Nunavut News, Aug. 7, 2023 edition

ᕗᕋᒃᓕᓐ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᖁᑎᖓᓂ ᐱᖁᑎᖃᐅᑲᓐᓂᕐᓗᓂ ᐳᓚᕋᖅᑏ ᐱᔪᒪᕗᑦ ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑑᓂ

Nattilik Heritage Centre about to expand

Larger building with more Franklin expedition artifacts buoys tourism hopes in Gjoa Haven

ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᖕᓇᖅᑐᖅ

ᐳᕙᒡᓗᖕᓇᖅᑐᑯᕕᕕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᐸᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓗᕕᖃᕐᕕᐊᓄᑦ

Emotional journey to former Hamilton TB sanatorium, cemetery

QIA

Cael Karetak crosses home plate during the peewee baseball championship in Rankin Inlet on

ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅ

ᐆᒪᑎᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑐᓵᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᖃᓚᒋᐊᖅᖃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᖑᑎᑦ ᑲᑎᖓᑎᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᓂ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᓚᐅᕐᖏᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᖁᓯᐊᓂᒃ ᓄᑲᖅᖠᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓄᑦ. ᓄᐅᕆᐅ ᖃᓗᔾᔭᐅᑉ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔮᒍᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔪᒪᒐᓗᐊᕐᓇᕐᒪᑦ

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐱᔾᔪᓯᖏᓐᓂᓪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᑎᒋᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᓄᑲᖅᖠᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓄᑦ.

ᐊᖑᑎᓄᓪᓗ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᕈᑦᑕ ᐃᓱᒪᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᓗ ᑕᐅᑐᖑᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᐸᕋ ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ. ᐊᖑᑏᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᔫᒐᓗᐊᑦ. ᐅᐸᒡᕕᒃᑖᕆᐊᓕᐅᒐᓗᐊᑦ, ᐊᑲᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᐅᓂᖅ, ᐃᓚᒌᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖃᑎᒌᒃᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅ.

ᓄᐅᕆᐅ ᖃᓗᔾᔭᖅ ᐊᖑᑎᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᖓᑎᑦᑎᕗᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᓂ ᕿᑎᖅᖂ, ᔪᓚᐃ 13. ᓱᑐᕈᑦ ᐳᕐᓂᑦ/NNSL ᐊᔾᔨᖁᑎ

ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᑕᐅᕙᖕᒪᑕ ᐱᐅᖏᑦᑐᖅᑎᑐᑦ, ᐊᖑᑎᓂᒃ ᑲᖑᓵᕆᓕᖅᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ

ᓴᖏᔪᕙᒃᖢᓂ, ᓈᒪᒐᓱᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ

h tps://neas.ca/

ᐊᖑᑎᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓄᕗᒥᐅᓄᑦ, ᓇᓂᓕᒪᕐᓗ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᖕᓂᖃᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᐅᔨᕆᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᔪᖏᓐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ. ᐊᑖᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᑕᖃᖏᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ , ᐃᓐᓇᓪᓗ ᐊᔾᔪᒥᒋᔭᖅᐳᓪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᖃᐅᑕᒪᑦ, ᑕᐃᑲᖓ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓗᒍ ᐊᕿᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ . ᐱᑯᓇᕋᔭᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᑯᓗᓂ ᑎᒥᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ ᒪᓂᒻᒪᐃᓯᒪᔾᔫᒥᒃᐸᑕ ᐊᖑᑎᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᓂᒃ, ᐊᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖁᓯᖓ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᔫᒥᓗᓂ.

ᐊᔪᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐋᕿᒐᓱᒡᓗᒍ. ᐊᒃᓱᓪᓖ ᑲᖏᖅᖡᓂᕐᓂ, ᐊᖑᑏᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖄᕐᒪᑕ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ.

The need to be valued

Not an easy subject to talk about, and especially to solve

As Noel Kaludjak put it, the desire to know traditional skills and pass them on is core for Inuit. And for men generally, I would propose that feelings of competency and responsibility are core to our mental health and self-image.

The men in that gathering were crying out for help. They need more than programs, as good as those are, but a fundamental feeling of being desired, wanted and needed in the family and community at large.

The state of men in the modern day is a difficult subject to navigate. There is a significant amount of anti-male hate in general society, with people promoting the idea of “drinking male tears” and lack of care for men’s issues. In the course of lifting up women and others often marginalized in the past, society has attacked men and the demographics it deems powerful and therefore acceptable to hate and demean.

One of the most frustrating aspects of this narrative is that those who promote men’s healing often do so through their own lens, a lens that often doesn’t understand the male experience and instead imbues its own irrelevant values into the bearer’s perception of men’s needs.

Here is a controversial statement: men don’t need to hear from anyone but men about what they need. If you’re not

a man, you simply can’t understand the male experience. I know I am not the only man who rolls his eyes at the suggestions from other demographics about who we should look up to, who our role models should be, how we should express our feelings, what is toxic and what isn’t, the list goes on.

The situation between Inuit in Nunavut and men in general Canadian society is not one-toone, but there are common themes. One is the need to be valued.

Men often feel disposable. Women and babies come first – and we deeply support that, and in fact take pride in upholding that ethos – but it would be nice to get the recognition that men are fundamental to a successful community as well.

Children need dads. Wives need strong husbands. The community needs independent and brave men to take leadership roles. That doesn’t and shouldn’t take away from the fact every individual is needed and provides valuable contributions as well.

Another commonality between men in Nunavut and the rest of the country is the need to feel competent. In the absence of fathers, Elders and role models in our daily lives, this is where programming can provide immense value. It would be great to see organizations in Nunavut expand their men’s programming offerings and create more opportunities for those traditional skills to be passed on. It’s not an easy subject to discuss and infinitely more difficult to solve. At least in Rankin Inlet, men are taking the first step in voicing their needs.

It was heartbreaking to hear the deep inadequacy one attendee of the men’s gathering in Rankin Inlet felt about not being able to pass on traditional skills to younger men in his life.

STEWART BURNETT

- ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐅᔨᕆᔭᐅᔫᒥᓗᑕ ᐊᑑᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ. ᓄᑕᖅᖃᑦ ᐊᑖᑕᖃᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᑕ. ᓄᓕᐊᑦ ᓴᖏᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᐃᖃᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᑕ. ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐊᔪᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᑳᓗᖕᓂᑦ ᐊᖑᑎᖃᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᑦ ᑲᒪᔪᓐᓇᓯᓗᑎᒃ. ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᔪᓕᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᐊᖏᒻᒪᑦ ᑭᑯᓕᒪᕐᓄᑦ ᓱᖃᐃᒪ ᑭᓇᓕᒪᖅ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᑦ.

Iqaluit Housing Authority workers sign new deal, end 136-day labour dispute

New collective agreement includes wage increases, bonuses for Inuktitutspeaking workers and time off for Inuit cultural pursuits

By Tom Taylor Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Iqaluit Housing Authority (IHA) workers breathed a sigh of relief on Aug. 1, when a 136-day labour dispute with their employer finally came to end.

The 13 striking IHA staff, who are members of the Nunavut Employees Union (NEU), walked off the job on March 17, and will finally return to their positions on Aug. 3.

“They feel like they survived a battle, and they knew their worth, and they’re very happy with the results,” said NEU president Jason Rochon. “They’re looking forward to getting back to the workplace.

“We’re talking about young, local workers. They’re our future, and I’m really happy that they’re happy with the deal.”

The NEU’s labour dispute with IHA was relatively high-profile, in large part because it lasted so long.

Rochon said IHA employees were prepared for a drawn-out fight, but were disappointed nonetheless by the slow pace of negotiations.

“NEU has ratified three other deals in less than the last two months, and they were all much easier,” he said. “Usually a strike doesn’t last this long.

“We knew the strike could be over three days after we were on the picket line or it could be a couple months. It’s unfortunate that it went this long, but of course we held the line and never gave up.”

There were several key developments in the IHA labour dispute over the last few weeks, most notably a face-to-face meeting in Ottawa on July 21, and a substantial shuffling of the IHA board of directors on July 28.

NEU called the Ottawa meeting a disappointment, but were quick to acknowledge the director changes as a positive sign.

Those changes turned out to be an important turning point in resolving the dispute, according to Rochon.

“The tone on Monday [July 31], and leading up to Monday, we were looking forward to having real conversations,” he said of the first meeting with the new board, which he called “the first real negotiations” of the 136-day saga.

“We were looking forward to a little bit of a change and we did see that change,” he added. “It’s reflected in the fact that we got the results we were asking for.”

The IHA workers’ new agreement includes “fair wage increases,” according to a news release — those pay bumps are important to counterbalance the high cost of living in Nunavut.

