"I feel like this is true reconciliation, witnessing an Inuk who was born and raised traditionally, who experienced colonization, but who has also been very active throughout her career ... I couldn't believe I was witnessing that," Martin-Lepenskie saidin an interview. Martin-Lepenskie, originally from Sanirajak, Nunavut, and a former National Inuit Youth Council president, watched the ceremony from her home in Ontario. "It proves that though every power was made to deplete our people, our culture and traditions, we remained resilient," she said. Martin-Lepenskie said she believes Simon's appointment is only one step toward healing and reconciliation for Inuit and other Indigenous people in Canada.