This is a list of notable people who are from Nunavut, Canada, or have spent a large part or formative part of their life in that territory.

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Eva Aariak Eva Qamaniq Aariak ( iu, ᐄᕙ ᐋᕆᐊᒃ, ; born January 10, 1955) is a Canadian Inuk politician, who was elected in the 2008 territorial election to represent the electoral district of Iqaluit East in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut ...

, former Premier of Nunavut *

Susan Aglukark Susan Aglukark, (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓲᓴᓐ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ ''suusan agluukkaq''), (born 27 January 1967) is a Canadian singer whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording s ...

, singer-songwriter *

Leona Aglukkaq Leona Aglukkaq (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓕᐅᓇ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ; born June 28, 1967) is a Canadian politician. She was a member of the non-partisan Legislative Assembly of Nunavut representing the riding of Nattilik from 2004 until stepping ...

, MP, Minister of the Environment for Canada, territorial MLA and minister * Olayuk Akesuk, territorial politician * Atuat Akkitirq, filmmaker, actress, and costume designer * David Alagalak, territorial politician *

Ovide Alakannuark Ovide Alakannuark (December 25, 1938 – October 7, 2019) was a Canadian territorial level politician from Pelly Bay, Northwest Territories (now Kugaaruk, Nunavut). He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut from 1999 until 20 ...

, territorial politician * Madeleine Allakariallak, musician and television journalist * Siku Allooloo, writer, artist, and educator * Titus Allooloo, territorial politician * Elizabeth Kugmucheak Alooq, artist * Simeonie Amagoalik, carver *

Jack Anawak Jack Iyerak Anawak (born September 26, 1950) is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1997. He sat in the house as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. Foll ...

, former MP and territorial politician * Michael Angottitauruq, territorial politician * Elizabeth Angrnaqquaq, textile artist * Luke Anguhadluq, artist * Stephen Angulalik, fur trader and trading post operator *

Moses Appaqaq Moses Appaqaq Jr. (born April 2, 1946) is a soapstone carver, former retail clerk, and former territorial-level politician from Sanikiluaq, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut). Appaqaq ran for a seat in the 1979 Northwest Territories general e ...

, territorial politician * Goo Arlooktoo, territorial politician * Joe Arlooktoo, territorial politician and artist *

Germaine Arnaktauyok Germaine Arnaktauyok (born in Maniitsoq, Greenland in 1946) is an Inuk printmaker, painter, and drawer originating from the Igloolik area of Nunavut, then the Northwest Territories. Arnaktauyok drew at an early age with any source of paper sh ...

, artist *

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (born May 9, 1978) is an Inuk filmmaker, known for her work on Inuit life and culture. She is the owner of Unikkaat Studios, a production company in Iqaluit, which produces Inuktitut films. She was awarded the Canadian ...

, filmmaker and activist * Silas Arngna'naaq, territorial politician * James Arreak, territorial politician * James Arvaluk, territorial politician * Karoo Ashevak, sculptor *

Kenojuak Ashevak Kenojuak Ashevak, (Inuktitut: ᕿᓐᓄᐊᔪᐊᖅ ᐋᓯᕙᒃ, Qinnuajuaq Aasivak), (October 3, 1927 – January 8, 2013) is celebrated as a leading figure of modern Inuit art. Early life and family Kenojuak Ashevak was born in an igloo ...

, artist * Kiugak Ashoona, artist *

Pitseolak Ashoona Pitseolak Ashoona ( – May 28, 1983;) was an Inuk Canadian artist admired for her prolific body of work. She was also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Biography Pitseolak was born to Timungiak and Oootochie on Nottingham Island ...

, artist *

Moses Aupaluktuq Moses Aupaluktuq is a territorial politician from Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut from 2008 to 2013. Political career Aupaluktuq ran for a seat to the Nunavut Legislature as a candidat ...

, territorial politician * Elizabeth Nutaraluk Aulatjut, artist * Susan Avingaq, film director, producer, screenwriter, and actress

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* Levi Barnabas, territorial politician * Ernie Bernhardt, territorial politician *

Levinia Brown Levinia Nuqaalaq Brown (born in 1947 at Dawson Inlet, south of Whale Cove, Nunavut) is a Canadian politician who served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the electoral district of Rankin Inlet South/Whale Cove in the Legislat ...

