Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 8, 2003
• Invested on: December 12, 2003

A leader within his community and a talented artist, John Kaunak has played a vital role in preserving his ancestors' customs and values. Former mayor of Repulse Bay, he has served on many local and regional committees and on the Kivalliq Regional Council. Through exhibits of his soapstone and bone carvings in Canada and abroad, he has promoted this art form for more than four decades. Widely respected for the depth of his knowledge of the land, he continues to act as a protector of Inuit traditions by teaching time-honoured skills to the youth of Nunavut.