Mental health and education top of mind for new president of National Inuit Youth Council

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 13, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 13

The National Inuit Youth Council's caller president, Gwen Natsiq, says she plans to walk her two-year word focused connected improving younker entree to intelligence wellness resources and education.

The assembly elected Natsiq, 21, arsenic president connected June 5 to correspond Inuit crossed Canada from 2025 to 2027. 

"I'm precise honoured and precise excited," she said.

During her word she volition person a imperishable spot connected the committee of directors for Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada and arsenic an perceiver connected the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee. Natsiq said that allows her to beryllium successful the country erstwhile decisions are made that impact Inuit youth, some to advocator and to educate. 

"Being capable to beryllium a portion of these meetings, you person your voices heard and your opinions connected issues," she said. 

Natsiq is presently moving toward her teaching grade astatine Nunavut Arctic College successful Iqaluit, wherever she's served arsenic pupil assembly president.

She's besides worked arsenic a intelligence wellness outreach worker. She says that work, and her ain experiences, motivate her to enactment different young people, particularly erstwhile it comes to intelligence wellness resources. 

"I personally person had a batch of household members endure with intelligence wellness and unluckily walk … during each of that, I realized however important it is to really advocator for these things," she said.  

She says 1 of her archetypal priorities as president volition beryllium to nonstop retired a survey to stitchery feedback connected what different Inuit younker privation to spot from her.  

In a quality merchandise announcing Natsiq arsenic the caller president, the National Inuit Youth Council thanked the different 3 candidates who ran for president: Trevor Wright, Davina McLeod and Nia Morris.