“The reality is the cost of living in Nunavut is very expensive,” Rochon said. “We need to make sure that people have an opportunity to keep up. The days of just surviving are over. People need to be able to go to work and thrive.”

The dispute wasn’t just about money, though.

IHA workers ultimately won many other improvements, including the addition of National Truth and Reconciliation Day as a paid holiday, 10 days of family violence leave (five paid and five unpaid) and one additional week of paid maternity leave allowance.

They are also now entitled to four days off for traditional Inuit cultural pursuits, such as hunting and fishing—two paid and two unpaid.

“That’s an extra four opportunities for our members to be able to go out and provide for their families and connect with their culture,” Rochon said.

As IHA employees return to the workplace, Rochon believes they have set an important precedent for future labour disputes in Nunavut and broader Canada.

“People are using their voices more and more, every day,” he said. “People are going to see these 13 young workers using their voices and knowing their worth, and it’s going to send the right message: that the days of pushing people around are over.”

From left, IHA employees Kenny Enuaraq, Nicky Nauyuk, Ken Braun and Tracey Curley demonstrate on day 127 of a 136-day labour dispute. Members of the Nunavut Employees Union, they ratified a new collective agreement on Aug. 1. Photo courtesy of Nunavut Employees Union

A dozen students receive QIA awards for ‘dedication to the preservation of the Inuktitut language’

Losing your mother tongue is ‘like losing life,’ says Sanikiluaq’s Ayla Marie KavikMickiyuk

This year marked the introduction of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s (QIA) annual Joe Attagutaluk Inuktitut Language Award, and 12 graduating high school students from across the region were recipients.

The award, named for the QIA’s former secretary-treasurer, is intended to celebrate students who have demonstrated dedication to the preservation of the Inuktitut language.

In addition to a personalized plaque, recipients of the award also received a $2,000 cheque.

“It means I know my language well, and I will never lose it, and I’ll teach it to younger generations if I can” said Sanikiluaq’s Ayla Marie Kavik-Mickiyuk, one of the inaugural recipients of the award.

Kavik-Mickiyuk, who plans to become a “great hunter” now that she has finished high school, said it’s a priority for her to protect Inuktitut because many of the Elders who attended residential schools lost their ability to speak the language.

“It’s important because that’s who I am and that’s who I want to be for the rest of my life,” she said. “Our Elders who went to residential schools almost lost their mother tongue, and some of them lost their mother tongue.

“It’s like losing life, so it’s that important to me.”

These are the other 2023 Joe Attagutaluk Inuktitut Language Award winners:

-Gamie Oqallak in Arctic Bay

-Jade Paniloo in Clyde River

-James Quanaq in Grise Fiord

-Charlotte Angugatsiaq in Iglulik

-Caroline Iqaluk in Iqaluit

-Kristen Temela in Kimmirut

-John Hayward in Kinngait

-Nolan Kugluguqtuq in Pangnirtung

-Susie Simonee in Pond Inlet

-Aasta Idlout in Resolute Bay

-Gloria Nangmalik in Sanirajak

A to-be-determined 13th student from Qikiqtarjuaq will also receive the award in the new school year.

“QIA dedicated the award to the memory of Joe Attagutaluk and is in recognition of his tireless efforts to preserve Inuktitut,” said QIA manager of communications Will Hopkins. “The award seeks to recognize exceptional students, particularly those who

News Briefs

Nunavut records decrease on Crime Severity Index, defies national trend

Nunavut

Nunavut was one of the only jurisdictions in Canada to record a decrease in the Crime Severity Index (CSI) for 2022.

The territory slipped four per cent on the CSI, while New Brunswick and Yukon recorded decreases of two and five per cent, respectively. All other provinces and territories experienced increases, and the rate for Canada as a whole went up four per cent.

CSI, which is tracked by Statistics Canada, measures the number of crimes reported by police per 100,000 people. It also tracks the severity of those crimes, based on a weighted scale.

While Nunavut experienced a reassuring drop on the CSI, Statistics Canada found that the homicide rate in the territory is slightly above the national average of 2.25 per 100,000 people.

In 2022, the homicide rate in Nunavut was 2.47 per 100,000 people. The Northwest Territories and Yukon had even higher rates, at 6.58 and 4.57 per 100,000, respectively, but the Stats Canada report noted that “the relatively small population counts in the territories typically result in more variable annual rates.”

Murder charge laid in relation to Nunavut man’s death in Yellowknife

A 19-year-old man has been charged with one count of murder after another man died outside of Capital Suites in July.

Darren Nulliayuk remains in custody while awaiting future court appearances, the RCMP stated in a Monday afternoon news release.

On July 22, at around 7:15 p.m., Yellowknife RCMP responded to a report of an assault in the parking lot of Capital Suites on Franklin Avenue. At the time, a 35-year-old male from Nunavut was found unresponsive and suffering from serious injuries. The victim was transported to the hospital but he later died.

The police have not released the victim’s name publicly.

Board meeting scheduled

Baker Lake

The Kivalliq Inuit Association announced that its next board of directors meeting will take place in Baker Lake Aug. 15-17, beginning in the mornings at the old community hall.

The last board meeting was in Coral Harbour, where the board discussed a variety of issues, including the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund and the work Sakku Innovative Building Solutions is doing in Arviat.

Reminder about alcohol

The Hamlet of Rankin Inlet recently posted a public notice to remind the community about alcohol rules on hamlet property.

“Due to increasing incidents of alcoholic beverages at recreation venues and facilities, the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet would like to remind the community (that) alcohol is not permitted on any Hamlet properties,” wrote the municipality in an update on Facebook, adding that all sports fields, baseball diamonds, soccer turf, new arena and playgrounds are included.

“It is very important to keep our facilities a positive and safe place for the younger generations of Rankin Inlet. Keep garbage in its place. Please throw your garbage in supplied containers,” the Hamlet advised.

Grise Fiord high school grad James Qaunaq poses with his Joe Attagutaluk Inuktitut Language Award plaque. Qaunaq and the other recipients of the award also received a $2,000 cheque. Photo courtesy of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association are similarly dedicated to the Inuit language.

“QIA would like to again offer it’s congratulations to the first annual Joe Attagutaluk award recipients and looks forward to carrying on this tradition for years to come.”

By Tom Taylor Northern News Services

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Back to Baker with bronze

Ryan Uquqtuq receives a hero’s welcome after NAIG

By Stewart Burnett

Ryan Uquqtuq came home from the 2023 North American Indigenous Games with a bronze medal in doubles badminton, and the community recognized his achievement with a parade Wednesday, July 26.

“It was a close match,” said Uquqtuq about the final game that earned him bronze. He played alongside Dwayne Veevee of Pangnirtung in the doubles game. The pair combined to defeat Manitoba 21-18 and 21-19 for a 2-0 win.

Uquqtuq said the competition wasn’t bad at the games and good teamwork helped he and Veevee win.

The Baker Lake youth has been playing bad-

ᐅᕋᐃᔭᓐ ᐅᖅᑯᑐᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᑎᑦᑎᕗᖅ

minton for one year and is already looking ahead to trying out for the 2024 Arctic Winter Games.

“We’re really proud of him,” said mother Delma Uquqtuq as a community parade was soon to begin honouring his performance.

“We’re excited. We’re really happy. We watched from the stands”

She also sent out a congratulations to all Nunavummiut who received medals and everyone who participated in the games, and especially Uquqtuq’s doubles partner, Veevee.

Overall at the games, Nunavut earned nine medals, seven of which came in badminton. Eekee Avalak earned a wrestling gold, along with Tina Kudlualik earning a badminton gold. Thayer Komakjuak of Arviat earned wrestling silver, and Coral Harbour’s Allie Ruby Ningeocheak contributed to a women’s doubles badminton silver with Kudlualik. Rodney Nakoolak of Coral Harbour also earned a bronze in badminton.

ᐃᖏᕋᓂᖃᖅᑎᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕐᓂᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᐳᕋᓐᔅ-ᑖᖅᖢᓂ

ᐅᕋᐃᔭᓐ ᐅᑯᑕᖅ

ᐊᖏᕋᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᓯᒪᔪᑦ

ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕿᐊᕋᓂᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖅᖢᓂ

ᐳᕋᓐᔅ-ᒥᒃ ᐹᒥᓐᑎᓐᑯᑦ, ᑐᖓᓱᒃᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ

ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓴᓚᒃᓴᐅᓯᐊᕐᒥᓄᒃ

ᐃᖏᕋᔭᒃᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᖓᔪᐊᑦ, ᔪᓚᐃ 26.

‘ᖃᓂᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ

ᐅᖂᑕᖅ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹ ᐃᖑᐊᕐᓂᕆᔭᖓᓂᒃ

ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒡᓗ.

