Natan Obed
Obed in 2016
Preceded byTerry Audla
15th President of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Assumed office
September 2015
Personal details
Born1975 or 1976 (age 47–48)[1]
Fredericton, New Brunswick[2]
Alma materTufts University

Natan Obed is a Canadian politician who has served as president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) since September 2015.

Early life

Although born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Obed considers Nain, Nunatsiavut, where he was raised, as his hometown.[2] He moved to Maine as a teenager with his mother after his parents separated.[3][4]

Obed stayed in the United States for college when he received a scholarship to Tufts University in Boston. He graduated with an English and American Studies degree.[1]

After graduation, he returned to Canada and worked for the Labrador Inuit Association and was Director of Social and Cultural Development for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the organization that represents the rights of Nunavut Inuit.[5]

Political career

In 2008, Obed was a candidate in Nunatsiavut's first presidential election.[6] He was defeated by Jim Lyall.

On September 17, 2015, Obed was elected president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national organization that represents Inuit across Canada.[7] Obed regularly speaks out about issues affecting the Arctic and Inuit community, such as the colonial harm of the Edmonton Eskimos football team's moniker,[8] the poor press coverage of the Prime Minister's apology for the government's role in the mistreatment of Inuit with tuberculosis in the 1940s to 1960s,[9] and the suicide epidemic.[10]

In 2016, he authored a report, "Inuit Priorities for Canada's Climate Strategy: A Canadian Inuit Vision for Our Common Future in Our Homelands",[11] and in 2019 the federal government committed $1 million toward implementing the strategy.[12]

In 2018, Maclean's named him one of five politicians to watch.[13] He currently lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, with his wife and two sons.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Bell, Jim (August 27, 2015). "The ITK presidential contest: Natan Obed". Nunatsiaq News. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Madwar, Samia (June 21, 2018). "Becoming Natan Obed". The Walrus. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  3. ↑ Madwar, Samia (June 21, 2018). "Becoming Natan Obed". The Walrus. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Inuit Leader Calls Out Media For Asking SNC-Lavalin Questions At Apology". HuffPost Canada. March 8, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Natan Obed". www.arcticnet.ulaval.ca. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  6. ↑ "SaltWire | Newfoundland & Labrador".
  7. ↑ "Natan Obed elected president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. September 17, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  8. ↑ "NunatsiaqOnline 2015-12-02: COMMENTARY: Natan Obed: why the name "Edmonton Eskimos" harms Inuit". Nunatsiaqonline.ca. December 2, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Inuit Leader Calls Out Media For Asking SNC-Lavalin Questions At Apology". HuffPost Canada. March 8, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Difficult childhood shaped my Inuit identity, Natan Obed says". Canadian Broadcasting Company. December 8, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ Obed, Natan (2016). Inuit Priorities for Canada's Climate Strategy: a Canadian Inuit Vision for Our Common Future in Our Homelands (PDF). Ottawa, ON.: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatam. OCLC 1000201960.
  12. ↑ Kyle, Kate (June 7, 2019). "Canadian Inuit organization launches climate change strategy". Eye on the Arctic. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Top 5 politicians to watch". Maclean's. 130: 25. January 2018.
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