Activist, Canada

Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, an Inuk woman originally from Baker Lake, Nunavut, is a leader, role model and hero to women and girls across Canada and the world. While originally most recognized for a speech made in the House of Commons in 2017, Mumilaaq is now known for being the youngest elected Member of Parliament for Nunavut’s riding. While in this position, her messaging and use of social media created ripple effects across the nation and around the world, receiving global attention from actors across the United States, Australia, and Germany.

From a very young age, Mumilaaq was aware of the vast inequity, devastation, and turmoil Nunavut faced. Thus, launching her into a life of volunteering, coaching, and advocacy work, well before graduating high school in 2011. Mumilaaq also travelled across the country prior to ever being elected, working in positions of suicide prevention, advancing Inuit employment, and being able to develop strong speaking skills. This provided her with further opportunities to work in many positions, primarily working on the right to Inuit employment, self-determination, and opportunity.

In 2021, Mumilaaq decided not to rerun in the federal election, again stating that federal politics was no place made for her or people like her; reminding us all, that we must continue to work to make spaces more authentically reflect Canada as a whole.

Through all Mumilaaq does, her passion continues to serve as a beacon of strength, resilience and hope in what Canada continues to push to call “reconciliation”.  As Indigenous peoples continue to die at alarming rates, Mumilaaq continues to seek out allies in the fight against the “elimination of the Indian problem”; and while Federal Institutions continue to perpetuate the stripping of her people’s basic human rights, Mumilaaq continues in her fight for real change as she advocates for real Canadian history to be taught, and for the aforementioned institutions to do what is right.