ᑐᐃᓐ ᕕᕕᒥ ᐱᖑᐊᖃᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ

ᐸᖕᓂᖅᑑᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᓵᓚᖃᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ

ᒪᓂᑑᐸᒥᐅᑕᓂᒃ 21-18 ᐊᒻᒪᓗ 21-19 2-0

ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ.

ᐅᖂᑕᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑐᐊᐃᓐ ᕕᕕᑯ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒋᓚᐅᕐᒪᑎᒃ ᐱᖑᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᔪᕐᓇᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ.

ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᖏᑦ ᐹᒥᓐᑎᓐᒥᑦ ᐱᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᕋᒍᒧᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒧᑦ, ᐱᒋᐊᕈᒪᓪᓗᑎᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᑦ

ᐱᖑᐊᕖᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᖅᑕᖃᓕᖅᐸᑦ 2024-ᒥ.

‘ᐱᑯᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᑎᐅᒪ ᐅᖁᑕᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐃᖏᕋᓯᓯᒋᐊᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᒃᑯᑦ

ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ.

‘ᐅᐃᒪᔮᖅᐳᒍᑦ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᖢᑕᑦ. ᖁᖏᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᖁᖏᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ.’

ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᖅᑕᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓗᐊᕕᒃᖢᓂ ᐱᖑᐊᖃᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᓂ, ᕕᕕ. ᑕᒪᑭᓕᒪᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐱᑖᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓪ-ᓂᒃ, ᒻ ᐹᒥᑎᓐᒧᑦ. ᐄᑭ ᐊᕙᓛᖅ ᓴᓚᒃᓴᖅᖢᓂ ᐳᕌᓐᔅ-ᒥᑦ ᐹᔭᐃᖃᑎᖃᖅᖢᓂ, ᑎᓇ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖃᑕᐅᒋᓪᓗᓂ ᐹᑦᒥᓐᑎᓐᒧᑦ. ᑕᐅᓗ ᑯᒪᒡᔪᐊᖅ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕆᕗᖅ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᐹᔩᓪᓗᓂ ᓯᐅᕗᒥᒃ, ᓴᓪᓕᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᐊᓕ ᕈᐱ ᓂᖏᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖃᑕᐅᒋᓪᓗᓂ ᓯᐅᕗᒥᒃ ᐹᑦᒥᓐᑎᓐᒧᑦ, ᑲᓪᓗᐊᓕᒡᓗ. ᕌᑦᓂ ᓇᑯᓛᖅ ᐳᕋᓐᔅ-ᑖᖅᖢᓂ ᐹᑦᒥᓐᑎᓐ-ᒧᑦ.

Kugluktuk imposes curfew to stop vandalism

By Tom Taylor Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative reporter

The Hamlet of Kugluktuk has imposed a curfew in an effort to curb increased levels of vandalism in the community.

The municipality announced the decision in a July 21 post on its official Facebook page. The curfew commences at 9:45 p.m., Monday to Friday.

“Due to the increase in vandalism and unsupervised minors in town throughout the night, council has made the decision to sound the curfew alarm starting on Sunday July 23,” the post stated. “Please remind your children to head home when the curfew alarm sounds.”

In recent weeks, the Kitikmeot community of roughly 1,500 people has experienced broken windows, damaged equipment and a small fire at a local loading dock. In addition, a break and enter at a small business was also reported.

“We are working closely with the RCMP to ensure the vandalism does not happen again and to deter any efforts on future vandalism within our community,” Kugluktuk Mayor Simon Kuliktana said in early July.

Kugluktuk has used curfews in the past, but had not been enforcing one this summer so that community members could enjoy the warm weather.

Residents are asked to contact the RCMP immediately if they have any information about the recent crimes around town.

Ryan Uquqtuq waves the Nunavut flag atop the fire truck in Baker Lake as the community holds a parade for his bronze medal performance in badminton at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games. Photo courtesy of Delma Uquqtuq

ᐅᖁᑕᖅ ᑐᖓᓱᒃᑎᑕᐅᕗᖅ NAIG-ᒥᖔᖅᖢᓂ

In recent weeks, the community has experienced broken windows, damaged equipment and a small fire at a loading dock

A view of Kugluktuk from the south. The Hamlet has introduced a 9:45 p.m. curfew in hopes of ending a spike in vandalism. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ,ᖁᕕᐊᓱᖃᑎᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗᐃᓚᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒡᓗ

Ryan Uquqtuq waves the Nunavut flag as the community drives by honking in support. Photo courtesy of Delma Uquqtuq

Gjoa Haven tourism hopes may hinge on expanded Nattilik Heritage Centre

Larger facility will include more than 100 artifacts from Sir John Franklin’s last Arctic voyage, a collection of Inuit items and more

By Tom Taylor Northern News Services

This is the third installment in a multi-part series on the tourism sector in Nunavut post-pandemic.

The expansion of the Nattilik Heritage Centre in Gjoa Haven could be a boon for the community’s struggling tourism industry.

Construction of the expanded heritage centre, which is being led by Yellowknife-based Northern Industrial Construction and Taylor Architecture Group, is expected to begin later this summer, and conclude in March 2025.

The grand opening will most likely occur soon after that, when the weather warms up, according to project manager Campbell Cameron of Four Peaks Consulting Group.

“Design of the building is effectively complete,” he said in early August. “Northern Industrial Construction are arriving in a little over a week, at which point they will start the civil construction.”

The heritage centre expansion was initially expected to cost $6 million, but the price tag increased to $9 million after the pandemic. Funding has been provided by numerous sources, including the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, and the Government of Nunavut.

The opening of the facility will loosely coincide with the opening of the Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site, which is the responsibility of Parks Canada and local Inuit.

Erebus and Terror, the three-masted wooden vessels used on Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated Arctic voyage, sank near Gjoa Haven after getting stuck in the sea ice and abandoned sometime around 1846. The ships were discovered underwater, in relatively good condition, in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

A team of Parks Canada archeologists, Inuit knowledge-holders and other experts are in the process of researching, documenting and preserving the wrecks in hopes of eventually opening them to tourism.

Parks Canada could not provide a time frame for the opening of the sites, nor any information

on the kind of activities tourists will be able to partake in, noting that “it would be premature to confirm what activities will be permissible before this process is completed and proper community and stakeholder consultation has been completed.”

However, more than 100 of the artifacts discovered on the ships will end up in the expanded heritage centre in Gjoa Haven which, at roughly 125 km away, is the closest community to the wrecks.

Despite being underwater for well over 150 years, many of those artifacts are in remarkably good condition. It is not yet clear which items will end up in the centre’s collection, but discoveries so far include clothing garments, such as boots and mittens, paintbrushes, dishware and even some coffee beans.

The centre will also feature an impressive collection of Inuit artifacts, many of which were used around the time of Franklin’s last expedition, as well as artifacts on loan from other museums and the Government of Nunavut.

“The idea behind the exhibit has kind of expanded from just being about the Franklin expedition,” Cameron said. “It’ll be more of a braided storyline connecting the Franklin expedition

and life in the Arctic during that time and from earlier times as well.

“The idea is to showcase some of the tools and equipment that the Franklin explorers would have been using and comparing that to what the Inuit would have been using.”

Beacon for tourists

The expansion will add 4,800 square feet to the centre’s existing 3,300-square-foot footprint, and will also feature space for a range of community programming.

The expectation is that it will bring tourists to Gjoa Haven, particularly those who visit the area to explore the shipwrecks when they eventually open.

“That’s definitely the hope,” Cameron said. “It’s going to attract a lot of people, just to be able to lay their eyes on some of these artifacts that have been so well preserved at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean for so long. They’ll be able to see these right in the centre and get a really close look at them.”

Tourism in Gjoa Haven has seen better days, with the Covid-19 pandemic proving particularly damaging to the industry.

Charlie Cahill, a former tour operator who was forced to close his business during the pandemic,

painted a grim picture of the state of the local industry, calling the the crisis “the death knell of tourism” in the area.

However, he believes the expansion of the heritage centre and opening of the wreck sites could be a saving grace.

“That could be a big tourism draw,” he acknowledged. “Once that’s up and running you might see an improvement or increase.

“You need something to bring people in.”

Cameron could not provide any figures on the projected financial benefits of the expanded Nattilik Heritage Centre, but he shares Cahill’s belief that it could help revive the local tourism industry.

“So many people around the world are so interested in this Franklin expedition and the mystery that revolves around it,” he said. “It’s going to be a good opportunity for the community to optimize tourism.”

Ottawa-based firm Origin Studios will lead the creation of the exhibition itself.

Franklin’s expedition with the Erebus and Terror was intended to navigate the last unexplored segments of the Northwest Passage. All 129 crew members died, either on the ships, or on the land after they disembarked.

