Kunuugama

Today, it has been thirty years since people sat in the Inuksuk high school gym to witness an agreement between Inuit of Nunavut and the Prime Minister of Canada (and others). During that event there was so much hope and expectation exhumed in the room and all of Nunavut. It was our day, as Inuit! A monumental moment. So much work had been done to lead up to this work, decades of negotiating. Even though I had not voted in favor of the agreement (believing there was not enough focus on education to prepare us to take over) I too was excited at the new turn of page. After all this was what Inuit leaders worked towards and voted for. The expectation was that Inuit will now be the decision makers, we will now control our own affairs, our way of life will now be protected including our language.

Thirty years later, have those expectations been realized or is the vision still the primary focus of our energy in the governance systems we’ve adopted?

I have written extensively about the social inequities that exist in Nunavut and racial tension so I will not go deeply into them here (if you want to see them, you can look up my name on Yellowhead Institute’s website).

Even with my critical views I express, I am still hopeful and see people living their true selves, inspiring and supporting others to do the same. It’s important that hope for a better future exists, otherwise, we have lost ourselves.

One of the biggest lessons we have learned in Nunavut with our Inuit employment rates is that in order to protect our culture, language and way of life, we have to do it ourselves. We cannot rely on or trust incomers who are only interested in personal economic benefits from Nunavut and maintaining the system to benefit that economic interest. We have seen the strong resistance to changing this. Where even a Premier was ousted trying to replace a non Inuk staff with an Inuk staff.

What that situation also told us is that there are Inuit strongly upholding the very system that oppresses them. Even though we have almost all Inuit political and leadership positions, the administration still clearly has a grip on our territorial government with key people in political system protecting it with them.

Even if we are to achieve Inuit leading the majority in administrative drivers seat it is still not enough. We have to do it in the context of explicitly shedding colonialism and its grip. We also have to do it with allies of non-Inuit serving the same objective as us (see Qanak Collective’s list of ‘How To Be a Good Ally’ on their Facebook page). We must define the relationship with non-Inuit on our terms while defining the agenda for Nunavut. This is our homeland. We have to be aware of how colonial systems maintain power dynamics not in our favor and work diligently to reverse that. This means education and awareness to our colonial past, how it works, and continually asking how the system is working against us and what taking charge of our own lives means for us because conditions and society changes. So do colonial forces!

The education and awareness to colonialism has to recognise how conformity is maintained. How is it that we are made to just go along with the colonial or neo-liberal agenda? Conformity has three elements: informational signals, who are the trusted experts or sources of information, including who defines what success means; reputational signals, social pressures and standards to be accepted by our social grouping(s); social cascades, which is social movements. (These are from a book called Conformity by Cass R. Sunstein). A very strong part of conformity for us is how we obtain and maintain privilege being proximity to whiteness, a whole other discussion in itself.

Remember that great efforts were made to make us conform to the colonial cause. Shifting everything from education of our children, labour, land, mobility, knowledge, spirituality to serve monarchy and state. It will have to take as much effort to reverse conformity, and reverse power dynamics so that we are serving ourselves. Gate keepers to colonial system include Inuit and non-Inuit. It is very difficult to deal with our own who are gatekeeping to make sure the system is maintained as it is. We also have Inuit and non-Inuit alike who are skilled at denying, deflecting and distracting from our truth therefore accountability to shift power dynamics and serving in our favor. We need to learn to call these out collectively.

So, today what are we conforming to? One way of looking at whether systems are representative of Inuit is to look at it from an inclusion and exclusion terms. Even though it is over-simplistic, it still poses a good basis for questioning of whether people feel included or excluded from their government in the policies, programs and services they receive. When I speak about government I mean our Inuit organizations, territorial, federal and municipal governments.

Part of the issue though looking at it from inclusion and exclusion lens, is that we have not recognized fully how marginalized we are because we have a history of colonialism and with that have always had substandard level or no government policies, service, programs and policies that represent us.

Some examples are: not having doctors or dental care in communities; not having daycare or school systems fully in our language, protected and supported by the system; not having hunting as an option for a livelihood; not having basic infrastructure like buildings, housing, roads and marine; or more broadly only having policing and correctional systems rather than ensuring children have the best opportunity to succeed in life that will not lead them to criminalization.

If we were to think from an Inuit policy making stance we’d focus on minimising and removing risk for despair, self-loathing, mental illness and create protective factors of culture, language and identity at individual, social and societal level to set our children up to succeed and develop healthy coping skills and strong character to achieve great things.

How do we create a governance or decision-making processes that ensure safe and healthy conversations on where we need to go? What we have is not working. It seems to fragment leadership more than help to create unity. We cannot afford to do this anymore.

The colonial systems are adept at appearing fair and equitable when it is not. For example, our parliamentary system in Nunavut is touted as being a great example of working together because it is a ‘consensus’ government. It is a consensus government because there are no political parties. When it is still a Westminster style government that is based on adversaries where the opposing side sit opposite the leadership, practicing the western way of holding others accountable asking adversarial questions. Which is in the end antithesis to consensus based decision-making.

