's what they have in their hearts - just wanting to help and be there for other people."

Niego held back tears as she spoke to the crowd at the Unikkaarvik Visitors Centre in Iqaluit and afterwards in responding to questions from the media.

"I'm very honoured," she said. "I do this for my community of Baker Lake and it's too bad I couldn't get there today."

The presentation, which was scheduled to take place at the high school gym in Baker Lake, was moved to Iqaluit due to travel complications.

Despite the change of plans, a group of Niego's supporters were there to see her receive the honour.

"She's helpful, caring, considerate of others, hard working," said Cindy Kudloo, who has known Niego since childhood. "She definitely deserves this."

Cheliak, who has promoted two Inuk officers this year, was also full of praise.

"Yvonne may be working in Ottawa and has been there for a few years, but she still stays very engaged in Nunavut matters and matters in V Division," he said, adding Niego has helped facilitate aboriginal training programs and the Inuit Perceptions Training Program.

"She has been advisor to me over the last two and a half years," he said. "We have worked very closely together on a number of projects."

Niego gained her first work experience through the RCMP's summer student program in 1990.

"After I tried university down south I had a hard time with that, so when I was looking for a summer job, the RCMP offered a student summer job and from there I grew to love the force," she said.

Niego's appreciation of the force, however, began at a young age.

"My father, he would always be involved with the detachment," she said. "He would bring me down from when I was very, very young to the office and the members that worked in Baker Lake, I always saw them so honourable and proud and they had all the right values and they were very welcoming."

After the summer job, Niego joined the Aboriginal Constable Development Program and was sworn into the RCMP in July 1991.

In 1993, Niego became the first Inuk woman to complete the regular six-month training program in Regina at the RCMP Depot Training Academy. She has been posted to Baker Lake and Iqaluit, and was also stationed in communities throughout the Northwest Territories.

In addition to raising a family, she has worked at the municipal and territorial government levels and as a substitute teacher, community recreation co-ordinator and assistant senior administration officer.

In 2005, she was transferred to the national RCMP headquarters in Ottawa were she worked with the National Aboriginal Policing Service. She was transferred to the National Security Criminal Investigations Threat Assessment Unit in 2008 and has now moved into her new office at the Canadian Police Information Centre at headquarters in Ottawa.

"Mainly (I love) bridging the Inuit culture with the RCMP," said Niego, describing her passion for the force. "The RCMP values are honesty, integrity, professionalism, compassion, accountability and respect. And I always explain to people outside of Nunavut that aren't familiar with the culture that Inuit values go almost two levels deeper in explaining what the values are, and they are consensus-building, decision making through consensus and also absolute respect and care for the environment."