Iqaluit celebrates territorial pride at Nunavut Day gathering

Nunavummiut shared their territorial pride and reflected on the past three decades during Nunavut Day celebrations in Iqaluit Sunday afternoon.

The holiday marked 30 years since the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act were signed into law on July 9, 1993, paving the way for the split from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut receiving official territorial status in 1999.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Igluvut building to take part in festivities that included live music, a barbecue, games and BeaverTails. Many were old enough to remember when land claim negotiations were ongoing.

Neevee Akpalialuk, originally from Pangnirtung, was a CBC reporter 30 years ago when negotiations were taking place.

“We are proud to be Inuk, to live in this tundra Arctic cold, to eat raw meat, but we are survivors,” Akpalialuk said.

“I am proud and I am enjoying my day, and happy Nunavut Day to everybody!”

Many younger people, born after 1999, also took part in the events.

Minnie Akeeagok, 18, from Iqaluit performed as part of a throat singing competition. She described growing up in the time since Nunavut became its own territory.

“It took a while before Nunavut became Nunavut in Canada’s eyes, so Nunavut Day is like a celebration where Inuit could become independent in where they are,” Akeeagok said.

Several Nunavut leaders were seen around Sunday’s gathering and delivered remarks.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk spoke about how Nunavummiut should be proud of how far they’ve come over 30 years.

Sen. Dennis Patterson, wearing a sealskin vest and Nunavut flag-patterned tie, reflected on the time he spent working on the negotiations.

Patterson will reach the Senate’s mandatory retirement age of 75 later this year, so he described the melancholy of knowing it was his final Nunavut Day in that office.

“I’m one of the old-timers who remembers the journey that has taken over almost 50 years, so it’s a real privilege to be here to be able to speak and to remember some of those who have gone before us, who are no longer with us,” Patterson said.

This year’s Nunavut Day included an appearance from United States Ambassador David Cohen, who is spending several days in Iqaluit meeting various organizations and leaders in the city.

Cohen donned an apron and helped out on the grills for a bit.

“Nunavut is as advertised: people are open, incredibly welcoming.… I’m a sucker for any event where you got kids running around with smiles on their faces, grabbing hot dogs and hamburgers.”

Premier P.J. Akeeagok was not in town. He’s in Winnipeg for meetings next week with fellow premiers, and planned to attend Nunavut Day events with members of that city’s urban Inuit.

While the atmosphere of Nunavut Day in Iqaluit was full of joy and cheerfulness, some people shared their thoughts about Nunavut’s future.

Larry Audlaluk, of Grise Fiord, said his family was relocated by the federal government from Inukjuak in Nunavik to the High Arctic in the 1950s.

Audlaluk said parts of the land claims agreement he wanted to see put in place have not been implemented yet.

Specifically, he said southerners run institutions and hold jobs, both of which should be dominated by Nunavut Inuit.

“I’m still waiting for devolution. Where is it?” he said.

“They still have a lot of stuff they have to work with us: the so-called partnership between [the] federal government, NTI, and the creation of [the] Nunavut government, all those things [are] too far behind.”

Nunavut MP Lori Idlout shared her optimism about a more self-reliant future in Nunavut. She expressed her confidence with NTI and the three regional Inuit organizations.

“I think that Inuit have a much stronger voice than we realize when it comes to making decisions and policies and laws that will impact Nunavummiut,” she said.