Our Inuit organizations too run as adversarial system even if to a lesser degree, with their Robert’s rules of order. The outcome to these adversarial systems is red tape to protecting our culture, language and way of life. These priorities end up being treated as a bonus or add-ons because leadership are so busy asking questions to appear legitimate, when system stays the same serving the same interests.

Once we start questioning how the colonial system maintains power, and start to know better, we will do better to protect and serve our interests. But let’s ask these tough questions without tearing each other down.

Really, we are still maintaining systems of destruction on our people. One of the saddest effects of social inequity and widening social and economic gap between Inuit and non-Inuit in Nunavut is the visible increase in substance use and mental health problems. We are seeing it in our families and communities. It is very distressing dealing with it and to be exposed to it constantly.  We too might experience mental health issues. The mental health and substance use also leads to self-harm and criminalization of people needing help. With the housing and food security crisis, many families are experiencing the pressure cooker effect. Sadly, often it is Elders who are left to deal with mental, physical and economic abuse.

The proposed treatment centre and the increasing Inuit centered counselling approaches are signs of hope.  However, we are still not having the discussion of what recovery from colonialism means and what wellness means for us in this context.

If we are to define looking after ourselves on our terms what would this look like? To start planning in a systematic way, a wellness and healing plan. Part of this process is the need to deal with the legacy of sexual abuse by teachers and priests. You just need to look at the crime rates, mental health issues and suicide rates in communities to know which ones have been most impacted by not only these ugly legacies but sexual abuse in general.

Adding to the pressure cooker dynamic is our housing crisis. This seems to be a current political priority with promises of building more houses. We will see if it will meet the needs and release some of the pressure that lack of housing leads to.

Another is that Nunavut has the highest food insecurity in Canada, three quarters of children go hungry every day. How are we not seeing this as an emergency? It is a staggering statistic!

The most important aspect to food security is the economic means to feed ourselves. Handouts and charity are not a sustainable and dignified way to deal with food insecurity.

This leads to a discussion about economy, and what it means for us. If we are to define our own economy, what could this look like? So that we’re not just passively responding to the outside defining what our economy should be i.e. exploiting and destroying our lands, and waiting for outside companies to open mines that will only peripherally benefit us (compared to the companies).

Economy should center on Inuit protecting tgeir way of like and being self-sufficient to get food, not just from the grocery store but also access to country food. Including having the means to go hunting, harvesting and fishing. Also shifting to making country food more accessible in communities.

There is really no good reason we cannot go and buy fish or seal meat by the pound somewhere in our community. Imagine if all our hunters and trappers had social enterprise arm that sold and distributed country food? Or have a tannery so we can access fur or pelts, sewing and hunting supplies including major items like machines and boats at a reasonable price?

Even with the system still set up to destroy us, there is still so much beauty in Nunavut. Through the people, who look after each other, inspire and encourage each other, and tap into the land to center themselves. Those that create art, tools, businesses, and projects centered on Inuitness are slowly becoming a critical mass. When I am away from home I miss the sense of community, often through food sharing. It is still so strong in defining who we are. Nunavut is a beautiful dream, to protect our culture, language and way of life and be our true selves, let’s not lose sight of it.

Her home is on the bottom of the ocean. She rules this fluid world, taking care of all it’s creatures big and small in her embrace – where she ends and they start it is not clear. She is their keeper, they are hers. In a world where equilibrium depends on all the elements within the ocean and out it, she controls their surroundings to protect them, protect herself.

She was revered and held in high esteem at one point. Feared like a loving anaanatsiaq (grandmother) – if you give her devotion, she will return it multiplied. However, you do not want to upset her, as you only hurt your source of affection, means of nourishment. Treatment of her, is a reflection of yourself.

We are starting to forget her. The role of maintaining balance in all our connections with all the animate branches of what sustains life. Forgetting the importance of our relationships with her and other universe’s great forces. Including between genders, as hunters, who are predominantly men must appease her. Instead we are lost in ego, greed and consumerism. Departure from our center ominously filled with gloom and depression, eating at us within. The more we stray from her, the more we move towards habits of self-destruction.

All the food sources we rely on are part of her: her fingers are the seals; her palm, walruses; forearm the whales. When she gives us food, we savor in gratitude, becoming her, and she becoming us – in one entity that is the universe. All the goodness and evil blurred allowing us just to be. Still, calm, heart beating, breathing, gratified, content. We are water!

She is magnificent and fierce, an Inuk woman. When she is upset she holds animals back, entangled in her shiny thick black hair. She will only release them when she is appeased by an offering, a song or a spiritual visit from one who will untangle her hair, hair that is floating freely in the currents – as she cannot do it herself not having any fingers.

She is known throughout the Inuit world as sanna (sedna), sanaji, nuliajuq, talilajuq, takannaaluk, or the one who should not be named. The force of the ocean!

(Online presentation for Oceans Collaborative, May 13^th, 2024)

A language provides a lens into a worldview, perspective, values and a way of being. It does not mean a person cannot have a window into that world without the language. Like our pre-contact clothing that provided perfect protection from our weather, our language serves the same purpose for providing a means to communicate that describes laws, systems and values for us. Other clothing can serve the purpose, but it is not nearly well suited for our weather and conditions.

