Peter Ittinuar
Encyclopedia
Peter Freuchen K. Ittinuar (Inuktitut: ᐲᑎᕐ ᐃᑦᑎᓄᐊᕐ, born January 19, 1950) is a Canadian
politician. He was the first Inuk
in Canada to be elected as an MP, and represented the electoral district
of Nunatsiaq
in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1984.
, was born in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut
, then part of the Northwest Territories
. He spent part of his youth and adolescence being educated in Ottawa, Ontario, with two childhood friends, Zebedee Nungak and Eric Tagoona. All three later were important figures in advocating for the rights of the Inuit. 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 form the subject of the documentary The Experimental Eskimos (2009).
, but on November 26, 1982, he crossed the floor
to sit with the Liberal
caucus shortly after Indian Affairs and Northern Development
minister John Munro
announced plans to improve Inuit
self-government by dividing the Northwest Territories into two (see Nunavut
).
In 1984 Ittinuar was charged with breach of trust, theft and forgery for allegedly using his parliamentary budget to purchase a boat motor. As a result of the court case he was suspended from the Liberal Party caucus, and he became an independent for the final few months of his term in office. Ittinuar ran for re-election in the 1984 federal election
, was defeated by the Progressive Conservative candidate Thomas Suluk
.
Ittinuar was later found not guilty on the 1984 breach of trust, theft and forgery charges. However, Ittinuar had earlier, in 1979, been convicted of possession of a small amount of cocaine. In addition, in 1986, he was convicted of assaulting his then wife, Susan Munro, daughter of former Liberal Cabinet Minister John Munro, and was fined.
In 1993, Ittinuar again sought the NDP nomination in Nunatsiaq, but was unable to do so, due to then NDP leader Audrey McLaughlin
refusing to endorse his candidacy.
In 2008, while living in southern Ontario, Ittinuar ran unsuccessfully for the Green Party
in the Nunavut
riding in the federal election. He had previously sought and lost the Green Party nomination in the southern Ontario riding of Brant
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician. He was the first Inuk
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
in Canada to be elected as an MP, and represented the electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Nunatsiaq
Nunavut (electoral district)
Nunavut is a federal electoral district in Nunavut, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Nunatsiaq, its predecessor that covered the same area, was a federal electoral district in Northwest Territories, that was represented in the House of Commons from 1979...
in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1984.
Early Life
Ittinuar, the grandson of Danish explorer, Peter FreuchenPeter Freuchen
Peter Freuchen, born Lorenz Peter Elfred Freuchen was a Danish explorer, author, journalist and anthropologist.-Biography:...
, was born in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut
Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut
The community of Chesterfield Inlet is located on the western shore of Hudson Bay, Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut Canada at the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Igluligaarjuk is the Inuktitut word for "place with few houses", it is the oldest community in Nunavut...
, then part of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. He spent part of his youth and adolescence being educated in Ottawa, Ontario, with two childhood friends, Zebedee Nungak and Eric Tagoona. All three later were important figures in advocating for the rights of the Inuit. 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 form the subject of the documentary The Experimental Eskimos (2009).
Political Career
Ittinuar was originally elected as a member of the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, but on November 26, 1982, he crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
to sit with the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
caucus shortly after Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)
The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads two different departments...
minister John Munro
John Munro
John Carr Munro, PC was a Canadian politician. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 election, and served continuously as a Member of Parliament for Hamilton, Ontario in the electoral riding of Hamilton East until his resignation in 1984, following his defeat for the...
announced plans to improve Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
self-government by dividing the Northwest Territories into two (see Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
).
In 1984 Ittinuar was charged with breach of trust, theft and forgery for allegedly using his parliamentary budget to purchase a boat motor. As a result of the court case he was suspended from the Liberal Party caucus, and he became an independent for the final few months of his term in office. Ittinuar ran for re-election in the 1984 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, was defeated by the Progressive Conservative candidate Thomas Suluk
Thomas Suluk
Thomas Suluk is a former Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 1988 as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.-External links:...
.
Ittinuar was later found not guilty on the 1984 breach of trust, theft and forgery charges. However, Ittinuar had earlier, in 1979, been convicted of possession of a small amount of cocaine. In addition, in 1986, he was convicted of assaulting his then wife, Susan Munro, daughter of former Liberal Cabinet Minister John Munro, and was fined.
In 1993, Ittinuar again sought the NDP nomination in Nunatsiaq, but was unable to do so, due to then NDP leader Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin, PC, OC was leader of Canada's New Democratic Party from 1989 to 1995. She was the first female leader of a political party with representation in the Canadian House of Commons, as well as the first federal political party leader to represent an electoral district in a Canadian...
refusing to endorse his candidacy.
In 2008, while living in southern Ontario, Ittinuar ran unsuccessfully for the Green Party
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
in the Nunavut
Nunavut (electoral district)
Nunavut is a federal electoral district in Nunavut, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Nunatsiaq, its predecessor that covered the same area, was a federal electoral district in Northwest Territories, that was represented in the House of Commons from 1979...
riding in the federal election. He had previously sought and lost the Green Party nomination in the southern Ontario riding of Brant
Brant (electoral district)
Brant is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1949 and since 1968.The federal riding was created in 1903. It consisted of Brant County excluding Brantford....
.