Nunavut’s Noah – then and now

All beneficiaries are benefitting from Noah Kadlak’s struggle to assert his rights.

By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

SYTUKIE JOAMIE
Special to Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — The controversy over Noah Kadlak’s request to harvest a polar bear using traditional harvesting techniques as per the Nunavut land claims agreement has raised a lot of voices in Nunavut.

I have to admit that I was disappointed each and every time the three successive government ministers denied the request, although I tried to understand their reasoning behind their decisions.

Simply by denying the request, they have created more publicity around the issue, so that more knowledge has been shared and gained. It has publicized some of the rights that the Inuit have in the NLCA, which probably would never have been in the forefront if there were no controversy.

CBC held a phone-in show in which the callers shared their traditional knowledge about how to harvest a polar bear.

It is good to know that there are Inuit in Nunavut who in other cultures would definitely receive doctorate degrees for their knowledge. I am proud of these people, because they are humble in the true Inuit tradition and culture, even in adversity when given another “No,” they know that they will persevere with and by their patience.

With all the knowledge that some Inuit still have, maybe there is someone out there who once in a while does a traditional hunt.

Who knows? Listen to the radio callers and read between the lines.

During the radio show my mother, Alicee Joamie, recalled how my physically blind grandfather had speared a polar bear with another person just giving him verbal assistance. Spiritually he could see the bear, because he was trained and enriched by the knowledge passed from generation to generation, which no regulation could impede. Papatsie is his name; in one English variation it means “taking care of.”

Now, any “Noah” with vision and the right conditions, with a dog team and guided by traditional knowledge and wisdom, chances are, that he will spear the polar bear. Another day will pass by and knowledge, patience, wisdom, tradition would be gained by all.

As for the filming, I would much rather prefer that some “Adamie” with the right story-line focus and with the right camera angles could edit it in such a way that everyone would benefit from it. It is possible to tell the story with film, where words such as “outrageous,” “almighty loony,” “unnecessary,” “dangerous,” “diametrical,” “self-exposure,” “sporting purposes”, “disgrace”, “shame,” “provoked,” and “derision” would be left on the editing floor. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit would boldly come forth and the true meaning of the words would be understood and practiced.

Then I would tell the other Adam to film the caged “polar bears” in southern zoos for comparative purposes to determine the word “inhumane.”

In the Feb. 23 letter to the editor, it is with interest that the nameless writer writes that he or she is in Repulse Bay. It wasn’t too long ago that the tradition of bowhead hunting was revived there.

The harvesting implements were not very traditional (considering the circumstances) and the video scenes weren’t too pleasing to some, but one thing remains, the Inuit still have the knowledge and the people of Nunavut were very proud on that special day, when we had a share of the hunt.

It may not have been a “perfect” hunt, but again congratulations to Abraham Tagoonak and his crew for humbly doing the task and “taking care of” the rest of us.

During the Igloolik AIP signing ceremony Paul Quassa said, “here is your bible,” thereafter the debate stems from the provisions of the NLCA.

In another bible, the Holy Bible, in Genesis 9:2: “All the wild animals, large and small, and all the birds and fish will be afraid of you. I have placed them in your power.”

Interestingly, it was another Noah, who was being spoken to.

As for Noah Kadlak, I wish you well in your journey, but one piece of advise, for your comfort, do this for free and your true payment will be more than you asked for.

By the way, the name Noah sounds like the Hebrew word for comfort. I take comfort in knowing that an individual beneficiary is going through the hoops so that all beneficiaries may benefit.

As we implement the NLCA, some things just get inevitable.

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