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Scott Bateman / y√5 Xw5m8 President & C.E.O., First Air xzJ6√6 x7m xsM5tp7mE, {5 wsf8k5 Le président et directeur général, First Air

Pita Aatami / „b ≈bu President, Makivik Corporation & Chairman, First Air xzJ6√6, mrF4 fxS‰nzk5 x7m w4y?sb6, {5 wsf8k5 Président, Corporation Makivik et président du conseil, First Air

Welcome aboard First Air “The Airline of the North” As we continue to deliver on our commitment to supporting the communities we serve and to providing meaningful career development opportunities, I am very pleased to share with you our most recent successes.

First Air’s inaugural Airline Foundations training program took place in Iqaluit from July 11th to the 20th. Students from Arviat, Whale Cove, Cape Dorset, Igloolik, Hall Beach, Clyde River, Pangnirtung, Ottawa, and as far as Cambridge Bay remained in Iqaluit for the nine day program.

First Air, Qikiqtani First Aviation and Sakku First Aviation have already welcomed several of these program graduates to our team as Customer Service Station Agents. We are continuing to support many of our other graduates identify specialized training to help them achieve their goals of a future career in aviation.

Through our Sivurariaqnik employment initiative, the Airline Foundations course is just one example of how we are providing the resources and focus to assist more northern youth develop the skills and awareness for aviation career opportunities.

First Air, Qikiqtani First Aviation and Sakku First Aviation are working hard to provide tangible benefits through our employment programs, community sponsorships and aviation products and services. As we continue to develop our brands and gain momentum in our initiatives, we thank you for your ongoing support.

ᑐᓐᖓᓱᒋᔅᓯ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᔪᖅᓲᖁᑎᖓᓐᓄᑦ “ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᐊᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ” ᑲᔪᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᑦ

ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓯᒪᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ

ᐱᔨᑦᑎᖅᑕᕗᑦ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᓂᑦ

ᐊᒻᒪ

ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ

Bienvenue à bord de First Air, la ligne aérienne du Nord

ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᒋᑦ

ᑐᑭᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓂᑦ,

Au moment où nous continuons de tenir notre engagement à soutenir les collectivités que nous desservons et à offrir des possibilités de perfectionnement professionnel intéressantes, je suis très heureux de partager avec vous nos plus récents succès.

Le programme inaugural de formation de First Air portant sur les fondements des compagnies ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᖏᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ aériennes a eu lieu à Iqaluit du 11 au 20 juillet. ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᔪᓚᐃ 11-ᒥᑦ 20-ᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑕ. Les étudiants provenant d’Arviat, de Whale Cove, de Cape Dorset, d’Igloolik, de Hall Beach, de Clyde ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑐᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᒥᐅᑕᓂᒃ, ᑎᑭᕌᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᑦ, River, de Pangnirtung, d’Ottawa et jusqu’à ᑭᓐᖓᓂᑦ, ᐃᒡᓗᓕᖕᒥᑦ, ᓴᓂᕋᔭᖕᒥᑦ, ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᖕᒥᑦ, ᐸᓐᓂᖅᑑᒥᑦ, Cambridge Bay sont restés à Iqaluit pour le ᐋᑐᕚᒥᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖓᓯᓛᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᑦ 9−ᓂᒃ programme de neuf jours. ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑉᐳᖓ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑦᑎᒋᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᑎᐊᕋᑖᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᑦ.

ᐅᓪᓗᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ, ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ

ᑖᒃᑯᐊ

ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ

ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓚᐅᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ. ᓯᕗᕋᕆᐊᕐᓂᖅ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓕᐅᕋᓱᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ,

ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ

ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᖏᒍᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᖃᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᖕᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ

ᐱᕕᒃᓴᓕᐅᕋᓱᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ

ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑦ

ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᒍᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ, ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᒃᐳᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑮᓇᓱᒃᑐᑎᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓕᐅᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ. ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ, ᖁᔭᓕᕗᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓐᓇᕋᑦᓯ ᓂᐅᕕᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ.

First Air, Qikiqtani First Aviation et Sakku First Aviation ont déjà accueilli un grand nombre de diplômés du programme au sein de notre équipe pour travailler à titre d’agents d'escale du service à la clientèle. Nous continuons d’appuyer beaucoup d’autres diplômés à déterminer la formation spécialisée dont ils ont besoin pour les aider à réaliser leurs objectifs de carrière dans le domaine de l’aviation.

Grâce à notre initiative d’emploi Sivurariaqnik, le cours sur les fondements des compagnies aériennes n’est qu’un exemple de la façon dont nous fournissons des ressources et de nos préoccupations visant à aider les jeunes du Nord à perfectionner leurs compétences et connaissances pour des possibilités de carrière dans le domaine de l’aviation.

First Air, Qikiqtani First Aviation et Sakku First Aviation travaillent assidûment à fournir des avantages tangibles par l’intermédiaire de programmes d'emploi, de parrainages communautaires et de produits et services aériens. Au fur et à mesure que nos produits de marque s’améliorent et que nos initiatives s’affirment, nous vous remercions de votre soutien continu.

ᐱᒻᒪᕿᐅᑎᑦᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓯ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐅᒃᑯᑦ, ᖃᖓᑕᔫᖁᑎᖓᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᑕᖅᑐᒥᑦ.

We value your support and thank you for making First Air, THE AIRLINE OF THE NORTH. Nous apprécions votre soutien et vous remercions de votre appui à First Air, LA LIGNE AÉRIENNE DU NORD.

© TOM SAMMURTOK

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featuring Jamie Makpah

ᔭᐃᒥ ᒪᒃᐸ

First Air Focus ᕗᔅ ᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑕᑯᒋᐊᕐᓂᖅ

Our team is the reason First Air excels at beingThe Airline of the North and we are proud to recognize and thank those who show such dedication. One exceptional First Air employee is Jamie Makpah.

Born in Churchill and raised in Rankin Inlet, Jamie started his aircraft maintenance career in 1998. After a short time working in the field, Jamie knew that aviation was his passion. In order to further his career in aircraft maintenance he embarked on an adventure one thousand miles away, leaving home for the first time.

Jamie enrolled in the four year apprenticeship program at Stevenson Aviation Technical Training Centre in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Despite the lengthy period of time away from home, he found it difficult but persevered keeping his Dad’s advice in mind "Four years of your life is nothing compared to your whole lifetime". Family support and the goal of becoming a Certified Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) gave Jamie the drive to work hard and complete the program.

In March of 2008, Jamie joined First Air as an M1 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer following several years of aircraft technician experience with other carriers in various parts of Canada.

He worked rotations out of Iqaluit for over a year working on ATR 42 and HS-748 aircraft. Jamie then accepted a position in Ottawa working on Boeing 737 and 767 aircraft. During this period, he obtained his Aircraft Maintenance Engineer M2 license and Aircraft Certification Authority (ACA) on the 737 aircraft. These accreditations and his strong work ethic, secured him his current position as Base Engineer back in his home town of Rankin Inlet.

Jamie’s two young children live in the south so the three week on, three week off rotation allows him to spend his time off dedicated to his children's busy lives. “I enjoy coming home to the North for work and to see family and friends, and I also enjoy going south to see my children. First Air allows me to get the best of both worlds.”

Jamie continues to work hard to achieve his goals. This September, Jamie will become ACA certified on the ATR42 and ATR72 aircraft, and on the Boeing 767 aircraft in early 2012. ACA certification is company issued and authorizes the AME to declare our aircraft airworthy; only a few First Air AME’s hold that certification.

We value training, personal development and encourage career advancement within First Air. If you share our commitment to safety and service, we encourage you to join our team.

To learn more about employment opportunities within First Air Maintenance or any other role, visit firstair.ca/employment

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᕗᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᕗᑦ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᒃᑲᐅᓛᖑᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑑᑉ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᒃᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᖅᓯᔭᕆᐊᖓ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᔭᓕᕗᒍᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᕙᕗᑦ ᔭᐃᒥ ᒪᒃᐸ. ᐃᓅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑰᒡᔪᐊᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ, ᔭᐃᒥ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖓᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᔨᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ 1998-ᒥ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᖓᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕋᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ, ᔭᐃᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ. ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᒪᒐᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᒥᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᖓᑕ ᐅᖓᓯᒋᔭᖓᓄᑦ, ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥ ᕿᒪᐃᓯᒪᔭᕆᐅᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᒪᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ. ᔭᐃᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑎᓴᒪᒃ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓯᑏᕙᓐᓴᓐ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐳᐊᑎᔾ ᓚ ᐳᕆᐅᕆᒥ, ᒫᓂᑑᕝᕙ. ᐊᑭᓂᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᕿᒪᐃᓯᒪᓂᖓᓗ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᕈᕐᓇᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓴᐱᓕᓚᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᑖᑕᖓᑕ ᐅᖃᐅᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓈᓚᒍᒪᒐᒥ “ᑎᓴᒪᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᖃᑦᓰᓐᓇᑯᓗᐃᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᓂᑦ ᐱᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᒫᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ”. ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᕋᒥ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᔪᒪᒐᒥ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᓂᖅᑖᕐᓗᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ (ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ AME) ᔭᐃᒥ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖏᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓᓗ ᐱᔭᕇᕐᓗᓂᐅᒃ. ᒫᔾᔨ 2008-ᒥ, ᔭᐃᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ M1 ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨᐅᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒐᓴᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓇᒥᒐᓚᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨᐅᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ATR 42-ᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ HS-748−ᓂᒃ. ᔭᐃᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓕᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᐋᑐᕚᒥ ᓯᐴᔪᓕᕆᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ 737-ᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ 767-ᓂᒃ.ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᑖᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ M2-ᒥᒃ (ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ ACA) ᓱᐴᔫᓄᑦ 737-ᓄᑦ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᑖᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓇᓱᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᒫᓐᓇ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᒥᕝᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᑐᖃᒥᓂ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ. ᔭᐃᒥᐅᑉ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᓛᖏᒃ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓐᓂᒥᐅᑕᐅᕘᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐸᖃᑦᑕᖅᐹᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᖅᑕᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᖓᓱᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓰᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᖓᓱᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓰᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᖓᓗᓂ ᐱᕕᒃᓴᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᑭᑐᓐᖓᖏᒃ ᐅᐸᒃᓯᒪᕙᒡᓗᓂᒋᒃ. “ᖁᕕᐊᓱᖃᑦᑕᖅᐳᖓ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ ᐅᑎᕆᐊᖓ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᖃᓐᓂᕆᔭᓄᓪᓗ,ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᕙᕋ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓅᕆᐊᖓ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᒃᑲ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᕐᓗᒋᒃ.ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒍᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᐳᖓ.” ᔭᐃᒥ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂᒡᓗ. ᑕᒫᓂ ᓯᑎᐱᕆᒥ, ᔭᐃᒥ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᑖᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ATR42 ᐊᒻᒪ ATR72 ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᐴᔫᓂᒃ 767-ᓂᒃ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᕐᓂᖓᓂ 2012. ACA ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᑖᕈᑎ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅᑖᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ;ᖃᑦᓰᓐᓇᑯᓗᐃᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᕗᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᓖᑦ. ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓄᑦ, ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖅ ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥ ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᒥᒃ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ. ᐱᓇᓱᐊᑦᑎᐊᕈᒪᒍᕕᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᑲᑦᑐᖓᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒡᓗ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᔪᓐᓇᖅᐳᑎᑦ. ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᒃᓴᐅᕗᖅ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᑕᑯᓂᐊᕆᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ firstair.ca/employment.

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

above&beyond Publisher & Editor Tom Koelbel Advertising Doris Ohlmann (Ottawa) 613-257-4999 Circulation Patt Hunter Design Robert Hoselton, Beat Studios Inuktitut translation Innirvik Support Services Ltd. Read online: www.arcticjournal.ca email: info@arcticjournal.ca Toll Free: 877-2ARCTIC (227-2842) PO Box 683, Mahone Bay, NS B0J 2E0 Volume 23, No. 5

September/October 2011

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Journey of Hope and Healing

ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖅ ᐃᖢᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada held its second national event this summer. From June 28 to July 1, hundreds of survivors of the Indian residential school system came to publicly share their very personal stories in Inuvik, Northwest Territories.

