Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 22, 2019
• Invested on: April 01, 2024

John Amagoalik, O.C., O.Nu.
Iqaluit, Nunavut

Known as the Father of Nunavut, John Amagoalik has been committed to Canada’s North for decades. A survivor of the High Arctic Exiles, he has displayed unwavering determination to preserving and celebrating the Inuit way of life. He devoted himself to key leadership roles with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and in the ratification of the Nunavut Act, which initiated the creation of the territory. His vision of the north as a homeland and his ongoing promotion of language and culture continue to have a significant impact on safeguarding the rights of the next generation of Inuit.