[1][2] Born on the land near Bernard Harbour in the Canadian Western Arctic, Maksagak was raised in Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik and the Bathurst Inlet area and eventually settled in Cambridge Bay to raise a family of six surviving children with her husband, John Sr.

Together, they were stalwart supporters of the growing indigenous rights movement in the Canadian north.

Their home was often a stopping place and site of discussions when young Inuit involved in negotiating the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement or participating in Northwest Territories political life passed through the community.

In April 1999, she transferred her office to the new Nunavut Territory and continued to provide stability to the new government in transition.

[3] She served as a member of the Qulliit (Nunavut) Status of Women Council and as an Elder for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.