Lena Pedersen


Lena Pedersen or Lena Pederson is a politician and social worker from Nunavut, Canada. In 1959, she moved from Greenland to the Northwest Territories and lived in Coppermine, Pangnirtung and Rae before moving to Cape Dorset where she participated in the artwork sales of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative.

Life and career

Pedersen was the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the Northwest Territories 1970 election. The elections ordinance was amended to allow women the vote and run for office prior to the 1951 Northwest Territories election. Pedersen was not the first woman to run, however, as Vivian Roberts was a candidate in the 1951 election.
In 1999 she was appointed by premier Paul Okalik to the Maligarnit Qimirrujiit, Nunavut's Law Review Commission. Prior to her appointment she served as a board member for the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, and as a drug and alcohol program coordinator for Kugluktuk.
In the 2003 Northwest Territories general election she ran in Yellowknife Centre finishing last with 10 votes in a field of seven candidates.
The former Lena Pederson Boarding Home in Yellowknife, that was used by patients from Nunavut's Kitikmeot Region while on medical travel, was named in her honour.
She was, at one time, married to Red Pedersen and their grandson, Calvin Pedersen was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut in July 2020.

Quote

Regarding the geographic move of the Northwest Territories government and the effect on Eskimo Co-operatives, Pedersen is quoted as saying:

Partial bibliography