OTTAWA — John Main was selected as Nunavut’s next premier on Tuesday, marking the first time Nunavut will have a non-Inuk leader.

Main, a third-term MLA who speaks fluent Inuktitut and served as Nunavut’s health minister in the previous assembly, beat out David Akeeagok for the position in a secret ballot vote in Nunavut’s Legislature.

“I will work to the best of my ability and work hard,” Main said, translated from Inuktitut, in a brief victory speech in the House.

Main, who is from Arviat — one of Nunavut’s larger communities with about 3,000 people along the shores west of Hudson’s Bay — is only the second premier to hail from the Kivalliq region of central Nunavut. Joe Savikataaq, also from Arviat, led the territory from 2018 to 2021.

Nunavut functions in a consensus style governme

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