Inuit need help, not political squabbling

Alcoholism, substance abuse, physical, sexual, emotional abuse — these are a few of the issues that Inuit face today.

These have become so severe that we are turning to extreme choices. Suicide. Murder. Rape. Starvation. Poverty. Homelessness.

We are losing our young. We are losing our aunts, uncles, cousins, daughters, sons, dads, moms, nieces, nephews. We are losing them.

Lets find them. Lets help someone. The government is too worried about saving money. It seems they’d rather save money than save lives.

They have the power to enhance peoples lives through programs and services, but they get stuck in politics.

Basic human rights are lacking in Nunavut. The basic rights to respect, food, shelter, safety. No wonder we are acting in a chaotic way. It’s not because we are Inuit that we are chaotic, it is because we are being deprived of our basic rights.

Any other person under any race would react the same way. Usually they occur in Third World countries. The story of those two little kids sleeping outside Northmart went away fast.

We forget about the community members we lost to suicide. We forget that someone was raped, but most likely someone is out there coping with these losses.

But these stories are common in Nunavut. Hearing about these stories should not be common. Yes these things happen elsewhere too, but not to this degree.

I challenge the politicians to help us. Help us. I am not trying to provoke a blaming game. The past is the past.

Do something today instead of trying to blame each other for the lack of services. Stop with the research and start with the action. Decrease the stories of suicide, murder, rape, starvation. Please help us. Please lets help each other.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit

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