Feeding our family — and the community

Dear Nunatsiaq News,

I am writing to share a story about my father Walter J. Porter of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, and a tradition of sharing that I have witnessed since I was a girl.

My father is blind, but he remains connected to our Inuit traditions and our community through sharing country food. His son provides him with caribou meat, while other family members help butcher it.

What makes this tradition special is that the meat is for our family, as well as for anybody else. It is placed outside so that community members can take whatever they want. People are welcome to take some home for themselves and their families.

My father is happy to be outside for a while when people gather to collect the meat. There is company outside, and people come and go as they take what they need. It is a simple but meaningful way of bringing people together through sharing.

As far back as I can remember, this has been part of my life. I was little when I first noticed this tradition. My father’s grandchildren now see what sharing means.

Chloe Qirqqut, 2, looks out the window with her brother Antoine Porter, 5, as their grandfather William J. Porter shares caribou meat with community members. (Photo courtesy of Aldina Porter)

To me, this is what Inuit values look like in everyday life. We help one another, share what we have and care for our families and community.

Caribou meat is more than food. It connects us to our land, our culture, our traditions and the generations before us.

I wanted to share my father’s story because acts of kindness deserve recognition. His story shows how family can work together to support one another and how the tradition of sharing country food continues in Gjoa Haven.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and for recognizing the people and traditions that make our northern communities special.

Sincerely,

Aldina Porter
Gjoa Haven, Nunavut