Our Team

Aija Komangapik is a young Inuk digital and graphic artist who is keenly interested in working in the field of visual arts both as an artist and as an arts worker. At present Aija is taking a pause from her study of Arts Administration at Bishop’s University to study soapstone sculpture with her father, Ruben Komangapik and to work as a tech assistant for Isaruit. In 2019 her work entitled “Drumdancer” Aija was the 1st place winner of the 19–29 age category in the Indigenous arts and stories award by Historica Canada, and she has worked in numerous publications, such as her 2021 release My Hood’s not big enough! with Inhabit Media. Along with her many logos and illustrations. She also designed a new $20 coin for the Canadian Mint  in 2024. Aija is presently living and working in the Ottawa area and is Israruit’s Seal Products and Youth Facilitator.

Asenath Kannutaq was born near Hall Beach Nunavut and grew up in outpost camp, only moving there in her teens. Asenath went to Atanaarjuaq high school until grade 8 and then worked as the 1st postmistress at the Hall beach post office until the birth of her 1st child. Asenath learned how to sew parkas from her older sister and would give them to her family or keep them for herself. At her jobs, she learned patience and kindness towards her customers and the general public, which she utilizes to this day. She learned to overcome her shy nature through her work. Kannutaq says her passion for the arts started from her children. Having to sew mittens, boots, clothing, etc. made her work harder and grew her love for the craft. Asenath works at the centre as an elder consultant and as a sewing instructor for the local Inuit community.

Ashley was born and raised in Iqaluit and after graduation, worked for several years with administrative teams at Nunavut Arctic College.  After serving as a Customer Service Representative with Canadian North, Ashley moved to the Ottawa area in 2024. Ashley has been working with Isaruit since November, 2024. She is a valuable member of our Admin Team and is supporting the development of our Youth programs.

Ben Illauq grew up in Clyde River, hunting and travelling with his father, Jushua Illauq, and going camping with his family through the spring and summer months. He also worked from the time he was 13 with his father as a guide and an interpreter for Qullikkut Guides and Outfitters, his family’s guiding business. When he was growing up, Ben travelled on the land a good part of the time, at all seasons of the year. He became very skilled in all kinds of cultural skills, from hunting and trapping, to travelling, from storytelling to food preparation, from walking on the land to qimmusiq over the ice, from surviving on breaking ice to guiding Nat Geographic photographers into the fiords. In 2005 Ben moved south first to the Regina area and then to the Ottawa area, where he worked in the meat-cutting industry and then became fascinated with building construction and all the trades converging in that industry. Today Ben continues to practise his land skills in a southern forest context and is bringing up his family in an Inuit way. Ben also works as the Shop Programs Coordinator for Isaruit, and coordinates the Isaruit Inuit Elders Consultation program. He is Isaruit’s Health and Safety Committee coordinator.

Bethel was born and raised in Nigeria, with his family. Bethel is Isaruit’s Financial Coordinator, managing a small team of 3 people – Isaruit’s accountant, Financial Clerk and himself doing the bookkeeping and financial counselling and planning. Bethel also doubles as an Operations Facilitator at Isaruit.

Beverly Illauq grew up in rural Ontario farming communities in southern Ontario.  After teaching school in the Naskapi Cree community in Schefferville, Quebec, Beverly took her teaching degree at OISIE in Toronto and spent a spring in Igloolik teaching school. In 1978 Beverly became the tutor and recreation counsellor with DIAND for Inuit House, the “home away from home” for Inuit, located at 29 Somerset Street in Ottawa. There were 66 Inuit living in Ottawa at that time. In 1980, when Inuit House closed, she began working with John MacDonald as the Cultural Development Officer for Northern Affairs, and was the editor of Inuktitut magazine. In 1983, she was seconded to the NWT Government to teach school in Clyde River. Along with Jushua Illauq, her husband, a hunter and traveller from Clyde River, she camped and travelled in the Clyde area with their family of 4 children. They founded Qullikkut Guides and Outfitters, a guiding company that worked with eco-tourists in an Inuit way, Apitak Development Corporation, and along with many other Clyde people, Ilisaqsivik Family Resource Centre. She has lived in the South since 2002, first in Regina, and since 2010 in the Ottawa area. In 2017, Beverly was one of a group of 5 women, including Martha Flaherty, Aigah Attagutsiaq, Malachi Kigutak and Simona Arnatsiaq who founded Isaruit Inuit Women’s Sewing Centre, now Isaruit Inuit Arts. Beverly, the founding Coordinator of Isaruit, sees herself as the eyes and the beak of the “Owl:, which is the organizational model of Isaruit.