— Marie-Claude Simard

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A Rite of Northwest Passage The Pittarak Expedition Sarah and Eric McNair-Landry departed Tuktoyaktuk in the western Arctic on March 19 to arrive at Pond Inlet after 85 days, having successfully walked, cross-country skied and kite-skied 3,300 kilometres across the Northwest Passage. They share their story of unique challenges and life-threatening adventures. — Lee Narraway

ELENA MESHER READIES FOR HER PERFORMANCE. © KATIVIK REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

Cover Price $5.95 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Within Canada 6 issues $27.00 12 issues $52.00

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arcticjournal.ca Celebrating 23 years as the popular in-flight magazine for First Air, The Airline of the North.

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Special Royals Visit Yellowknife

by Marie-Claude Simard

12 About the North 28 (Ant)arctic Exotica Photography by Lee Narraway

41 Arts, Culture & Education CiRqiNiq Summer Camp 45 Northern Students Prepare Royal Feast

by Twyla Campbell

53 Northern Bookshelf 54 inuit Forum Gone Fishing

by Mary Simon

49 Nunavut Sivuniksavut Grads

by Whit Fraser

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050872 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION/ABOVE&BEYOND P.O. BOX 683 MAHONE BAY, NS B0J 2E0 Email: info@arcticjournal.ca

September/October 2011

above & beyond

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Š MARIE-CLAUDE SIMARD

Royals Visit Yellowknife

HerRoyalHighness,the Duchess ofCam bridge,does a w alkthrough ofthe large Yellow knife crow d offans w ho cam e outto see the Royals in honouroftheirvisit.

September/October 2011

above & beyond

9

Š MARIE-CLAUDE SIMARD (8)

Avid royalw atchers,Edm ontonians Rita and Penelope seem ed undeterred by the distance they had to travelto see the Duke and Duchess in Yellow knife.

Sharing the stage w ith theirRoyalHighnesses,the Duchess and Duke ofCam bridge,during a dance perform ance by the Paulutuk drum m ers and dancers are: (left)ChiefEdw ard Sangris (Yellow knives Dene FirstNation);Yellow knife M ayor,Gordon Van Tighem ;and Northw estTerritories Prem ier,Floyd Roland (farright).

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arcticjournal.ca

September/October 2011

The Duke and Duchess share a m om entofconversation w ith severalPaulutuk dancers.

The Duchess ofCam bridge chats am icably w ith tw o Canadian ForcesW W IIVeterans.

September/October 2011

above & beyond

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About the North

FrontRow L-R:Cathy Pikuyak,Germ aine Ekw alak,SonnyLee Natanine,Karen Panigoniak,M oses Ivalu,Louisa Parr,JeffAm m aklak.M iddle Row L-R:Rola Kiw an (FirstAir),Liz Cam sell(FirstAir),SandiHickes,George O khina,Adam ie M anniapik,LotIisaluk Aw a,Todd Ryan,Q aapik Pudlat,Patrick M acVarnock,Judy Anilniliak (FirstAir).

Back Row L-R:ScottBatem an (President& CEO,FirstAir)and Harry Flaherty (President,Q ikiqtaniFirstAviation)

FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE g`ZFsJ6 yKi5nt8k5 It was only last October at the First Air hangar in Iqaluit, Nunavut, that the company’s Human Resources and Commercial Operations department teams launched their own aviation industry education and employment showcase and jobs awareness program for northerners, named Sivurariaqnik.

First Air’s innovative airline employment opportunity initiative was soon embraced in another part of Nunavut this spring when it gained the enthusiastic support of the community of Rankin Inlet, and major Kivalliq region stakeholders, Sakku First Aviation Ltd. and the Kivalliq Inuit Association.

This July, the program delivered its first educational and training course modules, developed and delivered by First Air trainers. Over 50 young people expressed interest in the chance to take part in the first-ever Airline Foundations courses, from which 14 candidates made the full commitment. Students from Arviat, Whale Cove, Cape Dorset, Igloolik, Hall Beach, Clyde River, Pangnirtung, Ottawa, and as far as Cambridge Bay, remained in Iqaluit for the nine day program at no cost to them.

Judging from the graduates’ enthusiasm, positive feedback and several successful job acceptances, the Sivurariaqnik Airline Foundations program is a significant step in providing young northerners with a much broader horizon of employment opportunities right in their own back yard.

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arcticjournal.ca

ᐊᕐᕌᓂ ᐋᒃᑑᕙᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ First Air ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᕐᕕᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᕕᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᖏᑦᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᖏᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖑᕙᑦᑐᓂᓪᓗ ᓴᖅᑮᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᕕᑦᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒥᐅᑕᓄᑦ, ᐊᑦᓯᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓯᕗᕋᕆᐊᕐᓂᖅ.

First Air ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᓴᖅᑮᓂᖓ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᑦᓴᕐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖓ ᑐᖓᓱᑦᑎᑕᐅᒻᒪᕆᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᓯᐊᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕘᑉ. ᐅᐱᙶᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓂᕆᐅᒋᔭᐅᑦᓯᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᖏᖠᓂᕐᒥ, ᑕᒪᕐᒥᓪᓗ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᐅᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᖅ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂᓪᓗ ᔪᓚᐃᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕈᑎᐅᔪᓪᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᓯᐊᖅᓱᑎᒃ First Air ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᓯᔨᖏᑎᒍᑦ. ᐆᑦᑐᕈᒪᓂᖃᖅᑐᖃᓚᐅᖅᑯᖅ ᐅᖓᑖᓂ 50 ᐅᕕᒃᑲᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᖓᓂᒃ ᑐᙵᕕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᒥ, 14ᖑᔪᓪᓕ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᓯᐊᖅᓱᑎᒃ ᐊᓂᒍᐃᓚᐅᖅᑯᑦ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖃᓚᐅᖅᑯᑦ, ᑎᑭᕋᖅᔪᐊᕐᒥᓪᓗ, ᑭᖓᕐᒥᐅᑕᒥᓪᓗ, ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒃ, ᓴᓂᕋᔭᖅ, ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᒃ, ᐸᓐᓂᖅᑑᖅ, ᐋᑐᕚᒥᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑉᐹᖔᓗᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᑦᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥ. ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᓂ 9ᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑭᓖᒋᐊᑐᒐᑎᒃ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖅ. ᓇᓗᓇᖏᓪᓚᖅ ᐊᓂᒍᐃᔪᒥᓃᑦ ᓂᕆᐅᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᐊᑲᐅᓈᕐᓂᖓᓂᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᓯᐊᓂᖓᑕ, ᓯᕗᕋᕆᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑐᙵᕕᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖅ ᓯᕗᒧᐊᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᒪᒃᑯᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒥ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᒍᑎᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᑦᓴᖅᓯᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓃᑦᓱᑎᒃ.

September/October 2011

Š FIRST AIR (3)

Above:FirstAirPresidentScottBatem an and TrainerRola Kiw an presentCertificate ofAchievem entto graduate Karen Panigoniak.

Right:Q ikiqtaniFirstAviation PresidentHarry Flaherty congratulates the first-everAviation Foundations group.

September/October 2011

above & beyond

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About the North

Distinguished Northerners Honoured Early August, Rideau Hall disclosed that two well-known Northerners are to receive the Governor General’s Northern Medal (presentation ceremony date still to be announced) to honour their significant contributions to Canada’s North and its people. of mental healthcare. In the last year, ITK, the organization she spearheads, released a comprehensive education strategy specifically for her national Inuit constituency.

Simon’s dedication continues to foster hope for a better and brighter future for all of Canada’s Inuit and the North. Born in the tiny community of Kangigsualujjuaq, Nunavik (northern Québec), she continues to be an inspiration to us all.

Zack Kunuk Acclaimed Inuk filmmaker, Zacharias (Zach) © WHIT FRASER

Kunuk, from Igloolik, Nunavut, is also named as a 2011 recipient of the Governor General’s Northern Medal. The award acknowledges his major contribution to the arts, in particular for

Mary Simon

Passionate about the North and its people

his authentic cinematic Inuktitut language portrayals of Inuit life experience.

National Inuit leader Mary Simon, the current

and well versed on the broad scale of inter-

President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), has

national issues affecting the daily lives of Inuit,

Discovering a strong liking for photo-

over the course of two decades distinguished

her work to champion Inuit rights and promote

graphy while camping on the land with his

herself nationally and internationally working

higher levels of cultural awareness here at home

parents, Kunuk began his career in the early

on behalf of Inuit and Canada. Long a highly

and abroad has made her a much sought-after

1980s with Inuit Broadcasting, a culturally aware

regarded advocate for social justice and better

advisor on northern affairs. Over the past two

television media, production and distribution

opportunity for Canada’s Inuit, Simon served

years, in her role as ITK President, she has worked

organization created to train Inuit in the

for nine years as our country’s ambassadorial

closely with governments (federal and provincial)

production of television and documentary film

representative on circumpolar issues and sub-

and with Inuit organizations and communities

and video production in their own language.

sequently served Canada as our Ambassador

to lobby for better, more culturally relevant and

Over the span of 20 years, Zach Kunuk grew

to Denmark from 1999-2001.

beneficial education for Inuit and on the issue

to become an international award-winning producer of feature and documentary film,

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September/October 2011

Inc., which is 75 per cent Inuit-owned. Isuma took the prestigious Camera d’Or award in Cannes, France in 2001, the best Canadian feature award at the Toronto Film Festival 2001 and five Genies for the outstanding film, Atanarjuat. Other major feature films — The

Š above&beyond files

Journals of Knud Rasmussen (2006) and Before Tomorrow (2010) followed along with several documentaries.

Kunuk is dedicated beyond his craft to his cultural roots and is avidly engaged in his community. In the past he has served on the Hamlet council in Igloolik and as director on the boards of several Nunavut organizations.

He is presently serving on the board of directors of the Nunavut Development Corporation. In recent years Kunuk has directed his story-telling expertise toward downloadable film, television and web docs focused on the fragility of Canada’s Arctic environment in the face of climate change.

No other Nunavut filmmaker has opened a wider, more informative and pleasurable window on the Inuit cultural experience. It is anticipated that Zacharias Kunuk O.C. is far from done despite difficult economic times and that he still has a great deal of energy left in his creative reserve to preserve his culture and enlighten and delight audiences with his amazing story telling. Certainly that is the fondest wish of his peers and his many, many fans around the world.

September/October 2011

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15

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September/October 2011

About the North

A pod of magnificent bowhead whales never

And so it was that August 15,

fails to attract attention. To see them feeding

2011 became a community-wide day

along the sea surface in their natural Arctic

to rejoice, to celebrate, to hold a

habitat, hearing their deep chorus of groans

feast in Iqaluit, after the first success-

as they migrate through cold northern seas, or

ful arvik hunt in that community in

at the floe’s (icy) edge, never fails to fascinate

over one hundred years.

© above&beyond files/GUNDERSON

IqaluitBow head HuntA Success

Bow head are an essentialpartoftraditionalInuitdiet.

(Iglulik,Nunavut2006).

those fortunate enough to view them breaching the surface to feed or cavort. They are revered by environmentalists, tourism marketers, nature photographers and lovers of wildlife alike.

Most people today rightly share the view that bowhead are an endangered species.

Hunted in the past to virtual extinction by the European whalers who plied Arctic waters to chase huge fortunes in the trade of whale oil and baleen in the 18th and 19th centuries, the reappearance of each and every bowhead whale today is a wonderful and precious occasion, one worthy of preservation. And while they are now again regaining some of their numbers in the context of the changing, evermore delicate Arctic eco-system, they are still a species requiring careful renewable resource management and environmental respect.

Bowhead are also highly revered by Inuit, but for entirely different, far more practical reasons. For Inuit the bowhead still represent a precious source of food, essential to their diets. In the community context, their harvest — a successful bowhead hunt — is also an important component to the preservation of their cultural traditions, food source aside.

