Peter Irniq

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Peter T. Irniq (born 1947, Lyon Inlet, Northwest Territories) is an Inuit Canadian and served as the second Commissioner of Nunavut from April of 2000 to April of 2005.

He is an Inuit cultural teacher and has lived most of his life in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, including Repulse Bay (Naujaat), Coral Harbour (Salliq), Baker Lake (Qamanit'tuaq), Chesterfield Inlet (Igluligaarjuk), Rankin Inlet (Kangiqiniq) and Iqaluit. He has also lived in the Western Arctic (Northwest Territories), Manitoba and Ontario.

Mr. Irniq was the Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commissioner of the N.W.T. in 1974-75. He was elected to the Territorial Council in 1975 and represented the riding of the Keewatin Region for four years. He was the first Inuk to be made Assistant Regional Director for the Department of the Executive in the former Keewatin Region (Kivalliq), 1979-81.

As Superintendent of Renewable Resources, the first Inuk to hold this position, he encouraged the hiring of Inuit into the department. In 1982, he was appointed the first Speaker of the Keewatin Council, a position he held until 1983. Elected President, Keewatin Inuit Association, Mr. Irniq served in this capacity for five years.

He was elected in 1987 N.W.T election for the riding of Aivilik, N.W.T. on a platform of encouraging Inuit to participate at higher levels in employment, education and business. A re-election bid in 1991 failed and in 1992 he was made Executive Director, Inuit Cultural Institute. In 1993, he became Director of Communications for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.

As a Member, Nunavut Implementation Commission, Mr. Irniq served on the Communication and Governmental Operations Committees and was a spokesperson for the Commission on Nunavut in Canada and overseas.

Mr. Irniq was Assistant Director, Nunavut, Heritage/Culture, Department of Education, Culture and Employment for the Government of N.W.T. where he was responsible for developing culture and heritage programs and services to meet the needs of the new territory of Nunavut, 1997-98. He became Deputy Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth, 1998-99. His mandate was to be the guardian of traditional Inuit culture and language.

In August 1999, Mr. Irniq was seconded to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut to set up the offices of the Official Languages, Access to Information and Conflict of Interest Commissioners.

In addition Irniq writes an Inuit perspective coloumn for the News/North.

In 2003, he was made a Commander of the Order of St. John. [1]

[edit] External links

• Government of Nunavut - Biography of Peter T. Irniq
• Peter Irniq's Coat of Arms as Commissioner of Nunavut

Preceded by: New District	MLA Keewatin Region 1975-1979	Succeeded by: District Abolished
Preceded by: Tagak Curley	MLA Aivilik 1987-1991	Succeeded by: James Arvaluk
Preceded by: Helen Maksagak	Commissioner of Nunavut 2000-2005	Succeeded by: Ann Meekitjuk Hanson