Climate change, age and LOL: Pond Inlet teacher takes Proust Questionnaire

Natasha Simonee is a teacher, volunteer, environmentalist, researcher and avid seamstress from Pond Inlet.

She has worked as a high school teacher for six years and in the past year has also taken on the new role of offering career guidance to students.

Over the years, she has contributed to several scientific research projects including Niqivut (Our Food), an article for Canadian Science Publishing on the significance of country food in Nunavut, and worked with a McMaster University environmental researcher on Sila Qanuippa? (How’s the Weather?).

Recently, Simonee took time to answer the Proust Questionnaire.

What’s your idea of perfect happiness?

Spend time at my cabin, out camping, exploring nature and getting to sharing that time with my family and friends.

What is your greatest fear?

Sometimes it’s heights, sometimes it’s water, but above all my greatest fear would be not being able to go camping and enjoying nature.

I say that because I think of the effects of climate change and global warming, and I fear that I might not be able to have that experience within my lifetime.

What is your greatest achievement?

I think it’s having a family of my own. Working a full-time job and enjoying my job. Being able to stand on my own two feet and provide a safe home for my kids.

What is your current state of mind?

It’s good. I’m happy. The sun has finally risen over the horizon, and I’m looking forward to longer days.

It’s happy times.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Like. I don’t know. LOL.

On what occasions do you lie?

When my students ask me about my age. They are always trying to guess my age. I started it in my first year of teaching because I pretty young, and in the beginning I feared that our age gap was too close.

It turned into a game. They try to use the amount of grey hair to be able to determine my age.

Which talent would you like to have?

I wish I could sing. I love singing, I love music. But I just don’t have a singing voice or ear. I could not tell you the difference between two notes.

What is your greatest regret?

I wish I’d started sewing and paying attention to cultural activity sooner.

I wish I had paid attention to my grandmother when she was sewing, or that I took the time to learn from her when she was still here.

I wish I had this eagerness or willingness to learn and try sooner.

Where would you like to live?

At my cabin. All the time.

If I didn’t need to have a job, pay bills and all of that, I’d 100 per cent live in my cabin.

What is your most treasured possession?

Two amautis that my mother carried me in when I was a baby. I wear them, but only on special occasions.

What do you most value in your friends?

Time. My best friend and I don’t live in the same community, so when we do get together we try to spend as much time with each other as we can.

What is your motto?

Live in the moment. Live life to the fullest, smile and find happiness in whatever it is that you’re doing.

Once in front of God, what would you tell him?

Thank you.

Nunatsiaq News is borrowing the old Proust Questionnaire parlour game to get to know people who are in the news. If you know someone in your community who our readers should get to know by taking this questionnaire, let us know by email: editors@nunatsiaq.com.