Family breakdown at the root of Nunavik’s problems

I am aware of the overwhelming problems in the North, not just in Kuujjuaq, where it might be more polarized or noticeable in that community because alcohol is more readily available.

I don’t care how many years of university degrees you have or how many millions of dollars the government pumps into Nunavik or how many hundreds of live radio shows we have with our leaders, I don’t think it will help unless we as individuals do something about it.

I strongly believe the root of the problem is the breakdown of the family system. If a family is a strong unit I believe children will grow to be strong productive human beings. It is a basic foundation for all humans. If the foundation is not solid, everything else will be shaky.

Just one example: there are so many single-parent children growing up with a lot of difficulty. Single-parent children can mean also children growing up with two parents, but one who is emotionally unavailable. I have first-hand experience in this, since I have a child living with me alone. Yes, a lot of praying has helped me and my child go through from day to day plus a lot of support from my friends and my church family.

Vickie Okpik

Montreal