Hans Island belongs to Canadian Inuit

Mr. Kenn Harper’s commentary, “Hans Island rightfully belongs to Greenland/ Denmark,” was inconsequential, but requires a reply for it was offending and insulting, and comes short of being treasonable, if it isn’t so.

Mr. Harper, you are absolutely right that the U.S. traded northern Greenland plus $25 million for the Virgin Islands. Sorry to tell you, that’s all the trade was about, just for northern Greenland, no mention of any other islands.

“With that, Denmark extended its sovereignty to all of Greenland. And it has always assumed that Hans Island is part of Greenland.” Well, the Danish government can keep dwelling on that assumption for all I care.

And how dare you say, “Canada cannot claim the island on the basis of historic use by Canadian Inuit?” In 1953 and 1955, the federal government of Canada, in a coercive manner, relocated the Amagoaliks, Flaherty’s, Nungaqs, Ekalooks, Audlaluks and Sudluviniks, to name a few families from the then-Port Harrison area. And the families of the Idlouts, Kalluks, Akeeagoks, to name a few, from the Pond Inlet area to Resolute Bay.

You failed to mention any of these great Inuit Canadian pioneers who successfully survived, lived, defended and asserted claim of all the High Arctic islands, known as the Queen Elizabeth Islands, including Hans Island, for “Crown and country.”

When the first of these great Inuit patriots in 1953 touched the ground of any of these High Arctic islands, that, in itself, became the new basis of historic use by Canadian Inuit, and I dare anyone to tell me otherwise.

If we let one nation take a piece of Nunavut, will not other nations want a piece of the action?

Ross Pudluk
Resolute Bay