As a result of their extended time as part of the experiment, Nungak and Ittinuar realized they had a unique perspective of both the north and south. He also worked as an editor for ("[The] Message"), a trilingual newsletter, and as a broadcaster for
CBC North Iqaluit. The association represented the Inuit, working alongside the
Grand Council of the Crees, in negotiations with the governments of Quebec and Canada for the first land claim on behalf of the Inuit. He had previously served as its vice president.
Writing career and journalism Nungak is a prolific journalist, having written over sixty articles for a variety of magazines. One of the subjects of Nungak's works is the fictional study "Qallunology", the Inuit study of white people. The study designates the philosophical
other as the , from the perspective of the Inuit. Qallunology is featured heavily in the documentary
Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny, which he co-directed. Nungak received 1916 votes, placing fourth. He subsequently ran in the
1979 Canadian federal election, again as an independent politician, running in the
riding of Abitibi. Nungak lost the race, only receiving 986 votes, or two percent of the vote. Despite his open opposition to the movement, Nungak refused to describe himself as a "
federalist", separating himself from both the
Liberal Party and
Quebec Liberal Party's form of federalist approach, as well as their disregard for Indigenous self-preservation. Nungak expressed his concerns that an independent Quebec would potentially isolate the Inuit of Nunavik by severing their ties with the other Inuit in Canada and subsequently end the special relationship that Nunavik had with the federal government. He was critical of the sovereignty movement, whose rhetoric ignored Indigenous voices as they were deemed "inconsequential" compared to the Francophone Quebecois electorate. As president of the Makivik Corporation, Nungak went on speaking engagements in
Brussels,
Geneva, and
London to advocate against the movement and a potential second independence referendum. As part of his engagements, Nungak met with the
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations and the
Royal Geographical Society of London.
Awards and accolades In 2017, Nungak received the
National Order of Quebec by
Premier of Quebec,
Philippe Couillard, during the
2017 Canadian honours in recognition to his contributions to Quebec's society. He was awarded the Knight insignia. In 2021, Nungak was one of five recipients of the First Peoples' Medal by the
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec,
J. Michel Doyon, to honour their contributions in their communities and abroad. ==Personal life==