Q. Cathy Towtongie is a Canadian

Inuk Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labr ...

politician from

Rankin Inlet Rankin Inlet, which fronts to Hudson Bay, is an Inuit hamlet on the Kudlulik Peninsula in Nunavut, Canada. It is the largest hamlet and second-largest settlement in Nunavut after the territorial capital, Iqaluit. Rankin Inlet is the regional c ...

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

. She was elected to the

Legislative Assembly of Nunavut The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut is the legislative assembly for the Canadian territory of Nunavut. The seat of the Assembly is the Legislative Building of Nunavut in Iqaluit. Prior to the creation of Nunavut as a Canadian territory on ...

in the 2017 general election to represent the electoral district of Rankin Inlet North-Chesterfield Inlet. Prior to her election to the legislature, Towtongie served two terms as president of Nunavut Tunngavik from 2001 to 2004 and from 2010 to 2016. In this role, she faced criticism when she publicly objected to

Iqaluit City Council Iqaluit City Council () is the governing body of the city of Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. As of 2022, the council consists of mayor Solomon Awa, deputy mayor Kyle Sheppard, and councillors Romeyn Stevenson (alternative deputy mayor), Simon Nattaq, O ...

's decision to raise a

rainbow flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the seven spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. History In the 18th century, American Revolutionary ...

during the

2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

in protest against the

Russian gay propaganda law For the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating a Denial of Traditional Family Values, commonly known as the Russian anti-LGBT law or as the Russian anti-gay law, is a law of Russia. It was Unanimity, unanimously passed by the ...

. In 2020 she faced further criticism when she objected to the use of the word

two-spirit ''Two-spirit'' (also known as ''two spirit'' or occasionally ''twospirited'', or abbreviated as ''2S'' or ''2E'', especially in Canada) is a umbrella term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe Native people who fulfill a trad ...

in a motion on

missing and murdered Indigenous women Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women are instances of violence against Indigenous women in Canada and the United States, notably those in the First Nations in Canada and Native American communities, but also amongst other Indigenous peoples s ...

by fellow MLA Elisapee Sheutiapik, arguing that the concept was not a part of Inuit culture. The criticism included an open letter from actress Anna Lambe, calling on the legislature to censure Towtongie for her comments. In 2021, just a few days before the commencement of the

2021 Nunavut general election The 2021 Nunavut general election was held on October 25, 2021, to return the members of the 6th Nunavut Legislature. Since the adoption of a Fixed election dates in Canada, fixed election date law in 2014, general elections in Nunavut are held ...

campaign, Towtongie criticized the clothing manufacturer

Canada Goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North A ...

for its decision to stop using natural fur in its products. Towtongie was defeated in the 2021 election by Alexander Sammurtok.Derek Neary
"Two judicial recounts required in Nunavut territorial election"
''

Northern News Services NNSL Media (Northern News Services LTD) is a news and media company based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. It is one of the few remaining independent newspaper companies in Canada, producing all-original content with little to no reliance ...

'', October 25, 2021.

References

Women MLAs in Nunavut Inuit politicians Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut 21st-century Canadian women politicians 21st-century indigenous leaders of the Americas 21st-century Inuit people 21st-century Inuit women Inuit from the Northwest Territories Inuit from Nunavut Canadian Inuit women People from Rankin Inlet {{Nunavut-politician-stub