, territorial politician

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Charlie Crow Charlie Crow (born: Richmond Gulf, Quebec) is a former disc jockey and Member of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1991. Early life Crow became the first disc jockey for community radio station CKSN-FM when it opened i ...

, territorial politician and DJ *

Tagak Curley Tagak Curley (born 1944) is an Inuit leader, politician and businessman from Nunavut. As a prominent figure in the negotiations that led to the creation of Nunavut, Tagak is considered a living father of confederation in Canada. He was born i ...

, territorial politician

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Edna Elias Edna Agnes Ekhivalak Elias (born c. 1955) is a Canadian politician from Kugluktuk, Nunavut. On 12 May 2010 she was appointed as the fourth commissioner of Nunavut by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Her term ended on 11 May 2015. Elias, who was i ...

, Commissioner of Nunavut * Ron Elliott (politician), territorial politician * Tommy Enuaraq, territorial politician * Elijah Erkloo, territorial politician * Lucassie Etungat, artist * Mark Evaloarjuk, territorial politician * Joe Allen Evyagotailak, territorial politician

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Kelly Fraser Kelly Fraser (August 8, 1993 – December 24, 2019) was a Canadian Inuk pop singer and songwriter, whose second album, ''Sedna'', received a Juno Award nomination for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2018. Life and car ...

, singer

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* Ann Meekitjuk Hanson, former Commissioner of Nunavut * Kenn Harper, historian, teacher, development officer, linguist, and businessman * Donald Havioyak, territorial politician

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Lucie Idlout Lucie Idlout (born Tatanniq Lucie d'Argencourt, 1972/1973) is a Canadian singer/songwriter from Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is the daughter of Leah Idlout-Paulson and granddaughter of Joseph Idlout. After the release of several EPs, Idlout's first full ...

, rock singer * Osuitok Ipeelee, sculptor *

Alootook Ipellie Alootook Ipellie (Nuvuqquq, Northwest Territories, 1951 – Ottawa, September 8, 2007) was an Inuk graphic artist, political and satirical cartoonist, writer, photographer, and Inuktitut translator. Early life and education Ipellie was born ...

, illustrator and writer * David Iqaqrialu, territorial politician * Peter Irniq, former Commissioner and territorial politician * Enoki Irqittuq, territorial politician * Peter Ittinuar, former MP

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* Kingwatsiak Jaw, sculptor

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* Nancy Karetak-Lindell, former MP *

Peter Kattuk Peter Kattuk (2 June 1950 – 20 November 2019) was a Canadian politician from Nunavut. Early life He was born in the Belcher Islands, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut) and lived in Sanikiluaq. Career He was the Member of the Legislative ...

, territorial politician * Davidee Kavik, artist *

Simeonie Keenainak Simeonie Keenainak is an Inuit accordionist and retired RCMP officer from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada. He is also a photographer, teacher and hunter.Kikkik,

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

woman charged and acquitted of causing the death of one of her children in starvation times * Ipeelee Kilabuk, territorial politician * Peter Kilabuk, territorial politician * Iyola Kingwatsiak, artist * Kiviaq (David Ward), lawyer, politician, and former sportsman * Adamee Komoartok, territorial politician * Peter Kritaqliluk, Inuit activist *

Zacharias Kunuk Zacharias Kunuk ( iu, ᓴᖅᑲᓕᐊᓯ ᑯᓄᒃ, born November 27, 1957) is a Canadian Inuk producer and director most notable for his film '' Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner'', the first Canadian dramatic feature film produced entirely in Inu ...

, producer and director *

Jose Kusugak Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya * Jose the Galilea ...

, territorial politician, husband of Nellie Kusugak * Lorne Kusugak, territorial politician * Michael Kusugak, children's writer and storyteller *

Nellie Kusugak Nellie Taptaqut Kusugak (born 1955) is a Canadian educator who served as the fifth commissioner of Nunavut from June 2015 to June 2020. Early life Kusugak is from Rankin Inlet. Kusugak received a BEd in 1996 through the Nunavut Teachers Educa ...

, Deputy Commissioner of Nunavut and former acting Commissioner; wife of Jose Kusugak

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Bill Lyall William Lyall (born 1941 in Fort Ross - 28 December 2021), known as Bill Lyall, of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada, was a territorial politician. Lyall was elected to the 8th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly in the 1975 election. Lyal ...

