Inuit have given enough

Inuit have given enough: Promoting Inuktitut culture is the right thing to do

This letter is in response to the criticism levelled against John Amagoalik and Jose Kusugak in the legislative assembly by Manitok Thompson because they want to promote Inuit to key positions in the future Nunavut government.

I don’t know where Ms. Thompson is originally from, nor do I care after hearing her comments.

She should spend a bit of time in Inuit communities to gain a knowledge of us before she opens her mouth again.

I was brought up in the residential school system, sent away to Churchill, Manitoba at fairly early age and then to high school in Iqaluit.

After being away for so long, I lost sight of who I was and was in constant conflict with my parents when I returned. It took me years to be able to communicate with them again.

During this period, I took a year off from work to relearn the hunting skills of my forefathers.

Since then, I have tried to spend a couple months a year on the land so that my children will not have to go through what I did.

Inuit voted overwhelmingly to separate from the western territory so that we could determine our own destiny.

It will enable us to make changes to the educational and justice systems and, most importantly, protect our language and culture. Inuktitut will have to become the predominant language of the Nunavut government if it is to be preserved.

Currently, there aren’t enough trained Inuit to assume all positions in the government. However, that has to be our goal, as it has always been in our communities.

We have no problem accepting people from outside our culture as long as they are willing to assimilate.

As it is now, they have their own little communities within our communities. We don’t mix too well, because the two sides were brought up with different beliefs, language and values.

Someone will have to give, and we Inuit have given enough.

Quebecers are not called racists because they promote their culture and values even though part of their population wants to separate from rest of Canada. We don’t want to separate from Canada, so, please give us a break.

We will promote our own people to key positions in the Nunavut government, because it is the right thing to do.

Adamee Komoartok
Pangnirtung, NT