A rendering of the expanded Nattilik Heritage Centre in Gjoa Haven. The addition is slated for completion in March 2025. The design of the exterior facade is still pending, but the expansion will add 4,800 square feet to the facility, and feature more than 100 artifacts from the nearby wrecks of the HMS Erebus and Terror. Photo courtesy of Taylor Architecture Group

Dining plates located onboard the HMS Terror during a 2018 dive. It’s not yet been determined which Franklin expedition artifacts will be housed in the expanded Nattilik Heritage Centre in Gjoa Haven. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Nunavut News presents the Amazing On-the-Land contest, generously sponsored by NCC Investment Group Inc., visit www.nccig.ca today.

The post on our page with the most reactions each week will win $100. Send in your entry to Nunavut News by Facebook messaging.

Elaine Saittuq sent us this image from Taloyoak. Her granddaughter was looking at the Inukshuk and she looked at the clouds and she saw a heart shape shining. She was very impressed because they lost her anaana in March. They know she’s being watched over. Elaine’s granddaughter was out hunting with herself and her husband. Luckily her husband caught a caribou. It was a blessed day on July 24, 2023.

Elisapi Judd sent us this image from Qikiqtarjuaq. The flower and the sunset, captured on July 24 at 10:57 p.m.

Elizabeth Ubluriaq Oleekatalik sent us this photo from Taloyoak. Elizabeth Aleekee and Mookie Aleekee, 3, went for a nice walk on July 25, 2023.

Lilly Nahogaloak sent this picture from Cambridge Bay. Driving back to town from gravel pit and Dew Lines. It was such a beautiful image in glassy water taken on July 16, 2023.

WINNER! Renalda Eetoolook sent us this photo from Taloyoak. Joseph out on “pokey bird island.” He was all smiles as the birds were hitting his head because he was standing near a baby bird.

Approaching age 70, this Ranger has no plans to retire

ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐅᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᓇᐅᑎᖅᓱᖅᑎ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ ᐃᖏᕋᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐃᕙᒃᖢᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐅᓇᓕᒃᓴᔭᕋᓛᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᓐᓇᐅᒪᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥ

Titus Allooloo sits with a 50-calibre weapon in -38 C weather. As a member of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, he’s responsible for monitoring the ships and aircraft that travel the Arctic, and training members

A member of the Canadian Rangers for over a decade, Titus Allooloo helps serve as the ‘eyes and ears’ for the military in the North

By Tom Taylor Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative reporter

There is no slowing Titus Allooloo down.

The 69-year-old Pond Inlet resident has spent decades of his life working in business and politics, most notably as a former member and cabinet minister of the Northwest Territories Legislature.

He has retired from that kind of work, but rather than settle into a quiet life at home, he now fills his days serving as a

member of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1 CRPG), the branch of the Canadian Rangers responsible for Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and part of northern British Columbia.

“There is a very sparsely populated or nonexistent military presence up here in the Arctic,” he said. “Our job is mainly to be the eyes and the ears of the Canadian military.”

Allooloo has been serving with the Rangers, who are part of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve but are not technically reservists, since roughly 2012.

Much of his responsibility concerns surveilling the ships that navigate the frigid waters of the Arctic, no matter the flag they are flying, and reporting what he sees to 1 CRPG’s headquarters in Yellowknife, who in turn relay the information to Ottawa.

The objective, he said, is to make sure the Canadian military and Government of Canada “can be informed as to what’s happening up here.”

“We do monitoring on ships — Canadian flag ships and foreign ships — especially in the Northwest Passage,” he said. “We’re to report them, regardless of where they come from.

“We also report vessels and aircrafts that we see.”

Allooloo and his fellow Rangers have many other responsibilities, notably teaching Arctic survival skills to members of the Canadian military, as well as search and rescue technicians and occasionally personnel from Europe and the United States. His courses, which are not mandatory, provide instruction

on staying warm without a heat source and building shelters, starting with structures like snow caves and ending with iglus.

“It’s always hard to adjust to the Arctic, even for us living up here,” he said. “With blizzards and wind and that sort of thing, we have a hard time, but we know how to survive in the worst conditions and we try to train the military.

“We teach them how to survive in the cold.”

It is difficult work, but Allooloo doesn’t intend to stop any time soon. He is still in good shape, and enjoys spending time outdoors. Just last summer, he boated from Iqaluit to Pond Inlet. He also enjoys sharing his knowledge, having taught a range of first-aid and survival courses over the years.

“I like the outdoors,” he said. “I like the expeditions.

“I like teaching. I like transferring my knowledge to the people who need to know.

“I’ll do it as long as I can.”

Allooloo was elected to his first term in the NWT legislative assembly in 1987, and served until 1995. He later joined the Nunavut Electoral Boundary Commission, which set the first electoral boundaries for the territory.

1 CRPG has “an establishment of 2,000 Canadian Rangers in 61 patrols and more than 1,400 Junior Canadian Rangers (JCRs) in 44 patrols located in 65 communities across the North,” according to the Government of Canada website. Rangers work part-time, and “are paid when on duty,” the website said.

of the Canadian military to survive the region’s extreme climate. Photo courtesy of Titus Allooloo

Sports & Recreation

Autographs for the memories

Nunavut hockey stars sign pictures from 2023 Arctic Winter Games

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services

Stars from Nunavut’s 2023 Arctic Winter Games gold-winning U19 hockey team gathered for a parade and autograph sign-

ing session in Rankin Inlet Saturday, July 29. This year’s games were the first time Nunavut has ever won gold in the U19 hockey category. Many of the team members have been playing together for years.

Kadin Eetuk has a handful of pictures to sign. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Sydney Innukshuk and Peecee Pudlat show off some of their signings so far. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Players from the U19 team gather in a truck during the parade. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Sandy Tattuinee smiles while signing images of himself. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Kobe Tanuyak passes an autographed picture back. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Justin Issakiark stands with mother Uvinik during the autograph session. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Blue Jays are peewee champs

When Loron Sharp stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and final inning, he had the game in his hands. The bases were loaded with two outs, tie game at 3-3. Down by two strikes, Sharp hit a game-winning single that drove in two runs for the Blue Jays.

That was the end of the peewee baseball championship in Rankin Inlet Sunday, July 30. It was the second year the hamlet has hosted a baseball program culminating in a tournament.

“The baseball just keeps getting better and better,” remarked recreation director David Clark in closing words.

Four teams competed in the three-day tournament.

Recreation director David Clark, left, awards the top male trophy of the tournament to Leo Gee. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Carson and Carter Nukapiak hold up their trophies from the tournament. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Players from all four teams gather for a group photo at the end of the tournament. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services

Cael Karetak runs past home plate. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Taina Kubluitok stops for a photo with sons Yvon Kubluitok and Jesse Ashoona. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Loron Sharp makes contact with a pitch. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Kevin Sanertanut speeds from second to third base. Stewart Burnett/ NNSL photo

Marvin Kriqtaliiluk tosses a bat. Stewart Burnett/NNSL

photo

`Emotional’ journey to site of former Hamilton TB sanatorium, cemetery

Inuit were taken south for treatment from disease but many never returned

Joanasie Akumalik understands well the emotions that ran through the Inuit survivors that made the trip to Hamilton last week to visit the site at which the Mountain Sanatorium was once located.

After all, his grandfather Pauloosie Akumalik was sent to that tuberculosis sanatorium in 1957. He died there and was buried in a nearby cemetery.

But the emotions weren’t as raw for him.

https://www.nnsl.com/

“Me and my father and my uncle already dealt with (my grandfather’s death) back in 2005,” said Akumalik. That was when they made the trip to the Hamilton cemetery and drank tea and ate bannock in Pauloosie’s memory.

During the 1940s to the 1960s, tuberculosis peaked among Inuit communities with Canada shipping thousands of Inuit south to be treated in sanatoria. They were cut off from their language, their culture, their homes and their loved ones. Many died and were buried in unmarked graves without the knowledge of their families.

It was not only Akumalik’s grandfather who was shipped south.

Akumalik was separated from his mother when she was sent south to the Moose Factory Indian and Inuit Hospital, a TB sanatorium in Ontario. But she made it back home after two years.

“She told me stories that she was not allowed to go on the floor and (had to) stay in the bed, so the soles of her feet got some fat, and when she was able to get out of the bed, she had to learn to walk because her soles of her feet were fatty. It was painful for her,” Akumalik recalled.

He also recounts how she could speak Cree and made him First Nations toys like boats, canoes, bows and arrows, skills she learned from the First Nations patients who were also in Moose Factory.

Akumalik was only a child then and figures his mother must have been in her late 30s or early 40s when she took the ship south.

Akumalik also contracted TB, but he was treated with pills for about two years “and then I think I was cured.” He was allowed to remain in his Arctic Bay home on Baffin Island.

