'Father of Nunavut' has one more fight left: to live in the territory he helped create
Time is ticking to secure funding that would allow John Amagoalik to age at home
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Amagoalik → have → home
I'll never go back," John Amagoalik said of an assisted living facility in Ottawa, where he was sent to live by Nunavut's government in February 2025.
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he → go → February
The territory's Department of Health transferred him to Embassy West Senior Living after an infection left no choice but to amputate part of his right leg.
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infection → transfer → leg
"The worst part was the loneliness," Amagoalik recalled in an interview with CBC News as he sat in a wheelchair at his temporary home in Iqaluit with his wife, Evie, on Sept. 7.
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he → recall → Sept.
Amagoalik is turning 79 in November and has multiple chronic age-related issues.
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Amagoalik → turn → issues
He also has a difficult time talking.
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He → have → time
After a lifetime of struggle that included being forced to attend residential schools and advocating for Inuit rights and self-determination, Amagoalik is in his last fight: to age in the territory he helped create.
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he → include → territory
"It's been my life," he said, when asked what Nunavut means to him.
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Nunavut → say → him
"And I feel fortunate in being part of it."
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I → feel → it
'Father of Nunavut'
John Amagoalik is revered as the "Father of Nunavut" for his work spanning over three decades beginning in the 1970s — earning him the Order of Nunavut and the Order of Canada.
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Amagoalik → revere → Canada
Among his many roles, he advocated for Inuit as an adviser with the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut before it became Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
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it → advocate → Nunavut
He was also on the executive council of the Inuit Circumpolar Council in the 1980s, and served as president of what was then the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, now Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
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what → serve → Canada
Amagoalik led the land claims settlement process with Nunavut Tunngavik after ratification in 1993.
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Amagoalik → lead → 1993
He also chaired the Nunavut Implementation Commission that designed the public government of Nunavut before the territory was created in 1999.
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territory → chair → 1999
It's the very government his Victoria-based lawyer and longtime friend, Steve Kelliher, said is now failing him.
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lawyer → base → him
So he's helping Amagoalik take the Nunavut government to court.
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Amagoalik → help → court
Kelliher, who first worked with Amagoalik in the 1970s formulating Nunavut's future government, said his friend is still as much a force today as he was back then.
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he → work → government
But when he and another friend, Mark Stiles of Ottawa — who first met Amagoalik in 1975 while working in the land claims office of the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada — visited Amagoalik at Embassy West in March, they felt he needed their help.
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he → meet → help
"I said, 'Well, how do you like it here, John?'
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you → say → it
And he said, 'I hate it,'" Kelliher said.
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Kelliher → say → it
So he asked Amagoalik if he wanted help to return home.
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he → ask → help
"He said, 'Do anything to get me out of here, to get me back to Iqaluit.'
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He → say → Iqaluit
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So they did.
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they → do → ?
First, they delivered a letter to the territory’s health minister, signed by Amagoalik and dated March 31, pleading to return home.
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they → deliver → Amagoalik
Amagoalik claims he never agreed to the move being permanent.
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move → claim → ?
When the minister, Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster, didn't take any action on his request to return home, they formed the John A. Committee and brought in Iqaluit lawyer Anne Crawford.
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they → take → Crawford
The committee raised $30,000 for a consultant to develop Amagoalik's plan of care, buy medical equipment and supplies, and pay for eight to 10 hours of daily private home care from personal support workers.
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consultant → raise → workers
It also secured an accessible unit at a subsidized rate of $2,000 a month that has space for his hospital bed and an elevator.
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that → secure → bed
The Amagoaliks' public housing unit has stairs that would be too difficult for him to use.
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him → have → stairs
The committee also arranged air transportation donated by an airline to fly Amagoalik to Iqaluit.
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committee → arrange → Iqaluit
On June 12, 16 months after he arrived in Ottawa, he returned home.
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he → arrive → Ottawa
But despite all of the hard work to bring Amagoalik back to Nunavut, his future is still uncertain.
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future → bring → Nunavut
The funds raised by the committee were only meant to be for the short term, and Anne Crawford said the money is running out.
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money → raise → term
"Which we did tell the government at the time, this will not last forever.
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this → tell → time
And therefore, can you talk to us about how and what we can do going forward to continue to support him and live in his home community?"
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we → talk → community
The request to the territorial government for $16,000 a month to cover accommodations in the accessible unit and up to 10 hours a day of support worker care was declined.
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request → cover → care
However, the government can provide a maximum of two hours per week of personal support worker care.
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government → provide → care
The committee says its research shows that Nunavut was spending about $30,000 a month for Amagoalik’s care at Embassy West.
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Nunavut → say → West
The Health Department told CBC News that it can't comment on his care in order to protect his privacy.
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it → tell → privacy
Brewster, the health minister, also declined to be interviewed.
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Brewster → decline → ?
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