Beverly is one of the four founding Grandmothers of Inuit families of Isaruit.  Born to English parents, in the Toronto area, Beverly grew up in mainstream culture, and has a teaching degree. After having taught school in Schefferville and Igloolik, and having worked for Northern Affairs for the federal government for several years, she married into the Apitak family in Clyde River in 1985. After living in Clyde River for 19 years and having the privilege to help found Ilisaqsivik Society/  Family Resource Centre  there, Beverly now lives in the Ottawa area and continues to develop Isaruit Inuit Arts Centre as the Centre Coordinator. 

Bobby is a Shop Worker and General Helper at Isaruit Inuit Arts. – and Isaruit’s resident mouth organ player!

David Erkloo was born in Arctic Bay and raised in Pond Inlet. He moved to Iqaluit to pursue his high school education. David graduated from Gordon Roberston Education Center in 1979 and then took the carpentry trade at Fort Smith NWT. Erkloo then used his degree to work as a carpenter back in Pond Inlet. He says he helped build new construction, maintenance and contracting for his home town for two decades. David says his love of art came from his needs as a hunter. As a hunter, he had to make and maintain his tools, which he spends these days teaching the younger generations at the centre. Erkloo teaches his student how to make traditional Inuit tools as a shop Instructor at Isaruit Inuit Arts.

Gina Iqaalik was born in Iqaluit and raised in the beautiful community of Qikiqtarjuaq. She currently works as a Hospitality Coordinator with Isaruit, where she helps support Inuit and Northern community members living in the south. Gina has always enjoyed keeping herself busy, especially when it involves helping others. For example, she worked at Canadian North, with a focus on strengthening health safety and awareness, and improved her administration, coordination, and communication skills.

Throughout her work in the south, she has become a strong advocate by challenging mainstream food policies that do not support Inuit wellness, and promoting Inuit policies that increase access to Inuit country food. In fact, one of her biggest passions is sharing food- especially country food-with those who may not have access to it. Living down south, she knows how hard it can be to find traditional foods, and that’s why she makes it a priority to provide meals that bring comfort, connections, and a strong sense of home.

One of the proudest moments in her work was organizing a large event where she prepared and served country food for the community. It was an incredible experience to see people come together to enjoy traditional meals,share stories, and feel that connection to Inuit culture. Feeding others, especially when they are missing that taste of home, truly makes her happy. For Gina, food is more than just a nourishment-it's about love, tradition, and bringing people together. Whether she’s organizing events, supporting community programs, or cooking a meal for someone in need, she is proud to give back in a way that honours who we are as Inuit.

Gina is presently working as Isauit’s Hospitality Coordinator in our Pulaaqvik, and she and her team to keep our Drop In visitors fed and comfortable every Friday afternoon.

Hezron began working for Isaruit casually as an Inuit Games helper and in the kitchen for events. Hezron’s budding skills as a chef  – and a stand up comedian – are being appreciated by staff and participants alike.

Iinuuja, as an Inuit youth,  began working casually and then full time in the kitchen at Isaruit, helping with the production of seal meat recipes for Friday Drop Ins.  She is presently developing her sewing skills as a Sewing Worker at Isaruit.

Jackie began working at Isaruit as a carver and a decorated ulu maker.  When the carving side of our shop was closed in January, he began to develop his painting and then print making skills. Jackie is presently  Isaruit’s resident painter and print maker.

Jarome began coming to isaruit as youth to hang out with Inuit, and after completing a term in Policing Studies at Algonquin College began to serve as Security at Isaruit.  We value his conscientious care of participants and staff. Jarome is also involved in the Youth Inuit Games program on Wednesday afternoons.

Jeanie comes from Pond Inlet, and has been Acting Coordinator of the Sewing Program since April, 2025 

Jeannie Manning was born in Cape Dorset, and grew up there and in Iqaluit, where she went to Residential High School at the Gordon Robertson Education Centre. She completed secondary education through Adult Education in Kingait. She then took the Nunavut Language and Culture Program at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit, from 1998–2000, and received both the certificate and then the Diploma in Interpretation and Translation with Honors. After experiencing several hardships in her life, Jeannie moved to Ottawa in 2013, where she now lives. She is now working freelance at her profession as an Interpreter/Translator. Jeannie has supported Isaruit Inuit Women’s Sewing Centre/Isaruit Inuit Arts from the beginning, and has a real sense that Inuktitut language arts, like Interpretation/translation, is an art form in itself. Jeannie is helping Isaruit members to keep Inuktitut front and centre as the first working language of our Centre.

