On Friday, January 17, four Nunavummiut were appointed to the Order of Canada. It's the country's highest honour for lifetime achievement.

Zacharias Kunuk of Igloolik was made an officer of the Order of Canada. A man of great vision and creativity, he is the director of Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner), the first Canadian dramatic feature film produced completely in Inuktitut. It has enjoyed international success and is the winner of several awards. He is also the producer of several video documentaries that capture the stories of his Elders. In addition, he is the co-founding president of Igloolik Isuma Productions, Canada’s first independent Inuit production company. Through his leadership and unique form of storytelling, he is helping to preserve his people’s culture and traditions and to bring our northern communities to the rest of the world.

Former Nunavut and Northwest Territories commissioner Helen Maksagak was made a member of the Order of Canada. Maksagak lives in Cambridge Bay. She has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to residents of Canada’s North. She served as the first woman and the first Inuk commissioner of the Northwest Territories and was appointed the first commissioner of the newly created Territory of Nunavut. This respected Elder has also been dedicated to helping members of her community, notably as a director with the Drug and Alcohol Board and as a member of the NWT Round Table on the Environment. She is widely respected throughout the North for offering support and guidance to those who choose to live in the traditional lifestyle of their ancestors.

Elisapie Ootova of Pond Inlet was also named a member of the Order of Canada. She is a source of knowledge and support for a people in transition. For over 30 years, this Inuit Elder has been committed to helping the community of Pond Inlet adapt to changes to their traditional society. She has an extensive record of voluntary service in areas such as education, health care, counselling and restorative justice where her leadership and encouragement have been of great benefit. Also highly regarded as a language specialist, she is the co-author of an encyclopaedia of Inuit traditional knowledge and an Inuktitut dictionary. She is a role model for all those seeking to preserve and reinforce Inuit heritage and culture within a modern society.