Prime minister apologizes

http://adlairaviation.ca/ https://nwal.ca/

http://www.adlairaviation.ca/

In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized for the federal government’s treatment of Inuit during Canada’s management of the tuberculosis epidemic.

Trudeau also announced the launch of the Nanilavut Initiative. Nanilavut means “let’s find them” in Inuktitut.

However, the work on Nanilavut had begun almost a decade before with the federal government in partnership with Inuit Land Claims organizations, other Inuit organizations and the governments of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The work included establishing a database of information on those who were treated for tuberculosis, as well as those who passed away. The database is incomplete as there are partial or no records available.

Through the initiative Nanilavut Project managers were established. It was in this capacity that Akumalik accompanied the survivors to Hamilton. He helped coordinate the event as the Nanilavut Project Manager with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI).

Continued on Page A15

Visiting the monument erected at Woodland Cemetery to commemorate the 37 Inuit known to have died at Mountain Sanatorium in Hamilton, Ont. Photo courtesy of Joanasie Akumalik

The trip was in the making for about one-and-a-half years, says Akumalik.

He was invited to make a presentation by the Ilisaqsivik Society, a mental health organization in Clyde River. Ilisaqsivik was working with SeeChange Initiative, a non-profit that works globally to support communities lead their own health crisis responses.

Akumalik says there were Inuit at the presentation and discussion about visiting sanatoria took place. The discussion centred around it being a healing journey leading to closure.

Akumalik is clear that the emotional journey for the Elders who made the trip began well before they set foot on what was once the site of the Hamilton sanatorium where 1,200 Inuit were forced to stay.

“Asking them if they would be interested in going to Hamilton, that’s where the emotion started. It brought back the memories of the trauma that they had to go through, going down to sanatorium without knowledge or…they could not speak English so it was very foreign,” he said.

As the group of nine Elders and four youth came from different communities throughout Nunavut, they made their way to Iqaluit and flew to Ottawa. Akumalik met them in Ottawa. From there they took a train to Toronto and connected to Hamilton.

“A lot of the Elders told me in this trip that once they started going on the train, it reminded them how things were going to the sanatorium, and the emotional part was at visiting the site the first day. It brought back memories and trauma that they went through,” said Akumalik.

Demolished

The sanatorium has been demolished although the giant Cross of Lorraine still stands.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath has committed to installing new street signs for Sanatorium Road, as well as a plaque at Cross of Lorraine explaining the sanatorium’s history. Both will be translated into Inuktitut.

The group visited Woodland Cemetery in Hamilton. A mon-

ument has been erected to the 37 Inuit known to have died at Mountain Sanatorium. That stop was also “very emotional for them,” said Akumalik.

Three counsellors were part of the group that accompanied the Elders and youth along with three escorts and staff from NTI and SeeChange. The trip was paid for by NTI and SeeChange.

The group also viewed a collection of historic photos of sanatorium patients from the Health Sciences Archives at McMaster University and the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s Chedoke Collection of Inuit Art produced by Inuit sanatorium patients.

Akumalik says some Elders recognized faces in the photographs.

At the art gallery, “at one point there was a young lady whose father went to the sanatorium and she was…able to get her father’s carving. So that was very emotional,” he said.

Akumalik says the trip was just as important for the youth as the Elders, even though for different reasons.

“We wanted to include the youth because it was an opportunity for them to learn the history of Inuit, what they went through and learn about TB as well as to learn about an advocacy role in bringing about TB elimination,” he said.

Tuberculosis continues to be a public health crisis in Inuit Nunangat. Inuit today are nearly 300 times more likely to contract TB than any Canadian-born, non-Indigenous person.

Five “debriefing sessions” are being held in August in various communities for those who made the Hamilton trip, as well as for their families and anyone interested in learning about the Nanilavut Project.

“The sessions’ goal is to provide health and wellness by gathering so that participants can share their experiences, learn about healing to reduce emotional and mental health impacts, and provide feedback to improve future events,” says the Facebook posting by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

While no more sanatoria trips are planned at this point, said Akumalik, “we would like to do other regions as well.”

—By Shari Narine,

advertising@nunavutnews.com

Local Journalism Initiative reporter, Windspeaker.com-

A recent trip to a cemetery in Hamilton, Ont., where a monument stands in memory of 37 Inuit known to have died at a nearby sanatorium, proved to be “very emotional,” says Joanasie Akumalik. Photo courtesy of Joanasie Akumalik

From Page A14

Elders look at photos of sanatorium patients from the Health Sciences Archives at McMaster University. (Photo courtesy of Facebook/SeeChange Initiative)

ᐅᑯᐊ

ᐊᔅᒐᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒪᓵᔅᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ

ᐃᓕᓴᖅᓯᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐋᓂᐊᖃᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᓇᓱᑎᒃᑯᑦ

ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᒃᐳᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative Rankin Inlet

ᐱᓕᕆᖕᒪᑕ ᐋᕿᒃᓯᓇᓱᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᕈᒪᔪᓂᒃ, ᐃᓕᑕᖅᓯᓂᖅ

ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐋᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᖏᑦᑐᓕᒋᓯᖏᑦ

ᐋᕿᒃᓯᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐱᓕᕇᔪᑎᒥᒃ ᐱᖓᓱᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ

ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ ᒪᓵᔅᓯᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑯᑭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑲᖏᖠᓂᕐᓂ.

‘ᒪᓂᒻᒪᐃᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐋᒻᐳ ᐃᐅᕆᓐ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᓕᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᑕᖅᓯᓂᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ.

‘ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᕿᓐᓇᓱᓚᐅᖅᐸᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᓄᐃᒻᒪ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᕈᒪᓪᓗᑕ ᑕᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᒧᑦ.’

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ 7 ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᒪᓵᔅᕈᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑯᑭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᔪᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᑯᑕᖅᑖᖅᑎᖦᖢᑎᒍᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᔾᔪᑎᐅᓵᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖏᑦ ᐅᔨᓇᖅᑐᒃᑰᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖏᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓄᑦ.

ᑖᓇ ᕆᓐᑎ ᒪᒃᐸ ᑖᑎ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓂᒃᑐᖅ ᑕᔅᓱᒪ

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᑦᑕ ᐊᔾᔨᖓᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᖅ

ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᖅᓯᓂᒃᑯᓐᓂ, ᐊᓱᐃᓛᓐ ᒪᓵᔅᓕᕆᔨᒪᕆᔨᖑᖅᓱᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖑᔮᕐᔪᒃᖢᓂᐅᒃᓗ ᒪᓵᔅᓕᕆᔨᒧᑦ.

ᐃᓕᑕᖅᓯᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᖑᖅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔭᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᑭᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᓂ.

‘ᓄᓇᓕᑦᑕ ᓇᒡᓕᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᖓ ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐸᐅᓴᔅ ᓯᐹᓐᑕ, ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂᑦ, ᒪᒃᐸ ᑕᑎ-ᒥᒃ.

‘ᒪᓵᔅᓯᒃᑲᖅ.’

ᕆᓐᑎ ᒪᒃᐸ ᑖᑎ, ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒦᑦᑐᖅ,

ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐃᕗᖅ ᐃᓴᐸᓚ

ᐳᕈᔅ-ᒥ ᒪᓵᔅ-ᓯᕗᖅ. ᓱᑐᕈᑦ ᐳᕐᓂᑦ/NNSL ᐊᔨᖁᑎ

ᓯᐹᓐᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐃᖓ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑎᓵᖅᑑᒃ ᐱᖓᓱᓄᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᓂ. ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓄᑦ ᓅᓵᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ

ᓱᐹᓐᑕ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑎᖃᑦᑕᓚᕈᒪᓂᕐᒥᓂᑦ ᐃᖃᓇᐅᔭᖅᑲᑎᖃᕐᓗᑎᓗ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᓂᒃ ᖃᓪᓘᓈᑉ

ᑕᐃᑲᖓ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᖢᒍ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᓯᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᖅᓯᓂᒃᑯᓐᓂ. ‘ᐱᔪᒪᓂᕆᔭᕗᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᓕᒪᕐᒧᑦ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓴᑉᐹᓐᑕ, ᐃᓚᓪᓗᓂᐅᒡᓗ ᑲᖏᖅᓕᓂᕐᒥᐅᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᒪᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᓯᔪᑦ ᒪᓵᔅᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑯᑭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᓯᔪᑦ. ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔪᑎᑕᕈᒪᒍᑎᒃ

ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᕈᑎᑖᕋᓱᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᓐᓂᐊᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ

ᓄᑲᑉᐱᐊᖅ, ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ,

ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᓇᓕᑦᑎᓐᓂ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ, ᐃᓚᓪᓗᓂᐅᒡᓗ ᐅᑯᐃᖅᓯᔪᒪᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒐᒥ

ᐃᓚᐅᔪᓐᓇᕋᒥ. ‘ᐅᖃᕈᒪᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᖓ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᖃᕈᕕᑦ ᐆᒃᑐᕆᑦ, ᐆᒃᑐᕆᑦ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᑲᑉᐱᐊᖅ. ‘ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᕈᕕᑦ. ᐆᒃᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᑦ, ᐊᓂᐊᓇᐃᒋᓕᕐᓂᐊᖅᐸᖅᑲᐃ. ᐅᕙᖓᑐᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᖏᑦᑐᖓ ᐅᑕᕿᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᕕᓂᐅᓂᓐᓂᒃ ᑯᑭᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᓂᖃᕐᕕᒋᓕᖅᐸᕋ ᓄᑖᖑᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐅᕙᓐᓄᒃ.’

