ARVIAT - Arviat's Nancy Karetak-Lindell has been named to direct a new and innovative project which will give Northerners more of a say in shaping policies governing the Canadian Arctic.

Arviat's Nancy Karetak-Lindell has been named director of a new program which aims to give young adult Northerners more of a say in shaping policies that affect the Canadian Arctic.

Karetak-Lindell's appointment as director of the Arctic Voices Fellowships was announced this past week by Thomas S. Axworthy, president and CEO of the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation which created the project.

The fellowships will provide financial, educational, mentoring, and networking support to challenge and encourage Northern Canadians, aged 25-35, to become engaged in shaping public policy.

The program provides funding for 12 Northern participants to research and develop public policy ideas.

Candidates will be selected from Nunavut, Labrador, Northern Quebec, the NWT and the Yukon.

Each person chosen will be awarded $25,000 over two years to help them engage in projects, and learn how to develop policies that reflect their knowledge of Northern culture and values.

The search for candidates will begin in the spring of 2010.

Karetak-Lindell said many people often refer to young adults as our future, but they're rarely given room to experience leadership roles.

She said this program will give them an opportunity to challenge themselves and gain experience to become effective decision-makers and community builders.

"I'm excited about this program because I've been looking for a way to encourage more young aboriginal people to become more interested in the process of governance in our Northern areas," said Karetak-Lindell.

"There's more opportunities for young people just graduating high school.

"But this age group has families, homes and other responsibilities, so they feel they don't have the opportunity to pursue areas of interest.

"With this money, people aged 25-35 will be able to use it to conduct their research even while they're working at a full-time job."

Karetak-Lindell will spend the first six of her 30-month contract setting up the program, its networking capabilities and her office.

She will also spend time recruiting people, and helping to develop the final application process and the type of proposals the project will look for.

Karetak-Lindell said after the 12 are selected, she'll spend two years guiding and mentoring them, as well as overseeing their research.

She said final details have yet to be worked out, but successful applicants could work with Inuit organizations, governments or institutions.

"I'm looking forward to meeting with my new bosses and narrowing down exactly what we're looking for in this fellowship program.

"We're looking for aboriginal Northern students for this and the research will, obviously, have to be Arctic or Northern themed."

Karetak-Lindell said while Northerners have been researched to death, they rarely get the chance to do the research themselves.

She said this is a chance for those selected to actively research how they would adapt or change existing policy -- or create whole new policy -- and know their ideas will be taken seriously.

"People are not stupid and, if they know they're token advisers, they're just going to go through the motions and often say things they just think the person wants to hear. "But if someone is serious about their ideas, they will become comfortable participating and give it their best effort."