Isaruit Staff

Ben Illauq

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. 

Jushua Kautaq Illauq

December 28, c. 1950—February 12, 2025

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 for other heavy equipment operators and miners. He taught his children, Ben and Aliqa, as much of the land skills he knew as possible. He also 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, though 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.  

Memorial for Jushua Kautaq Illauq

Aija Komangapik

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 1^st 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. Aija is presently living and working in the Ottawa area.

Ulayuk Komangapik

Ulayuk Komangapik is from Pond Inlet. She was raised in Pond Inlet and came south to Ottawa in 2006. She lives with her 2 daughters. Ulayukk finished her education at Inukshuk Highschool. Ulayuk is fluent in reading, writing and speaking Inuktitut. She worked for the Headstart and Akausivik clinic as an office administrator as well as a youth in transition worker at Tungasuvvingat Inuit. Ulayuk’s work in the office lends to a positive attitude, which creates a positive work environment, which she says she enjoys contributing to. Komangapik says she likes her work at the centre because it lets her interact with other Inuit. Komangapik also enjoys creativity and the activities, particularly sewing, beading and crocheting. Ulayuk’s previous work as an office administrator naturally lead her to pursue that career here at Isaruit as well. Ulayuk is presently the Office Admin Assistant at Isaruit. 

Gwendolyn Palluq

Gwendolyn Palluq was raised in Igloolik Nunavut in an outpost camp most of her young life until she went to Ottawa to pursue her education at Rideau High school. From the ages of 20-28, Gwendolyn worked at the Headstart program at the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre, where she worked as a teacher’s assistant. This helped her hone her skills with the public and with being an instructor for the Inuit youth. Gwen is also fluent in reading, writing and speaking Inuktitut. Palluq has a love of teaching that keeps her involved in the centre. Gwen also loves that she feels she is keeping the tradition alive while working here. Gwendolyn works as a sewing worker and provides great hospitality and food as well as social media connection with the Ottawa Inuit community at large and specifically for anyone who visits Isaruit’s shop at 815 St. Laurent Blvd.

David Erkloo

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. 

Asenath Kannutaq 

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 1^st 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.

Jeannie Manning 

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.

Jennifer Soucie

Jenny was born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut, with her Mom and Dad, Rebecca Arnaviapik Soucie and Brian Soucie. After finishing Grade 12 at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, Jenny moved south to enroll in Nunavut Sivuniksavut program for one year. The program inspired her to delve deeper into Inuit history, culture, language, social issues and politics. This journey has led Jenny to work in a variety of administrative positions with the GN in Iqaluit as well as with Inuit organizations in both Iqaluit and Ottawa. One of her favourite positions was with Uumati Perinatal Education Program in Iqaluit. Jenny is presently working on a Bookkeeping diploma at Algonquin College, and has been supporting Isaruit as a Finance Assistant for the past year. Jenny is looking forward to learning more about fiscal responsibilities and financial wellness within non-profit organizations, as she takes up the key role of Treasurer of Isaruit’s Board of Directors. Jenny also works casually for Isaruit as our Pay Clerk. 

Ruben Komangapik 

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 works closely with Isaruit staff in the shop and consultation areas. 

Beverly Illauq 

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 tongue of the “Raven”, which is the organizational model of Isaruit.

John Houston 

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.