Inuit systems put heavy emphasis on Inunnguiniq (child rearing practices), so that individuals grow up to be responsible, independent and interdependent. Inunnguiniq tries to prevent the need for intervention of wrong-doing in adulthood. It is believed if people are well socialised, able to provide for themselves and their community then there will be minimal requirement to apply intervention.  The responsibility (of stewardship) and relationships of reciprocity (to people, animals and our environment) are instilled so that communities can thrive. Relationality, and how we see our relationality (through our language) is integral to our well-being.

There is provision for dealing with wrong-doing, and interventions are dependent on severity or repetition of wrong doing. There is also strong belief in cosmic consequences if people do not behave, especially towards our environment. It is believed what you do to the land you are doing to yourself. Our knowledge systems and science is in our language! Even saying ‘nuna’ versus ‘land’ which mean the same thing, hit a totally different note to the feels.

Inuit laws and systems have been heavily compromised by the impact of colonialism. The practice or policy of control by one people to have power over other people or their land with the aim of economic dominance. With the imposition of religion, language, economics and cultural practices. Doctrines such as “terra nullius”, the Colonizers justification for occupying our lands stating lands were uninhabited (no Christians live there), and  “doctrine of discovery” that lands were discovered therefore acquired because it was terra nullius continue to be the basis applying imposed ideals. These ideals can then be internalized with views of inferiority, less than, and believing in white systems prevails and generally believe in white superiority.

Colonialists targeted three key areas: land acquisition; family and kinship; and spirituality and knowledge systems. The land acquisition is described above in the doctrines applied by Euro-North American systems. Family and kinship ties were undermined through residential schools and schooling systems. Once you sever families, it is very difficult to secure unity in a society. As the adage goes ‘divide and conquer’. The introduction of Christianity, not only upholds doctrines of terra nullius and doctrine of discovery, it also perpetuates the myth that we are to ‘civilise’ buy into their modes of what they define as productive, science and business. The destructive consumerist capitalist end goal of Colonialism redefines what our relationships and knowledge base should be to be considered ‘productive’. What this means is that stolen languages means severed relationships! Strength of languages means strength of relationships (of responsibility and reciprocity)!

I will now illustrate in three ways that language is connected to our knowledge systems: our personal names; knowledge systems; and land names. And of course, these are interconnected.

When we are born, we are given names of either people that have passed on or people still living (more commonly, people that have passed on). We normally have more than one name passed on to us. It is believed the personal qualities and traits of our namesakes are passed on to us.

But first, it is important to acknowledge that because we were considered not people because we were not Christians. With introduction of Christianity baptism and giving Christian names became normalised so that we were recognized as people. Today, no matter how much we practice Christianity or not we still practice giving Christian names. So some passed on names are actually now Christian names.

I carry several names, mostly people that passed on before I was born. My dominant name is Kunuk, who was my great grandmother. Kunuk was known to be fun, loving person, but tended to hoard food (due to having experienced hunger in her past). So when I was growing up, food sharing was emphasized (not to hoard) as a personality trait. This way, the less than favorable qualities are attempted to be corrected and the good qualities are celebrated and encouraged. Because I was named after my great grandmother, my kinship relationships were continued through my namesake. My great uncle Qillaq, who loved berries and was given berries by my namesake, his mother ensured I had berries when I visited.

My grandson also has more than one name. Mikijuq who was my uncle’s best friend. His dominant name is Maluk. My daughter’s name is Silu, who was her paternal grandfather’s brother. So her grandfather adored her, as he loved his brother. Maluk was my daughter’s grandfather’s grandfather, who adored her grandfather in the same way. In this way the naming recognizes the love of family that is to be continued.

Our naming systems creates kinship and responsibility. It teaches familial lineage, as the names continue through family lines. The system also creates intergenerational bonds. It also encourages positive personal traits and tries to correct those that are not so positive.

Our stories such as the one about Sanna (or the Anglicized version of Sedna), also known as Nuliajuq or Takannaaluk is our sea goddess or the mother of the ocean as all the sea mammals came from her. Sanna is the root word for ‘to make’ or ‘to create’. So just the name reveals the significance of her role, as the provider of the sea mammals we Inuit depend on and hunt. We are to take care of the Ocean, take only what we need. This way, she will continue to provide for us.

The stories that are long can be remembered via songs through the story and chorus like structure. These are more sophisticated stories. Many of our stories are for children about our wildlife, their characters and how they were created. Our stories keep ancient and old language and terminology, they teach us history and lessons. Every time we hear a story, even if we have heard it before, we learn a new lesson.

We are an arctic people, so much of our knowledge systems are around snow and ice. Our terminology and knowledge are dense around wintery conditions. There are great resources such as the book “Meaning of Ice” that describe knowledge around snow and ice. We have terminology for every stage of sea ice formation: from shore line ice forming, to slushy shore line, thin ice that polar bears can crawl on (that humans cannot walk on yet) to safe ice for people to travel on. It is the same for when sea ice starts to break up. There are stages involved.  Inuit are most mobile when there is safe sea ice to travel on.

