Edna Agnes Ekhivalak Elias, C.M., O.Nu.
Qurluqtuq, Nunavut
Edna Elias is dedicated to preserving Inuit language and culture. A respected politician, educator and linguist, she served as commissioner of Nunavut and was the director of the Language Bureau for the Government of the Northwest Territories, where she helped to implement standardized writing systems in Inuktitut. She founded the Edmonton Inuit Cultural Society and is a director and founding board member of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Project. She recently co-produced a compelling documentary film about her family’s history in Qurluqtuq and Sweden.