Skip to content

Nunavut mourns 'elder statesman' Ludy Pudluk

Tributes are starting to come in for longtime politician Ludy Pudluk, who served five terms in the legislative assembly.

Ludy Pudluk served two decades in the legislative assembly and was a key figure in the creation of Nunavut. NNSL file photo

Pudluk, a longtime resident of Resolute, represented the High Arctic in the NWT territorial government from 1975 to 1995 -- prior to Nunavut becoming a separate territory.

He was awarded the Order of Nunavut in May 2018, when he was recognized as having made significant contributions to the creation of Nunavut.

"Ludy was respected by all his colleagues as a wise, humble man with a strong vision for Nunavut and an ever-present sense of humour," Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson stated on Tuesday.

Patterson served alongside Pudluk in the NWT legislative assembly.

"Those Inuit members, who also included other elder statesmen like Mark Evaluardjuk, Ipeelie Kilabuk and Joe Arlooktoo, were respected because they retained their Inuit language and culture and were united in their support for TFN (the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut), the Nunavut land claim and the creation of Nunavut," Patterson stated.

Commissioner Nellie Kusugak, left, Order of Nunavut recipients Ludy Pudluk and Betty Brewster, Speaker Joe Enook and Premier Paul Quassa pose following Pudlak and Brewster's investiture at the Legislative Assembly in May 2018.
photo courtesy Michel Albert