Gov. Gen. Mary Simon visits Iqaluit cultural organizations

The work of a governor general doesn’t usually require a drill and eye protection, but Mary Simon geared up with those items as part of her tour in Iqaluit Wednesday.

Simon is on the third day of a four-day visit to Nunavut, which started Monday in the capital as the territory celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Accompanied by her husband Whit Fraser and their Rideau Hall entourage, Simon’s first stop Wednesday in Iqaluit was at Ilitaqsiniq – Nunavut Literacy Council.

Staff told her about the organization’s many programs, which include Inuit cultural education, employment training and wellness retreats across the North.

“We know you will understand, better than anybody that we’ve presented to in the past,… how much this means to us and why it’s so important for our territory to have,” Adriana Kusugak, Ilitaqsiniq’s executive director, told Simon.

Simon, who is from Nunavik, recalled times when she and some of the people she grew up with felt they had to give up on their Inuit culture.

Through organizations like Ilitaqsiniq, Inuit can embrace and continue learning their culture, she said.

“You can be anything you want, but you don’t have to give anything up,” Simon said to the organization’s staff.

She said she “was so happy” last year to learn Ilitaqsiniq had won the million-dollar Arctic Inspiration Prize.

After Ilitaqsiniq, Simon headed to the nearby Inuit Heritage Trust. She met with staff from that organization to hear about their projects and studied some of the maps they had produced.

Simon also met with members of the Qajakkut Society, which works to build traditional kayaks and other tools. She and Fraser helped hammer some pieces into a kayak that Qajakkut Society is assembling.

Her visit continued with a visit to the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre for a private meeting. Her itinerary also included a conversation with young people about climate change and a visit with elders.

Simon is scheduled to end her trip Thursday with a visit to Qikiqtarjuaq, the only other Nunavut community she will see on this tour after a planned visit to Kimmirut on Tuesday was cancelled.