ITK recognizes Inuit with King Charles III Coronation Medals

Press Release

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed today recognized eight Inuit who have made significant contributions to Canada by awarding them the King Charles III Coronation Medal, on behalf of Her Excellency Governor General Mary Simon.

“I am honoured to be standing alongside today’s recipients of the King Charles III Coronation Medals. Inuit are proud Canadians. We are also First Peoples who have negotiated modern treaties with the Crown. These medals highlight the successes and achievements Inuit have made in business, public service and the arts,” said President Obed. “I congratulate them for making Canada a better place. May they inspire us all with their vision, perseverance and leadership.”

President Obed awarded the following recipients their Coronation Medals in Ottawa today:

Duane Smith: Duane is the Chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, whose mandate is to receive Inuvialuit lands and financial compensation resulting from the 1984 Inuvialuit land claims settlement. From 2002 to 2016, he was President of Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada, and served as Chair of the Inuvik Community Corporation for six terms starting in 2004.
Jeremy Tunraluk: Jeremy has dedicated his career to advancing Inuit rights and fostering community engagement. In December 2024, Jeremy was elected President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. Prior to this role, President Tunraluk served on the Qikiqtani Inuit Association Board of Directors, as Community Director for Arctic Bay and later as Secretary-Treasurer. While Secretary-Treasurer of QIA, Jeremy also held the Chairmanship of Kakivak Association.
Shelly De Caria: Shelly is the first Inuk President and CEO of Canadian North airlines. Born and raised in Kuujjuaq, Shelly exemplifies Canadian North’s core values and unwavering commitment to its Inuit roots and community engagement. She is also a former youth coordinator at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
Kathy Kettler: Kathy is the only Inuk to date to serve as chief of staff to a federal minister, under Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal. She was previously deputy chief of staff for the Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister. Before that, Kathy worked for the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
Clint Davis: Clint is from Nunatsiavut and is CEO of Cedar Leaf Capital Inc. He is the former Chair of the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies and President of Nunasi Corporation. He has served in high-ranking positions at the Bank of Montreal and TD Bank Group and is an Indspire Award-winner.
David Serkoak: David is an Inuk leader, storyteller, teacher and cultural advisor. He has been a teacher, principal and college instructor at Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa. ITK frequently calls upon David to open special events with the federal government.
Elizabeth Ford: Elizabeth is the Executive Director of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a role she has held since 2016. She has worked for numerous Inuit organizations including the Labrador Inuit Association. Elizabeth was key to the development of the Inuit Crown Partnership Committee.
Jimi Onalik: Jimi is the President of CanNor. He served in various capacities in the Government of Nunavut since 2017. Most recently, he was Secretary to Cabinet and Deputy Minister of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs. He has also had a long aviation career and is a former employee of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

The Coronation Medal was created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III which occurred on May 6, 2023. The medals will be awarded to 30,000 individuals this year. To be eligible, individuals had to have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region of, or community in, Canada, or attained an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. ITK, along with other organizations across the country, partnered with the Governor General to nominate and present medals.

ITK and the four Inuit Treaty Organizations – the Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation – will be presenting a total of 99 Coronational Medals.

ILR3