Leona Aglukkaq
A trailblazing Inuk politician from Nunavut who broke barriers as Canada's first Indigenous woman to serve in the federal cabinet.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Canadian politician·Birthday: June 28·Generation X
Biography
Leona Aglukkaq's journey from the remote Nunavut community of Inuvik to the federal cabinet table is a story of determined representation. Before politics, she worked as a civil servant, gaining insight into the territorial government. Her election to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut in 2004 was a first step, but her historic victory in the 2008 federal election sent her to Ottawa as the Conservative MP for Nunavut. Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed her as Minister of Health, making her the first Inuk and first Indigenous woman to hold a federal cabinet portfolio. Her tenure was marked by a focus on Northern and Indigenous health challenges, including food security and suicide prevention. Later, as Minister of the Environment, she faced the complex task of balancing Arctic conservation with economic development. While her political career shifted after electoral defeat in 2015, Aglukkaq's legacy is that of a pioneer who forced open doors and insisted that the realities of the Arctic have a seat at the country's most powerful table.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Leona was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Leona Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Leona's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Inuk and first Indigenous woman to serve as a federal cabinet minister in Canada when appointed Minister of Health in 2008.
- Served as the Member of Parliament for the vast riding of Nunavut from 2008 to 2015.
- Held the cabinet portfolios of Minister of Health and later Minister of the Environment and Minister for the Arctic Council.
- Was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for the riding of Nattilik from 2004 to 2008.
Did You Know?
Prior to politics, she worked for the Government of Nunavut in departments including Finance and Human Resources.
Aglukkaq is a beneficiary of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
She served as the chair of the Arctic Council during Canada's chairmanship from 2013 to 2015.
“My work is about bringing the realities of the North to the national table.”
