Newly elected federal Conservative Leona Aglukkaq is the newest Northern MP and the first Inuk to be named to cabinet. Up Here spoke with her about her job as the nation’s health minister.

UH: Were you surprised when Prime Minister Harper picked you?

LA: A bit. But at the same time I was just so honoured to be given this opportunity to represent Nunavummiut. And then when I was asked to take on this role as health minister, I was deeply honoured.

UH: The media has focused on you being the first Inuk in cabinet. How do you feel about that?

LA: People of course are very, very happy, and I’m honoured – but I never thought of it that way, to be honest. It didn’t dawn on me until after the fact. If that sends a message to Inuit that we can be at the table, I think it’s good news. I hope to encourage other Inuit to enter federal politics.

UH: You were Nunavut’s health minister. Will that help you?

LA: It’s going to help a lot. And before that, I also spent over 20 years as a senior public servant of the Northwest Territories as well as Nunavut. So I think I bring that to the table as well. Working as a territorial minister, I had an opportunity to work with the other ministers of every jurisdiction and have gotten to learn some of their issues as well.

UH: How will you put a Northern cultural stamp on Ottawa?

LA: I think in terms of promoting Northern culture and art and the outfits many Northerners make. I think there’s an opportunity for me to wear those outfits. I’ve talked to students up North in the seal-fur-making course to try and work out an arrangement to promote what they’ve made, wearing them in the House of Commons.