Lucy Kuptana

Member Nunakput

Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Lucy Kuptana was elected to the 20th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in November 2023 to represent the constituency of Nunakput, which includes the communities of Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok. A member of the Executive Council, she is the Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Prior to her election, Mrs. Kuptana was the Senior Administrative Officer for the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk. She was also a director with the Tuktoyaktuk District Education Authority.

For 22 years previous, Mrs. Kuptana was the Director of Operations, Communications, and Culture with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC). In a volunteer capacity, she has served as a director of the Inuvik Homeless Shelter Society, trustee of the Arctic Inspiration Prize, president of the Inuvialuit Communications Society, director of the Inuvialuit Investment Corporation, director of the Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik Community Corporations, and a committee member for the 2023 Northern Youth Games “Inuvialuit Piuyausiat” in Tuktoyaktuk.

Originally from Aklavik and raised at her family’s bush camp in the Mackenzie Delta, Mrs. Kuptana obtained a Level II and Level III Certificate in Community Administration from Aurora College in the early 1990s and returned to graduate with a Diploma in Business Administration and Management in 2013. Mrs. Kuptana is currently enrolled with Yukon University, where she is working towards accreditation in the school’s First Nations Governance and Public Administration program.

Despite a successful career spanning decades, Mrs. Kuptana credits her husband and family in supporting her. She says she owes much of her success to those who have fought – and continue to fight – for Indigenous and Inuvialuit rights.

Mrs. Kuptana’s guiding principle is to lead with respect, empathy, knowledge, and the willingness to work hard for the constituents she represents and all residents of the Northwest Territories.

Nunakput Electoral District

Committees

Public Accounts
Lucy Kuptana
Nunakput
Member's Office

Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Canada

P.O. Box
1320
Email
Email
Phone
(867) 767-9143
Minister
Email
Email
Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women

Statements in Debates

Member’s Statement 248-20(1): Inuvialuit Day
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we are celebrating 40 years of the signing of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. This agreement is a culmination of many, many years of negotiations by Inuvialuit who sacrificed their lives, time away from their families, time away from the land, from harvesting, from work, to see this agreement through.

This agreement's negotiation was born at a time when industry was knocking on the door in the Arctic, and government was opening it up. To protect our rights, our land, and the ocean, the Inuvialuit developed a negotiating mandate based on evidence which included...

Question 245-20(1): Housing as a Human Right
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 21)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So Housing NWT acknowledges it does not have the adequate data and measurement. Due to the lack capacity and resources, Housing NWT has not historically tracked the levels of data that are required in today's world to demonstrate the needs required. Housing NWT is embarking on work that needed to complete a territorial housing needs assessment analysis in collaboration with the housing forum, which we seek to obtain a better baseline understanding of the overall housing statistics in the Northwest Territories and will then look to keep that data up to date on a...

Minister’s Statement 41-20(1): Fifth Anniversary of the Release of the Final Report of National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 20)

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the Fifth Anniversary of the Release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The final report describes the dire situation faced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBPQIA+ people as genocide, and delivers 231 Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, here in the Northwest Territories, where half of the population is Indigenous, we are all too familiar with the harmful effects of colonialism. From the era of...

Committee Motion 9-20(1): Tabled Document 93-20(1): Main Estimates 2024-2025, Deferral of Department – Health and Social Services, Carried
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 20)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In speaking to this motion, I want to support my colleague, Minister Cleveland in this position, but I also want to support the remarks of the MLA for Monfwi how important this position is. It's a leadership position in this government, and I find it funny that we're having a motion on the floor of the House to talk about a senior leadership position in this government for language and culture, somebody that's going to lead the way for this government and provide the best expertise to the Minister for language and culture. So when we talk colonization, when we talk...

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 19)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two pages from the Nunakput riding. Natalie Joss and Kianna Bernhardt who are both students at the Helen Kalvak Illihapaq in Ulukhaktok. Quyananni, and welcome to Natalie and Kianna for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 18)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize for my hand being late. You were pretty quick. I just want to have an opportunity today to recognize Beverly Amos. Beverly here is visiting us in the House. She's one of our very few Inuvialuktun language experts in the Northwest Territories. There's very few of them left, so I want to take this opportunity to recognize Beverly. Her hometown is Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, and she now lives with her husband Lawrence at their cabin at Hans Bay on the InuvikTuktoyaktuk Highway. So welcome, Beverly.

Tabled Document 101-20(1): Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 127-20(1): Policies and Future of Housing Northwest Territories
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 17)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Followup Letter for Oral Question 12720(1): Policies and Future of Housing Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 196-20(1): Housing Units Destined for Sahtu
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 17)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to MLA McNeely for the invite. I've met with Fort Good Hope, the K’asho Got’ine Housing Society a couple of times on virtual meetings, but I'd be pleased to meet with them in person. We can discuss dates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 196-20(1): Housing Units Destined for Sahtu
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 17)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What Housing NWT can confirm, related to the cancellation of the MTS barge to Tulita, was that there was one new duplex scheduled for delivery into Tulita for the 20242025 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 196-20(1): Housing Units Destined for Sahtu
Debates of , 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 17)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister of health suggested 2027. It will be definitely sooner. We'll talk over the next day or so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.