# Natan Obed > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Natan_Obed > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Natan_Obed.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natan_Obed > Source revision: 1338584296 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Natan Obed** (born 1976) is a Canadian politician who has served as president of the [Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami](/source/Inuit_Tapiriit_Kanatami) (ITK) since September 2015. ## Early life Obed was born in [Fredericton](/source/Fredericton), [New Brunswick](/source/New_Brunswick) and moved to [Nain](/source/Nain,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador), [Nunatsiavut](/source/Nunatsiavut), which he considers his hometown, as a child.[2] He moved to [Maine](/source/Maine) at the age of 12 with his mother after his parents separated.[3][4] Obed stayed in the United States for college when he received a scholarship to [Tufts University](/source/Tufts_University) in Boston. He graduated from Tufts with an English and American Studies degree in 2001.[1][5] After graduation, he returned to Canada and worked for the [Labrador Inuit Association](/source/Labrador_Inuit_Association) and was Director of Social and Cultural Development for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the organization that represents the rights of [Nunavut](/source/Nunavut) Inuit.[6] ## Political career In 2008, Obed was a candidate in [Nunatsiavut's](/source/Nunatsiavut) first presidential election.[7] He was defeated by [Jim Lyall](/source/Jim_Lyall_(politician)). On September 17, 2015, Obed was elected president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national organization that represents [Inuit](/source/Inuit) across Canada.[8] Obed regularly speaks out about issues affecting the Arctic and Inuit community, such as the colonial harm of the [Edmonton Eskimos](/source/Edmonton_Eskimos) football team's moniker,[9] the poor press coverage of the Prime Minister's apology for the government's role in the mistreatment of Inuit with tuberculosis in the 1940s to 1960s,[10] and the suicide epidemic.[11] In 2016, he authored a report, "Inuit Priorities for Canada's Climate Strategy: A Canadian Inuit Vision for Our Common Future in Our Homelands",[12] and in 2019 the federal government committed $1 million toward implementing the strategy.[13] In 2018, *[Maclean's](/source/Maclean's)* named him one of five politicians to watch.[14] He currently lives in [Iqaluit, Nunavut](/source/Iqaluit,_Nunavut), with his wife and two sons.[11] From 2025, Obed is serving as the vice chair representing Canada at the [Inuit Circumpolar Council](/source/Inuit_Circumpolar_Council).[15] ## References 1. Bell, Jim (2015-08-27). ["The ITK presidential contest: Natan Obed"](https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674the_itk_presidential_contest_natan_obed/). *Nunatsiaq News*. Retrieved 2022-09-19. 1. Madwar, Samia (June 21, 2018). ["Becoming Natan Obed"](https://thewalrus.ca/becoming-natan-obed/). *The Walrus*. Retrieved February 4, 2020. 1. Madwar, Samia (2018-06-21). ["Becoming Natan Obed"](https://thewalrus.ca/becoming-natan-obed/). *The Walrus*. Retrieved 2020-02-04. 1. ["Inuit Leader Calls Out Media For Asking SNC-Lavalin Questions At Apology"](https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/03/08/natan-obed-media-snc-lavalin_a_23688192/). *HuffPost Canada*. March 8, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020. 1. ["Canada’s national Inuit leader Natan Obed reflects on his journey of self-discovery through his senior honors thesis at Tufts"](https://www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2022/04/canadas-national-inuit-leader-natan-obed-reflects-on-his-journey-of-self-discovery-through-his-senior-honors-thesis-at-tufts). *The Tufts Daily*. Retrieved 2026-02-16. 1. ["Natan Obed"](http://www.arcticnet.ulaval.ca/user/natan-obed/1484). *www.arcticnet.ulaval.ca*. Retrieved February 5, 2020. 1. ["SaltWire | Newfoundland & Labrador"](http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Regional/2008-05-08/article-1447645/Jim-Lyall-declared-first-elected-president-of-Labrador-territory:-Nunatsiavut/1) 1. ["Natan Obed elected president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/natan-obed-elected-president-of-inuit-tapiriit-kanatami-1.3232712). *Canadian Broadcasting Corporation*. September 17, 2015. Retrieved 2020-02-03. 1. ["NunatsiaqOnline 2015-12-02: COMMENTARY: Natan Obed: why the name "Edmonton Eskimos" harms Inuit"](http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674natan_obed_why_the_name_edmonton_eskimos_harms_inuit/). *Nunatsiaqonline.ca*. December 2, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2016. 1. ["Inuit Leader Calls Out Media For Asking SNC-Lavalin Questions At Apology"](https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/03/08/natan-obed-media-snc-lavalin_a_23688192/). *HuffPost Canada*. 2019-03-08. Retrieved February 4, 2020. 1. ["Difficult childhood shaped my Inuit identity, Natan Obed says"](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nate-obed-inuit-paris-climate-suicide-nain-labrador-1.3355277). *Canadian Broadcasting Company*. December 8, 2015. Retrieved 2020-02-04. 1. Obed, Natan (2016). [*Inuit Priorities for Canada's Climate Strategy: a Canadian Inuit Vision for Our Common Future in Our Homelands*](https://www.itk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ITK_Climate-Change-Report_English.pdf). Ottawa, ON.: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatam. [OCLC 1000201960](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1000201960) 1. Kyle, Kate (2019-06-07). ["Canadian Inuit organization launches climate change strategy"](https://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2019/06/07/inuit-itk-climate-change-strategy-canada/). *Eye on the Arctic*. Retrieved 2020-02-04. 1. "Top 5 politicians to watch". *Maclean's*. **130**: 25. January 2018. 1. ["Who's who at ICC: ICC Executive Council Members, 1977 to present"](https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/whos-who-at-icc/). *Inuit Circumpolar Council*. 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2025-09-09. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Natan Obed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natan_Obed) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natan_Obed?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.