While all surviving generations of Inuit still eat and enjoy whale meat and muqtuq with the same appreciation, the harvest of this essential Arctic food source holds special meaning for Nunavut elders, many of whom spent most of their lives on the land surviving

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solely on those nutrients and resources nature was willing (rarely on some occasions) to provide. Their digestive systems and overall health are just not as accustomed to the modern, diverse bounty of the local grocery store.

September/October 2011

above & beyond

17

About the North

© 2011 DND-MDN CANADA / CORPORAL RICK AYER, FORMATION IMAGING SERVICES, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA (2)

M em bers ofthe Canadian Rangers starta hike to conductan inspection ofLab 2 (North w arning site)a facility located in Seglek,Labrador.The Ranger’s are sailing onboard HMCS Summerside.Frontto back:SergeantGeorge Sutton,Corporal(Cpl)Judy M orris,CplRufus Payne,M asterCorporal(M Cpl)W inston Porter, M CplAngus Kettle and RangerRogerEtuangat.

O peration Nanook 2011 Since 2006, the federal government continues

quarters based in Ottawa) with the assistance of

along the extensive coastlines of Labrador,

to increase its capabilities and operational

Joint Task Force North, based in Yellowknife, again

Baffin Island, and in the central High Arctic on

expertise and capacity in affirmation of

conducted one of three annual Arctic safety

and off Cornwallis Island.

its Arctic Sovereignty strategy. This summer,

and security exercises. This year, Operation

The complex, fully integrated “whole-

Canada Command (Canadian Military head-

Nanook 2011 patrolled the air, land and seas

of-government” military and non-military

18

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September/October 2011

The HMCS Summerside offthe coastofSeglek, Labrador,during O peration Nanook 11.

mission contingent includes the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Army and Canadian Rangers, Canadian Coast Guard, the RCMP, and related federal government ministries such as the departments of Fisheries and Oceans, Public Safety, Parks Canada and international participation from foreign partners, the United States and Denmark.

Operation Nanook 11’s foreign naval complement includes United States Coast Guard cutter, the USCGC Willow and two Royal Danish Navy ships conducting their own surveillance patrols on the mission. Royal Canadian Navy vessels participating this year are the HMCS Summerside and HMCS Moncton (both coastal defence vessels) joined by the HMCS St. John’s, a frigate.

September/October 2011

above & beyond

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September/October 2011

A Rite of

Northwest Passage The Pittarak Expedition Text and Photos by Lee Narraway

Jum p forJoy! W e claim the Northw estPassage.

September/October 2011

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une 11, 2011. Fog hung in limp tendrils over the sea ice below the community of Pond Inlet. Despite a steady rain, a small crowd had gathered on the beach and all eyes were focussed on two small dots in the distance, moving ever nearer.

It finally became clear it was two people dragging a pair of sleds each through knee-deep water pooled turquoise over the ice. They approached the beach, weaving through a jumble of snow machines and qamutiit before jumping over open water cracks and turning to pull the sleds across, a move so smooth it was obvious they had done it many times before.

Although the evening was dismal, the pair grinned at the cheering crowd. Sirens wailed to welcome the Pittarak team of siblings — Sarah and Eric McNair-Landry — who had departed Tuktoyaktuk in the western Arctic on March 19 to arrive at Pond Inlet after 85 days, having successfully walked, cross-country skied and kite-skied 3,300 kilometres across the Northwest Passage.

For three hundred years, the Passage was an elusive dream. People believed that if a link could be found between the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans, it would provide a lucrative shortcut for the shipping trade between Europe and the wealth of the Far East. During the 19th century, hundreds of explorers and sailors attempted to find a route through the ice. Many froze or starved to death until, finally, in 1903, Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen successfully sailed his tiny ship, Gjoa, east to west on a three year-long journey through the length of the Passage.

Many more years passed before another ship was able to navigate the passage. From 1940 to 1943, Henry Larsen sailed from west to east on the St Roch, an RCMP ship.

The Pittarak team are no strangers to extreme adventure. Despite their youth, Sarah, at 25 and 26-year-old Eric have an impressive list of accomplishments on their resume: they have skied unsupported to the South Pole, traversed Mongolia’s Gobi desert via kite-propelled buggies, and kite-skied 2,300 kilometres across the Greenland ice cap — Sarah five times and Eric six. As well, Sarah has guided expeditions to both the South and North Pole. In 2007, in recognition of their achievements, they were nominated for National Geographic’s prestigious Adventurer of the Year Award.

J

Folding a kite can be tricky ifthe w ind blow s.

Spring has arrived and Sarah and Eric hike through w ateron the finalsection oftheirjourney.

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September/October 2011

The Northwest Passage trip presented unique challenges and proved more harrowing and life threatening then their previous adventures. Not only was it their longest expedition, they also had to average 42 kilometres daily to complete the journey by spring. To do this, they needed wind.

On an earlier Greenland expedition, Eric set a world record by kite-skiing 595 kilometres in 24 hours. They hoped for similar strong, steady winds in the Northwest Passage, but instead they were elusive and often blowing in the wrong direction.

When they had good winds, they travelled vast distances, over 100 kilometres in a day. But when they were forced to simply cross-country ski, they would travel long days and cover as few as 27 kilometres. At times, rough ice and snowless tundra reduced their daily mileage to as little as seven kilometres. Food supplies ran low as it took them longer and longer to travel between communities where they could resupply.

A radical journey in extreme weather is hard on equipment. Their plastic sleds turned brittle in the cold as they smashed into chunks of ice on the frozen sea or into rocks while travelling across the land. They annihilated 16 sleds en route, making repairs when possible or jerry rigging creative modifications to help them reach the next community where they could pick up replacement parts.

And so it went as they crossed northern Canada from Tuktoyaktuk to Paulatuk in the Northwest Territories to the Nunavut communities of Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak.

Ahead of them still lay the Gulf of Boothia, a treacherous stretch of water and the expedition’s biggest challenge, crossing a 100-kilometre stretch of the Arctic Ocean from the mainland to Baffin Island. Locals had predicted this crossing would be impossible as strong circular currents — hence the Gulf’s nickname, “the Toilet Bowl” — could shift huge slabs of ice, sending them crashing and sliding into one another, generating mounds of rubble ice and creating wide leads of open water.

The Pittarak team arrived at the Gulf and pulled their sleds for two hours through a labyrinth of ice before climbing onto a large chunk to scout their route. It did not look promising. Ahead, the entire ice pack shifted and drifted. They hauled their sleds back

Below :W ith skis and kites packed on the sleds, they navigate theirw ay to Pond Inlet.

Eric dem onstrates the fine artofcrossing a lead.Getup a lotofspeed and hang on!

September/October 2011

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Eric and Sarah are w elcom ed by m em bers ofthe com m unity ofPond Inlet.

Ready forbear!

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arcticjournal.ca

to a tiny outcrop they christened “Decision Island,” watched the ever-expanding lead of open water and considered their options. Sarah had experienced similar conditions during her expeditions to the North Pole.

“It looked difficult, if not impossible, with the equipment we had,” she says. “Although we had an inflatable qajaq, the open water was kilometres wide and our sleds, loaded down with the extra weight of kiting gear would not float.”

But she felt they had two options. “We could stick with our original plan, try to find a way around the open water and attempt to cross the Boothia or head south to Igloolik and cross the Fury and Hecla Strait to Baffin Island.” That detour would add 600 kilometres to the journey.

They decided to sleep on it.

At 4 am, Sarah awoke to the sound of teeth gnashing through the tent beside her head. Somehow, a polar bear had managed to bypass the bear fence they built nightly as an early warning device. She shouted and kicked at the beast through the thin barrier of nylon as Eric disentangled himself from his sleeping bag, grabbed the nearest weapon and tried to get outside. The bear reared up and dropped its weight onto the tent. As one side of the tent collapsed on top of the bear bangers and his glasses, Eric scrambled onto the snow, but could only make out a white blur… close… way too close. He raised his only weapon — a small, two foot-long shovel.

“I hit a home run on the end of that bear’s nose,” Eric says, “but it just backed up three steps and shook its head. Then it came at me again.”

Eric roared at the bear and continued to swing his shovel while edging closer to the bear fence and the flares attached to it. He was finally able to grab one, rip it open and aim the flame at the bear. But still it kept on coming.

Meanwhile, Sarah, still yelling at the top of her lungs, managed to exit the collapsed tent with the rifle. She ran alongside her brother and pointed the gun at the bear. “I looked into its eyes,” she says, “and knew that if I shot this animal, it would be the end of our journey. Both emotionally and physically, we would be finished.” She took a risk September/October 2011

and fired above its head. “It was a calculated risk because I knew there were only two bullets in the gun,” she said, “and the bear was so close.”

“I was yelling at her to shoot the bear,” says Eric. “When the gun went off and the bear did not collapse or die or even bleed, I could not believe my eyes. Sarah is a good shot and the bear was almost within touching distance. She could not possibly have missed.”

He pauses. “I had this sinking feeling that we were being attacked by a mythical super bear, invincible and undefeatable.”

But the bear suddenly turned and ran away, clambering onto a nearby chunk of ice.

Sarah grabbed more bullets and fired into the air until the bear was gone. They quickly packed up camp. Anxious to reach solid ground, they dragged their sleds back to Decision Island.

“It wasn’t much more than a small knoll, but it made us feel safer to be there.”

They were exhausted and shaken, but they still had to decide on their route. Should they detour 600 kilometres or attempt a risky crossing of the Gulf of Boothia?

To Eric, there was no question. “We were turning south away from this bear-infested region, but Sarah wanted a rational choice so we sat on Decision Island and discussed our options.” Then they heard a small noise and turned around to see another bear directly behind them, on their little rock sanctuary. “We yelled and fired the gun,” says Eric, “and the bear ran away.”

The decision became unanimous. The pair headed south as fast as they could drag the sleds through the rough ice and they didn’t stop for 12 hours during which they encountered five more bears. Finally, they arrived at an empty cabin.

“We found a hammer and nails and turned that cabin into a fortress,” said Eric, “and we barricaded ourselves in.” Safe and sound, Sarah celebrated her 25th birthday that night.

The detour added two additional weeks to their schedule and the bear fence no longer gave them a sense of security. “A huge part of our lives revolves around being outdoors and sleeping in a tent,” says Sarah. “But after the bear’s visit we were more apprehensive and it was difficult to sleep.” On the positive side, camping out for the next 33 days helped them to regain their confidence in the wilderness. Added Eric, “In those 52 days out on the trail, we saw more bears than people.”

One of Pittarak’s expedition goals is to inspire youth to get active, get outside and turn their dreams into reality. Their advice to would-be-explorers is to “get out there and start small,” get experience in the environment where you want to do an expedition and build up your basic skills. Then start to train and get fit, preparing yourself to step out of your comfort zone in a realistic way. You have to recognize you are not invincible.

Most young people do not understand the hard work required even before the expedition begins, how difficult it is to keep going, and deal with day-to-day decisions, not to mention the pain your body endures.

“There’s a fine line between difficult and miserable,” says Sarah.

“You have to have fun and make the most of it.”

It’s obvious this pair love what they are doing: the day after arriving home in Iqaluit, with the sun shining and the winds blowing they ran to pack skis and kites into the van. They called a friend to see if he wanted to hit Frobisher Bay. “Are you crazy,” he said. “You just got home from a big trip. Aren’t you tired?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Eric replied. “The winds are up and we’re going kiting!”

Kites silhouette againstthe sun as the Pittarak team go fly-a-kite forthe love ofit!

The Pittarak team stand on a hillto look outoverthe Northw estPassage.

September/October 2011

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(ant)arctic exotica Yes, it’s true. We’ve gone to opposite ends of the pole, as it were, to bring this delightful wildlife photo to the attention of our readers.

A frequent contributor to Canada’s Arctic Journal, Ottawa-area photographer Lee Narraway captured this unique lighthearted bout of communication between a gentoo penguin and a juvenile elephant seal. While only one is doing the talking, it hardly escapes our thoughts that the other is paying attention.

Narraway captured this comical moment, while visiting Pleneau Island, in Antarctica, on a Students On Ice 2011 educational cruise earlier in the year.

