About NIIA
Learn more about NIIA’s mandate, activities, and history. Meet the Board of Directors and find out where the general/annual meetings have taken place in Nunavik in the last 35 plus years!
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Nunalituqait Ikajuqatigiittut Inuit Association was established in 1987, is funded by Health Canada and focuses on the development of Inuit expertise and capacity in the area of addictions.
Mandate:
• Promote and provide public awareness of wellness, addictions and substance abuse.
• Support communities in Nunavik to prevent substance abuse and promote well-being in all areas of community life.
• Contribute to the identification and delivery of addiction services (prevention, screening, assessment, counseling, treatment, referral, and aftercare).
• Promote programs and activities that are trauma-informed, based on best practices and ensure safety. -
• Provides information on alcohol, drugs, addictions and wellness generally
• Supports Community initiatives in prevention through project funding
• Works with regional partners in the development of services in the areas of addictions
• Develops and distributes materials in Inuktitut
• Distributes resources throughout the region
• Provides access to training• Develops and implements projects to respond to specific needs in the region such as:
• Sponsorship to conferences on wellness, FASD and Suicide Prevention
• QANAQ Youth Conference
• Provides support to communities developing local prevention programs
• Lobbies for the development of a full range of addictions services in Nunavik
• Established the “Nunavik Wellness Day” celebrating Community Role Models -
General Members Meeting (GMM) takes place every two years. Two representatives are invited from each of the Northern Villages in Nunavik to join the meeting and two-day training related to mental health and information.
Here is the list of where meetings have taken place since the beginning:
Ungava
Kangiqsualujjuaq — 2013
Kuujjuaq — 1997/Quaqtaq, 1999, 2000
Tasiujaq — 1993, 2022
Aupaluk — n/a
Kangirsuk — 1990, 2001
Quaqtaq — 1989, 1994, 2004, 2010
Kangiqsujuaq — 1995/Iqaluit 2002, 2007, 2016Hudson
Salluit — 1991
Ivujivik — 1999, 2003, 2011
Akulivik — 2009
Puvirnituq — 2006
Inukjuak — 1996, 2002, 2018
Umiujaq — 1989, 2024
Kuujjuaraapik — 1992, 2005, 2014
* The next GMM will take place in Umiujaq in August or September 2024!
The following positions will be voted on: President, Youth Member, and Treasurer. -
NIIA has a Board of Directors (BOD) made up of 6 elected positions and 5 appointed positions representing organizations. The elected BOD members are determined at the General Members Meetings (GMM) and alternate in years.
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Melinda Hickey, Kativik Ilisarnilirniq Representative, 2021-2023
Elena Berthe, Treasurer, 2018-2024
Emma Munick, Youth Representative, 2018-2024
Anita Annanack, Qarjuit Youth Council Representative, 2020-2024
Shirley White-Dupuis, NRBHSS, 2015-2024
Meet our Board of Directors
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Community Member
She is passionate about gathering community together. She hopes that more people will take advantage of NIIA trainings and workshops. By showing up, there is less isolation.
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NIIA Program Manager – Secretary
Karin recently started with NIIA and is learning a lot about the organization. She gets excited to see the transformation people go through when they gain knowledge or understanding. NIIA supports people and tries to give positive helpful information. Karin believes everyone has the power inside of them to heal, grow and thrive.
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Community Member
Workshops about healing and having opportunities to talk with each other is what excites him most. He would like to see more people participate in these kinds of meetings so that everyone can heal. He hopes he can help others who are struggling.
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Treasurer
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President
He was part of NIIA from the beginning in 1980’s. He likes to talk about the ways of solving problems in the lives of people, hearing about others that have been healed and knowing that he is not the only one. He would like to see young men rise and become stronger. We are all human and there is no difference among us.
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Vice-President
Lizzie has been with NIIA since 2016. She loves to see people understand the power of healing. Lizzie wants Inuit to understand the roots of our troubles come from colonization.
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Inuulitsivik Health Centre Representative
Eva is interested in making people feel comfortable and at ease without negativity. Wellness means being a survivor of grief and going through healing. If you can walk through this, you start contributing back to the community. What she likes about NIIA is that it is a place of no judgement.
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Youth Member
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Kativik Ilisarniliriniq Representative
He recently became part of the Board. He wants everyone to live life to the fullest. He is impressed that NIIA deals with personal issues that no one wants to talk about. He would like to see more people heal without drugs and alcohol.
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Qarjuit Youth Council Representative
What excites Janice the most about wellness is the journey of understanding the body and what it needs to feel balanced—not just physically, but also emotionally and mentally. For her, sewing is more than just a creative outlet; it’s a way to cope, to recharge, and to express her identity in a meaningful way.
She also admires NIIA for its dedication to strengthening Inuit knowledge and skills in the field of addiction. Being part of this work feels like both a responsibility and an exciting opportunity for her to keep learning and growing with such an inspiring organization.
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Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre Representative
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Nunavik regional Board of Health and Social Services Representative
NIIA is funded by:
