About Sharon Angnakak | About Dissertation

About Sharon Angnakak

Born and raised in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Sharon Angnakak is life-long learner who advocates for Inuit distinction-based approaches towards research, policy development, program planning and implementation and is a firm believer in strength-based frameworks.

Sharon is the Assistant Director for Pre-Employment Training at Pilimmaksaivik, the Federal Center of Excellence in Employment for Nunavut Inuit. She is deeply committed to fostering opportunities for Inuit to develop skills necessary for employment in the Government of Canada. With a background in historical research, Sharon obtained a PhD in Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa in 2024, focusing her research on the role of Inuit perspectives in criminal court cases during World War I and II.

Sharon oversees several initiatives that support Inuit employment through developing innovative pre-employment training programs for Nunavut Inuit. She is also actively involved in drafting and coordinating the Whole of Government Inuit Employment Plan (IEP) and Whole of Government Pre-Employment Training Plan, focusing on future-forward strategies that emphasize accredited programming, recruitment, retention, and career advancement for Inuit employees across federal departments.

Known for her strategic thinking and attention to detail, Sharon is adept at balancing multiple complex projects and working under tight deadlines. Her work has included overseeing the development of curriculum accreditation for the Inuit Learning and Development Program (ILDP) and managing data collection initiatives that assess Inuit representation in government roles.

A passionate advocate for Inuit cultural heritage and societal values, Sharon has contributed to numerous policy and strategic plans aimed at improving Inuit representation and career progression within the Government of Canada. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Sharon is also a dedicated mother of two and has a strong interest in Arctic sovereignty, Inuit cultural impact on historical narratives, and contemporary myth-making, as explored in her research.

About Dissertation

Uqattiartuq: Inuit and Qallunaat interpretations of religion and law in early 20th century Canada 

In 1917 two Inuit men, Hinnihiaq and Ulukhaq, became the first Inuit tried under British Law for the murders of Roman Catholic Oblate Missionaries Jean-Baptiste Rouviere and Guillaume Leroux. Canada used the trials to affirm its sovereignty over the Arctic, shown through the exercise of its judicial system over the Inuit men. Uqattiartuq, which means “he/she speaks well,” is employed as a concept in this dissertation to emphasize Inuktut, the language of Inuit, as integral to understand and interpret this historical event. Another case study reflects on the 1941 Belcher Island murder trials, where the government officials decided that nine murders among the Inuit were the result of "religious frenzy" caused by Inuit misinterpretations of the Christian Bible. This case became the first full trial to be held on Inuit Nunangat. More broadly, the dissertation theorizes how Canada used religious interpretations to validate their quiet invasion of the Arctic and increasing power over Inuit as a global signal of strength, shown by the application of British law unto Inuit during WWI and WWII of the twentieth century.