Arviat’s David Aglukark Sr., a 2012 recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an assistant chief negotiator of the Nunavut Agreement, is being mourned.
Land claims organization Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated says Aglukark Sr. “championed Inuit rights since the 1970s.” He’s credited with being particularly instrumental in drafting the wildlife section of the Nunavut Agreement – Article 5.
“David was one of the strong negotiators for the Nunavut Agreement. His knowledge of the land and wildlife was a huge asset to negotiations and his working career,” stated James Eetoolook, NTI vice-president. “His priorities were based on working relationships and making sure that everybody was treated fairly and equally, and we really appreciated that.”
Aglukark Sr. was the Kivalliq Inuit Association’s first president in 1975, he was a member of Arviat’s hamlet council and served on the Nunavut Wildlife Board and the Inuit Heritage Trust.
“Mr. Aglukark was deeply devoted to his people and their land. Known as a strong family man, he raised seven children with his lifelong partner and devoted wife Dorothy,” Nunavut Tunngavik stated in a news release. “NTI joins Nunavummiut in mourning the loss of a leader whose life of service drew on his deep faith of Inuit, the land, the church and his family.”