Elder MLA stages walkout, accuses Nunavut government of ignoring IQ

Quttiktuq MLA Isaac Shooyook is frustrated that repeated requests to incorporate Inuit traditions into government practice have gone unheeded. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

Culture and Heritage Minister George Kuksuk says there is a GN committee responsible for providing IQ advice to various departments. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

Isaac Shooyook, Nunavut’s elder MLA from Quttiktuq, walked out of the legislative chamber during oral question period March 5 to protest what he said is the absence of Inuit traditional knowledge within the Nunavut government’s policies and practices.

Shooyook said that for two days in a row, he asked George Kuksuk, the minister of culture and heritage, about the Government of Nunavut’s use of Inuit traditional knowledge, or Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.

Shooyook said in past sittings he asked this repeatedly, but never received any satisfactory answers.

“Once I have sat down after this question, I will not return to the chambers today as a sign of protest,” Shooyook said after asking Kuksuk his final follow-up question March 5.

“This is for the information of the public.”

On March 4, Shooyook vented his frustration at Kuksuk.

“There is flowery language about incorporating traditional Inuit knowledge, yet many times the department refuses to implement this knowledge,” Shooyook said that day during question period.

“As the minister of culture and heritage, will you first conduct a thorough review of this issue and then work towards actually implementing facets of [IQ]?”

The GN began integrating IQ into various departments in 2003, Kuksuk replied.

“There is a governing IQ committee that provides advice to several departments, such as Justice, Health, Culture and Heritage, and Education. The IQ committee deals with the task of implementing [IQ] into the departments,” Kuksuk said.

But IQ has different meanings depending on each department’s mandate, Kuksuk said March 5 when Shooyook picked up where he left off the previous day.

“Each department is implementing specific directives aimed at their mandates,” Kuksuk said.

“The reasoning behind my continued push applies specifically to spousal relations and instances of discord between them,” Shooyook said in reply.

“Inuit had traditional counselling methods tried and true over generations. Our elders held the role to counsel both older and younger couples.”

Laws that Nunavut inherited from the Northwest Territories need to be updated to be more Nunavut-specific, Shooyook said.

“I am fervent in my desire to protect our elders who are still with us, to try to have this implemented while they are still alive,” said Shooyook.

“I see eye-to-eye with the need to review this carefully… so that it will better fit Nunavut,” Kuksuk said.

“I totally agree with the need for a comprehensive review,” he added, but did not offer specific details or timelines.

Before walking out of the assembly’s chambers, Shooyook said he is not hostile towards the government, but believes legislation must be updated to incorporate IQ.

“This government continually states their position that they are here to fulfill the wishes of their residents. We want to see more Nunavut-specific legislation that our residents can abide by,” Shooyook said shortly before walking out of the chambers.