© LEE NARRAWAY

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September/October 2011

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D E D I C A T E D

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AB_SO11_23-40_Layout 1 8/25/11 2:00 PM Page 31

Journey of Hope and Healing ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖅ ᐃᖢᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ Text and photos by Marie-Claude Simard / ttC6g6 m‰-vMs5 yµ5

The ashes of Inuvik’s sacred fire will be taken to Halifax in October for the next national event. ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᑯᐊᓚᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᐃᑲᕐᓂᑯᖏᑦ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᓛᕆᕗᑦ ᕼᐊᓕᐹᒃᔅᒥ ᐋᒃᑑᕝᕙᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᑎᓕᕐᒥᒃᐸᑕ.

September/October 2011

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Violinistand survivor,Jam es Rogers,had people dancing underthe m idnightsun during the festivities forthe Truth and Reconciliation Com m ission’s four-day gathering in Inuvik. ᐊᒋᐊᒐᖅᑎ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ, ᔭᐃᒻᔅ ᕌᔾᔭᔅ, ᒧᒥᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᕿᓂᖅ ᓂᐱᔪᐃᑦᓂᖓᓂ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒌᒃᓯᒪᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᖅᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᒪᒥᐊᖅᓯᒪᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᓂᑦ ᑎᓴᒪᓂᒃ.

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arcticjournal.ca

September/October 2011

he Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada held its second national event this summer. From June 28 to July 1, hundreds of survivors of the Indian residential school system came to publicly share their very personal stories in Inuvik, Northwest Territories.

“We are gathered on grounds just a few footsteps away from two major school residences that operated in the North for decades. Many of you here spent all or parts of your childhood in the Anglican Stringer Hall or the Catholic Grollier Hall,” said the chair of the commission, Justice Murray Sinclair, during the opening ceremony held at Jim Koe Park.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was established in 2008 to educate Canadians about the history of the Indian residential school system that began in the last quarter of the 19th century and would span 130 years. In an attempt to tame indigenous people, to assimilate them to the mainstream white Christian population, the federal government subsidized more than 139 schools in the country operated by different churches. The last residential school closed in 1996. More than 150,000 attended those schools and 80,000 are still alive today.

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The impact of residential schools was profoundly felt in Canada’s North, home to the highest per capita ratio of residential school survivors. Because of the immensity of the region, indigenous children from the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut and Nunavik were often sent very far from home — as far away as 2,500 km.

“We were brave children, we are brave people still. Let us embrace one another and build on the strength of one another,” said Nuu-chah-nulth elder Barney Williams Jr. During the northern national event, the poignant testimony of survivors and their children revealed more of the truth about Canada’s treatment of indigenous families.

ᐃ

ᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᒪᕐᕈᐊᖅᑎᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᑲᑎᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᒫᓂ ᐊᐅᔭᒥ. ᔫᓂ 28-ᒥᑦ ᔪᓚᐃ 1-ᒧᑦ, ᐊᒥᓱᐊᓘᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᒪᑐᒧᖓ ᑲᑎᒪᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᐊᖅᑐᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒧᑦ, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ. “ᑕᕝᕙ ᑲᑎᒪᑎᑕᐅᕗᒍᑦ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᑯᓗᐊᓂ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᕐᕕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑐᔪᕐᒥᕖᖕᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒐᓴᖕᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ. ᑕᕝᕙ ᐊᒥᓲᕗᓯ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓂ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᓂᓕᒫᐸᓗᒃ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖃᖅᓯᒪᕗᓯ ᐋᖏᓕᑲᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᑐᕆᖑᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒃᓯᕋᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᒍᕈᓕᐅᒥ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᖓ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᖅᑎᒃᑯᑦ, ᐃᖅᑲᖅᑐᐃᔨ ᒧᕆ ᓯᓐᑭᓕᐊ, ᑲᑎᒪᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᓯᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᔨᒻ ᑰᐃ ᒥᕐᖑᐃᖅᓯᕐᕕᖓᓂ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ 2008-ᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᑎᑕᐅᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓗᒍ 1800-ᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ 130 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓐᖑᖅᑎᑕᐅᓇᓱᒃᑐᑎᒃ, ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᑲᓚᐃᔅᑑᓯᒥᐅᓄᑦ, ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ 139-ᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕕᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᒍᑦ. ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓐᖓᑦ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅ ᒪᑐᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ 1996-ᒥ. 150,000 ᐅᖓᑖᓂ ᐊᒥᓲᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ 80,000-ᖑᕗᑦ ᓱᓕ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᐃᓅᔪᑦ. ᑕᒪᑐᒪ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓂᕆᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓘᕗᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, ᓄᓇᒋᔭᐅᕗᕐᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒥᓲᓛᖑᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᒧᑦ ᓱᓕ ᐃᓅᔪᓄᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓘᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓱᕈᓰᑦ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥᑦ, ᔫᑳᓐᒥᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᐊᓗᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ — ᐃᓚᖏᑦ 2,500kmᐅᖓᓯᖕᓂᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖏᓐᓂᑦ. “ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓱᓗᐊᓚᐅᓐᖏᓚᒍᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᓪᓗᑕ, ᓱᓕ ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑉᐳᒍᑦ. ᐊᑏ ᐃᕿᖃᑎᒌᒃᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑎᒌᒃᑕ ᓴᓐᖏᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᖁᓪᓗᑕ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓅ−ᑦᓵ−ᓄᓪᑦ ᐃᓇᓐᖓᑦ ᕚᓂ ᐅᐃᓕᐊᒻᔅ ᓄᑲᖅᑎ. ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑲᑎᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᖏᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᕐᓗᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᒌᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ.

September/October 2011

Com m issionerM arie W ilson stands on stage w hile the Dene Drum m ers sing during the opening cerem ony. ᓈᓚᒃᑎ ᒪᕇ ᐅᐃᓪᓴᓐ ᓇᖏᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᕕᖕᒥ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᓴᓂᐊᓃᑦᑐᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᓂᖅ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

Left:M ary Kudlak lights the qulliq to officially launch the event. ᒥᐊᓕ ᑯᓪᓚᒃ ᐃᑯᒻᒪᒃᑐᖅ ᖁᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᓯᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ.

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Elders Sarah Tingm iak,88, and Em m a Dick,85, accom panied by their nieces Lilliane Elias and Shirley Kisoun,sing during a specialchurch service preceding the event. ᐃᓐᓇ ᓯᐅᕌ ᑎᖕᒥᐊᖅ, 88, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᐊᒪ ᑎᒃ, 85, ᐱᖃᑎᖃᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐃᕐᖑᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓕᓕᐊᓐ ᐃᓚᐃᐊᔅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓲᓕ ᑭᓲᓐ, ᐃᓐᖏᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᒪᓂᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᑎᓐᓇᒍ.

ElderBarney W illiam s Jr. from the survivors com m ittee leads the procession during the opening cerem ony. ᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐸᕐᓂ ᐅᐃᓕᐊᒻᔅ ᓄᑲᖅᑎᖅ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᕋᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᓱᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᓂᖅ ᒪᑐᐃᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

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“They grabbed as many kids as they could and filled the plane,” said William Palvialok from Cambridge Bay. “Nobody knew where we were going.”

“They lured us with candies,” said another survivor.

After being abruptly taken away from their families and community, the Inuit and First Nation children, who (in the 1950s) knew only tents and igloos, were housed far away in huge, unfamiliar buildings and ordered around in a language they could not understand.

“They took our caribou clothes away. We were so cold,” said Allen Kagak from Kugluktuk.

“I couldn’t figure out the stairs. I kept getting lost in the school,” said 76-year-old Agnes Moshes from Yukon.

September/October 2011

“ᑎᒍᓯᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅ ᑕᑕᑎᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒍ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᐃᓕᐊᒻ ᐸᓪᕕᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕ. “ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᓐᖏᓚᒍ ᓇᒧᓐᖓᐅᔾᔭᐅᓂᐊᕐᒪᖔᑦᑕ.” “ᐅᖁᒻᒥᐊᒐᓄᑦ ᓯᓚᐃᕐᕆᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᑭᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑕ,” ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᖃᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ. ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᑎᒍᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᐊᕕᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓪᓚᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᓰᑦ, ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂ 1950 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖏᓐᓂ ᑐᐲᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᕕᒐᐃᓪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ, ᑎᒍᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᕐᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᐴᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐋᓪᓚᒋᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᓕᑦᑕᐅᑎᒋᕙᒃᑐᑎᒃ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐊᓐᖏᑖᓗᖏᓐᓄᑦ. “ᑐᒃᑐᕋᔭᐃᑦ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᕗᑦ ᐃᒋᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ.ᕿᐅᓇᖅᑐᒦᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐋᓚᓐ ᑲᒐᖅ ᖁᕐᓗᖅᑑᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ. “ᓇᓗᓕᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ ᒪᔪᕋᐅᑎᒐᓚᐅᖕᒪᑕ. ᐊᓯᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ ᐋᖓᔅ ᒨᓯᔅ ᔫᑳᓐᒥᐅᑕ. ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᖃᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᐊᕐᔪᓐᖑᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑯᓂ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᑭᒐᓴᕐᓂᒃ, ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒐᓴᕐᓂᒃ, ᑕᑯᓚᐅᓐᖏᓐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖏᓐᓂᒃ. “ᐊᖓᖅᑳᒃᑲ ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔾᔮᔪᓐᓃᖅᑐᒋᓚᐅᖅᐸᒃᑲ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᐃᓕᐊᒻ ᐸᓪᕕᐊᓗᒃ, ᐃᓯᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᑐᕆᖑᒧᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ 7-ᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᐃᑲᓃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᓄᑦ ᐅᑎᕐᓇᓂ. ᐊᒥᓱᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ, ᒫᓐᓇ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑐᑦ 50-ᓂᒃ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᓪᓗ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᔭᒐᐃᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓂᒃ. “ᓱᐊᒃᑕᐅᕕᒡᔪᐊᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒑᖓᑦᑕ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ.ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒋᐊᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᓐᖏᓚᒍᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᖃᑕᓐᖑᑎᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ,” ᐊᒥᓱᒐᓚᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᔭᕇᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᖢᐊᖅᓯᕚᓪᓕᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖏᑦ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᕚᓪᓕᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑑᒐᓗᐊᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐊᑦᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᕐᓗᒃᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᕿᒪᕉᑎᔪᓐᓇᐃᓪᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖅᓯᒪᔫᔮᕈᓐᓃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᓇᒡᓕᒋᔭᒃᓴᐅ-

There were stories of abandoned and abused children who waited months, sometimes years, before they heard from or saw their parents. “I was sure I would never see my parents again,” added William Palvialok, who entered Stringer Hall at age seven and waited five years before he finally went home.

There were many stories of former students, now aged 50 and over, who gradually lost their culture and identity.

“We were punished if we spoke our language. We weren’t allowed to talk with our brothers and sisters,” said the survivors, over and over again.

Things didn’t always get better once they left residential school. While many former students benefited from the education they received, the damages were profound and sometimes irreparable. Feelings of not belonging anywhere, of being utterly unloved, were a recurrent theme in the testimony given in Inuvik.

“You may have memories that are dark and cold, but somewhere, there’s a ray of hope,” said elder Barney Williams. “This hard past should only be a memory. A memory that we can visit with stronger hearts and mind.”

Unveiling the truth is the first step toward a brighter future, according to commissioner Murray Sinclair who urged survivors to tell the newer generations about their experience. “The chaos, dysfunction, lost identity and violence that plagued many aboriginal communities were direct results of the residential school legacy,” he said in his closing speech. “The best thing to do for your children and grandchildren is to talk to them.”

Children of survivors made it clear in Inuvik that they wanted the truth to come out. “Tell us what happened. We need to know so we can finally understand,” a young woman in tears appealed to the audience, after the showing of the movie My Own Private Lower Post.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a requirement to the 2007 Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, a settlement that ended Canada’s largest class action lawsuit. Through the years, a growing number of survivors took court action against Canada and the churches. “The rightness of your cause was recognized in 2007 by the courts,” declared the chair commissioner in Inuvik.

