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The Honourable
Nancy Karetak-Lindell
The Honourable Nancy Karetak-Lindell
ᓇᓐᓰ ᑲᕆᑕᒃ-ᓕᓐᑎᓪ
Canadian Senator; from Nunavut
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; December 19, 2024
Nominated by	Justin Trudeau
Appointed by	Mary Simon
Preceded by	Dennis Patterson
Member of Parliament; for Nunavut
	In office; June 2, 1997 – October 14, 2008
Preceded by	Jack Anawak
Succeeded by	Leona Aglukkaq
Personal details
Born	December 10, 1957 (age 67); Eskimo Point, Northwest Territories
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	widowed - Jon Lindell (died 1998)
Residence(s)	Arviat, Nunavut
Profession	Canadian politician, financial comptroller

Nancy Uqquujuq Karetak-Lindell CM^[1] (born December 10, 1957) is a politician who has served as a senator from Nunavut since December 2024 and was previously an MP in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2008.

Early life and career

She was born in Eskimo Point, Northwest Territories (now Arviat, Nunavut)^[2] and is Inuit.

Prior to politics, she was a financial comptroller and held councillor positions for the Municipal Hamlet and District Education Authority in Arviat, Nunavut.

She was director of the Jane Glassco Arctic Fellowship Program^[3] from 2009 until 2012.^[4] Karetak-Lindell served as president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada and has been Chief Returning Officer for multiple Inuit organization elections and has worked for Elections Nunavut.

Karetak-Lindell has been on the board of directors of the Nunavut Development Corporation, the Nunavut Business Credit Corporation, the Kivalliq Inuit Association, Katimavik,^[5] Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Northwestel, and Thebacha College that transitioned into Arctic College and then, after division of the territories, Nunavut Arctic College. She is currently on the board for Nunavut Trust, Polar Knowledge Canada and a member of the Task Force on Women in the Economy.^[3]

Political career

Karetak-Lindell ran for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal candidate during the 1997 federal election in the riding of Nunavut, becoming the first female MP for the Eastern Arctic. She was re-elected in the 2000, 2004 and 2006 elections.^[2]

She was the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources in 2003.^[2] She also served as the chair as well as the vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development,^[2] a member of the Liaison Committee,^[2] Fisheries and Oceans Standing Committee, an associate member of both the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage^[6] and the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.^[7]

Karetak-Lindell kept her seat in the 2006 federal election, but later announced she would not seek re-election in the 2008 election^[8] and wished to spend more time in the company of her family and to take care of her elderly parents.^[8]

Senate

On December 19, 2024, she was summoned to the Senate of Canada by Governor General Mary Simon, on the advice of prime minister Justin Trudeau.^[9]

Personal life and awards

In 2022, she was named as a Member of the Order of Canada.^[10]

She is the mother to four sons.

Electoral record

v t e 2006 Canadian federal election: Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Nancy Karetak-Lindell	3,673	39.98	−11.32	$10,669
	Conservative	David Aglukark	2,670	29.06	+14.62	$5,486
	New Democratic	Bill Riddell	1,576	17.15	+1.98	$11,990
	Marijuana	D. Ed deVries	724	7.88	–	$1,162
	Green	Feliks Kappi	544	5.92	+2.59	$3,950
Total valid votes/expense limit			9,187	100.0		$74,506
Total rejected ballots			64	0.70
Turnout			9,251	54.10
	Liberal hold		Swing		−12.97

v t e 2004 Canadian federal election: Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Nancy Karetak-Lindell	3,818	51.30	−17.71	$18,035
	Independent	Manitok Thompson	1,172	15.74	–	$5,945
	New Democratic	Bill Riddell	1,129	15.17	−3.09	$12,810
	Conservative	Duncan Cunningham	1,075	14.44	+6.24	$16,838
	Green	Nedd Kenney	248	3.33	−1.19	$190
Total valid votes			7,442	100.00
Total rejected ballots			33	0.44
Turnout			7,475	43.86
	Liberal hold		Swing		−16.72
Change for the Conservatives is based on the results of the Progressive Conservatives.

v t e 2000 Canadian federal election: Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Nancy Karetak-Lindell	5,327	69.01	+23.13	$35,282
	New Democratic	Palluq Susan Enuaraq	1,410	18.26	−5.50
	Progressive Conservative	Mike Sherman	633	8.20	−15.93	$6,045
	Green	Brian Robert Jones	349	4.52	–	$9,304
Total valid votes			7,719	100.00
Total rejected ballots			54	0.69
Turnout			7,773	54.10
	Liberal hold		Swing		+14.32

v t e 1997 Canadian federal election: Nunavut
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Nancy Karetak-Lindell	3,302	45.88	−23.87	$30,212
	Progressive Conservative	Okalik Eegeesiak	1,737	24.13	+3.54	$11,251
	New Democratic	Hunter Tootoo	1,710	23.76	+14.10	$11,918
	Reform	John Turner	447	6.21	–
Total valid votes			7,196	100.00
Total rejected ballots			48	0.66
Turnout			7,244	59.80
	Liberal notional hold		Swing		−13.70