I am very proud of who I am

By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

I was reading in the Montreal Gazette newspaper about the seal hunt being a “slaughter” in Canada and around the world.

The Americans are fighting to stop seal hunting. I wanted to make comments on people who just argue in newspapers in the editorial section, about the negative and positive sides of the seal hunt.

The positive thing is that Pamela Anderson, the seductive star, acted out wearing a sealskin coat and eating meat. One comment was about how Pamela behaves sexually on television, making women more visible and dehumanizing women. This will not stop the seal hunt.

The negative side is that another person commented that the seal slaughter is worse than skin flicks. They said the seal slaughter is much worse than performing in X-rated movies, like Pamela Anderson. Those are the opinions of the people who think the seal hunt can be stopped in Canada.

But from my point of view, I myself grew up from eating seal meat, to be healthy and strong!

Seal meat is rich in protein and iron. I wore sealskin to keep my feet warm, because the North, where I grew up, was very cold, down to 40 below. My beloved father who passed away two years ago lived on the land all his life and hunted seal. For decades, he taught my brothers how to hunt seal in front of my own eyes.

I even gnawed sealskin, although it was very hard to gnaw in order to make it softer so it would be easier for my mother to sew when making kamiks. This is the way I lived and I loved it. I learned the means of growing strong and spiritual. I know the difference between hatred and spirituality.

A person who hates others will try to stop other people from their own natural ways of living. But those who are strong and spirited will only give love and only give before receiving.

I am very proud of who I am and where I come from and I will do all in my power to keep my identity, no matter what other people think of me and no matter what other people try to take away from me.

Raingi Uqaituq
Puvirnituq

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