My Little Corner of Canada: Our Mountain to Climb

JOHN AMAGOALIK

It has been a long climb. The slopes of Mt. Columbus have been steep and winding. We started this climb many years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago. Come to think of it, it is.

Over the past few years, our footprints have broken new trails up on the higher slopes of our mountain climb. Now, we stand on the north slope of the mountain. A few hundred more yards down a gentle slope and we will reach the plains of Nunavut. In the distance are the purple mountains of Qikitain.

The journey has not been easy. We have had some blood, sweat and tears along the way. Some of our fellow travelers have fallen before the journey’s end. But many others have come forward to take their place.

This journey has taught us that there is strength in unity and that hard work is rewarded. We have learned how important our women are and that we must find ways to share the responsibilities and rewards of our labours with them. We have learned to love our children. After all, the journey’s end belongs to them.

Now, a few hundred more yards and we will reach our destination. An arguement has broken out among some of the young warriors as to who should steer our qamutik the last few hundred yards. As for me, I’ll be happy to sit in the middle of the qamutik and enjoy the scenery.

There’s a nasty little stretch about 50 yards down the slope in front of us called John Todd’s Money Bump. Whoever is steering better find a way around it or the passengers will not be very happy. Kind of makes you glad that you’ve done your quota of steering.

This Corner Quotes:

“Many women continue to look at politics the way they look at

football: it’s a man’s game. The structure of political parties, the

language of politics, the image of politics has not changed.”

– Christine Pintat, the main author of a report on the declining political power of women around the world.

“Politics reflects what society is. You need a change in society too.”

– Christine Pintat,

about the same issue.