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About the Assembly

Premier Eva Aariak’s vision of re-inspiring Nunavummiut, listening to the communities, and developing a strong government led her to become Nunavut’s second territorial leader. She was sworn into office on November 19, 2008. 

In her distinguished career, Ms. Aariak has extensively promoted the majority language of Nunavut, Inuktitut. For six years, she served as Nunavut’s Languages Commissioner, the body which monitors the Government of Nunavut’s use of the Inuit language, French and English. Ms. Aariak reviewed Nunavut’s progress in making Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun working languages of the Government and made recommendations to legislative standing committees on the Official Language Bill and Inuit Language Protection Bill. She has also: assisted in the translation of the Microsoft interface into syllabics; produced Inuktitut children’s books for use by schools in the Eastern Arctic; and instructed senior level government employees enrolled in intensive Inuktitut training.  

Ms. Aariak also brings experience in communications, human resources, entrepreneurship, education and public governance to her office. She worked in public affairs with the Office of the Interim Commissioner of Nunavut, the organization which was tasked with implementing the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and establishing a public government. Ms. Aariak was a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and human resource specialist with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Among others, she sat as Councilor on the Arctic Bay Education Council, the Iqaluit Education Council and the Pond Inlet Hamlet Council. 

Prior to being elected to the Legislative Assembly, Ms. Aariak was the owner and operator of a successful small business and Chair of the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

Originally from Arctic Bay, Eva Qamaniq Aariak resides in Iqaluit. She is the mother of four children, Karliin, Jordan, Shawn and Jari, and proud grandmother of two, Tasiana and Joyce.