Linguistic racism in Nunavik?

I would appreciate that this letter be published in your upcoming edition of the Nunatsiaq News. You may use my name because the people of Nunavik will know who is writing this.

I am an educated man of 42, originally from Happy Valley, Labrador. I am of Inuit decent but do not speak or understand the language.This is where I believe racism comes into play.

The Makivik Corp., Kativik Regional Government and other Inuit organization do discriminate because I have applied for employment with these organizations and was refused employment with them because I do not speak or understand the Inuit language.

Even though I do not speak or understand the Inuit language does not mean I am not an “Eskimo” or Inuk.

My mother is an Inuk, born at Cape Wolstenholme, Quebec. Her family moved to Labrador in the early 1940s.

I have 13 brothers and sisters and there are only two members of my family who speak and understand the Inuit language.

Our parents did not teach us the Inuit language because we were all taught in an educational system that was all English.

I am not angry or unhappy with this, because my mother and father had their own reasons why they did not teach us the Inuit language.

I have tried to be on boards of directors and have tried to become a member of the commissioners of the Makivik Corp. and was not permitted to enter my name because I do not speak or understand the Inuit language. To me, this is worse than the way black Americans were treated in the United States in the early 1950s and 1960s.

I have applied for employment at the local landholding office and the local municipality, but was refused employment with them because of the language barrier.

I have also asked the mayor of Kangirsujuaq since 1994 to have all local and national news translated into English and they keep saying they will do it but up to this day, I am still missing out on community activities.

I do hope that the Inuit organization and the people who are in authority at these organization do feel embarrassed about for being racists. I thank you for publishing this letter.

Bernie Adams
Kangiqsujuaq