Biography

Nellie Taptaqut Kusugak is a retired professional bilingual teacher with an extensive background in traditional and cultural education, teaching English as a second language and working with community Elders.

Fluent in Inuktitut and English, Mrs. Kusugak has been a prominent member of the education community since 1986. Nellie has held teaching positions in both the public school system and Nunavut Arctic College, a post secondary institution. In these educational positions, Nellie has taught a range of grade levels and a variety of college courses with a focus in the Nunavut Teachers Education Program, a program in which she herself is a graduate receiving a Bachelors of Education in 1996.

Nellie is the daughter of Johnny and Rhoda Karetak and is married to the late Jose Kusugak. Together with her husband, Nellie raised her four children; Aliisa, Pujjuut, Alaana and Special and has seen her family grow to include her twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Nellie’s passion is preserving and strengthening her Inuit culture, tradition and language and she enjoys both teaching and sharing it with others.