Pita Aatami was officially sworn in as the new President of Makivvik on February 23, 2021, by Nunavik Governor Minnie Etidloie. The event was held during Makivvik’s board meeting in Kuujjuaq, the first face to face meeting of the board since the pandemic required a move to virtual gatherings in 2020. Photo by William Tagoona
In a decisive vote held on February 4, 2021, Pita Aatami has been elected President of Makivvik for a three-year term. He earned 66.7 per cent of the votes, more than incumbent Charlie Watt Sr., and newcomer candidate Noah Cain. Aatami previously served as Makivvik President between 1998 and 2012 and has held the position of treasurer and board member for Kuujjuaq within the corporation.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be welcomed back to Makivvik as President. Though I haven’t stopped serving my fellow Nunavimmiut in my years away from Makivvik, I look forward to representing my region again in this capacity,” Aatami said after his win. “It’s a time for unity, a time for all our organizations to work together for the betterment of Nunavimmiut. Being voted in as president shows me that my fellow Nunavimmiut feel the same way. It was a hard-fought campaign. My fellow candidates were our historic leader and elder Charlie Watt Sr., and newcomer Noah Cain. A vigorous public discussion of our issues is healthy for our Inuit democracy as we seek to create our new government.”
Aatami, 60, has held the role of President and CEO of one of Makivvik’s major subsidiaries, Air Inuit, for the last eight years. He made the decision to resign in order to run for the Makivvik presidential position. Aatami was awarded the Order of Canada in early 2020 for his contributions to the economic, social and political development of Nunavik. He also was given the Ordre national du Québec in 2009.
This year’s election saw a voter turnout of 3,532 ballots, a representation of 40.95 per cent of Nunavik’s eligible voters. For a full break down of this year’s results visit our website at www.makivik.org/results.