These hands were made for massaging Ilitaqsiniq

and Nunavut Wellness Academy partner

on

training course

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative Rankin Inlet

In an effort to develop skills and creating business opportunities, Ilitaqsiniq partnered with the Nunavut Wellness Academy for a three-week relaxation massage and nail technician program in Rankin Inlet.

“It’s something that hasn’t ever been offered before,” said Amber Irwin, project coordinator with Ilitaqsiniq. “That’s part of why we really wanted to bring this here and why we wanted to partner with the academy.”

The program taught seven students the fundamentals in massage and nail technician work, providing graduates with a certificate and a networking opportunity with the academy to bolster their career path in the future.

That’s what Wendy Makpah-Tatty did when she took a similar program by Ilitaqsiniq in Iqaluit, as she then went on to take the full registered massage therapist training with the Nunavut Wellness Academy and now works for the academy. Ilitaqsiniq brought her back as an instructor in the Rankin Inlet course.

“The community just loves her,” said Patience Sibanda, co-founder of the academy in Iqaluit, about Makpah-Tatty. “She gives some of the best massages.”

Sibanda and her husband were busy teaching participants for their three weeks in the Kivalliq capital. When she originally moved to Iqaluit to open a spa, Sibanda said she had a desire to train and hire people from within Nunavut rather than having to look south for staff. That’s where the connection with Ilitaqsiniq came in.

“It’s our dream and our vision as an academy to be able to go and offer this training throughout Nunavut,” said Sibanda, adding that there is a lot of talent in Rankin Inlet.

As of the end of the program, participants are now able to offer relaxation massages and nail services. They can achieve higher certification by joining the advanced training offered by the Nunavut Wellness Academy.

Adigii Nukapiak, one of the participants, said she was learning new things every day and enjoying the program.

“I like to learn new things and it’s good for the community because it’s something we don’t actually have for people to get in our hometown,” she said, adding that it was her dream to open a nail salon with hairdressing and a spa one day.

She was glad she took the leap to join the course.

“I just want to tell everybody, if you want to do something, try it,” said Nukapiak. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. Just keep trying and maybe you’ll get interested in it. Like myself, I didn’t know I could have patience for nails, but I really enjoy it and it’s something really new to me.”

ᑯᕆᔅᑕ ᐊᑎᒋᖅ ᓄᑲᑉᐱᐊᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑲᒪᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ. ᓱᑐᕈᑦ ᐳᕐᓂᑦ/NNSL ᐊᔨᖁᑎ

ᕙᔅ ᕗᐊᐃᓯ ᒪᓵᓯᕗᖅ

ᐃᕗᕆ ᑲᓂᓕ ᕿᕕᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᒃᐸᐅᖓ ᒪᓵᔅᓯᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᐅᑕᕐᒥᒃ. ᓱᑐᕈᑦ ᐳᕐᓂᑦ/NNSL ᐊᔨᖁᑎ

Wendy Makpah-Tatty, left, coaches Isabella Bruce during a massage. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Avery Connelly looks up while providing a massage to a Rankin Inlet resident. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Faith Voisey works the back of the head and neck during her training. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Krista Adigii Nukapiak said she surprised herself with just how patient she can be. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Advocates urge collection of race-based data via health cards to address inequities

All Canadian jurisdictions should routinely collect data on racial and Indigenous identity to help address inequities in health care, and the best way to do that is during the health card application or renewal process, a group of experts says.

Dr. Andrew Pinto, the lead author of the commentary published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, said Black and Indigenous patients have less access to care and worse outcomes but allowing them to voluntarily provide identity data could help track racism in the health-care system. He said it would also help monitor any progress toward addressing stereotypes that lead to poorer care for some people.

“It creates a foundation to say, ‘We need to narrow these gaps and develop tailored programs and services,’” said Pinto, founder of the non-profit Upstream Lab based at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

“In Canada, we just lack that data in many, many ways.”

Many racialized communities, which have higher rates of some chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer, have called for race-based data to gain insights into contributing factors such as poverty.

Last fall, Nova Scotia became the first province to start collecting race-based data with input

from groups including the Health Association of African Canadians, the United African Canadian Women’s Association and the Iranian Cultural Society of Nova Scotia. Residents can provide the information when they register for a provincial health card or when they renew it every four years.

Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness said residents can also provide the data any time as part of the province’s Fair Care Project.

Standardized approach

Pinto said collecting that data in a universal way instead of repeatedly asking for it when patients access health care would be part of a standardized and consistent approach.

It may also be inappropriate to ask for that information when a patient is in pain in an emergency room, the commentary notes, adding organizations that collect such data often request it from a small fraction of patients.

The commentary suggests asking people about race and Indigenous identity in a “safe and transparent manner,” providing anti-racism training to those who collect the data and ensuring that information is not used in any way to reinforce racism and discrimination. The authors also say race and Indigenous identity should not be visible on the patients’ health cards.

Manitoba also started collecting data on race, ethnicity and Indigenous identity in May by asking

for that information when patients register for care at a hospital.

That was considered the quickest and most effective way of getting the data, following consultations with the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba and the Manitoba Inuit Association, said a spokeswoman for Shared Health, the provincial health organization.

Manitoba is among provinces where health cards do not expire.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) has guidance on standards for race-based and Indigenous identity data collection by provinces and territories. It said in a report last year that governments should make data governance agreements with Indigenous groups and include them when coming up with culturally safe ways to provide that information.

The report says the standard is adapted from the Ontario government’s Anti-Racism Directorate as a way to identify and monitor systemic racism in the public sector. It includes race categories that avoid ethnic origin so that someone who is Korean, for example, would choose “East Asian” and people of Afghan, Iranian or Lebanese descent would pick “Middle Eastern” to identify their race. Some other categories include Indigenous, South Asian andwhite for those of European descent.

More data sought

British Columbia has launched a survey to help identify systemic racism in government services in general.

“We have heard from many Indigenous Peoples and racialized groups that they are being left behind because government services weren’t designed with them in mind, which is why we are continuing the work to create a more equitable province,” Lisa Beare, minister of citizens’ services, said last week in a release. The survey is open until the end of September.

However, Kulpreet Singh, founder of the South Asian Mental Health Alliance, called the survey a delay tactic that shirks responsibility following multiple committees and consultations that gauge barriers to equitable care.

“We know the impact that systemic racism has on marginalized communities in Canada, and so we are not at a stage now where we need to conduct more surveys.”

Both Pinto and Singh said racialized communities are open to answering questions about race and trust the rationale for collecting that information, some of which helped target needed resources during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The harms of not collecting the data far outweigh the harms of collecting it,” Singh said.

—By Camille Bains, The Canadian Press

‘We have heard from many Indigenous Peoples and racialized groups that they are being left behind,’ says provincial government official

ᑭᓱ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕙ ᐊᕋᒍᑦ 20 ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᓕᖅᖢᓂᓗ.

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative Coral Harbour

ᐊᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ 2005-ᒥ, ᓯᐅᖃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᐊ ᒪᑐ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ

ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓪᓕᕐᓂ.

ᐅᔨᕈᓱᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᐱᕋᔭᕈᓘᔭᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ, ᑕᒪᓂᕐᕆᒥᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ’ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᖏᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᓱᐅᓛᒃ ᐅᐃᒌᒃ ᓄᓕᐊᕇᒃ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ 10 ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᕈᔾᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᖦᖢᓂᒡᔪᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐱᔅᓯᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒥᓪᓗ ᐱᕋᔭᖕᓇᖅᑐᒃᑰᖁᔨᖏᒧᑦ.

