Senator Nancy Karetak-Lindell

06/13/2026

If you visit the Senate of Canada Building, you will notice Indigenous artwork displayed.

One featured painting is “Fall Hunting with Father,” a piece by Agnes Ettagiak. According to the Inuk artist, this painting illustrates her cherished and sacred memories on Tapqaq Beach, an Inuvialuit hamlet on the Arctic coast of the Northwest Territories.

June is National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity to reflect on the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.

Stay tuned next week to discover more work from the Senate’s Indigenous art collection.

06/12/2026

If you’re in Ottawa, go check it out!

Museums have free admission for Inuit, First Nations, and Métis.

🌙☀️ NOW OPEN! 🌊
This summer, the Gallery's special exhibition Qillaniq brings together the stories and experiences of Indigenous artists from across the circumpolar region – spanning Alaska, Greenland, Siberia, Sápmi and Canada.

Works by over 70 artists deepen our understanding of the circumpolar environments and the sense of connection to the land.

Learn more in the article by curator Jocelyn Piirainen in the NGC Magazine
🔗 https://bit.ly/49YnOhI

Plan your visit now!

🖼️ Erin Ggaadimits Ivalu Gingrich, Kanaŋŋaiññaq Saġvaq (Current from the North), 2026. Dye coupler print on fabric, 51,3 x 3 m. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. © Erin Ggaadimits Ivalu Gingrich. Photo: NGC

06/11/2026

We were honoured to welcome Senator Nancy Karetak-Lindell to GLOCAL's Nunavut Regional Showcase 2026 this past weekend in Iqaluit.

Her involvement extended well beyond delivering remarks. She spent time with young people, to their experiences, sharing stories from her own , and engaging in thoughtful conversations about , , and .

Drawing on her own experiences, Senator Karetak-Lindell spoke about how her path into public life began with a desire to strengthen her community. She encouraged youth to recognize that meaningful leadership often starts with small acts of service and a commitment to helping others.

She emphasized that we cannot always wait for someone else to solve the challenges our communities face. Lasting change comes from people who are willing to step forward, volunteer, and support those around them. Every contribution helps build stronger, more resilient communities.

For youth, having the opportunity to connect with a leader who takes the time to listen and learn alongside them is about more than representation. It sends a powerful message that their ideas, experiences, and contributions are valued, and that the work they are already doing in their communities is an important form of leadership.

Senator Karetak-Lindell's message also reflected the importance of intergenerational leadership. Across Nunavut, young people, Elders, educators, families, and community leaders are all shaping stronger communities together.
Leadership is not something that belongs to one generation before being handed to the next, but exists across generations, all at once.

Throughout the Showcase, we saw that spirit reflected in youth-led initiatives supporting cultural learning, food security, environmental stewardship, storytelling, volunteering, land-based education, and everyday acts of care and service.

Young people are not simply preparing to become leaders. They are already making meaningful contributions to their communities today. Our shared responsibility is to continue creating opportunities, opening doors, and ensuring that their voices are heard and their efforts are supported.

Thank you, Senator Nancy Karetak-Lindell and Shirley Dagg for joining us, for spending the day with Nunavut youth, and for reinforcing a message that resonated throughout the Showcase: strong communities are built when people invest in one another, and young people have an essential role to play in shaping that future.

06/11/2026

06/10/2026

Inuit face some of the most severe and persistent socioeconomic inequities relative to other Canadians, including food security, overcrowded housing, lack of basic infrastructure, lower educational attainment, limited access to employment opportunities, and lower life expectancy.

The Inuit Nunangat Poverty Reduction Strategy provides a bold, Inuit-led framework to eliminate poverty and create equity throughout Inuit Nunangat. Read more at itk.ca/inuit-nunangat-poverty-reduction-strategy-calls-for-urgent-action-on-affordability-crisis

06/05/2026

Please find below a link to the recorded meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, where I tabled an amendment to criminalize residential school denialism. The amendment was subsequently adopted as part of the Committee’s report by a vote of 7–1, with 2 abstentions. (On June 1st, 2026).

The amendment was later debated in the Senate Chamber on Wednesday and was ultimately defeated by a vote of 42–31.

For ease of reference, the relevant discussion during the Human Rights committee begins at approximately 16:48:17 in the recording, or 53 minutes and 4 seconds into the meeting.

https://senparlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20260601/-1/15330

06/05/2026

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/senate-votes-to-jail-canadians-for-residential-school-denialism

Tristin Hopper: Although it passed the committee with minimal controversy, the amendment was defeated in a full Senate vote on Wednesday

06/04/2026

Yesterday in the Senate Chamber, I had the honour of making a statement recognizing the departure of Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon as Governor General of Canada.

I spoke not only about her time in office, but about her lifelong dedication to advocating for Inuit, Inuit rights, and the preservation and promotion of Inuktitut. Long before her appointment as Governor General, Mary Simon was a trailblazer who helped shape Inuit self-determination, advanced Indigenous rights on the national and international stage, and worked tirelessly to ensure Inuit voices were heard.

Her appointment as Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General marked a historic moment for our country. For Inuit, it was a powerful reminder that our languages, cultures, and perspectives belong at the highest levels of Canadian public life.

One of the most significant aspects of her tenure was her commitment to language. By speaking Inuktitut in official ceremonies and public addresses, she elevated the visibility and importance of Indigenous languages across Canada. In doing so, she demonstrated that reconciliation is not only about acknowledging the past, but also about creating space for Indigenous languages and cultures to thrive in the present and future.

Matnaluavik, Your Excellency, for your service, your leadership, and your unwavering commitment to Inuit and to Canada. Your legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

06/02/2026

ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᑉᐳᖅ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᕐᒃᑖᖓ ᒍᓗᐊᕆᐊ ᐅᓗᖅᓯ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᑉ ᑐᒡᓕᐊ ᐹᓪ ᐃᕐᖓᐅᑦ. ᓂᕆᐅᒃᐳᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᒋᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᒋᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᓴᙱᒃᑎᒋᐊᕐᓗᒍᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕗᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᙱᑦᑎᐊᕈᓯᖏᑦ.

Great to meet with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. President Gloria Uluqsi and Vice President Paul Irngaut. I look forward to working together on the issues that matter most to Nunavummiut and strengthening our partnership in support of Inuit well-being.

Quvianaqtuq katimaqatigigapkik Nunavut Tunngavikkut Timinga Angijuqqaangurtuq Gloria Uluqsi unalu Tuklia Angijuqqaangujuq Paul Irngaut. Niriuktunga havaqagitijaami atauttikkut ihumagijaulluaqtuni amigaittunun Nunavunmiunnun hakgikharnirnullu paannariigutiptingni ikajuutikkut Inuinnait inuuhiringnaqtunun.

Je suis enchanté de ma rencontre avec la présidente de la Nunavut Tunngavik inc., Gloria Uluqsi, et son vice-président Paul Irngaut. J’ai hâte de travailler avec eux sur les questions cruciales pour les Nunavoises et Nunavois, et de renforcer notre partenariat au profit du bienêtre inuit.

05/29/2026