Banner year for Inuit women in politics

With Eva Aariak set to be sworn in as Nunavut's second premier Wednesday, some in the territory are applauding a year that has seen two Inuit women assume prominent leadership roles at the territorialand federal level.

Aariak, a first-time MLA from Iqaluit East, was selected premier in Friday's Nunavut leadership forum, ending a nine-year tenure for Paul Okalik. Okalik will continue to sit in the Nunavut legislature, as the MLA for Iqaluit West.

Aariak, six cabinet members and the rest of Nunavut's third legislative assembly will be sworn into their positions Wednesday in the territorial capital.

Last month, another of Nunavut's prominent female politicians, Leona Aglukkaq, was sworn in as health minister at the federal level making her Canada's first Inuit senior cabinet minister.

Aglukkaq was Nunavut's territorial health minister before she was elected as the territory's member of Parliament in the Oct. 14 federal election.

"It's an exciting time, certainly another piece of history for all of us, all of Nunavummiut and beyond," Iqaluit resident Mary Wilman told CBC News.

"We're witnessing a great change."

Iqaluit Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik, the first Inuk woman to be the city's mayor, said women bring new attitudes to politics. Women are generally more open to listening and making compromises, she said.

"She's an amazing woman, very capable, and I think she's going to really help move the government ... forward," Sheutiapik said of Aariak.

Sheutiapik, who unsuccessfully ran against Okalik in Iqaluit West in the Oct. 27 Nunavut election, said Aariak's government will likely pay more attention to social issues.

"Housing was discussed a lot [and] suicide, but under that umbrella, there's violence, there's the mental health," she said. "If you don't have the very basics, how can you move forward?"

Sheutiapik said the third legislature seems to be very strong, and she is confident that Aariak and her cabinet will work hard and support each other.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), the territory's Inuit land-claim organization, says it's also looking forward to working with the new premier.

"When people are put into these posts, there's always opposition. It's good to have opposition, but you have to have support as well," NTI president Paul Kaludjak said.

"I encourage all of Inuit of Nunavut to support Premier Aariak in her new post and support the ministers and the government itself. ... They'll need that, and NTI is prepared to do that as well."