Since Inuit travel in often precarious situations with snow, ice and weather conditions, there is depth of understanding and quick judgement that is required. Inuit have understood there is multi dimensions and variables to our environment and our relationships.

One way the way we think has been compromised is through the introduction of Christian values.  Hugh Brody in his book “The Other Side of Eden” describes this well. He says “… the Genesis story of creation does not imply moral ambiguity. Instead, it can be seen as succession of binary pairs. Nothingness: something. Water: earth. Sea: land. Day: night. Male: female. Adam: Eve. Clean: unclean. Cain: Abel. The binary nature of God’s project in Genesis is symbolised in the two trees, embodiments of dichotomies that, in the divide scheme, are at the centre of human destiny… The myth of Genesis reinforces this logical point by establishing a story in which religion itself is binary: Jews, Christians and Muslims believe in two ultimate powers, God and the Devil, with one standing for all that is good, the other all that is evil”.

This binary way of seeing the world simplifies and interrupts complexity of nature and our relationships with it. It becomes very simple then to commodify our natural environment, if the terms of relationship are seen through binary lens. And not as living and complex beings.

Place names too embody whole knowledge system. Rather than naming places by white guys who thought they discovered a place, like “Frobisher’s furthest” or “Qikiqtarjuaq” (big island) our place names tell you something. Our place names tell you generations and generations of Inuit learning their environment. The names tell you where there are wildlife (even seasonally) such as Qairuliktuuq (place of many harp seals); calving or birthing grounds such as Illauliktuuq (sea fetus area); land or sea features or descriptions such as Naqsaq, a dead end valley; safe camping, wintering and living areas such as Upirngivik, history of events such as Qajauvik a place people kept their qajait/kayaks; or hazardous or dangerous areas or conditions such as Sarvaaluk, a big polynya which indicates high currents. Just hearing a name, even if you have never seen it, can an automatic image in your head what the place might look like such as Ikirasakutaaq (a long channel).

Recognizing that language holds Indigenous knowledge system, and we know Indigenous systems are based on relationships of responsibility (of stewardship) and reciprocity, how do ensure we protect languages? So that our oceans and environment may be protected. A good tool I have found is Arthur Manuals 6 step program to reconciliations:

1. Denounce racist doctrine of discovery and terra nullius
2. Right to self-determination – Indigenous/Inuit as decision makers and thinkers
3. Use Inuit knowledge systems, through our language
4. Reclaim land
5. Create clear jurisdictional lines (I assume this is allowing Indigenous People to practice sovereignty over their lives and environment, and non Indigenous People work as allies. And the terms of the relationship are clear).
6. Pursue our economic, social, & cultural development

This is a good start to unpacking colonialism and allowing Indigenous People to reclaim themselves!

As soon as I heard my home community of Clyde River was interested in a bowhead whale hunt, I knew I wanted to be there, to be a part of my community in such a significant moment. In the months leading up to it, I was very excited; a week prior to the hunt, I was starting to lose sleep with excitement.

I knew it would be a monumental moment, a reclamation of part of ourselves. Bowhead whaling is a practice almost forgotten, but still alive in stories and oral history. Subsistence whaling had been replaced by Inuit assisting in commercial European whaling which decimated the population as a result of mass huntings in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Today, the whale population is healthy again;. The hunt is slowly being revived. The traditional hunt is unlike any other because it tests the cohesiveness of a community. It takes a large team to pull it off: a definitive characteristic of Inuit. Teamwork [or cooperation] is how we had not only survived but thrived in our environment for [hundreds/thousand of years]. Given that there would surely be apprehension and fear of the experiential unknown, I hoped with all my might that second guessing would not take hold within the community and affect the success of the hunt.

Only one member of the team, Niore Iqalukjuak had taken part in such a hunt before. It was likely this one could be very different from what he had taken part in, even if much of the approach is to be the same, and he had much to offer from that experience. But I believed in our abilities as a hunting society, that the hunter instinct would kick in. The skill, astuteness, intuitiveness, alertness, even if everyone was not known to be angunatturiktuq (abled hunter), would work – especially if everyone is to play a role: atuutiqaqtuinnauniaqtugut (having a purpose).

A couple of days before the hunt was to start I attended the safety and use demonstration by Glen Williams of the explosive harpoon gun. I was impressed by the level of accuracy and detail of the translation of the tool and all its intricate parts by the local sergeant of Rangers Levi Palituq, who was also the chair of the organizing committee.

In the use of our language, Inuktitut, that was only the start of what was to come. After the demonstration, a discussion about the strategy of the hunt ensued. The hunters were shown photo slides of previous bowhead whale hunts in Nunavut. As the discussion took place informally, I was overwhelmed by the terminology I had not been exposed to.

The hunters spoke of the bowhead whale hunt and the tools and methods that were to be used: anguvigaq, niutaq, aaqsiiq: a whole sect of a language related to this hunt that had been sleeping had awoken in the community while planning it. It was amazing to witness and hear the hunters using the words in various contexts, and ways as they had come alive again. It was a moment to see the interconnectedness of culture, language and identity and significance of our oral history.