During its five-year mandate, the commission will gather and record the experience of former students across Canada and create a permanent record of the residential school legacy. Seven national events will be held across the country. All Canadians are invited to these truth-telling gatherings which are geared toward healing and reconciliation.

More than 2,500 came for the Inuvik event this summer on the traditional lands of the Gwich’in and Inuvialuit.

“Events like this allow non aboriginal people to connect emotionally with the impact of residential schools. It’s a good way to educate people,” said Ingrid Isaac, administrative coordinator with the Council of Yukon First Nations.

“We also need to heal as a nation. We’re all part of the same country.“ The northern national event was not solely about painful memories. Compassion, friendship and laughter cut

The Gw ich’in TribalCouncil organized m any celebrations to w elcom e everyone to Inuvik forthe event. ᒍᐃᑦᓯᓐ ᐊᓪᓚᐃᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᒐᓚᖕᓂᒃ ᐅᐸᒃᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᖓᓱᒃᑎᑦᑎᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᐅᐸᒃᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ.

ᔪᓐᓃᖅᑐᒋᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ,ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ. “ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᐊᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᑖᖅᑯᓂᒃ ᐆᓕᖕᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᓱᓕ ᓂᕆᐅᒡᕕᒃᓴᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᕚᓂ ᐅᐃᓕᐊᒻᔅ. “ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᕗᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᒃᓴᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᖅ. ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓂᕆᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐸᕗᑦ ᓴᓐᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐆᒻᒪᑎᖃᓕᕐᓗᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓱᒪᓂᖃᓕᕐᓗᑕ.” ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅᓯᐅᑕᐅᕗᑦ ᓯᕗᒧᑦᑎᐊᓕᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒨᕆ ᓯᓐᑭᓕᐊ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᖁᔨᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑭᖑᕚᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ. “ᓴᐃᒪᓐᖏᓂᐊᓗᒃ, ᐃᓅᑦᑎᐊᓐᖏᓐᓂᐊᓗᒃ, ᐊᓯᐅᓯᒪᓂᐊᓗᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕕᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᕗᖅ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᑐᔭᐅᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᑎᒪᓂᖓᑦ. “ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐹᖑᕗᕐᓕ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᓯ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᕐᖑᑕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᓇᒥ ᐱᓯᒪᖕᒪᖔᑦᓯ.” ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᖏᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. “ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᑎᑎᒍᑦ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐱᓚᐅᕐᒪᖔᑦᓯ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᓕᕐᓂᐊᕋᑦᑕ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓂᑦ,”ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᖅ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᕐᓗᓂ ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ,ᑕᑯᓐᓈᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᐅᑎᒥᒃ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ, My Own Private Lower Post. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᑦ 2007-ᒥ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᒥᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᒍᑎᒥᑦ, ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᖏᓛᖑᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᖅᑐᐃᕕᓕᐊᕈᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᓂᕕᓂᕐᒧᑦ.ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒐᓴᐅᓕᖅᑐᑦ, ᐊᒥᓱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᖅᑲᖅᑐᐃᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᒐᕙᒪᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕕᓄᑦ.

September/October 2011

Caring health support w orkers w earing green jackets m ade the event safe forsurvivors to open theirhearts. ᑲᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᐃᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᐊᑐᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐆᔭᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᖓᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᑐᑎᒡᓗ ᓴᐃᒻᒪᖅᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᕕᓂᕐᓄᑦ.

above & beyond

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Securing a brightfuture for new generations w as the focalpointofthe gathering. ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᖏᑦ ᑭᖑᕚᖏᑕ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ.

Form erstudents go through archivalphoto album s supplied by the churches to find them selves orfam ily m em bers in old snapshots. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᕕᓃᑦ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᐊᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕕᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᖁᑎᑐᖃᐅᔪᓂᒃ.

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through some of the great sadness. Stories of survivors who had already embarked on their own journey of healing gave hope to those taking those difficult first steps towards reconciling their pain. Old time dances, talent shows and community feasts provided occasions to relate to each other in light-hearted ways and enjoy Inuvik hospitality.

“It was the experience of a lifetime to be in Inuvik this week,” said Toby from Labrador, who gave his statement privately.

Close to 300 survivors told their stories and more than half did it within the public sharing circles. Aboriginals and non-aboriginals felt for them and at times cried together.

But the tears weren’t all of sorrow.

September/October 2011

“ᓱᓕᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᓯ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᖅᑐᐃᕕᖕᓄᑦ 2007-ᖑᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᖓᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ. ᑎᓕᔭᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᑲᑎᖅᓱᐃᕙᒡᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓯᐅᔾᔭᐃᖅᓯᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᑎᖅᑲᓐᖑᖅᑎᑦᑎᓛᖅᐳᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖑᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ. 7-ᖑᕗᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ. ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᓕᒫᑦ ᐃᓇᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᐊᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖁᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᑐᒪ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᕈᑕᐅᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ.

2,500 ᐅᖓᑖᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᐸᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᑕᒫᓂ ᐊᐅᔭᒥ ᐱᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒍᐃᑦᓯᓐ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓅᕕᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᑦ. “ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒌᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᕚᓪᓕᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑉᐱᒋᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ. ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᑐᑭᓯᕚᓪᓕᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᖑᕆᑦ ᐊᐃᓴᒃ, ᐊᓪᓚᒡᕕᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᔫᑳᓐ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ. “ᒪᒥᓴᕆᐊᖃᓪᓚᕆᒃᑲᑦᑕ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᖑᔪᒍᑦ. ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᓕᒫᖑᒐᑦᑕ.” ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓚᐅᓐᖏᓚᖅ. ᐃᑉᐱᒍᓱᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅ, ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕇᖕᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓪᓚᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖅ ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᒥᒃᖠᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᒫᓐᓇ ᓱᓕ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ.ᒧᒥᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ,ᑕᑯᓐᓈᖅᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᓂᕆᖃᑎᒌᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᑲᑎᒍᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕇᑦ ᐳᓛᖃᑎᒌᒍᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑐᓐᖓᓱᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ. “ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐱᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᑕᒫᓂ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᕐᒥ,” ᑑᕝᕕ ᓛᐸᑐᐊᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᐊᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᑑᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ.

300-ᒐᓚᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᐊᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᕝᕙᓪᓗᐊᖏᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᑦᑕᓚ-

There were tears of utmost joy in Martha Akoluk’s eyes from Cambridge Bay when she reunited with her childhood best friend after 46 years of separation. “We threw ourselves in each other’s arms and cried and cried,” she said. “We’re still exactly the same! She and I both have 14 grandchildren.”

A discreet tear rolled down the cheek of a commissioner while a roomful of survivors engaged in a heartfelt “O Canada” on July 1.

There were sparkles in the eyes of everybody during a special birthday party organized on the last day of the event.

Holding cup cakes topped with lit candles, the crowd acknowledged the many survivors who never celebrated their birthday while in residential school.

Not everyone had a miserable time in residential school and some found advantages to the system, especially in the quality of education and the network of friends they developed there.

“I don’t really have harsh memories of growing up in Stringer Hall,” said radio host Les Carpenter. Born in Fort McPherson and raised in Sachs Harbour, he, too, was abruptly put on a plane and taken away at an early age. “I was able to discuss it, to have open talks with my parents and reconnect with my community,” he explained in an interview.

Fascinated with radio from the age of three, the current CEO of the Native Communications Society of the Northwest Territories doesn’t believe Stringer Hall got in the way of his dreams. On the contrary. Well aware that many former residential school students endured neglect and abuse of all kinds, he only speaks for himself. “In my own experience, the good outweighed the bad. It brought the First Nations of the entire Delta region together. We would never have met otherwise. (…) Stringer Hall created an environment that pushed us to compete and to excel. Many great leaders came out of that school.”

One of these leaders was the Chief of the Vuntut Gwitch’in First Nation, Norma Kassi. The former MLA, however, had to undergo a long spiritual and healing journey to get the residential school out of her system.

At age 24, a mother of three, she checked herself into a treatment centre and started dealing with her issues. From then on, one step at a time, she gradually became the leader she is today.

Former premier of Northwest Territories, Stephen Kakfwi, also went to residential school. The life-long activist and former MLA went from one political achievement to the next, until his experience in Grollier Hall caught up with him in 2003. “I didn’t know how to have feelings, how to lead a normal life,” said Kakfwi, who was abused in residential school. Now ten years into his healing journey, he writes songs and does public speaking.

“For the people already on their healing journey, coming to this event will make them realize how strong they really are and how they can be of support to others,” explained Ingrid Isaac, who has been working as a health support worker with survivors for years. “For others though, it will bring out their sorrow, their shame, their realization that

During a public sharing circle,W illiam Palvialok rem em bers w hen he w as taken aw ay to residential school. ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕐᓇᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐅᐃᓕᐊᒻ ᐸᓪᕕᐊᓗᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᕕᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ.

ᐅᖅᐳᑦ. ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᖃᑦᑕᒌᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᕿᒃᓵᓐᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓚᐅᓐᖏᓚᑦ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓗᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᒫᑕ ᐊᑯᓕᐅᑉ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᓂᖓᒍ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᐅᒐᒥ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᑕᑯᔭᕆᐅᓕᑕᐃᓐᓇᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᖃᓐᓂᕆᔭᕕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ 46 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ. “ᐃᕿᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑯᖃᑎᒌᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᑕᑯᖃᑎᒌᑕᐃᓐᓇᕋᑦᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍ ᐃᕿᒻᒥᓪᓗᑕ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. “ᓱᓇᐅᕝᕙ ᐊᓯᕈᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᒍᑦ! ᑖᓐᓇᓗ 14-ᓂᒃ ᐃᕐᖑᑕᖃᖅᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓕᖅᐳᒍᒃ.” ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᖓᑦ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᖑᔮᕐᔪᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᓐᖏᓕᕐᒪᑕ “ᐆ ᑲᓇᑕ”−ᒥᒃ ᔪᓚᐃ 1-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᖁᖓᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ ᐅᐸᒃᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᑎᔪᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ ᑲᑎᒪᓂᐅᑉ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒌᒃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᑲᐃᒃᕋᓛᓂᒃ ᐸᑎᐅᔭᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ,ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᖅᓯᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᑎᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᒦᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓚᐅᓐᖏᓚᓪᓕ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᕚᓪᓕᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ, ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᖅᑖᕐᓂᑰᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑐᑭᐅᔾᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ. “ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓂᖃᓗᐊᓐᖏᓚᖓᓕ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᓪᓗᖓ ᓯᑐᕆᖑᒥ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓈᓚᐅᑎᒥ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᑎ ᓕᐊᔅ ᑳᐱᓐᑕ. ᐃᓅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᕗᐊᑦ ᒪᒃᕘᓴᓐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᓗᒃᓱᖅᑑᒥ, ᑖᓐᓇᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓱᕈᓯᓛᖑᓪᓗᓂ. “ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᐅᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᒃᑯᓕ, ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᖃᑎᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒋᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᒃᑲ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᒪ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᓐᓄᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᐱᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᖓᓂᑦ ᐱᖓᓱᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᐱᐅᒃᓴᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓈᓚᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᒫᓐᓇ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖑᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᒥ ᐊᖅᓵᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓱᒋᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᓯᑐᕆᖑᓄᑦ ᐱᓂᐊᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖓᓄᑦ. ᑐᓂᓯᔭᐅᖔᖅᓯᒪᓱᒋᔪᕐᓕ. ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᑎᐊᕋᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓂᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ The SirAlexanderM ackenzie Schoolin Inuvik,w here m any survivors attended classes in the 1960s,w as the site ofthe northern nationalevent. ᓲᕐ ᐋᓕᒃᓵᓐᑕ ᒪᑭᐊᓐᓯ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ, ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᓂᒡᕕᒋᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᑦ 1960 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖏᓐᓂ, ᑲᑎᒪᕕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ.

