Board Members

Tara Tootoo Fotheringham (President, Amautiit)

Tara Tootoo Fotheringham has a strong history of involvement with Rankin Inlet, and currently resides in Headingley, Manitoba. She is an established entrepreneur since 2000 and is celebrated for providing services promoting accessible services based on the community’s needs and its traditions. She is an advocate for Indigenous issues and “will always speak up for the Northern communities to ensure that they have everything they need.” Tootoo Fotheringham is also a member of the Amundsen board, Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce, and sits on the Kivalliq Legal Services Board.

For decades, Tootoo Fotheringham was a hamlet councilor and an influential role in the decision-making for the community. She was instrumental in the implementation of Rankin Inlet’s second daycare centre and worked for the local government as a custom adoption commissioner, arranging Inuit baby adoptions. Through these experiences, she developed one of her first successful businesses: a Bed and Breakfast resulting from a need for pregnant women from surrounding communities to have a place to stay to birth the baby. Several years later, she opened Sugar Rush Café: an all-inclusive gathering space for the community that encouraged patrons from youth to elders. As a result of these inspired businesses, Tootoo Fotheringham won the BDC’s Young Entrepreneur Award for Nunavut.

Tara Tootoo Fotheringham is now CEO of Arctic Buying Co-Kivalliq, active for over a decade. This delivery and freight service supports Northern Communities to ensure they have access to goods, services, and essentials to thrive.

Lynn Mike (Vice President Amautiit)

Prior to becoming Mayor, Lynn worked for several years with the Government of Nunavut’s Economic Development and Transportation (EDT), where she developed expertise in community engagement, program development, and capacity building. She also completed the College Foundations program, as well as studies in Environmental Technology and Nunavut Sivuniksavut, providing her with a strong foundation to address the unique challenges of the North. Lynn is also a proud graduate of Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit.

In addition, Lynn recently joined the Amautiit Board, where she continues to contribute to Pangnirtung’s growth and well-being in meaningful ways. Outside of her professional duties, she volunteers as a firefighter, playing a crucial role in protecting her community.
In her free time, Lynn enjoys sewing, baking, and spending quality moments with her large family—activities that offer her both relaxation and creative expression. Her dedication to her work, service to her community, and personal passions make her a true role model for the people of Pangnirtung.

Priscilla Kuksuk

Priscilla Kuksuk, originally from Arviat, Nunavut, has lived in Ottawa, Ontario since 2016. Prior to her move, Kuksuk worked at the Government of Nunavut in the department of Economic Development (Iqaluit) and Education (Baker Lake). Upon moving to Ottawa,  Kuksuk noticed a lack of Inuktitut/Inuktut speaking Early Years Educators for her own young children, and has since completed Early Childhood Education at Algonquin College in 2021.  During the course of her studies, she also struggled to find financial assistance for research support. This experience resulted in her taking the role of Inuit Post Secondary Education Project Coordinator at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in order to provide support to Inuit students with the same struggles.

Language and travel has always been a fascination with Kuksuk. She grew up speaking only Inuktitut/Inuktut, and takes pride in her fluency, her ability to read, write, and share with others. She is able to understand many dialects in Inuktitut/Inuktut, and is also learning German and Arabic through classes and her social circles. Gender equality and human rights are also an important issue with Kuksuk; she has a particular investment in understanding the needs of Inuit girls, women, and families, so that she might assist in finding solutions to the challenges they face within their communities. 

Kuksuk is a proud Inuk mother of three, and attributes her motivations and inspiration to her children.

Dorothy Tootoo (Elder Advisor, Amautiit)

Dorothy Tootoo is well known across Nunavut and beyond for her twelve years of dedicated service as a commanding officer for the 3019 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps (RCACC) in Rankin Inlet, as well as her years as a student counsellor for Nunavut Arctic College in Rankin Inlet. Tootoo is a vigilant advocate for education, helping students to achieve their goals and persist in the pursuit of education. For example, she notably initiated a mentoring program for students with the support of local elders. More recently, she has co-led a several week international entrepreneurship program in Rankin Inlet (2021); the program not only promoted creative and experimental learning, but also fostered cross-cultural networking and exchanging methods of education.

Megan Porter (Treasurer, Amautiit)

Megan Porter is the former Mayor of Hamlet of Gjoa Haven. Porter was elected in 2019, and will finish her term in 2023. Porter also works full time with the Government of Nunavut as the Government Liaison Officer. 

Jasmine Redfern (President, Amautiit)

Jasmine Redfern is based in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and graduated from the Nunavut Law Program in 2021 with the University of Saskatchewan. While in the program, she won awards for both academic performance and community involvement. Jasmine is passionate about advocacy, community-building, and social inclusion; she has training in interest-based mediation and is interested in alternative dispute resolution processes. She is a current member of the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal, National Indigenous Law Student Association, and the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund advisory committee. Prior to returning to school, Jasmine held the position of Assistant Director of Social and Cultural Development at Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Her past work also included the Aboriginal Program Coordinator at YOUTHCO and Vice-President of Embrace Life Council. She was also a longstanding member of the National Indigenous Young Women’s Council and the National Aboriginal Council for HIV/AIDS. Her focus has often highlighted health issues for Indigenous women and youth, as well as LGBTQ2S communities.