Unexpectedly the day before the hunt was to start a person in a leadership role (not related to the hunt) reamed me with an accusation I was not prepared for. I was taken aback, and wondered briefly, emotionally whether I wanted to stay where I felt unwelcomed. Eventually I decided I would stay for what I came there for and be a part of the community that I feel is my own and will always associate as my home, the place that defined me.

In empowering situations, petty politics can be expected as we are, unfortunately, conditioned to relate to ourselves oppressively. A test to our resolve would come in various ways as the community prepared for a much more complex hunt, one which had not been practiced in living memory.

We were told to meet at the breakwater in the morning. It took a while to depart for the hunt. No one seemed to know what the delay was a result of, but some guessed the fog and ice down the inlet had something to do with it. There was a buzz in the air, and excitement for what was to possibly come. The sun was out smiling down at the hunters, and the community. When it was time to leave, people were quick to get in the boats. Except us; the mayor Jerry Natanine had forgotten the bullet for the harpoon gun he was to use. After a quick trip to his house, off we went. We left, antsy on our feet with anticipation.

We stopped down the inlet from the community in Akulaanga. Some climbed the hill Pamialluat to see the ice conditions ahead. People ate, talked, teased, and laughed. There was energy like no other, the collaborative spirit was in the air. We then headed for Umiujaq, a small island in front of Cape Christian in the area where the hunt was planned, and landed the boats. We sent a climber to the top of the hill to scope out the scene for arviit (bowheads, plural. Arvik, singular). The wind picked up and ice conditions were not great. Chunks of ice were everywhere in sight; even if the inlet was navigable by boat, it would be difficult conditions in which to hunt such a large whale. Larry Kautuq (my grandfather by namesake) caught a seal. We ate, and then headed to Cape Christian to set up camp. After the tents were up, it was clear we would not be leaving to go hunting that evening. Everyone settled into their tents, played cards or mingled outside. Some started the rope work for the four boats that were to hold lines with the floats. Ropes over 50 feet long were wound neatly in a barrel, so that they would not tangle when released. Some teams stayed up late finishing them, others finished the long and mundane task in the morning.

The next day, the wind and ice conditions were still not ideal, another test of our patience. We waited until that evening, when the hunting team decided that Captain David Iqaqrialu would drive his four-wheeler to an area further north of the cape. There was less ice there, there had also been sightings of arviit. First he spotted some large ones, excitement growing among the hunters as he described the whales to us by VHF radio. He finally described a third one which seemed smaller, and there seemed to be complete silence of anticipation. The captain then gave the go ahead for the crews to set off on the hunt. It was about 9:30 in the evening. The hunting party moved swiftly while the spectators on site relayed a play-by-play over VHF of what was happening to those still in the community. The captain would direct the hunt from the hill, which seemed selfless as he would not directly partake. He would have the advantage of distance to direct the parties, while Sandy Kautuq the assistant Captain directed the hunt on the scene. Our boat, captained by Niore Iqalukjuak was boat number six, last in line with the explosive harpoon gun.

The captain announced that Sandy’s canoe was headed towards a bowhead that seemed to be the smaller of the ones he had seen. All of the boats veered in the direction. Once it started to come up for air, we knew it was that one. The chase was on and the adrenaline kicked in. We seemed to just observe it at first while trying to pick up the pace to catch up to it. Then the first harpooner’s, Sandy’s boat was set, and in no time Roger Etuangat harpooned it. At 11:07 pm, it was struck and the buoy was attached. The arvik became very aggressive. I could not imagine how it could be hunted with that much aggression. It started to flap its flippers and tail to scare us away, and charge at boats – including ours.

It became a bit chaotic, and some hunters seemed to lose their focus. Uutukuttuk (Joanasie Illauq) as the driver was next in line in the women’s boat, and was attempting to reach this whale. He seemed hesitant – understandably. He seemed to struggle with aligning his boat to the whale’s breathing times. He would be behind each time it came up to breath. Finally, the harpooner Meena Tassugat was close enough to strike it. I could see Cynthia Panikpak the lines person dump the buoy, the rope, yelp and say “ajai” with the rope almost getting caught on something. The float was on!

Leslie (Boy) Ashevak’s boat that was next. Joelie Sanguya seemed be headed towards the whale and was radioed to hold off, it turned out afterwards his radio was not working at the time. Boy went full on, and right at it. Once he reached it, his whole boat, including his engines, was lifted out of the water by the whale. We watched, stunned. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as we tried to register what we were seeing. As quick as it had been to lift Boy’s boat, the arvik swam off. The boat rocked slightly, and they headed away from the hunt. It seemed they were getting into position, but the next thing we heard on the radio was that he was taking in water and was headed towards the shore. Niore radioed to ask if they needed to be picked up. He said no, they’ll make it. After reaching shore, Boy’s crew were picked up by two other boats and continued to participate.

Things seemed chaotic for the first while as the hunters and the crews worked to catch their senses as excitement and overwhelm had overtaken them. The hunt of this colossal aggressive mammal was clearly more of a challenge than we all had anticipated.

