Levinia Brown facts for kids

Levinia Nuqaalaq Brown was born in 1947 in Dawson Inlet, Nunavut. She is an Inuk politician from Canada. Ms. Brown served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the area of Rankin Inlet South/Whale Cove. She was an MLA in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut from 2004 to 2008.

She was chosen as an MLA on February 16, 2004. Other MLAs then elected her to join the Executive Council of Nunavut. Premier Paul Okalik named her the Deputy Premier on March 9, 2004. She also worked as the Minister of Community and Government Services for Nunavut.

Before becoming an MLA, Ms. Brown was the first female mayor of Rankin Inlet. She also served on the town's council. She helped start the Nunavut Teacher Education Program, which trains teachers. Outside of politics, she worked as a classroom assistant and a nursing assistant. She also worked with local housing and education groups. Ms. Brown speaks Inuktitut.

Political Journey

Serving Rankin Inlet

Levinia Brown was part of the town council for Rankin Inlet starting in 1995. She believed that voters needed more information before deciding on land sales. This idea was shared by other local leaders. During the creation of Nunavut in 1999, she spoke to CBC Radio. She helped people in southern Canada understand how important this event was.

In 2000, many more women were elected to councils in the Kivalliq Region. Ms. Brown was happy to see women seeking office. She said it was important for women, elders, and youth to be represented in government.

Ms. Brown was the first woman to be mayor of Rankin Inlet. She once spoke about the effects of the mining industry in the town.

In the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut

On February 16, 2004, Ms. Brown was elected to represent Rankin Inlet South/Whale Cove. This was in the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. Other MLAs then chose her to be part of the Executive Council of Nunavut. Premier Paul Okalik made her the Deputy Premier on March 9.

During her time as an MLA, she focused on improving the health and well-being of Nunavut. She believed in combining social changes, economic growth, and community power. She also served as the Minister of Health and Social Services.

In 2006, Premier Okalik, Education Minister Ed Picco, and Ms. Brown made an announcement. They said Rankin Inlet would get money to build a trade school. This school would be part of the Nunavut Arctic College. It would offer more career training for people in the area. Today, this school is called Sanatuliqsarvik, or the Nunavut Trades Training Centre.

In 2008, Ms. Brown ran for re-election but did not win. Lorne Kusugak, who was the mayor of Rankin Inlet, won the election. He received 62% of the votes, while Ms. Brown received 38%. In that election, 10 out of 15 seats in the Legislative Assembly went to new people.

After the Assembly

In 2016, Ms. Brown ran for president of the Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI). Her main goals were to help elders, lower food prices, and create more jobs. She also wanted more openness about money. She noted that many elders were sent to southern areas for care. This meant they were away from their families and traditional foods.

For young people, she suggested working with different levels of government. She wanted to find ways to involve youth more. To help with unemployment, she proposed training for NTI members. This training would help them get higher-level jobs, not just service roles. She also suggested looking into building a road from Manitoba to Nunavut. This could create jobs and lower food prices.

In 2019, Ms. Brown shared that she did not originally support the creation of Nunavut. However, she admired the strong will of those who did. She later became glad that Nunavut had its own government. She also pointed out that housing problems, like overcrowding and mold, were still an issue. She noted that the region needed more medical equipment and facilities. Medical travel and emergency flights were very expensive. She hoped to see more Inuit people in government in the future.

In 2020, Ms. Brown was chosen to be a member of the Governing Circle for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR).

Personal Life

Levinia Brown was born in 1947 in Dawson Inlet, Nunavut. Her father delivered her because there were no nurses or doctors nearby. As a child, she celebrated Christmas with gifts from family. These gifts included southern-made items or Inuit clothing like kamiks. She would go to mass at the local mission church. People would travel there by dog sled from nearby camps. After dinner at the church, they played games and had races outdoors. Prizes included large bags of flour and sugar. These bags were later used as household items like tea towels.

Ms. Brown went to the Sir Joseph Bernier federal school in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut. She was a day student and was not allowed to speak Inuktitut. She also went to school in Churchill, Manitoba. After school, she became Rankin Inlet's first teaching assistant. She then graduated as a Certified Nursing Assistant from St. Anthony Hospital in The Pas. She worked as a nursing assistant in several territories.

In 1978, Ms. Brown became a certified Northwest Territories Classroom Assistant. She played a key role in creating an Eastern Arctic Teacher Education Program in Iqaluit. Two years later, she became the first chair of the Keewatin Regional Education Authority. Before becoming the first female mayor of Rankin Inlet, she also chaired the local housing authority. She worked as an information officer and served as deputy mayor.

Levinia Brown is married to Ron Brown. They have 10 children, including 3 who were custom adopted.