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᐅᑉ ᓄᙳᐊᓂ, ᒪᑐᒃ-ᑯᑦ 52-ᓂᒃ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᕈᔾᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓚᐅᔪᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᔪᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖏᓐᓇᒥᒡᔪᒃ, ᐊᓱᐄᓛᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓯᑲᐅᑎᒋᓪᓗᙱᑦ ᐊᑐᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓛᕈᑎᒧᑦ, ᓂᕿᓂᒃ, ᐊᓪᓕᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓱᐴᔫᕐᓂᒃ, ᑐᖓᓱᒃᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒡᓘᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᕋᓛᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓯᓂᒃᑕᖁᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ‘ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᖅᑕᖃᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ’. ‘ᐅᖃᓪᓚᕈᓘᔭᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᓂᑎᖅᖢᓂᒡᔪᒃ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᓯᒪᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ.’ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᐅᑉ ᓄᖑᐊᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓂᐊᓚᐅᕋᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓚᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓚᓯᖁᔨᒐᒥᒃᓄᖃᖓᓐᓇᐅᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ - ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ.

ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᐅᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ, ᒪᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᕋᒍᑕᒪᑦ ᑭᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᒃᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᑐᕌᖅᑐᒧᑦ

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᕙᒃᑕᒥᓄᓐ ᐊᐅᔭᑕᒪᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕌᖓᑕ.

‘ᓈᒻᒪᒃᑐᒃᑰᑎᐸᒃᑕᕗᑦ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᓯᒪᓕᕌᖓᑕ.

‘ᐃᒃᐱᖕᓂᖅ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᒧᑦ ᐊᑲᐅᓯᓕᖅᓴᐃᓪᓗᑕ.’

ᐱᐊᓂᒃᑳᖓᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᓱᒃᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ ᓴᓪᓕᓄᑦ - 42

ᑭᓛᒥᑕ ᐅᖓᑎᐊᕐᔪᐊᓂᒃ ᐅᖓᓯᖕᓂᓕᒃ, ‘ᐅᔨᕈᓱᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᑭᓱ ᐊᔪᕐᓇᖅᓯᒐᓗᐊᕋᖓᑦ, ᐊᓂᒍᕐᕕᖃᓲᖅ.’ ‘ᑭᓕᒐᓛᒃᖢᑎᒃ, ᐊᒥᕐᓛᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐱᓱᒧᑦ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐱᓱᑦᑎᐊᖏᑉᐸᓕᓵᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᐸᒃᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᓱᓕᖢᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᓱᒃᑕᕗᑦ.’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓯᐅᕋ.

ᓴᓪᓕᕐᓂ. ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ 2005 ᐊᕌᒎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ, ᐅᐃᒌᒃ ᓄᖠᐊᕆᒃ ᓯᐅᕋ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᐊ ᒪᑐ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᓲᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ

ᐱᓱᒃᑎᑎᑐᑦ.

ᓱᖃᐃᒻᒪ ᑲᖑᑦᑕᐅᓂᖅᐹᖑᓚᐅᕋᒥ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᖅᑕᕆᓵᖅᖢᓂᐅᒃ.’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳ ᓯᐅᕋ. ᑲᖑᓱᖏᑦᑐᑐᖃᐅᓇᔭᖂᕋᒥᒍᖅ. ᓯᐅᕋ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂ ᐃᖕᒥᓄᑦ

ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖅ ᐊᑲᐅᔪᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᕋᒥ ᑭᓇᓕᒪᕐᒧᑦ. ‘ᐃᓲᒪᓘᑏᑦ ᐊᓯᐅᓲᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ’ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᓯᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᓯᕈᓯᐊᓂᒃ.

Coral Harbour camp a chance to heal

How an idea 20 years ago created a tradition

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local Journalism Initiative Coral Harbour

In summer 2005, Sarah and Noah Matoo had an idea to help out some of the youth in Coral Harbour. They had noticed a lot of youth were getting into trouble and “just kind of floating around” in the community with no obligations, so the husband-and-wife pair figured they could take about 10 of them to their camp, teach them how to fish, make pipsi and stay out of trouble.

By the time the camp weekend was coming up, the Matoos had 52 youth signed up to join. They had no way to accommodate all that interest, so volunteers in the community stepped right up to provide all the camping equipment, food, mattresses and Coleman stoves they could need, even letting youth stay in their cabins to sleep.

“There was a lot of healing being done,” remembers Sarah Matoo about that first camp. “They were talking, sharing, letting things go at the camp.”

It was initially going to be a weekend venture, but the group decided to stay an extra day – even though it wasn’t a long weekend – to continue the experience.

Since then, it’s become a staple of the community, with the Matoos fundraising for the celebration camp and running it each summer they can afford to. It has also become a six-day journey, full of games, counselling, time on the land, sharing, talent shows and challenges.

“There’s a balance,” said Matoo about the activities at camp. “We do a lot of talking, a lot of self-esteem building.”

And at the end of it, the Matoos walk with the youth all the way back to Coral Harbour – more than 42 kilometres, “just to show the kids that no matter how hard things get, you’re going to make your destination.”

“They’re bleeding, there’s blisters and limping, and even me, I’m

ᒪᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑕᕿᑦᑎᓐᓂ, ᓯᐅᕋ ᑭᓇᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐊᖃᕈᑎᒃ ᑕᒪᑐᒪ

ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᑎᐅᓇᔭᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖁᔨᓪᓗᓂ.

‘ᑕᒪᑦᑕᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᖃᕆᐊᖃᖂᕋᓗᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᖃᑯᒍᑭᐊᖅ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ. ᐃᓱᒪᒋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᑕᕗᑦ 10-ᓂ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂᒃ

ᐱᔪᒪᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᕈᔾᔨᓗᑕ. ᐊᑐᐊᓂᒃᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᔾᔮᕋᓱᒋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᑦᑐᖓ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑉᐳᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕈᔪᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ. ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᔾᔮᕋᓱᒋᙱᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᖁᓵᖅᐸᒃᐸᕗᑦ, ᐊᑲᐅᓂᖅᓴᒃᑯᕐᓇᖅᖢᓂᓗ.

having a hard time finishing the walk now because of my age and bum knee, but we make the walk,” said Sarah.

Noah Matoo, she said, came up with a ‘catwalk’ challenge where youth had to strut in front of their peers down a catwalk like a fashion model.

“I couldn’t believe that he came up with that, because he was one of the most shyest people I had ever met,” said Sarah. “He told me that if somebody had done that push for him, maybe he wouldn’t have been so shy for that long.”

That philosophy extends to the talent show, where youth have to put on some sort of act by the end of the camp.

Sarah said the camps are even helpful for herself, as the sharing people do helps the lighten the load for everyone.

“All the problems you thought you had are no longer huge like you thought they were in your own house,” she said about hearing what other people are going through.

As the Matoos prepare for another camp this month, Sarah encourages anyone with an idea that could benefit their community to pursue it.

“I think we all have some need for healing in one way or another,” she said. “And we didn’t know what we were stumbling into when we decided we were going to take those 10 kids to our camp. What became of this camp is something that we’ve never really even comprehended that it would happen that way, but it did, and it’s got a life of its own. Sometimes things we didn’t even expect to happen happen, and it’s always way better than what we anticipated.”

ᐊᔾᔨᖁᑎ ᓯᐅᕋ ᒪᑐ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᓱᒃᐳᑦ ᐊᖁᑎᒃᑯᑦ

ᙱᒍᒥᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ

A group photo from a past Youth Celebration Camp in Coral Harbour. The camps have been running since 2005, as husbandand-wife team Sarah and Noah Matoo work to give youth a chance to find themselves, get out of their comfort zones and heal together. Photo courtesy of Sarah Matoo

Participants walk as a group carrying a

Photo courtesy of Sarah Matoo

Youth engage in games during the camps. Photo courtesy of Sarah Matoo

ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᕕᖃᖅᐳᑦ

NUNAVUT TRADING POST FREE BUY & SELL ADS

ᓄᓇᕗᑦᒐᕙᒪᖓ

ᓯᕗᑦᓕᐅᔭᐅᓇᔭᕐᑐᑦᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓄᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᔾᔭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦᐃᓄᐃᑦ.

ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔨᑕᖅ—ᐊᐅᓚᐅᓯᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ

ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᖓ#:14-507659 ᒪ ᑐᕕᒃᓴᖓ:ᓯᑦᑕᕝᕙ8,2023

ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ

ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᒥ

ᐅᓇᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᖅᓄᓇᕗᒥᐅᓄᑦᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦᑐᐊᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂᐱᓇᓱᒃᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ.