All of a sudden, our boat was expected to use the explosive device. Noah Kautuq had struggled putting the two pieces of the pole together, then putting the gun piece on. The wooden pole seemed to have expanded, perhaps with humidity sitting in the boat overnight. The pieces were not fitting well into the metal sleeves. In true Inuk fashion, Noah improvised with a piece of rope to keep the gun part attached to the pole. Then he and Jerry struggled putting the bullet in. Between them and Niore, they somehow managed to get it loaded. Then Jerry stood up, got in position,fired. I didn’t know how explosive it would be, whether I should duck or watch, so I half ducked because I wanted to see. We heard it set off; the whale seemed to roll but it did not seem to have any impact.

After a while, the hunters seemed to get into a rhythm with the whale. Self-doubt seemed to dissipate and the hunters emerged. It was incredible to watch as they started driving the anguvigait (lance, in plural. Anguvigaq, singular) into the whale, not just harpooning it anymore. It was clear who amongst the group were not run by fear. That energy seemed to overtake everyone involved. After a while the younger participants were encouraged and supported to drive the anguvigait into the whale, including Sandy’s young son Alexander at age five the youngest of the hunters, also two of our teens Leroy Kautuq and Maybelle Piungittuq.Not wanting to prolong the suffering, it was Noah’s turn to strike it with the harpoon gun from our boat. The trigger had been bent, so he and Jerry had to bend it back into position. Then load it. Again, it did not want to load. When he finally had it loaded, and he hit the whale, it sounded like there was a small bang, then two seconds later we heard the sound of the explosive device going off. Again, it seemed to have very little impact on the whale which made me question whether the gun was somehow defective. The whale continued to swim.

All the anguvigait seemed to have been used, and we were on a slight low on the excitement level. Some of the anguvigait were retrieved and it continued. When the youngest girl Maybelle drove the anguvigaq into the whale, we finally saw the first sign of it weakening. It stopped breathing out clear water and began exhaling blood. The end was finally near, a relief as we were mindful of not wanting to prolong the suffering.

It took about an hour and a half until we thought it was dead (12:38 am). As we all approached it, it jolted, and swam some distance. As quickly as it jolted more anguvigait were used. Finally it was on its side. I looked at it from our boat, and it seemed to stare at me. How beautiful it was. Feeling emotional, I thanked it for giving itself, told its spirit we deeply appreciate you. I did not look at the time, but that is when Esa Piungittuq set off the flare gun to signal the arvik was dead.The cheers could be heard on the radio. It looked like the whole community was strewn across the hill with their arms up in the air. What an image to have imprinted in the mind.

The hunters took turns going on the whale; photos were taken. Then the work began to try to make it transportable. We could not resist tasting the maktak, sharing the elation and gratitude. As the work began to tie it up to transport, again it stood out who were used to hunting and working in these conditions, they took the lead. There was one tricky spot they had to attach the whale, Aimosie Sivugat was held hanging by the floater suit belt while he attached the two flippers with rope. Jerry called on the biologist to help, as he stood watching.

Bringing the whale home, everyone had to be alert and ready to either push the boat off from ice or to make sure the ropes did not tangle in the propellers. Four boats were tied one after another to transport the arvik. Winds and fog hit, making the task more challenging. At times, it was a bit frustrating to watch; some were slower to respond than others. I had to remind myself to be patient and understanding that this was a moment and experience which serves a purpose for every individual as it does for me. Our hunting and land skills have been largely compromised, against a backdrop of the idea of abandoning our ways having faced strong assimilation efforts. Clearly for some of us, our hunting skills having been more comprised than others. This is a reflection of our society. In the end the whale was transported successfully to the identified beaching location.

Taking part and witnessing the hunt was truly an amazing experience. It had a profound affect on me, that can only be described by saying a sleeping part of my spirit was awakened. I have a whole new respect for our existence as a hunting society, and for those during the hunt who managed to shine and show their adeptness and quick judgment to make this a successful hunt.

In our boat, in the moments when a bit of panic would set in, Niore would chuckle at the chaos. Sometimes he would chime calm advice on radio. Jerry was so excited he could not confine himself from being comical and silly. He made us laugh throughout. Noah kept singing akuqtujuuk anngutivuuk, a song of hope. Our youngest, Anthony Iqaqrialu cheered on and encouraged each harpooner. I think the hunt can only get better as more opportunity allows it.

I knew the hardest work would start once we beached the whale and began to cut it up. The community pulled together well for that too. The team of arviuqtiit (butchers) worked tirelessly, not to mention the organizing committee that worked for months to make this hunt happen. The community supported the effort, some with indifference, and some doubted but supported in the end. The hunters, the film crew, the backup boat, I feel we have become more kin than before, ilagivassi, for sharing this moment.

Like many, I’m sure, it is an experience I will never forget. It will remain in my heart. Where a community is one, one is the community. Incredible, incredible!

As the hunt finished, our boat captain Niore radioed his father, who was listening in the community. He said: “ataataa, asuillaaraalulli!” (So it came to be). There was no reply; we knew in our hearts that one of the respected leaders and Elder in the community was overtaken by the moment, like all of us.

