The distinction, which is named after the Inuit historian and educator Louie Kamookak, is awarded by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society to any organization or person that has contributed to making Canadian geography better known to Canadians and to the world.
Sharing knowledge about Canada and Norway's shared polar history to Canadians and the wider world is essential both to understand the past, and to prepare ourselves for the future. Ambassador Anne Kari H. Ovind received the inaugural Medal as a Fellow and friend of the RCGS, and is recognized by the Society as having been instrumental in developing joint initiatives and awareness between the Society and the Embassy. The latest collaboration between the two was the exhibition Lessons from the Arctic: How Roald Amundsen Won the Race to the South Pole, which was visited by some 10.000 people this summer.