Men need help, now

Noel Kaludjak addresses the two-dozen men who attended a men’s meeting in Rankin Inlet Thursday, July 13. Stewart Burnett/NNSL

Gathering hears plight of men in Rankin Inlet

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative Rankin Inlet

and Ray Pudlat and his sons for helping cut it up. Photo courtesy of Anulik and Tracey Ayaruak.

ICC meets in Nuuk Greenland

The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) hosted its first in-person gathering since the pandemic July 17-19 in Nuuk, Greenland.

ICC normally holds a general assembly every four years, but the 2022 event was a hybrid meeting due to Covid-19 concerns. This year’s in-person gathering was called a delegates meeting and an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s progress, celebrate unity and further develop ICC work plans.

“We are looking forward to hosting the Inuit delegates travelling to Ilulissat next week,” ICC chair Sara Olsvig stated ahead of the event. “ICC Greenland and the municipality of Avannaata Kommunia have been planning this for many years, and unfortunately the pandemic delayed the in-person event. Gathering as Inuit contributes to the original vision of unity across our Inuit homeland – Inuit Nunaat. We gain strength from meeting each other, from both our discussions and sharing our culture.”

Inuit from Chukotka were not able to attend in-person due to the Russian war in Ukraine.

The main themes for the meeting this year are internal ICC governance structure, marine governance, hunting and food security, infrastructure deficit and the international decade on Indigenous languages.

“Continuing the vision of our founders, we are bringing our voice to the international arena in many important areas – human rights, climate change, contaminants, international shipping, wildlife and health,” states Olsvig.

“Guided by the ICC 2022 General Assembly Declaration, which serves as our mandate throughout this four-year term, the gathering in Ilulissat will provide an important venue to further discuss our priorities and advocacy.”

Aviation scholarship available

Nunavut

Applications for the Simata Pitsiulak Aviation Scholarship are now open.

Any students who are going to school to train as a pilot, aircraft maintainer, flight attendant or studying airline or airport operations might be eligible. The scholarship is up to $7,500 per student to help pay for education costs.

Eligible applicants must be currently enrolled in school to train as a pilot, aircraft maintainer, flight attendant or in airline or airport operations; be a Nunavut Inuk or a full-time resident of Nunavut (two-year minimum residency); and plan to work in Nunavut after finishing their education.

Full-time online courses and commercial flight time-building will be considered.

The application deadline is Aug. 31, 2023.

For more information, please email edt@gov.nu.ca or call 1-888-975-5999.

A men’s gathering in Rankin Inlet saw some somber discussions and calls for action.

About two-dozen men attended the meeting at the community hall Thursday, July 13. They ranged from Elders to young people.

“As we know, we have lots of issues in Rankin,” said Noel Kaludjak, who formed the men’s committee to organize the gathering. “Social issues, family violence, lack of hunting skills, lack of tool making, addiction programs, alcohol, mental health.”

He added that a lot of people don’t seek mental health help until it’s too late.

“Our young men, some of them don’t know how to tie a rope on the sled. They don’t know how to get ready for survival properly…the list is long.”

So much was broken when Inuit were moved to settlement, said Kaludjak, who also mentioned the ability for men to properly raise families.

The group talked about the beer and wine store and struggles with alcohol.

“It’s too bad, the beer and wine store is not really helping,” remarked Kaludjak. “I thought it would be okay – people would go buy beer, go home, have a few beers, go to work the next day.”

The importance of language and Inuktitut was also discussed, as well as the need for programs like young hunters and opportunities for Elders to teach young men.

One man in attendance wanted more action and less talk.

“We need action, not just talk, talk, talk, talk,” he said. “We hear that all the time, every day. Stop talking and start doing so us young people can follow what you guys are trying to teach us.”

Another younger man shared his personal challenges with some of the stigmas around men.

“I was always told you’re old enough, you should know, you’re a boy, you should know,” he said, through tears. “I’m tired of that. We all are. And like (another participant) said, we have nowhere to go, nowhere to turn, so a bunch of us end up killing ourselves… We need to do something. Something needs to start.” He talked about the weight on his shoulders about not being able to pass on traditional skills to youth.

“That’s been bothering me all week,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to teach but I don’t have the resources. I was never taught myself.”

Kaludjak chimed in, echoing that core need for Inuit to know how to hunt and prepare meat and skins.

“It cannot be taken away,” he said about that urge. “But a lot of us grew up not being taught that.”

Kaludjak hopes the group can grow and make a positive impact in Rankin Inlet that would be seen and echoed by other communities. At the moment, it’s just getting off its feet.

“We have no money, we have no office, but that’s how we work,” said Kaludjak. “We need to make this a model for other communities to see. It starts with you guys.”

”No words can explain,” said Randy Ryan Innukshuk about catching his first narwhal by Marble Island outside of Rankin Inlet Sunday, July 16. “Too excited. I’m going to give out to the community.” Photo courtesy of Randy Ryan Innukshuk

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