Kivalliq leader honoured

DENISE RIDEOUT

RANKIN INLET — Louis Pilakapsi and his dream of a united Nunavut were honoured in Rankin Inlet last week.

Municipal leaders, MLAs, government ministers, Rankin Inlet residents and Pilakapsi’s family gathered in the Maani Ulujuk school for a memorial ceremony for the Inuit leader.

The ceremony, held on April 26, was part of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities annual general meeting. The meeting, where municipal leaders came to discuss community issues, was based on Pilakapsi’s political vision: “No Boundaries.”

Pilakapsi, a former president of the Kivalliq Inuit Association, died in a tragic boat accident in August, 2000. He and three other men were on Pilakapsi’s boat, the Avataq, when it started taking on water and sank in Hudson Bay.

The ceremony honoured Pilakapsi for his work with the Inuit organization and dedication to the land claims negotiations.

Paul Kaludjak, the current KIA president, said Pilakapsi had been keen on creating a new territory that was free of boundaries. He said Pilakapsi wanted communities to work together to make Nunavut a better place for everyone.

A bronze plaque and a painting of Pilakapsi were unveiled at the ceremony.

People clapped and others cried at the sight of Pilakapsi’s portrait. Pilakapsi’s widow broke down sobbing.

The portrait, painted by Rankin Inlet artist Jim Shirley, features Pilakapsi wearing a woolen hat and a parka, with the sea ice in the foreground and a cloud-filled sky in the background.

The residents and officials, crowded into the school gym for the ceremony, lined up to take a closer look at the plaque. Mayors and deputy mayors put their signatures on the back of the portrait.

There are plans to mount the bronze plaque at Rankin Inlet’s airport. The portrait was presented to Pilakapsi’s family.