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Shirley Steenberg
Crystal, Ruby, Jeremy, Shirley and Amber Steenberg.
My name is Shirley Steenberg. I am Inuvialuk. My maiden name is Cockney. I am the eldest of three children born to Ernest and Georgina Cockney of Tuktoyaktuk, where I resided with them until I was 21 years old. I completed a Grade 12 education at Mangilaluk School in Tuk. I was the first to graduate in their first year of high school. One of my special achievements before I moved away to attend college was winning our school logo contest, and to this day my logo continues to represent our students and their school. Many of you know Mangilaluk was a respected chief and founder of Tuk. He is my great-great-grandfather on my mother’s side, and I have just learned that his photograph is located at the National Museum of Denmark. Next time I go to Denmark, I will go to this museum to see it. That is one of my goals, of many. It is important to have goals and dreams to work towards and achieve, and most important, never give up until you have it no matter how hard it seems.