Jimmy Kuniliusie works in Isaruit’s shop, and makes palaugaq for Drop Ins. 

John Houston is an award-winning Documentary Director originally from Nunavut. He now lives in Halifax, but remains fluent in Inuktitut, his storytelling deeply influenced by his upbringing between Inuit and Qallunaat (Settler) cultures. In his current film: “ATAUTSIKUT / LEAVING NONE BEHIND,” Nunavimmiut (Inuit and Cree of Northern Québec) recounts their struggle and how their co-ops came to shine through—a message of hope. Project interests include the Indigenous oral tradition, self-empowerment, and social justice. John works with Isaruit as an Inuit Art Consultant and supports Isaruit staff.

Jushua Kautaq Illauq was born in a qammaq near Pond Inlet at the end of December. He has been a survivor ever since. Being brought up by his grandmother, Kanangnak, in their family hunting camps, he learned full Inuktitut language and culture and hunting skills as a child and teenager. He had his first dog team as a pre-teen and by the time he was 16 he was hunting alone with his dogs. His hunting and survival skills continued to be sharpened by his grandmother, his uncles and other relatives. After working for some time on oil rigs with an Edmonton company, Pan Arctic, Jushua went to Nanisivik Mines and became a heavy equipment mechanic as well as driver. His land skills informed his driving so that he became an expert driver and trainer and foreman of the other heavy equipment operators and miners. He taught his children, Ben and Aliqa, as much of the land skills he knew as possible. He was the president and chief guide of Qullikkut Guides and Outfitters from 1990–2002 and was the president of Apitak Development Corporation in Clyde River, NU. Jushua specializes in not only surviving challenging situations, like boating incidents, and other adventures on the land, but he has also studied how to thrive in life, despite challenges he has faced head on, living “in the South. Jushua brings to life the wealth of language and cultural memory and knowledge that he has gained throughout his long and very eventful life and shares this wisdom on a daily basis as an Elder in residence at Isaruit Inuit Arts. Jushua is the main speaker for the Inuit Artists’ Consultations, every Tuesday, available live through Zoom and recorded on Isaruit’s You Tube Channel. He is also a creator of soapstone carvings, particularly the ’Dancing Walrus “motif that he and Alooloo Inutiq came up with during the International Year of the Handicapped in 1981. Jushua works full-time as an Elder Consultant to individuals and groups of participants, and is the main speaker in the weekly Isaruit Inuit Artists” Elders Consultations, every Tuesday afternoon.

Kat, Kristy, Townshend  grew up in Brockville, ON, with her family.  A teacher by profession, Kat also has a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Ottawa.  Kat is working as the Programs Facilitator for Isaruit Inuit Arts writing proposals and working on other fund-raising initiatives.

Kaujak comes from Pond Inlet and was the first person to join Isaruit staff as a Roots Elders consultant.

Martha has worked in the area of cultural retention and with DIAND, as the President of the national Pauktutiit Inuit Women’s Association, Canadian representative to the international Inuit Circumpolar Conference, and still works as a tourism animatrice and interpreter on summer cruise ship tours to the Arctic through Adventure Canada. However, Martha’s primary life’s work is in translation. She is a highly sought after translator and interpreter at the provincial, territorial and federal levels as well as internationally. She has most recently translated into Inuktut the whole Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Commission’s final report, a lengthy and very challenging document. Such trusted translation work has developed in Martha a broad and comprehensive view of Indigenous issues in Canada.

Martha is also a highly sought after Inuk artist, who, having learned to sew at her mother’s knee in iglus and tents on the land, now designs and sews outfits of many kinds, and fabricates accessories and other Inuit art items both for sale and for the joy of creating. Martha has also been involved in “A Taste of the Arctic” annual cultural celebrations in Ottawa, and has organized and participated in several fashion shows over the past 20 years. Martha has lived in the Ottawa area for 40 years, and is the wife, mother and grandmother of an Inuk/Cree/English family.

