Louis Tapardjuk, Nunavut legislator and language-keeper, dead at 73
Louis Tapardjuk, a former territorial cabinet minister and mayor of Igloolik, has died.
Tapardjuk most recently served as chair of Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtii, Nunavut’s Inuit language authority.
“Louis Tapardjuk was a respected and influential leader whose work had a lasting impact on Inuit across Nunavut,” said Olayuk Akesuk, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA), in a statement Wednesday. “He was deeply committed to his community, culture, and language, and his legacy will continue to guide future generations.”
Tapardjuk was the MLA for Amittuq, representing Igloolik and Sanirajak, from 2004 to 2013. While in the Legislative Assembly, he held several cabinet portfolios, including Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, finance, human resources and education.
He was considered an authority on the Inuit language and spoke Inuktitut exclusively in the Legislative Assembly.
In 2009, then-premier Eva Aariak stripped Tapardjuk of the justice portfolio after he made remarks in an email discussing Inuit traditional knowledge and the justice system, stating that in domestic disputes the man is usually charged, even though the woman may have started the conflict.
He apologized and retracted the remarks soon after.
‘He had such a tremendous impact’
Tapardjuk was also a mayor and councillor in Igloolik and president of the Baffin Regional Inuit Association, the forerunner of QIA. Tapardjuk also played a role in negotiation the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement as a board member of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, the precursor to Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
“He had such a tremendous impact on Nunavut,” said Lori Idlout, the territory’s MP. “I remember growing up in Igloolik and he was always supporting elders and making sure that elders’ knowledge was being collected. And I remember him just caring so much about making sure that we don’t lose our culture.”
Tapardjuk was born in an igloo near Aggu Bay northwest of Igloolik in 1953 before moving to Igloolik with his family. He attended the Chesterfield Inlet Residential School starting in 1959.
At age 12 he started working at the Igloolik Co-op, eventually becoming store manager and getting elected to the board of directors before later serving as president of Arctic Co-operatives Ltd.
He was 73.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Heritage centres, language authority among initiatives to fortify Inuktitut in Nunavik, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Everyone encouraged to boost Sami language visibility in Finland, Norway and Sweden this week, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Indigenous and minority language names for Norway now have official status, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: German project to house everything published in Siberian and Arctic languages to seek new funding, Eye on the Arctic
Sweden: A historic Swedish church embraces inclusion with minority languages, The Associated Press
United States: Inuit leaders applaud UN move to designate International Decade of Indigenous Languages, Eye on the Arctic
