About Sharon Angnakak

Sharon Angnakak, PhD (University of Ottawa, 2024), is a scholar of religion and history whose research explores Inuit perspectives in landmark twentieth-century court cases. She completed her doctoral studies under Dr. Emma Anderson and earned her MA under Dr. Angela Sumegi and credits these two women whose steadfast support – along with the support of her mother and other strong women – for shaping and sustaining her academic journey. Born and raised in Iqaluit, she brings extensive experience in Inuit employment, heritage, and policy development through roles within the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut. Her academic and professional work reflects a deep commitment to strength-based approaches in community-engagement, education, research, historiography, and cultural heritage.

About Dissertation

Inuit Perspectives in and on “Arctic Show Trials” 

Sharon Angnakak’s doctoral research examines Inuit perspectives in criminal court cases during the First and Second World Wars, focusing on how colonial legal systems encountered Inuit understandings of justice, community, and spirituality. Drawing on archival records and published Inuit oral histories, the study situates these early-twentieth-century cases within the wider history of Arctic sovereignty and the complex interactions between Inuit law, Canadian state power, and global conflict. By foregrounding Inuktut (language), Maligait (law), and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (philosophy) as interpretive frameworks, Sharon challenges conventional narratives of Inuit history, revealing how Inuit interpreted legal and religious messages through their own worldviews and, at times, actively resisted colonial encroachment – including through force – as these court cases make clear.

Dissertation link: https://ruor.uottawa.ca/items/ebea7435-beb1-4c65-a4da-09bd27aaa479