With Qikiqtani Inuit Association celebrating a milestone of 50 years in 2025, we profile some past and existing Board Members and Presidents on our website and social media pages.
We appreciate the people that have freely given their time and information as to how QIA began and how much it has grown from the early years.
Enjoy reading!
Malektoo Lyta – Kimmirut
Malektoo Lyta began his service as a Board member in 1978 when the organization was still known as the Baffin Regional Inuit Association (BRIA). He served through the mid-1980s, a period he remembers as both challenging and formative for what would later become the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA).
He recalls his fellow board members, including James Arvaluik and others who are no longer with us, noting that at the time “all of us were young.” In those early days, the emphasis was on creating policies and bylaws that would lay the foundation for the future of Inuit governance. Malektoo says the Board wanted to ensure that resource development, particularly oil and mining activity, did not cause undue harm to the land and wildlife. Protecting the environment and Inuit interests was central to their discussions and decisions.
Malektoo remembers that resources were scarce in the early years. Board members worked hard to find funding, often with little success. The daily meeting allowance was just $25, which did not include meals, and members traveling from outside communities often stayed with families instead of in hotels, as funds were limited. Despite these challenges, he says, “we persevered,” always with a focus on securing a better future for Inuit.
His time on the Board was a period of great learning and growth. He credits the experience with teaching him much about governance, responsibility, and working together for the collective good. He recalls moments of uncertainty when the very survival of the organization was in question. Yet, the determination of the early boards ensured that QIA continued, setting the stage for the stronger, self-sufficient organization it is today.
Looking back, Malektoo is proud that the hard work of those early years has borne fruit. “All the hard work that was done in the early days is happening today,” he reflects, pointing to the growth of QIA and the support it now provides Inuit across the region.
Thinking of the past board members who have since passed on, he acknowledges their sacrifice and contribution, noting that they built the foundation with very few resources. For the future, he hopes to see Inuit youth take on greater roles in planning and decision-making: “The youth should get involved in planning and working for Inuit into the future.”
Malektoo’s message is clear—QIA must keep moving forward, continuing to help Inuit in every way possible, just as its founders intended.