, territorial politician and president of the Arctic Cooperative

M

Helen Maksagak Helen Mamayaok Maksagak, (April 15, 1931 – January 23, 2009) was a Canadian politician. She served as the commissioner of the Northwest Territories from January 16, 1995 until March 26, 1999 and as the first commissioner of Nunavut from Apr ...

, former Commissioner of both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut * Enook Manomie, artist *

Kavavaow Mannomee Kavavaow Mannomee (also known as Qavavau Manumie) (born September 21, 1958) is an Inuit printmaker who lived and worked in Nunavut. Early life He was born in Brandon, Manitoba, when his mother was hospitalized there for tuberculosis. However, th ...

, artist *

Steve Mapsalak Steve Mapsalak (born March 17, 1957) is a Canadian politician, who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. He first won the Akulliq seat in the 2004 Nunavut election. According to preliminar ...

, territorial politician *

Glenn McLean Glenn McLean is a former territorial level politician in Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut from 1999 until 2004. McLean ran for a seat in the 1999 Nunavut general election. He won the Baker Lake electoral d ...

, territorial politician *

Matty McNair Matty L McNair (born in Pennsylvania, United States) is an American explorer. She now lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada on Baffin Island, where she runs her company NorthWinds. Among her many accomplishmentsRebecca Mike, territorial politician * Kellypalik Mungitok, artist

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* Nakasuk, founder of Iqaluit * Patterk Netser, territorial politician * Kelvin Ng, territorial politician *

John Ningark John Ningark (17 March 1944 – 17 November 2016) was a territorial level politician in Nunavut Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. Political history Ningark, wh ...

, territorial politician * Johnny Ningeongan, territorial politician *

William Noah William Noah (born 1944, Back River, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut)) is a former territorial level politician and artist. He served as a member of the Northwest Territories Legislature from 1979 until 1982. Noah was first elected to the ...

, territorial politician and artist * Jobie Nutarak, territorial politician

O

* Kevin O'Brien, territorial politician *

Paul Okalik Paul Okalik ( iu, ᐹᓪ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ, ; born May 26, 1964) is a Canadian politician. He is the first Inuk to have been called to the Nunavut Bar. He was also the first premier of Nunavut. On November 4, 2010, he was elected Speaker of the Leg ...

, former premier *

Abe Okpik Abraham "Abe" Okpik, CM (12 January 1928 – 10 July 1997) was an Inuit community leader in Canada. He was instrumental in helping Inuit obtain surnames rather than disc numbers as a form of government identification. He was also the firs ...

, first Inuk to sit on the Northwest Territories Council * Jessie Oonark, artist * Elisapee Ootoova, elder and knowledge-keeper * Stephen Osborne, writer and editor

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* Charlie Panigoniak, singer-songwriter and guitarist * Pauloosie Paniloo, territorial politician * Dennis Patterson, territorial politician *

Enuk Pauloosie Enuk Pauloosie is an Inuk Canadian, a former politician who was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Nattilik in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut in the 2008 territorial election. His, now defunct, ...

, territorial politician *

Lena Pedersen Lena (Elizabeth Magdalena) Pedersen or Lena Pederson (born 1940, Greenland) is a politician and social worker from Nunavut, Canada. In 1959, she moved from Greenland to the Northwest Territories and lived in Coppermine (Kugluktuk), Pangnirtung an ...

, territorial politician * Red Pedersen, territorial politician * Sheouak Petaulassie, artist * Keith Peterson, territorial politician *

Ed Picco Edward "Ed" Walter Picco (born September 21, 1961) is a Canadian politician first elected in the 1995 Northwest Territories election. He was re-elected in the 1999 Nunavut election and in the 2004 Nunavut election. Picco is one of the few C ...

, territorial politician * Looty Pijamini, Inuit artist *

Peter Pitseolak Peter Pitseolak (1902–1973) was an Inuk photographer, sculptor, artist and historian. Pitseolak was Baffin Island's first indigenous photographer. Life Pitseolak was born September 2, 1902 on Nottingham Island, Northwest Territories. He lived ...

, photographer, artist and historian *

Annabella Piugattuk Annabella Piugattuk (born December 19, 1982) is a Canadian Inuit actress, notable for her role in the 2003 film ''The Snow Walker''. Early life Annabella Piugattuk was born December 19, 1982, in Frobisher Bay, Northwest Territories (what is now ...

, actress *

Annie Pootoogook Annie Pootoogook (May 11, 1969 – September 19, 2016) was a Canadian Inuk artist known for her pen and coloured pencil drawings. In her art, Pootoogook often portrayed the experiences of those in her community of Kinngait (then known in English ...

