Beloved Nunavut elder dies 7 months after being brought home by family's fundraising

A long-time political leader and elder in Nunavut, whose family raised thousands of dollars to fly him home from care in Ottawa earlier this year, has died. 

Raymond Ningeocheak passed away in his home in Coral Harbour on Monday at the age of 81. 

"He will forever be remembered as a true and selfless leader," said Aluki Kotierk, the president of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) in a statement. 

Ningeocheak served as NTI's vice president from 1993 to 2011. During that time, the organization says he helped protect Inuit harvesting rights. He opposed a court case that eventually led to the legal harvesting of a limited number of bowhead whales in Nunavut and also led delegations to Greenland and Nunavik that changed how polar bears are managed. 

Another part of his legacy, NTI said, is trichinella testing. 

A pilot program that started in 2017 now tests 100 walrus samples annually for trichinella — a parasite that causes the food-born disease trichinosis. The program helps the overall well-being of Inuit and helps to address food insecurity in the territory, NTI said. 

James Eetoolook, the vice president of NTI, said in a statement that he was priviledged to have worked with Ningeocheak for many years.

"For nearly 40 years, Raymond put the advancement of Inuit before all else," Eetoolook said. "Nunavut owes much gratitude for his tireless work." 

Ningeocheak was a member of Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, now called Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, for eight years before becoming its vice president in 1985. He held that role for three years. 

Ningeocheak was also a member of Tungavik Federation of Nunavut for nine years, was part of the Kewaatin Regional Council for two years, and served as the vice president of Kivalliq Inuit Association from 2012 to 2019. 

In recent years, however, Ningeocheak's health deteriorated. 

The elder had been living for about a year at the Embassy West Senior Living facility in Ottawa, where he received care for dementia and other conditions, when his family spoke to CBC News in January about their efforts to bring him home.

At the time, Sarah Netser, his daughter, said his health was declining rapidly and the family wasn't happy with the care he was receiving.

The territorial government said it could not help cover the cost of a medevac from Ottawa to Coral Harbour because Ningeocheak was not cleared by doctors to leave medical care.