On this day twenty five years ago, with all the promise, hope and anticipation it brought, I stood on stage with Lucy Illauq and Peter Gzowski hosting the televised celebration of the creation of the Nunavut Territory. The coverage was in Inuktitut, English and French. I recited the Inuktitut introductions, we took turns mixing up the order of languages so as not to seemingly prioritize any of them. When it was time to introduce the Prime Minister, he stood up to speak, I told him to hold on as I needed to say his introduction in Inuktitut first. It was a small act of assertion, but the day stood for us Inuit starting this process of asserting ourselves, claiming our place.

Today, there is much to be celebrated, but we must acknowledge there is a huge stain on Nunavut still that we must clean up. It has to do with linguicide we are allowing.

Over the twenty-five years, we have seen the surge of creative arts and expression awakening. Throat singing, drumming, mixed with modern music, visual arts, film, garment making, adornments such as earrings, tunniit (tattoos), country food cuisine, poetry and writing.  Young people are taking these arts on and running with them, and it is a beautiful thing to see. It is also inspiring to observe young people just owning their space in these creative ways, a lot quicker and with more vigor than our generation. As my friend Liina Ivik says and we are not going back. This is only the beginning with taking back the spirit of Inuitness.

Perhaps it is not an accident, along with the blossoming arts is the space the LGBTQ2+ community are claiming in expression and arts, therefore in our community. Freeing all of us from indoctrinated ideas of very binary or either/or ways of seeing relationships, genders, and the terms we use to refer to people in the English language. By no means, are the LGBTQ2+ community safe from hate, there is no shortage of religious zealots who spread their hate and intolerance with hurtful words. So versed in the colonial lens of seeing the world that allows self-loathing to prevail. Hate is, after all, reflection of self. This is all to say there is starting to be safety in numbers.

Art is also in the items we use. I remember the beautifully refined tools my grandfather created, to be used for hunting. They could have been displayed as art pieces, but they were utilitarian. And look at the beautiful parkas, kamiik and other garments that are made.  Art is everywhere we look.

Expression and arts means practicing humanity, rawness, exploring depths of emotions and minds, love, spirit, and in utilitarian items. I hope we sit for a moment and honour this reclamation of a part of ourselves. Just very recently Elisapee Isaac in receiving her Juno award stated we have no word for art in our language because we are all meant to be creative. Just sit on that, breath, take it in.

There is, however, a huge part of our spirit still oppressed in Nunavut. It is our language! A lens into seeing the majestic place we live in, and our relationships in it. We are still stealing this lens from our children, by not having an education system that ensures quality language learning happens.

Education is a sensitive and emotionally charged subject. We know instinctively that it is an instrument of indoctrination into the western philosophy, views and systems. Otherwise, why has the west insisted on controlling education as part of their colonial project? Think about the damage the residential schools and federal day schools did to our society. I, like so many, live with it. Because, control over education and spirituality are control over the minds of a society. Over centuries Europe or settler European nations have perfected the science for imperialist or capitalist cause, an economic system that will benefit the colonial or settler colonial nation. We are not taught to think but to simply absorb the textbooks and regurgitate them, so we will learn to do that in society. Otherwise, our education system would mean an Inuit worldview is intact, creates a better economic system on our terms and self-determination resulting in better living conditions. Versus partaking in the capitalist system that serves that larger Nation state, and Inuit when the Nation state only chooses.

After 25 years of Nunavut, Inuit children are still being taught that Canada was discovered by Europeans. Both my children have been taught about the explorers that came to our land, discovered and claimed it. This means the doctrine of discovery is still the premise of our education system, with English as the language as the marker of success.

Imagine that after decades of Inuit striving for systems that protect their way of life and language, to gain a government and organizations they thought would work hard to implement these ideas has meant the reverse. We have done nothing! Nunavut’s biggest failing is the education system. I am ashamed as a Nunavummiut we are still indoctrinating our children in English, and that their ancestors are invisible by not teaching them their own history, therefore they are invisible and do not matter. Imagine going through years of acculturation, and what that does to one’s self-esteem. Then getting as far as your vulnerability allows you to go in this system and having almost no opportunities to make a living. That is Nunavut.

A brief history on language legislation in Nunavut…

After the Nunavut territory was established, and the work to ensure it had systems to function as a government, the first order of business was to create language and education legislation. It took seven years to draft the two language acts and the education act. I have seen the binders of research that went into creating these language acts. I can say, the best models of language policy, including Indigenous language work was reviewed in order to create Nunavut’s language policies. I was also in the government legal division for some of the language law drafting phase, where it was debated and options were given to legislators on whether there should be fines for businesses not abiding Inuktut service requirements or not. There was also extensive public consultation between 2004-2007. This was a process of righting the wrong of language policy of extermination. So we thought.

The reason there were three pieces of language legislation was that Official languages act would recognize the official languages of the territory. Nunavut being part of Canada felt it had no choice but to have English and French as official languages along with Inuktut. The Inuit language protection act would take special measures to protect the Inuktut language, so that it would have a language authority that would create language tools, decide on standard terminology, obligates governments and businesses on minimum standards, and create a right for parents to receive language of instruction in Inuktut for their children. The Education Act was, obviously outlining how the Education system was to deliver in all official languages, including a promise of bilingual education of English and Inuktut (with exception of the French language system).