ᐱᒋᐊᕐᕕᒋᓇᔭᖅᑕᖓ:$74,018ᑎᑭᑦᑐᒍ$83,985 ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ,ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᖓ#:10-507929 ᒪ ᑐᕕᒃᓴᖓ:ᐊᒡᒋᓯ18,2023

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ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦᐅᖃᐅᔾᔪᐃᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᐅᓇᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᖅᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᑕᑐᐊᓄᑦᒪᑐᐃᖓᔪᖅ.

ᐱᒋᐊᕐᕕᒋᓇᔭᖅᑕᖓ:$93,582ᑎᑭᑦᑐᒍ$106,208 ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ,ᓄᓇᕗᑦ

ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᖓ#:09-507681 ᒪ ᑐᕕᒃᓴᖓ:ᐊᒡᒋᓯ18,2023

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᓂᑦᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ

ᖃᐅᔨᒃᑲᐃᔨ

ᐅᓇᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᖅᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᑕᑐᐊᓄᑦᒪᑐᐃᖓᔪᖅ.

ᐱᒋᐊᕐᕕᒋᓇᔭᖅᑕᖓ:$105,342ᑎᑭᑦᑐᒍ$119,511 ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ,ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᖓ#:04-507931 ᒪ ᑐᕕᒃᓴᖓ:ᐊᒡᒋᓯ18,2023

ᖃᐅᔨᒪᒋᑦᑎᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂᑦᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᑦᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒦᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ$16,008ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓕᒫᒧᑦ.

ᐅᕗᖓᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑎᑦ: ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ,ᓄᓇᕗᑦᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᑦ, ᑎᑎᖅᑲᒃᑯᕕᖓ1000,ᐴᒃᓴᖅ430, ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ,ᓄᓇᕗᑦX0A0H0.ᓱᑲᔪᒃᑯᑦ:(867)975-6220. ᐅᖄᓚᐅᑎᖓ:(867)975-6222.ᐊᑭᖃᖏᑐᒃᑯᑦ:1-888-668-9993.

ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭ ᒃᑯᑦ: iqaluitapplications@gov.nu.ca

( ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᓂᐊᖅᐸᐃᑦᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑖᑕᓇᐃᓴᐅᑖᑭᓱᓕᕆᕝᕕᐊᓂᑦ

ᐃᕐᖐᓐᓇᒃᑰᕈᑎᖕᓂᑦ ᓇᒃᓯᐅᔾᔨᓕᕈᕕᑦ.)

ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕈᓴᒍᑦᑎᐅᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦᑭᓲᓂᖏᑦᐊᒻᒪᖃᓄᐃᑑᓂᖏᑦ,ᖃᐅᔨᒋᕐᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦᖃᕆᑕᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ.

ᐃᖃᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᐃᑦᐃᓚᖏᑦᐱᕋᔭᒃᓯᒪᖏᑲᓗᐊᕐᒪᖔᑕᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᑐᑦ.ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐱᕋᔭᒃᓂᑰᒐᓗᐊᑦᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕐᑖᕐᑎᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᑐᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖅmasculine−ᒥᒃᑐᑭᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᕗᖅᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦᐊᔪᕐᓇᙱᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᑎᒃᐅᖃᓕᒫᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ.

https://gov.nu.ca/iu/human-resources-iu

GOVERNMENTOF

PriorityHiring

DepartmentofCommunity andGovernmentServices

SeniorTechnicalOfficer–Mechanical

Thisemploymentopportunityisopentoallapplicants. SalaryScale:$113,764to$129,128 IQ ALUIT,NU Ref.#:14-507659 Closing:September8,2023

DepartmentofHealth

JuniorWellnessProgramOfficer

ThisemploymentopportunityisrestrictedtoNunavutInuit residinginIqaluitonly.

SalaryScale:$74,018to$83,985 IQ ALUIT,NU Ref.#:10-507929 Closing:August18,2023

DepartmentofEducation

SeniorCommunicationsAdvisor

Thisemploymentopportunityisrestrictedtoresidentsof Iqaluit only.

SalaryScale:$93,582to$106,208 IQ ALUIT,NU Ref.#:09-507681 Closing:August18,2023

DepartmentofHumanResources

JobEvaluationConsultant

Thisemploymentopportunityisrestrictedtoresidentsof Iqaluit only.

Priorité d’embauche Lapriorité estaccordéeauxInuitsduNunavut.

MinistèredelaSanté

Agentauxiliairedesprogrammes demieux- être Cetteoffred’emplois’adresseuniquementauxInuitsdu NunavutrésidantàIqaluit.

Échellesalariale:74018$à83985$ IQ ALUIT,NU No deréf.10-507929 Clôture:18août2023

Ministèredel’Éducation

Conseillerprincipal en communications

Cetteoffred’emplois’adresseuniquementauxpersonnes résidantàIqaluit.

Échellesalariale:93582$à106208$ IQ ALUIT,NU No deréf.09-507681 Clôture:18août2023

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SalaryScale:$105,342to$119,511

IQ ALUIT,NU Ref.#:04-507931 Closing:August18,2023

PleasenotethatallIqaluit-basedpositionsareeligiblefora NunavutNorthernAllowanceof$16,008perannum.

Applyto: DepartmentofHumanResources, GovernmentofNunavut,P.O.Box1000,Station430, Iqaluit,NunavutX0A0H0.Fax:(867)975-6220. Phone:(867)975-6222.Toll-free:1-888-668-9993. E-mail:IqaluitApplications@gov.nu.ca

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Notethattheuseofthemasculineismeantonlytomakethetext easiertoread.

https://gov.nu.ca/human-resources

Cetteoffred’emplois’adresseuniquementauxpersonnes résidantàIqaluit.

Échellesalariale:105342$à119511$ IQ ALUIT,NU No deréf.04-507931 Clôture:18août2023

Veuilleznoterquelespostessitués à Iqaluitsontadmissibles à uneindemnité deviedansleNordde16008$parannée.

Postulerau: MinistèredesRessourceshumaines, GouvernementduNunavut,C.P.1000,Succursale430, Iqaluit(Nunavut)X0A0H0.Tc:867975-6220. Tél:867975-6222.Sansfrais:1888668-9993.

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MinistèredesServices communautairesetgouvernementaux Agenttechniqueprincipal delamécanique Cetteoffred’emploiestouverteàtous. Échellesalariale:113764$à129128$ IQ ALUIT,NU No deréf.14-507659 Clôture:8septembre 2023

GOUVERNEMENT DUNUNAVUT

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR

OPPORTUNITIESINCAMBRIDGEBAY,NU

NunavutNorthernAllowance$20,891

DEPARTMENTOF HUMAN RESOURCES

RelocationOfficer

StartingSalary$86,457

Ref.#:04-507941

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Closing:August25,2023

DepartmentofHumanResources,GovernmentofNunavut P.O.Box2377,CambridgeBay,NunavutX0B0C0. Fax:(867)983-4041.Phone:(867)983-4058. Toll-free:1-866-667-6624.E-mail:hrkitikmeot@gov.nu.ca

OPPORTUNITIESINRANKININLET,NU

NunavutNorthernAllowance:$18,517

DEPARTMENTOF FAMILY SERVICES

SupervisorFamilyWellness

StartingSalary$105,342-$119,511

Ref.#:17-507918

DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH

TheArcticIndigenousWellnessFoundationis seekingqualifiedapplicantstoapplyforthe positionofExecutiveDirector. Thispositionwillstartassoonaspossible. Salarywillbecommensuratewithexperience. Foradescriptionofthedutiespleaseemail manager@arcticindigenouswellness.ca Pleasenotethatonlythoseselectedforan interviewwillbecontacted. Resumeswithacoverlettermaybe submittedbymailoremailto: ArcticIndigenousWellnessFoundation

P.O.Box603 Yellowknife,NTX1A2N5

Email:manager@arcticindigenouswellness.ca

ClosingDate:18August2023

Closing:August18,2023

RegionalLaboratoryTechnologist

StartingSalary$89,998

Ref.#:10-507589

Closing:OpenUntilFilled

OPPORTUNITIESINBAKERLAKE,NU

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DEPARTMENTOF HUMAN RESOURCES

SuperintendentofSchoolsIntern–Kivalliq (Re-Advertisement)

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Ref.#:04-507934

DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH

Closing:September1,2023

MentalHealthandAddictionsYouth

ProgramFacilitator (Re-Advertisment)

StartingSalary$74,018

Ref.#:10-507919

Closing:August18,2023

DEPARTMENTOF COMMUNITYAND

GOVERNMENT SERVICES

SportandRecreationDevelopment

Officer

StartingSalary$93,582-$106,208

Ref.#:14-507892

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Closing:August18,2023

DepartmentofHumanResources,GovernmentofNunavut P.O.Box899,RankinInlet,NunavutX0C0G0. Fax:(867)645-8097.Phone:(867)645-8065. Toll-free:1-800-933-3072.E-mail:kivalliqhr@gov.nu.ca

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