Arctic Inspiration Prize awards over $3.7 million to 12 teams leading change across the North

May 14, 2025

OTTAWA – Twelve Northern-led teams were celebrated today as laureates of the 2025 Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP), receiving over $3.7 million in recognition of their bold, community-driven projects. The awards ceremony took place this afternoon at the Rogers Centre (formerly the Shaw Centre) in Ottawa, where laureates were honoured alongside powerful performances by Northern artists under the artistic direction of Sylvia Cloutier.

Her Excellency The Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, opened the celebration, joined by leaders and partners from across Inuit Nunangat, the territories, and the North. Honoured guests included Premier P.J. Akeeagok; Premier Ranj Pillai; Senators Nancy Karetak-Lindell and Margaret Dawn Anderson; Minister Pamela Gross, Natan Obed (President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami), Jeremy Tunraluk (President, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.), Johannes Lampe (President, Nunatsiavut), and Duane Smith (President, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation). Their presence reflected the pan-Northern support and shared commitment to empowering community-led solutions.

“This year marks the 13th anniversary of the Arctic Inspiration Prize — and every year we continue to see the deep and lasting impact these projects have on Northern communities,” said Wally Schumann, Chair of the AIP Charitable Trust. “These are not one-off ideas. They are long-term, Northern-led solutions that strengthen language, culture, wellness, and opportunity. They are rooted in self-determination and guided by the people who live and lead in the North.”

This year’s largest prize — $1 million — was awarded to Bibia Nàtsät Ku: A Movement to Reclaim Yukon First Nations Midwifery and Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, a groundbreaking initiative to establish a culturally rooted birth and reproductive health centre in Whitehorse. The Ku (house) will be led by Yukon First Nations and offer Elder-guided, traditional and Western care for Indigenous families across the region.

“We know our families thrive when they have access to safe, culturally connected care — and that includes bringing birth back to our communities. This prize is not just recognition — it’s a turning point. It means we can begin building a house of care that honours our ways of knowing, our languages, and our futures. This will not only transform sexual and reproductive health care delivery in the Yukon, but will also influence systemic change across the Arctic — helping to shape safer, more culturally appropriate care for Indigenous communities throughout the North.” ~ Executive Director Shadelle Chambers from Council of Yukon First Nations.

The 2025 celebration featured a three-part performance reflecting seasonal cycles and traditional knowledge. Highlights included the story of a Dene hunter witnessing an animal transformation on the land, told through circus and music; a powerful operatic interpretation of Nuliajuk, the Inuit guardian of sea animals, performed by Deantha Edmunds and emerging Nunavut singer Princess Autut; and a spring finale with Kathy Snowball of Nunavik performing L’amour, honouring light, renewal, and the environment.

A full list of the 2025 laureates and project details follows below.

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About the Arctic Inspiration Prize
The Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP) is Canada’s largest annual prize, celebrating and enabling Northern-led achievements across the fields of education; health and wellbeing; culture, arts and language; science and traditional knowledge; climate change; food security; and the economy. Each year, the AIP awards: one $1 million prize, up to four prizes of up to $500,000 each, and up to seven youth prizes of up to $100,000 each. The AIP is owned and governed by the northern-led AIP Charitable Trust and is supported by a broad network of partners from the North and South.

For media inquiries:

Jill Clark
Manager of Communications and Media Relations
613-619-0230
jill.clark@rhf-frh.ca

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