September/October 2011

above & beyond

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Hans Lenny ofInuvik, chairofthe Northern Gam es Society,served healthy country food during the four-day nationalgathering. ᕼᐋᓐᔅ ᓕᐊᓂ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᓐᖑᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒋᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᓂᒃ ᑎᓴᒪᓂᒃ.

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arcticjournal.ca

they haven’t started their journey to heal. Hopefully they will feel safe, and when they go home, they’re going to seek out the help they need to begin to heal.”

A cohort of 110 health support workers identified with green jackets made the event a safe one for survivors to open their hearts and added an invaluable human touch to the entire experience in Inuvik. They were never more than a few inches from anyone who needed comfort, distributing water, tissues and hugs.

The churches were eager participants in the northern event. On top of taking part in the dialogues of resilience and expressions of reconciliation, they held a popular consultation area in the Midnight Sun complex where they made their records available to the public. All day long, former students could go through the archival photo albums and find themselves or family members in old snapshots.

Next to the photo albums was the learning centre, an extensive educational display on the history of residential schools with answers to many questions.

“There was a real political motive behind the schools,” said John Milloy, professor and historian in charge of the learning centre. Milloy, who wrote a book entitled A National Crime, researched in depth the establishment of the residential school system, which started officially in 1883 with Prime Minister John A. MacDonald announcing that he would subsidize four schools in the west.

According to Milloy, the Presbyterian Church also wanted a residential school. The church sent Ottawa a letter in 1884, summing up the main motivation behind the whole Indian residential school system in Canada. “If we have their children, the parents will behave,” wrote the church official to MacDonald.

Surprisingly, many of these children taken as political hostages for decades didn’t speak in vengeful and hateful terms in Inuvik. The stories they shared were all about other matters of the heart.

September/October 2011

ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖅ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ. “ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᒃᑯᓪᓕ, ᐱᐅᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᕗᖅ ᐱᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖅ ᑲᑎᒍᓐᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᓅᕕᐊᓗᖕᒥᐅᑕᓕᒫᓄᑦ. ᐱᑕᖃᓚᐅᓐᖏᑉᐸᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓐᓇᔭᓚᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᒍᑦ. (…) ᓯᑐᕆᖑᒥ ᐱᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᒍᑎᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᕙᕗᑦ. ᐊᒥᓱᐃᑦ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᒋᓕᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᒃᑯᑦ.” ᒫᓐᓇ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅᑕᐅᖅ ᑖᓐᓇᐅᕗᖅ ᕗᓐᑐᑦ ᒍᐃᑦᓯᓐᑯᓐ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖓᑦ ᓄᐊᒪ ᑳᓯ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᑉ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᑭᓯᒪᒋᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖓ ᓯᕗᒧᒍᑎᒋᓚᐅᕋᓂᐅᒃ. 24-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑐᓂ, ᐱᖓᓱᓂᒃ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᖃᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ,ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᕈᒪᓕᕐᓗᓂᓗ.ᑕᐃᒪᓐᖓᓂᑦ, ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᓐᖑᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᒧᑦ. ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᑉ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᓯᑏᕙ ᑳᒃᕗᐃ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᒋᕗᖅᑕᐅᖅ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᑯᓂ ᐃᓄᖁᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᐊᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᒐᔪᒡᓗᓂ ᐊᖑᔭᐅᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ ᒍᕉᓕᐅᒥ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ 2003-ᒥ. “ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᓐᖏᓚᖓᓕ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑉᐱᒍᓱᒋᐊᖃᕐᒪᖔᕐᒪ, ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓅᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᖔᕐᒪᓗ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑳᒃᕗᐃ, ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅᑕᐅᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ. 10-ᖑᓗᐊᓕᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂᒃ ᒪᒥᓴᓕᖅᑐᖅ, ᐱᓯᓕᐅᖅᑎᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ. “ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᒪᒥᓴᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᑕᕝᕗᖓ ᖃᐃᔪ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᒃᐹᓪᓕᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᐊᓗᖕᒥᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᓐᖏᓂᕆᓕᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᖑᕆᑦ ᐊᐃᓴᒃ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᒥᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᑯᓂᒐᓚᒃ. “ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᓴᖅᑭᒍᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᖏᓐᓂᓐᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᑕᓗᕈᒃᑯᑎᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᒍᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᐳᕐᓗ ᒪᒥᓴᕆᐊᖃᓕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐱᔪᒥᓇᕋᓗᐊᖅᐳᕐᓕ ᑐᓐᖓᓱᒃᑎᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᖁᓗᒋᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖅᐸᑕ, ᕿᓂᖁᔪᒥᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ.”

110−ᖑᔪᓄᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᐃᔨᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑐᓐᖓᓇᒃᓴᐃᔾᔪᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᖃᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐆᔭᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑲᐅᓯᕚᓪᓕᕈᑕᐅᓚᐅᕆᕗᑦ ᐅᐸᒃᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒧᑦ. ᖃᓂᑦᑐᒦᖏᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓄᑦ ᓴᐃᒻᒪᖅᓴᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᒥᕐᒥᓪᓗ ᑐᓂᓯᔨᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᓪᓚᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂᒡᓗ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᕿᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᓐᖓᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕖᑦ ᐱᖃᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᕆᕗᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒥ. ᐱᖃᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᐊᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒪᒥᐊᒋᐊᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᕆᕗᑦ ᓯᕿᓂᖅ ᓂᐱᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᕕᖕᒥ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐊᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓄᑦ. ᐅᓪᓗᓕᒫᒃ ᐅᐸᒃᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᕈᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᓂᐊᕈᒪᔪᓄᑦ. ᐊᔾᔨᓐᖑᐊᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᖃᓂᖏᔮᓂ ᑐᑭᓯᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃᑕᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᕕᓂᐅᑉ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐊᐱᖅᑯᑕᐅᔪᓂᒡᓗ ᑭᐅᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. “ᐃᓅᖃᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔪᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕖᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᔮᓐ ᒥᓗᐃ, ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑎ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑐᑭᓯᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᒃ. ᒥᓗᐃ, ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᒥᒃ A National Crime ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓇᒃᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕖᑦ, ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ 1883-ᒥᓂᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᕐᔪᐊᖓᓄᑦ ᔮᓐ ᒪᒃᑖᓄᑦᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥ ᑎᓴᒪᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓂᒃ ᐅᐊᓕᓂᕐᒥ. ᒪᓗᐃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ, ᐳᕆᔅᐸᑎᐅᕆᐊᓐ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕕᒎᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓕᐅᕈᒪᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅᑕᐅᖅ.ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕕᖓᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᕉᖅ ᐋᑐᕚᒧᑦ 1884-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᓇᓱᒃᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ. “ᕿᑐᓐᖓᖏᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᒍᑦᑎᒍᑦ, ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖏᑦ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᓈᓚᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ,” ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓂᕐᐳᖅ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᒪᒃᑖᓄᑦᒧᑦ. ᑲᒪᓇᖅᐳᕐᓕ, ᐊᒥᓱᐃᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᕕᓃᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᖅᓵᖅᑕᐅᓂᑯᐃᑦ ᕿᒥᒍᓱᒡᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖃᐅ-

Their love of the land was a recurrent theme in their testimony, and it made the entire audience long for the country as it was before, the original land that all seemed to know in their heart.

“We lived in Crow Flats, surrounded by caribou. At age eight, I had my own dog team,” said chief Norma Kassi.

In his tough love closing speech, Justice Sinclair was unequivocal. “This event is not about you,” he said to the survivors. “It’s about your children and grandchildren who will inherit that legacy. What do you want to leave for them?

Children suffer for not knowing who they are. You need to give them back their identity. If they know who they are, they will have self-respect and faith in the future.”

“Forgive you must — to move on. Forget you must — never. By remembering, we can do something,” said Holocaust survivor and lecturer Robbie Waisman, who was invited as an honorary witness to the northern national event. Waisman, who was liberated from a concentration camp at the age of 14, could well identify with the suffering of those who went through Canada’s residential schools.

“The first road to recovery is to share your pain with others.

It’s a healing process that’s very necessary before you can move on with your life.”

For many, the Inuvik experience gave them just that: a chance to move on.

ᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᓐᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐆᒻᒪᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᑉᐱᒋᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖏᑕ ᓄᓇᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᒐᔪᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖓᓕᕈᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑲᑎᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᓚᐅᕋᑎᒃ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓄᓇᒋᖕᒪᔾᔪᑎ ᓴᐃᒪᔾᔪᑎᒋᖕᒪᔾᔪᑦ. “ᓄᓇᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᑯᕉ ᓇᖅᓴᖓᓂ (Crow Flats), ᖃᓂᒋᔭᕗᓪᓗ ᑐᒃᑐᓕᐊᓘᓪᓗᓂ. 8-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑐᖓ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖅ ᕿᒧᒃᓯᖃᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᐊᒪ ᑳᓯ. ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᓇᒡᓕᒍᓯᖕᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᑦᑕᕈᓱᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ, ᐃᖅᑲᖅᑐᐃᔨ ᓯᓐᑭᓗᐊ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ “ᐅᓇ ᑲᑎᒪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖅ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓐᖏᓚᖅ; ᕿᑐᓐᖓᑦᓯᓐᓄᓪᓕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᕐᖑᑕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᕿᒪᐃᕕᒋᓂᐊᖅᑕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ. ᓱᓇᒥᓪᓕ ᕿᒪᐃᕕᒋᔪᒪᕕᓯᐅᒃ? ᓱᕈᓯᓛᒃ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᕙᒃᐳᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑎᑕᐅᓐᖏᑦᑕᕌᖓᒥᒃ ᓇᑭᓐᖔᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᑐᒥᖓᓕ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᔭᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᐳᓯ. ᑭᓇᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᑕ, ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᑉᐱᒋᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓂᕆᐅᖕᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᖏᓐᓄᑦ.” “ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔪᓐᓇᐃᖅᓯᒪᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᓯ — ᓯᕗᒧᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᖁᓪᓗᓯ. ᐳᐃᒍᐃᔭᕆᐊᖃᓐᖏᓚᓯ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃ — ᑕᐅᕗᖓᓕᒫᖅ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓗᑕ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᔫᑎ ᔮᒪᓂᒧᑦ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᕋᐱ ᕙᐃᔅᒪᓐ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓇᑕᐅᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓈᓚᒋᐊᖅᑐᖁᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᕙᐃᔅᒪᓐ, ᑎᒍᔭᐅᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᔮᒪᓂᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑐᓂ 14-ᓂᒃ, ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑐᓴᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ. “ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅᓯᐅᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᖅᑯᑎᒥ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᒪᒥᒥᓴᐅᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒧᑦ.” ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ,ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖅ ᑕᒪᑐᒥᖓ ᑐᓂᓯᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ: ᐱᕕᒃᓴᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᒧᒋᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᒥᒃ.

September/October 2011

The ashes from the sacred fire thatburned in the W innipeg nationaleventin 2010 are added to Inuvik’s sacred fire. ᐊᐅᒻᒪᕕᓃᑦ ᐃᑯᐊᓚᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᐅᐃᓂᐱᒡᒥ ᓯᕗᓂᖓᒍᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᓂᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ 2010-ᒥ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᔾᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᑯᐊᓚᑎᑕᐅᔪᒥᑦ.

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A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

CIRQINIQ any of us older folks, especially those of us who live in small communities, are well acquainted with the echoes of that typical summertime lament teenagers are so famous for, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do.”

To address this commonplace social dilemma, parents, educators, community organizers and invariably a dedicated cadre of volunteers work tirelessly to source or develop appealing youth-relevant activities — ones that will engage and satisfy the active minds and energetic nature of young people looking for fun things to do.