, artist *

Sharni Pootoogook Sharni Pootoogook (also spelled Sharnie, Sharnee, or Sarni) (1922–2003) was an Inuit printmaker from Kinngait, Cape Dorset, Nunavut. Early life She was born in Cape Dorset (Kinngait) in 1922. Her brother was sculptor Pauta Saila. Career Sh ...

, printmaker *

Kenoayoak Pudlat Kenoayoak Pudlat is a former territorial level politician from Lake Harbour, Northwest Territories, now Kimmirut, Nunavut Pudlat was elected to the Baffin South electoral district in the 1991 Northwest Territories general election. He defeated ...

, territorial politician *

Pudlo Pudlat Pudlo Pudlat (Pudlo), (February 4, 1916 - December 28, 1992) was a Canadian Inuit artist whose preferred medium was a combination of acrylic wash and coloured pencils. His works are in the collections of most Canadian museums. At his death in 1992, ...

, artist *

Ludy Pudluk Ludy Pudluk (January 31, 1943 – July 1, 2019) was a Canadian territorial level politician and cabinet minister. A climate change activist, he resided in Resolute, Nunavut. Life Pudluk was born on January 31, 1943, Qaumarjuiton in Navy Board ...

, territorial politician *

Uriash Puqiqnak Uriash Puqiqnak, CM (born April 15, 1946) is an experienced soapstone carver and former territorial and municipal level politician in Canada. He served as Mayor of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut and was a member of the Nunavut Legislature from 1999 until ...

, territorial politician and carver

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* Andrew Qappik, graphic artist * Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, politician

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Allan Rumbolt Allan Rumbolt is a Canadian politician, who was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Hudson Bay in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut in the 2008 territorial election. He was re-elected in 2013 and 20 ...

, territorial politician

S

* Kakulu Saggiaktok, artist * Eliyakota Samualie, artist * Fred Schell, territorial politician *

Elisapee Sheutiapik Elisapee Sheutiapik is a Canadian politician, who served as mayor of Iqaluit, Nunavut, from 2003 to 2010, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut in the 2017 general election. Mayoralty She won the mayoral election in 2003, def ...

, mayor of Iqaluit * Daniel Shewchuk, territorial politician *

David Simailak David Simailak (born c. 1952) is a Canadian politician. He was the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the electoral district of Baker Lake having won the seat in the 2004 Nunavut election. Simailak was the Minister of Finance and the ...

, territorial politician * Thomas Suluk, former MP

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Tanya Tagaq Tanya may refer to: * Tanya (Judaism),an early work of Hasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. * Tanya (name), a given name and list of people with the name * Tanya or Lara Saint Paul (born 1946) * List of Mortal Kombat characters#T ...

, singer, songwriter and artist * Louis Tapardjuk, territorial politician *

Peter Taptuna Peter Taptuna (born ) is a Canadian politician who served as the third premier of Nunavut from 2013 to 2017. He was first elected in the general election held on October 27, 2008, to represent Nunavut’s most western riding of Kugluktuk, in the ...

, territorial politician * Nalenik Temela, sculptor * Manitok Thompson, territorial politician * Irene Avaalaaqiaq Tiktaalaaq, artist * John Todd, territorial politician *

Kane Tologanak Kane Tologanak (born: ?) is a Copper Inuit and former Member of the Northwest Territories Legislature from 1979 to 1983. Tologanak was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature in the 1979 Northwest Territories general election. He ...

, territorial politician * Simon Tookoome, artist * Hunter Tootoo, territorial politician * Jordin Tootoo, hockey player * Akesuk Tudlik, artist

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* Natar Ungalaaq, actor, filmmaker, and sculptor

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Sheila Watt-Cloutier Sheila Watt-Cloutier (born 2 December 1953) is a Canadian Inuk activist. She has been a political representative for Inuit at the regional, national and international levels, most recently as International Chair for the Inuit Circumpolar Counc ...

, activist and former chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council *

Rebekah Williams Rebekah Uqi Williams (born March 3, 1950) is a Canadian politician who served as the acting commissioner of Nunavut from June 22, 2020, when Nellie Kusugak's term ended, until January 14, 2021, when Eva Aariak took office. She has been the Deput ...

, territorial politician * Gordon Wray, territorial politician {{Canada topic, List of people from *