Families in all seven Kivalliq communities can now tap into new funding for local projects and education, after the Kivalliq Inuit Association board gave the green light to the first payouts from the Sapuulutaq Fund in mid-July 2026.
Meeting in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut from July 14 to 16, the board approved roughly $17.1 million for a Community Initiative Fund and another $1.9 million for an Education Fund. Dollars started flowing on April 1, 2026, and residents can apply — details are on the KIA website.
“These funds are a result of the mining royalties and the return on investment,” President Kono Tattuinee said in a news release following the meeting.
The money comes from gold mines operating on Inuit-owned land. Most of it flows from Agnico Eagle’s Meliadine and Whale Tail sites in the Kivalliq. Rankin Inlet, the regional centre, will see the largest total – about $3.5 million for community initiatives plus roughly $384,000 for schooling – while Whale Cove gets the smallest tranche at approximately $1.6 million for community work and $182,000 for education.
By the end of March 2025, the Sapuulutaq Fund held just over $201 million in net assets. The board’s decision now lets communities put the first slice of those savings into action. Other allocations include: Arviat ($3.4 million community, $373,000 education), Baker Lake ($2.8 million, $310,000), Chesterfield Inlet ($1.7 million, $186,000), Coral Harbour ($2.1 million, $238,000), and Naujaat ($2.1 million, $229,000).
The Sapuulutaq Fund – renamed from the Legacy Fund – is designed to give Kivalliq Inuit a direct share of mineral wealth. Between 2021 and 2025, the Kivalliq Inuit Association received more than $203 million in royalties and fees, the largest amount among Nunavut’s Inuit organizations.
