Alicia Aragutak

Alicia Aragutak

Youth – Inuit (2020)

Umiujaq, QC

“The population in Nunavik is so young. It’s really, really time to invest in these younger generations…The will is there and I’m just very, very hopeful good things will happen from here.”

At only twenty-six years old, Alicia Aragutak is a seasoned role model; she has travelled as far as Peru, New Zealand, and South Africa to speak about the vital importance of Indigenous culture.  During her tenure as the founder and first President of the Qarjuit Youth Council, Alicia held Inuit youth consultations for all fourteen Nunavik communities, creating pioneering programs to bring youth and elders together.  She served as a Youth Ambassador for the Qanuilirpitaa? survey initiative which examined the health of the Nunavik population, and also engaged in a regional Arctic Policy Framework roundtable, helping to build a long-term vision for the Canadian and circumpolar Arctic.

In her current position as Executive Director of the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre, Alicia helps facilitate a culturally sensitive treatment and healing process which addresses the role that intergenerational trauma plays in addiction, grounding patient recovery in traditional Inuit practices.  Alicia is a tireless change-maker whose work has already had a huge impact on the lives of Inuit across Inuit Nunangat.