Creating good programming for youth is especially vital once school is out, when the days are long and everyone is thinking vacation, or has time on their hands. It does present a challenge.

In our modern age of smart phones, Internet, computer games and social media, the competition is stiff for those dedicated to

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engaging youth in any meaningful way. The time-honoured concept of a “summer camp” in its many shapes and adaptable forms can and often does prove a salvation, not only for recreation programmers and volunteers, but more importantly for participating youth as well.

One successful program, the popular eightday CIRQINIQ Summer Camp, held in Kuujjuaq at the end of June and ending the first week of July, lives up to that billing. Over the past two years, teams of dedicated senior instructors have visited every community (at least twice) working one-on-one with junior instructors, building their skills and teaching them how to run circus workshops in their Nunavik community.

The initiative has so far successfully unearthed the latent artistic urges and talents of 57 enthusiastic young Nunavimmiut from communities throughout the region.

September/October 2011

© KATIVIK REGIONAL GOVERNMENT (2)

Nunavik Youth Perform

Elena M esher’s grand finale hoop perform ance.

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© KATIVIK REGIONAL GOVERNMENT (4)

Am berM cLay proudly displays the costum e she m ade.

Alex Papak w orks on his plate-spinning skills.

Like her peers, 14-year-old Amber McLay, of Kuujjuaq, is drawn to the exciting smorgasbord of stagecraft, technical skills and performance opportunities that the CIRQINIQ camp makes available.

A very enthusiastic participant in all that life has to offer, Amber is immersed in many artistic and athletic extra-curricular endeavours

during the academic year. She’s very active in the Youth Dance Program offered by her school. She’s an avid athlete, participating in soccer, badminton, swimming, gymnastics and jogging too.

CIRQINIQ is a natural fit for this very energetic, always busy, obviously happy teenager.

“I like it all, and I participated in all the workshops. It was a lot of fun!” Amber tells above&beyond.

“There’s a lot to be interested in. I’m on the squad of my school’s youth dance program.

Last year we competed on an international level in Florida. CIRQINIQ really fits with my interests. I especially enjoyed the pyramid

balancing and flyer part of the program. I also enjoyed the gymnastic aspects. But really, I liked it all. I enjoyed making my own dress in the costume workshop.”

When asked about her future, Amber is quite clear.

“Right now I’m very focused on my education.

I’m in Secondary 2 and looking forward to graduating and moving on to pursue Social Studies. That’s what I’m most interested in.”

The CIRQINIQ Summer Camp initiative wrapped up its 2011 program with a parade in full costume through town, capped later that evening by their grand finale performance at the Katittavik Town Hall and Cultural Centre auditorium. A variety of entertainment featured brave but skilled displays of showmanship and daring, tempered by the always popular, but surprisingly difficult performance humour long associated with the fine art of clowning. Funny, yes, but definitely not as easy as it might look.

Eager to demonstrate their artistic interpretations of “weather” under the bright lights, the young performers wowed the audience with aerial feats and skills that included high wire acts, acrobatics and more, melded with dance, Inuit drumming and stunning makeup and costume design; all to a full house, standing room only crowd.

Even those in the community who were not able to attend the grand finale did not miss out. On their second last day of the camp, CIRQINIQ Summer Camp put on a special show for local elders at the Tusaajiapik Elders’ Residence that presented more culturally relevant material that included juggling and throat singing.

Coordinated by the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) Department of Recreation and world-renowned performance group, Cirque du Soleil, the partnered initiative included support from the Village of Kuujjuaq, Jaanimmarik School and the Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre. The camp, drawing youth from many of the region’s small communities, also received the generous support of northern sponsors, Taamani Internet, Kuujjuamiut Inc., Air Inuit and First Air. Everyone involved, including the audience, is already looking forward to the next CIRQINIQ Summer Camp, slated for July, 2012.

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A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

Northern Students Prepare Royal Feast

© TWYLA CAMPBELL

Youth Reception features Northern foods

Iqaluit’sThom as Ford and Hay River’s Krista GardineratRideau Hall.

ome things you can never predict, like flash floods or winning the lottery — or being asked to cook for the Royal Couple. But that’s exactly what happened in late May when two northern teenagers were asked to go to Ot-

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tawa to “cook a special dinner”. No details of whom they’d be cooking for or where the meal would take place were revealed. All Krista Gardiner of Hay River, Northwest Territories, and Thomas Ford of Iqaluit, Nunavut, knew

September/October 2011

was that they were being offered a trip to the big city for a special event. It was an offer neither could refuse.

Thomas Ford recalls the day he received a telephone call from Steven Cooper, a former resident of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, and now Partner at a law firm in Sherwood Park, Alberta.

“He asked if I was interested in cooking with a high profile chef for a week,” says Ford who enthusiastically accepted Cooper’s offer.

It wasn’t until a week later that Ford was told the guests of honour were none other than the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. “I was extremely happy to be given this amazing opportunity,” he says, “But I was told I couldn't say anything to anyone about it until it was time, and that was really hard!”

Krista Gardiner had the same reaction.

When she was finally able to tell her friends that she was going to cook for Kate and William, no one believed her. “All they said was ‘yeah right!’ But I couldn’t get the smile off my face.”

Steve Cooper had, for some time, known about the details of the Royal dinner, billed as the Celebration of Youth Reception. The event was to celebrate the achievements of young Canadians, 120 all told, and all near the ages of Kate and William. The guests would share an evening with the Royals while enjoying food cooked by students experienced (or interested) in the Culinary Arts. In April, Cooper received

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A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

© TWYLA CAMPBELL (4)

Victoria Island M usk O x Prosciutto and Alberta Sylvan Starcrackling on a Jellied Herb Dice w ith W ild Leek Pesto.

Steve Cooperprepares the Arctic CharCarpaccio dish.

a phone call from the Governor General’s Chef, Louis Charest, asking him to help find food for the menu and students to help prepare it.

Cooper’s relationship with the Governor General’s Chef stems back to November of 2010 when he and Charest prepared an Arctic-themed dining event in Toronto. That

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event led to several other northern food dinners, including one in Edmonton and one at the esteemed James Beard House in New York City.

Charest sent the grocery list to Cooper who immediately called First Air, the Nunavut Development Corporation and Kitikmeot Foods.

September/October 2011

“We had amazing cooperation from everyone,” says Cooper recalling how, two days before the event, Iqaluit resident Paul Kaludjak was awakened at 4 a.m. with a request to check his nets for Char. “We needed contingency plans in place,” says Cooper, knowing any interruptions could threaten supply. Along with the Char, the grocery list included musk ox from Victoria Island, kelp from Cape Dorset and Iqaluit, shrimp from Baffin Fisheries Coalition, and sea urchin from Qikiqtarjuaq.

The logistics of gathering and shipping unfrozen food proved challenging even to Cooper. “This meal was different. Chef Charest was requesting that everything be fresh, not frozen. Timing was critical.”

The most difficult item to secure would be sea urchin from Qikiqtarjuaq, a Nunavut community Cooper visited a month prior to Charest’s email request. While there, Cooper was introduced to Charlie Alikatuqtuq, one of only two certified divers in the Arctic. “It was imperative that the sea urchin arrived alive,” says Cooper who stayed in contact with

A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N Alikatuqtuq for days preceding the dinner.

“Charlie knew how important this was, and he really came through for us.” With the help of staff at Qikiqtarjuaq’s Northern Store and First Air, the sea urchin arrived without incident. “Chef Charest was very happy with the product,” Cooper says, adding that a note Alikatuqtuq included to the Royal Couple was a charming touch. “He wrote that he hoped they enjoyed the urchin and that they could get more from him if they wanted.”

Sea Urchin from Q ikiqtarjuaq,Nunavut.

Thom as receives guidance from Executive ChefLouis Charest.

Three days before the Royal Reception, Gardiner joined Cooper and his wife in Edmonton. Ford made his way from Iqaluit and the four connected in Ottawa June 28.

The next day the group arrived at Rideau Hall where they met 20 more culinary students selected from across the country. At the front of the class stood Chef Charest and his team of established, mentoring chefs.

“When I entered the kitchen, I felt nervous and yet I felt like I was part of something big,” confides Ford. “This was a real chance to challenge myself.”

Gardiner also felt the pressure and admits to feeling overwhelmed. “I didn’t want to mess up!”

Chef John-Carlo Felicella, Manager of Team Canada’s Junior Culinary squad, patiently cleaned the sea urchin. The delicate roe would later partner with Davis Strait shrimp on a wild rice cracker. One station over, José Moniz, past Executive Chef to Jean Chrétien, filleted the Arctic Char destined for a Carpaccio dish. He handed the pieces to Ford who patiently plucked any tiny, wayward bones from the Char’s silky flesh.

Meanwhile, in the garden of Rideau Hall, Gardiner identified and sorted edible flowers and collected basil leaves to be used in a pastry dish. At first, painting the individual basil leaves with egg white then dipping them in sugar seemed like fun, but after three hours, that fun was fading. “I had no idea how much work it would be,” she says of her time spent in the kitchen.

Aching backs and tired feet were setting in for many of the young chefs but that mood changed as soon as the plates were finished and taken to the waiting guests.

Fabulous Creations by the Artisans of Nunavik

Kuujjuaq, QC Box 729 J0M 1C0 CANADA | Tel: 819-964-1848 Fax: 819-964-1950 | e-mail: info@nunavikcreations.com | online shopping: www.nunavikcreations.com

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© TWYLA CAMPBELL (2)

Krista preps fresh basilfrom the herb garden.

Davis StraitShrim p and Q ikiqtarjuaq Sea Urchin on a W ild Rice W aferw ith W asabiCrèm e Fraiche and Tam ariSoy Caviar.

Compliments for the food soon made their way back to the kitchen but the best news of the evening came in the form of a request from the Royal Couple: they wished to meet the culinary team.

Kate spoke to Gardiner first. “She asked me about school, what I cooked for them and where I'm from. We spoke for quite a while,” beams Gardiner who says the biggest surprise was finding out how down-to-earth Kate and William are. Ford agrees, adding that the Royals were very curious about the northern products, and that Kate enjoys seafood. Ford’s pride in Nunavut’s products is evident in his smile.

Both Ford and Gardiner are still in shock at being asked to participate in an event of such stature. For Ford, the whole experience has him considering a future in the culinary arts.

“The idea of not sitting at a desk and always working on something different is very attractive.” Gardiner says that someday she sees herself appearing in the Food Network’s, Top Chef Canada.

When you shoot for the stars, you never know where you may land, or just whom you might meet along the way.

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© NUNAVUT SIVUNIKSAVUT

A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

Frontrow :(L-R)Becky O katsiak,Abby Haqpi,Kyra Nokkitok,His Excellency,the GovernorGeneral,David Johnston,M yna Kiguktak,Jo-Anne Idlout,Robin Ikkutisluk, Jam es Jr.Kopak and KalaiPilakapsi.Back row :Adam ie Ikkidluak,Aviaq Johnston,Terry Noah,KrystalAqatsiaq,Am elia Ipkornerk,Caitlin Pangon and Danny Ishulutak.

New Grads, New School, New Hopes Nunavut Sivuniksavut strengthens Inuit language and culture he stately halls of the University of Ottawa have seen some memorable and moving convocation and graduation ceremonies during its long history in academia, but few will compare to the graduation on May 15, 2011 in one of the University’s grand halls where 16 Inuit students from across the vast Nunavut Territory completed the unique Nunavut Sivuniksavut program.

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Roughly translated, sivuniksavut means ‘for our future’. The program graduates are the best and brightest of Nunavut’s youth.

They are in their late teens or early 20s and already, just by finishing high school, they have beaten the educational odds stacked against them.

More than half of Nunavut’s population drop out of school before finishing high school.

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No more than five percent go on to attend University.

The graduates are well aware of the Territory’s social and economic challenges, always reflected at the extremes of every social economic indicator: highest per capita unemployment, lowest per capita income, highest rates of crime, lowest graduation rates, highest cost of living, and the list goes on.

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A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

The NunavutSivuniksavut grads aglow w ith the joy ofsharing theirproud day w ith teachers,fam ily,and friends.

