Our Board

Jane Hamilton

Co-Chair
As the owner and principal of See Jane Run Communications since 2001, Jane Hamilton has worked with clients in a variety of profit and not-for-profit sectors, including the healthcare, education, government and industry sectors. A passionate advocate and volunteer, she completed the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD-Rotman) Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials program in November 2018.

Jane is co-chair of the Arctic Rose Foundation, a Special Olympics NCCP qualified curling coach and an active board member with Project Autism. Jane has also served on the boards of MacLachlan College, the Centre of ADHD Advocacy Canada (CADDAC) and the Oakville Parent-Child Centre, and represented the Arctic Rose Foundation on the Oakville Truth and Reconciliation Partnership.

She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism from Ryerson University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English from the University of Western Ontario, and a Master of Arts (MA) in International Journalism from City University in London, UK. In 2021, she completed the University of Alberta online Indigenous Canada course.

Sherry Saevil

Co-Chair
Sherry Saevil is a Cree woman from Treaty 6 with a degree in Native Studies and Criminology from the University of Saskatchewan.

Sherry developed her passion for Indigenous issues through personal experience and professional life. Sherry’s mother and all of her Aunts and Uncles were survivors of the residential school system. She comes from a family of ten children who were all part of the “Sixties Scoop”. She is the first generation to raise her children without government interference.

Sherry has always worked for Indigenous organizations, starting with the Treaty and Aboriginal Rights Researcher Centre in Manitoba, where she was the lead researcher in archival research. She spent five years at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory as the Assistant Director focusing on land claims research in preparation for submissions to the Federal Government. Sherry now works with the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) as the Indigenous Education Advisor.

Sherry is a passionate advocate for Indigenous issues and regularly speaks about several key subjects including residential schools, treaties and social issues facing Indigenous people. Sherry continues to support a variety of educational initiatives at the HCDSB by providing professional development to all staff, introducing Indigenous Elders, artists, performers, Traditional Knowledge Keepers to the schools, and encouraging teachers to embed Indigenous ways of knowing into the curriculum.

Sherry is regularly invited to participate on key National events such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the Educational Roundtable with the National Centre of Truth and Reconciliation, the International Indigenous Education Conference, treaty discussions with the Treaty Commission of Saskatchewan. Most recently, Sherry was a recipient of the Sesquicentennial Award for her contribution in supporting reconciliation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

Victor Tootoo

Secretary Treasurer
Victor Tootoo is the vice president of NVision Insight Group, which specializes in strategy, budgeting and reporting for local development projects with all levels of government and Inuit organizations in Northern Canada. He is also the president of Northern Allied Nunavut Travel, a travel management company which caters to corporations in Northern Canada; the president of Kivallingmiut Aviation, which provides helicopter and charter services in Northern Canada; and president of Nahanni Nunavut Construction, which provides civil project management and general contractor services.

Victor has held numerous positions with various governments in the North, holds a Certified General Accounting designation, and also attended Assiniboine Community College where he obtained a Diploma in Business Administration, Management and Operations.

Darrell Ohokannoak

Board Member
Darrell Ohokannoak and his family recently made a life changing decision to move from their home community of Cambridge Bay to Yellowknife. Prior to moving, he spent over 20 years with the Kitikmeot Corporation as the manager of Polarnet, and later on as the property manager.  He was also chair/president of Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation, first selected as chairman of NBDC in 2005 by the NBDC directors.

Darrell was one of the principal individuals who started Polarnet in 1997 – providing local internet access to the five Kitikmeot communities. Today, Darrell has shifted his gears after more than 20 years in the IT sector to programs facilitations with the Federal Government of Canada.

Suzanne Leclair

Board Member
Suzanne Leclair is the Lead of Indigenous and Stakeholder Relations with Agnico Eagle Mines in Nunavut. In her role, she heads and manages stakeholder relationships and engagement activities for consultations and community sustainable development. Additionally, she oversees the enhanced integration of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and traditional knowledge to guide exploration and operations teams in Nunavut. She also sits on various internal committees to support community donations, Inuit Impact Benefits Agreements and community infrastructure investments.

Suzanne leads and implements plain language initiatives to enhance technical understanding of various regulatory activities. She oversees the implementation of various community-based monitoring activities with local wildlife and hunting organizations in Kivalliq. She also leads the Path to Net Zero Arctic Housing Study and the open source supply chain strategy.

Suzanne is a lawyer with the Ontario Law Society and spends much of her time in Nunavut and Montreal. She is actively engaged in golf, running and skiing.

Qajaq Robinson

Board Member

Qajaq Robinson is a lawyer with EQR Law, based in the National Capital Region. Qajaq practices law in the areas of administrative and regulatory law, Indigenous rights, Human rights and workplace investigations. Qajaq continues to focus her work on and for the north and Inuit Nunangat.

She is a Graduate of Akitsiraq Law School/University of Victoria. Following Law school, Qajaq articled at Nunavut Legal Aid and clerked with Judges of the Nunavut Court of Justice under then-Chief Justice Madame Justice Beverley Browne. As a lawyer, Qajaq has worked as a Federal Prosecutor, as an associate at the national law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, as legal counsel for the Judges Specific Claims Tribunal, and in 2016 to 2019 as a Commissioner for the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls National Inquiry