A petition demanding the resignation of Joe Otokiak as president of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association is circulating around Nunavut’s Kitikmeot region, after it was revealed that Otokiak was recently convicted of assault.

Otokiak, 54, was elected as the regional Inuit land-claims organization’s president on March 18. He is currently serving a 12-month suspended sentence for assault and has past convictions for assault, including assaults against women.

However, most voters are and even some of his fellow board members are only learned about Otokiak’s criminal record after CBC News aired a story on it on April 9.

“I was watching [CBC-TV's] Northbeat. Next thing I know, the picture came of the newly elected president Joe Otokiak and CBC saying his criminal record,” said KIA past president Donald Havioyak, who is now a board member representing the community of Kugluktuk.

Otokiak was charged on April 27, 2007, for an assault that happened the day before in Cambridge Bay. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 11 and began serving his suspended sentence on Oct. 16.

In the CBC News report, Otokiak told CBC News that his sentence was for a summary offence, which is considered to be less serious than an indictable one. He is currently serving his sentence in the community.

Otokiak also said the KIA’s board members were made aware of his suspended sentence and there was no problem with him taking office and serving his sentence at the same time.

But Havioyak and Bob Lyall, the board member for the community of Taloyoak, both said they were never consulted about Otokiak’s situation. Lyall said he also learned of the new president’s conviction from the CBC News report.

“The community of Taloyoak has expressed their outrage to me about the situation,” Lyall said.

“Any kind of violence against anybody is not acceptable, whether it’s a summary conviction or an indictable offence.”

Otokiak also has past criminal convictions dating back to 1977, for offences that include assault, sexual interference and drunk driving. At least two of those convictions involved assaults against women.

A petition calling for Otokiak’s resignation as KIA president is making its rounds around Kitikmeot-area communities, Lyall said.

Lyall is also urging the association’s board to hold a special meeting to discuss the matter, in advance of an orientation workshop scheduled to take place May 13-15 in Cambridge Bay.

“I see this as an urgent matter to be dealt with as soon as possible,” he said.