Their purpose and goal in life is to make an individual effort and contribution to change at least some of that.

They were born and raised in communities across Nunavut: Kugluktuk and Gjoa Haven in the high western Arctic; Rankin Inlet and Repulse Bay on the Hudson Bay; as well as the Baffin Island settlements of Igloolik, Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung, Kimmirut and Grise Fiord, one of the small communities in the Arctic and the most northerly on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island, more than four thousand kilometres north of Ottawa.

Lily Maniapik was the “lucky” one to live only two thousand kilometres away in Iqaluit, the capital of the relatively new Territory.

She put in perspective what Nunavut Sivuniksavut (or NS as it’s commonly known) is about. “Nunavut wasn’t just given to us, somebody had to fight for it, and it is up to us to make it work and ensure its future is bright.”

Preparing for a better future is at the heart of what the program is about. Over the course of eight and an half months away from home in a strange city, these students take on the difficult cultural and social challenges associated with

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making a transition from life in the tiny isolated communities to acquiring the skills they need for future educational and career advancement.

Although based in Ottawa, and now in its 26th year, interestingly Sivuniksavut is much more than a “southern exposure” program. It places as much emphasis on Inuit culture and history, particularly the importance of land claims and the creation of Nunavut, and Inuit language preservation as it provides real life learning experiences about life and living in the cities and southern Canada. The priority that it puts on strengthening Inuit language and culture is what separates it from all other educational programs.

ITK President Mary Simon observes that rather than continuing a gradual departure from Inuit language and culture as happens in public schools across the four Inuit regions, the NS program “reinforces Inuit language and culture and it’s clear that’s a main reason why it’s become so successful.”

Most of the Inuit students in Ottawa are fluent in the Inuit language of Inuktitut. Those who are not, are given intensive language training by qualified and highly trained instructors, and these formal sessions are bolstered by their fellow students and roommates. It’s a remarkable reversal of painful and highly documented Indian Residential School experiences where so many aboriginal people were stripped of their language and culture.

Today, young Inuit students are returning home now speaking their language with confidence.

One of the co-founders of the program and its coordinator, 58-year-old Morley Hanson,

“Moving Forward”

by Temela Aqpik, Kimmirut, Nunavut

says the tests and exams are as unique as the program itself. “There’s only one exam,” he says “and it takes three days to write it.” To graduate, students are required to write about and document their experiences, and what they learned.

Those experiences include being thrust into the performing and cultural spotlight around Ottawa. NS students immediately become active in Inuit throat singing and drum dancing, and often within a few months of their arrival in Ottawa find themselves performing at functions around the city, including events for the Governor General at Rideau Hall.

What also makes an NS graduation different from nearly all others, is that here, all the students get to speak and are given the opportunity to say thank you and talk about their experience.

Nearly all, even the most outgoing, suddenly find themselves overcome with emotion, especially happiness, and without exception they break down in tears.

Some are tongue-tied by the size of the audience. The four hundred or so family friends and guests who attended the May ceremony at the University of Ottawa might outnumber the population of some of the communities the students call home.

For these sixteen students, listening to a federal Cabinet Minister offer congratulations was one thing, but to hear it from a Minister in their own language was even more memorable and encouraging.

Students themselves talked about the fear of leaving home for this “strange place,” or wanting to quit because of homesickness, but mostly they spoke of the support they got from one another. They also spoke of lives little realities and necessities.

“Our biggest challenge,” says 18-year-old Joanne Idlout, was learning to budget.

In the first few months, I got three text messages, “do you have any toilet paper?”

Reading his speech notes from an iPhone, Terry Noah, both embraced and illustrated a purely Canadian cultural and geographic divide. At Christmas he was able to return home to Grise Fiord. In the total darkness of the High Arctic winter, aided by the lights of their snowmobile, he shot a polar bear while on a hunting trip with his father.

But he wasn’t just talking about the support his father gave him hunting; it was the financial support. “Because of him, I didn’t have to ask for toilet paper,” the 18-year-old said, his voice choking back tears. His proud and beaming father was in the audience.

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There were as many tears in the audience, including plenty from tough-minded Inuit political leaders such as Nunavut Premier Eva Arreak, Federal Cabinet Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Nunavut Leona Aglukkaq, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Mary Simon and Nunavut Commissioner Edna Elias. At times all could be seen repeatedly flashing tissue under their eyes.

Said premier Arreak, “How can you not share and feel their emotion? The program has shown we can bring out the very best in our youth, and they find out who they really are and where they come from.”

For some of the NS students, the program and their time in Ottawa opens doors for higher education and further learning, particularly at University.

Increasingly, there are new scholarships to help them. This year, the Nunavut Tunngavik Land Claim Corporation announced two university-based scholarships of five thousand dollars each for exceptional students. Additionally, the Avataq Corporation of Rankin inlet also announced two additional scholarships valued at one thousand dollars each.

New School Financial investments are expanding beyond students and scholarships. One day before the graduation ceremonies, a new school was officially opened in Ottawa, replacing the cramped and crowded quarters at 336 MacLaren Street in the heart of Ottawa’s ByWard Market. Both the Governments of Nunavut and Canada provided the funding for the multimillion-dollar facility.

Nunavut premier Arreak said, “The new premises are not just about opening a building, but about building Nunavut.”

The program will also be expanded. There is space and resources for two first-year classes, says Hanson, and additionally a second-year program will be offered as a university preparation course.

Increasingly, the NS program is attracting interest in other Inuit regions. Next year it will host students from Greenland and Nunatsiavut (Labrador).

Additionally, the Kativik School Board in Northern Quebec is developing a similar program in Montreal for young Inuit students of Nunavik.

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IQALUIT, NUNAVUT September/October 2011

Whit Fraser

NORTHERN BOOKSHELF

Great reads for all ages The Q alupalik Elisha Kilabuk, Illustrated by Joy Ang, Inhabit Media, 2011 All Inuit know about the qalupaliit, strange creatures that live under the sea ice and carry away unsuspecting children on their backs. But when one bright young orphan strays too close to the ice, he soon learns that while qalupaliit may be very scary, they are also easily tricked. The Qalupalik is the first instalment in The Unikkaakuluit Series, a new, beautifully illustrated children’s series based on the work of celebrated contemporary Inuit storytellers. In addition to the English edition and the South Baffin Inuktitut edition, The Qalupalik is available in four Inuktitut dialect e-book editions: North Baffin, Anikiluaq, Kivalliq, and Inuinnaqtun. With full colour illustrations throughout, this book is suitable for readers from ages six to eight. The second book in the series, The Orphan and the Polar Bear by Sakiaski Qaunaq, will be published this fall.

ArcticGiants Neil Christopher, Illustrated by Eva Widermann, Inhabit Media, 2011 In ancient times, giants ruled the Arctic.

For hundreds of years, Inuit stories of these creatures have been carried down from generation to generation, whispered in the night.

Arctic Giants is the only full-length volume to chronicle the legends of these giants of the North. Based on Inuit oral tradition and extensive, meticulous research, Arctic Giants unsparingly tells each horrifying legend.

Written in the vein of the Brothers Grimm and illustrated in an evocative, gothic style, this book is bound to become part of Canada’s fairy tale canon.

Uum ajut,Volum e Tw o:Learn AboutArcticW ildlife!

Simon Awa, Seeglook Akeeagok, Anna Ziegler, Stephanie McDonald, Leah Otak and Romi Caron, Inhabit Media, 2011 Picking up where Uumajut: Learn About Arctic Wildlife! left off, Uumajut, Volume Two introduces young readers four to eight years of age to the diets and habitats of more Arctic species including the siksik, ermine, wolf, muskox, eider duck, ringed seal, harp seal, and walrus.

They will learn about traditional Inuit uses for these animals, from traditional food preparation to clothing and household uses. Uumajut, Volume Two is brought to vivid life by award-winning illustrator Romi Caron’s whimsical full colour illustrations throughout.

Come check out the newest Inuit Art Gallery!

Located at Tumiit Plaza, Carvings Nunavut has a spacious and elegant atmosphere.

Open Monday-Saturday from 10AM-6PM, evenings and weekends by appointment by calling 867-222-1949

Unikkaaqtuat An Introduction to InuitM yths and Legends Neil Christopher, Inhabit Media, 2011 This exhaustive story collection makes the rich tradition of Inuit storytelling accessible to the rest of Canada for the first time. From creation myths to animal fables, Unikkaaqtuat gives non-Inuit readers a thorough introduction to the world of Inuit traditional stories. This definitive collection of legends and myths is thoughtfully introduced and carefully annotated to provide the historical and cultural context in which to understand this rich oral tradition.

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For more information about these books, and other titles in The Unikkaakuluit Series, visit www.inhabitmedia.com.

September/October 2011

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INUIT FORUM

one Fishing is a great term, often used figuratively when one is shutting down business for a while or, in my own case, taking a break from Inuit politics, policy and programs. But it’s an even better term used literally, when you can tell the office that you have actually “gone fishing” and come back with the big fish to prove it.

This summer’s journey was more than a fishing trip, it was a discovery of my own backyard, and the bountiful Koksoak River that flows by my home community of Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, and empties into Ungava Bay about 50 kilometres downstream.

When I was a child, we lived by the shores of the Koksoak, but we really grew up on the George River, about 160 kilometres east, where my parents, Bob and Nancy May, built and operated the first hunting and fishing camps in the region — initially at Helen’s Falls and later at Pyramid Mountain.

Salmon fishing was the big attraction, and my brothers and sisters and I were all involved.

Big or small, young or old, we knew our roles.

The boys were guides on the river — in Johnny’s and Billy’s case, just until they were old enough to become pilots and fly my father’s small airplane, bringing in guests and supplies. My sisters and I worked with our mother in the kitchen.

We all learned to tie salmon flies, which we sold to guests. If they hooked a mighty Atlantic salmon on one of our flies, we knew a big tip of five or even ten dollars was coming — and make no mistake, in the economy of the late 1950s or early ’60s, we would feel quite rich. What we did not do was fish for salmon. My father knew the big fish were our real bread and butter. They were for guests only, and in retrospect, he was right.

Since my husband and I moved back to Kuujjuaq four years ago, we’ve made it a point

© PATRICIA D’SOUZA / ITK

G

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to spend part of each summer exploring — either travelling in our freighter canoe along Ungava Bay or camping and fishing with my brother Billy and his family.

We have caught our share of trout, char and salmon. But this July was different. We spent our time on the river itself, and, finally, I experienced the excitement of hooking a big trophy salmon, the size that kept all those guests coming back to my parents’ camp 50 or more years ago.

We were with my brothers Bob and Billy and their families and we hit what my husband Whit called the “mother lode” of salmon. One after another, we were hooking fish — in my own case, two huge salmon, each about 20 pounds and one right after the other. Each one took more than half an hour to land.

For me it was more than the thrill of catching the fish, it was also learning from my brothers about this unique species of Atlantic salmon.

In Kuujjuaq they are simply called “estuary salmon,” which means they don’t migrate into the wider ocean in search of food. It’s believed the mouth of the river is so rich in nutrients that they don’t need to follow the ocean currents. It may also mean they are less susceptible to being fished commercially, and as a consequence, their numbers appear to be growing.

They also seem to be getting larger, up to 25 pounds or 100 centimetres, whereas 25 years ago their maximum length was a little more than half that. There are subtle physical differences from the salmon in the George or other noted salmon rivers. For instance, the heads are smaller, they don’t appear to have

September/October 2011

© BOB MAY JR.

Gone Fishing

Sim on w ith herprize salm on and m ore precious “guide,” 10-year-old niece Am berM ay.

as many scales and they are a paler shade of salmon pink. As for taste, however, our local experts maintain the ocean-run salmon are more favourable.

Most importantly, they have the same fighting spirit on the line, diving, jumping, twisting and rolling, trying to shake free from the hook. Many are successful — but not these two. These are in our freezer ready for some fantastic dinners that will follow. Now it’s time to change the sign to “Back at Work”!

Mary Simon

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Rankin Inlet Team Left to right: Natalya Branch-Popat, Dianna Owlijoot, Kimberly Makpah, Clayton Tartak, Michelle Jackson, James Connelly, Wayne Kusugak