September 18, 2025
CAMBRIDGE BAY – Diana Neill-Anawak is the recipient of the 2025 Award for Inuit Excellence presented annually by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Neill-Anawak provides trauma and neurodiversity-informed, culturally-responsive speech-language therapy, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Inuktut assessments in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
ITK President Natan Obed presented the award during the organization’s annual general meeting in Cambridge Bay today.
“The ITK Awards recognize those working to improve the lives of Inuit,” said Obed. “It is a way for us to show appreciation to Inuit who are charting important career paths and transforming fields of endeavor through care, enthusiasm and dedication to our people. With this award we thank Diana for her service, including her specific focus on FASD and Inuktut.”
Neill-Anawak, who lives in Yellowknife and is originally from the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, began work on a PhD this fall in Edmonton, pursuing studies in speech-language pathology/therapy and Inuktut as a part of child language development.
The ITK Awards have been presented annually for more than 20 years. In 2023, the program expanded to allow anyone to nominate an Inuk doing exceptional work. The 2025 awards program received 64 nominations. Past recipients have been recognized for their efforts towards advancing youth, women, language and culture, health, elders, cultural repatriation, Inuit knowledge, and volunteerism.
Last year’s recipient was Julie-Ann Berthe, a childcare and language specialist from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, and the 2023 recipient was Julie Dicker, the first Inuk to hold the title of School Principal in Nain, Nunatsiavut, and an enthusiastic instructor of Inuktut and physical education.
Neill-Anawak will receive a cash prize as well as travel and accommodations to Tapiriit 2026.
For more information
media@itk.ca