It must be noted that the language acts talk about ‘Inuit language’ because it was recognized Inuinnaqtun dialect and Inuktitut dialect have different terms referring to the Inuit language in their dialect. Later, the term Inuktut was used to refer to both the dialects. To this day we have Inuit complaining about the term Inuktut, a term meant to unify an approach to protect our language. Failing to see that the term is meant to refer to our language. That, and attitude of dialect dominance are one of the biggest barriers to getting ahead with approach to language protection. ‘My dialect is better than yours’ or ‘that is not how we say it in my dialect’, the language and cultural policing does so much to continue deterring of language learning. With the deterioration of the language where English is becoming more and more dominant, makes for hostile and difficult environment for language learners. Lateral violence, conformity, along with not having an education system that ensures we learn the language well, is a recipe for Inuktut to fade away.

With Education Act, language of instruction was supposed to reach school year 2019-2020. But nothing was done to actualise this goal. No additional training for teachers, no special efforts to train teachers to instruct in Inuktut, no curriculum and material creation that became public or available. We know there was a lot of work done to create curriculum from the Elders that worked hard on them, but the naysayers in the system either hid them away or never revealed them. There are people in the system who do not want Inuktut to be a strong component of the education system. They make excuses of how it can’t or won’t be done. Too much work, too much money, too many unknowns. This casts a doubt on Inuit who initially believed or believe it could be done.

The previous government amended the Inuit Language Protection Act, taking away parents right to receive Inuktut education for their children. And amending the Education Act taking away powers from local education authorities.  So, from passive inaction, the government proactively took away rights and means for parents and communities to control how education is to be delivered.

All of the the members of the legislative assembly passed the amendment, every single one of them. I cannot understand how not even one asked why. It makes me think about how far we get caught in the system. So, in November 2020, all the members of legislative assembly unanimously consented to taking away these rights.

As a Nunavummiut Inuk, I am embarrassed this has happened. In a government with Inuit leaders. Embarrassed we continue to allow oppressive acts that hinder progression of protecting our culture and language.

I only half blame the politicians though. Yes, they are responsible for the continued inaction that keeps moving target dates to teach our children Inuktut as our language rapidly declines. The recent target date is a promise of a phased approach with all grades being taught Inuktut by the year 2039, in a language arts program. So the goal has been reduced to a class, with target late furthered. As time passes, it will become more and more difficult with passing of time, and strong language holders becoming fewer and fewer. Rather than making bold decisions and fighting for Inuit, political leaders pass it on to the next group of leaders.

Back to half blaming, because I know how difficult it is to shift the system that is full of administrators working hard to uphold the status quo. When I served as a languages commissioner, it took a toll on my mental health. I literally started to feel crazy for asserting rights for Inuit. When I took the job on, I learned the position had been demoted to an assistant deputy minister level, answering to the Clerk. I fought behind the scenes for the independence of the office, making no headway. Even though clear legislative intent did not match policy, and legal opinions substantiated this.

In a position that should be non contentious lobbying for language rights, in a region that is majority Inuit, the biggest questioners of actions I took were Inuit politicians (ironically, those who do not speak Inuktut were the biggest opponents). The undermining probably had a lot to do with the fact I was a young Inuk woman with a law degree, I had to be quieted.

I was determined to shift the office to deal with systemic issues rather than individual complaints, especially with the anticipation of additions to the role under Inuit Language Protection Act. It was rife with opportunity to shift how the office functions. Again, the behind the scenes questioning and undermining took a toll.  I can say, there are politicians who do not care about protecting the language. They will fight it, along with administration that will vigorously support them. The crazy thing is their rationale seems totally normal, when it is in fact absurd. That is how the system works.

It will take huge effort to gain administration that serves the interest of Inuit. And we must continue, as Inuit to educate ourselves on what it means to be anti-colonial and what reclamation is. We must stop being so nice to naysayers and equip ourselves with facts and figures, and create a network of support.

In October 2021, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. filed lawsuit against the territorial government for failing to deliver education in Inuktut. After all, this is what Nunavut was supposed to be about. With our territorial government fighting the lawsuit claiming Inuit have no language rights to claim. Which is so absurd, bonkers in fact! It is so unfortunate and sad it has come to this, and families are torn on different ‘sides’. Again, the system leads us to this.

As disheartening as it is, it is not too late though.

Purpose of Education…

What is an education for? How would we create confident, capable Inuit children and youth? Thinking in their mother language, and applying that worldview in their part of the world and wherever they choose to go in the world.  I am still hopeful, Inuit will take hold of the education system one way or another. Perhaps in small pockets here and there at first. The continued centralizing and maintaining prioritizing western systems and ways will eventually be seen as damaging, and the reason so many of our young people struggle. It literally kills or dims our spirit and displaces our identity as Inuit. Reclamation will not be easy, as we will be on uncharted territory trying out how it works. It is so important we trust ourselves to do it. Lateral violence and acculturationists in the system will continue to be the biggest barriers, but we must arm ourselves in numbers and collectivity. We must do this for the love of our children and ourselves.