As Past Chair, Martha continues to bring to ISARUIT her wide network of contacts, many of whom are specific to the arts world; a multitude of both formal and informal, national and international cross-cultural and cross-gender, cross-generational experiences; many, many years as a member of a highly skilled family of sewing artists; and the knowledge and understanding required to supervise the development of an organization from an Inuit standpoint. Martha is highly committed to the welfare of Inuit women living in Ottawa, and actively promotes the speaking of Inuktitut throughout all generations.

Peter Freuchen K. Ittinuar was born in Chesterfield Inlet, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut) and is currently living on Richmond Organic Acres, raising organic beef cattle.

For the first ten years of his life, Peter grew up on the land -with dog teams, he went hunting, trapping, and fishing. He spent part of his youth and adolescence being educated in Ottawa, Ontario, with two childhood friends. Unbeknownst to them, they had been relocated to Ottawa by federal government authorities, as part of an experiment in cultural assimilation. These actions and their consequences formed the subject of the documentary “The Experimental Eskimos” (2009).

Peter worked as a hospital social worker and interpreter/translator in Winnipeg and Churchill in the early 1970s, and taught a northern social orientation course for nurses going north at the University of Manitoba. In the mid 1970s, Peter was an Announcer and Operator with CBC Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay) and Churchill. From 1976 to 1978, Peter held the position of Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, teaching the Inuktitut language and ‘northern society in change’ course. Peter became the first Inuk in Canada to be elected as an MP, and represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1984. Over the past four decades, Peter has continued to be involved in politics, film, media, and teaching. He has a private business (Rankin File), offering services in translation, interpreting, lectures/talks, workshop facilitation, and report writing. He enjoys coaching hockey, and is working on updating his pilot’s license.

Peter Ittinuar works with Isaruit Inuit Arts occasionally as a consultant and will be offering Inuktitut language courses digitally when funding permits.

Ruben Komangapik was born and raised in the Mittimatalik area of Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. Going out on the land was a major family activity, as Ruben was brought up by his grandparents. Ruben’s hunting and Inuit creating skills were fostered from an early age. Although school was not his thing, Ruben managed to begin working for Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit in his early 20s as a jewelry making instructor. This became the leading edge for Ruben to take on a wide variety of Inuit sculpture installation projects across Canada, and to become widely known internationally for his mastery of multimedia creations grounded in Inuit culture, spanning film, sculpture, music and any materials that come to hand. Recently Ruben and a partner have started Reconseal Inuksiuti, a cross-cultural sealing project designed to bring both seal meat and skin products to Inuit living in the South. Ruben joined Isaruit Inuit Arts Board in January 2022 and served as a Board member until January, 2025 

Sheena Akoomalik is from Tununiq Baffin area, that is Mittimatalik, Pond Inlet, Nunavut. Having grown up with her grandparents, she fell in-love with InuitTraditional drum songs and throat singing when she saw a Tununiq Theatre live show for the first time as a child.  As the traditions were forbidden at the time, Sheena gained a sense of Inuit identity being inspired by the original Tununiq Theatre cast Pakak Inuksuk, and her two uncles, and cousin.

Sheena first played the role of Sedna in a high school play called “Giving voice to our Elders” directed by Adele Kory that premiered in Zurich Switzerland and filmed in Yellowknife NWT. Since 2006, as a seasonal work Sheena has produced, directed, and acted in several plays based on Inuit Legend/ myths, Inuit history, including adapting the original play “Changes” in 2012 which brought back some of the original cast of the troupe.

Sheena has collaborated with many professional Inuit actors, and directors with her Tununiq- miut Theatre Company as well as through Qaggiavut Society. Sheena with her other troup collaborated with the movie "White Archer" directed by John Huston filmed in Pond Inlet. Before moving to Ontario, Sheena was employed full time with the Government of Nunavut for 15 years as well as serving on various Board of directors.

Sheena has been active hosting cruise ships with international audiences with Inuit Culture shows the past 25 years adapting the shows as her 4 children grow. Sheena loves to work with Inuit elders and thrives to keep traditional values and traditions alive to pass along to the next Generations.

Timotee was encouraged to learn drum dancing at an early age by his grandparents.  Interested in all things movement, Timotee also excels in the challenges to strength and flexibility that are Inuit Games. He  helps lead the Youth Inuit Games program at Isaruit, and provides performances at Isaruit events.