Clean up the Ikkaqivik Bar in Kuujuuaq

An open letter to the Nunatsiaq News readers:

I believe that the Kativik Regional Police Force totally needs support from the Kuujjuaq population concerning our Ikkaqivik Bar.
It is time to look after of our own selves. We need to clean up our act together. We need to grow up properly. Our elders were not raised like us. They have a better quality way of life.

Our culture, our values, let us not destroy them anymore, before we totally destroy our values.

Don’t let our children suffer anymore. It is enough.

I used to sleep outside and I know how children feel when they are left out. It was very painful. I used to wait for my parents to pass out in the cold wintertime. A few times I noticed my toes were swollen from frostbite. I was one of lucky human beings not loosing my toes.

I remember my brother used to sleep under the shack, waiting for our parents to pass out. Our oldest sister used to make us feel safe.

I don’t know how many times I’ve watched father carrying a gun and aiming it to my mother and sister.

Parents always use to say, kids will always forget what happened, they will forget easy.

Well no way, I say.

It is not true. I won’t forget the time when I started to remember my father hitting my mother. I was only three years of age, and I also remember my father pushing my mother when I was probably a year and a half old.

It is still inside me, and I don’t know how many times I cried it out, and it is still there in my heart. My wounds still exist.

My heart has lots of scars, it cannot heal. My oldest brother used to keep us safe, too. When he got older and stronger, he was able to stop my father hitting my mother.

So today, I make sure I don’t let my children grow up like me. I was always a helpless victim of crime.

I was even sexually abused three times after I was six years of age, while my parents were too busy drinking or being too drunk to look after us.

So, if you have a child or children, where were you when your children needed you?

Of course, at the bar or somewhere drinking. Do you know how safe your children are? To me, they are not safe, even their babysitters are not safe, because they are very young too. Most babysitters are very young. Some are not even 12 years old, some are eight years old looking after their little brothers or sisters.

I am also sure that most children are not well-fed, because I remember I used to have an empty stomach for almost all day while my parents were drunk, I even used to get sick, too, from having an empty stomach.

I used to say I can’t wait for Sunday. Why? Because my parents finally used to sober up from their drinking from Thursday to Saturday. I used to be relieved when both parents were passing out Saturday evenings.

I also used to have an empty stomach when going to school too, or be too tired going to school from sleepless nights with drunken parents. Sunday was like the calm after the storm.

Kuujjuaq has lost its cultural values It’s like alcohol is the way to live now. They are also daily drinkers, never missing a bit. There’s also booze available at camps, because people order it from South.

There’s alcohol everywhere you go. Bootleggers and drugs, never fail to sell their undefeatable booze and drugs. You could tell, who most of those are who sell booze and drugs under the table. Some even buy expensive vehicles. Some don’t.

There is also high exposure of the qallunaat way of life nowadays, too much exposure at the bar, trying to show off their topless bodies, instead of dressing properly, Qitsigitsaniujangngituiit, meaning he doesn’t have any knowledge of skinning seal skins…

There is too much of the qallunaat way of life now instead of Inuit cultural values. I will not mention my name for my own protection. I am also an alcoholic. It doesn’t mean I drink every day to be alcoholic, but any day we touch alcohol, we are already alcoholic, even at Holy Communion because the wine has eight to 12 per cent alcohol.

Thank you for your time for reading such words from a heartbroken victim. Please wake up for your children’s sake. They need a big hug. Even you need a big hug.

Open your heart to everyone all at once, so your father, mother, your wife or husband will open their hearts just for you, when you need it. I hope everyone will recognize this kind of living condition.

(Name witheld by request)
Kuujjuaq