Nunavut is a gift from the Creator ‘to live, to thrive and to guide one another’

With Nunavut Day coming up, Nunatsiaq News asked readers to share what makes their corner of the territory special to them.

I am originally from Apex Hill, Nunavut, on Baffin Island and have been residing in Toronto, Ontario, for 33 years. I was born and raised in a beautiful community of Niaqunngut, Nunavut.

Naulaq LeDrew (submitted photo)

I am proud to be from Nunavut, where my ancestors dwelled and lived a traditional life of hunting, camping, fishing and taking care of the land.

The land and sea provide the best food and vegetation in the world in “my opinion.”

The land is beautiful throughout the whole year, where a person can see as far as the eye can see, the landscape is incomparable to any land of the world.

The sea provides life to our abundant sea mammals also important to our diet such as clams, seaweed, crabs, shrimps and other edible things.

Even though I live in the city of Toronto now, I am still advocating about our Inuit history, Inuit stories, Inuit values, Inuit heritage to southern people, who need to be more educated about Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut.

Living in the city does not stop me from working with sealskin nor does it stop me from using my tools such as ulu, qulliq and Inuit drum (qilautit). It also does not stop me from using my language and my syllabic writing system.

Nunavut is my home and will always be my home. That’s where I was taught to teach the younger generation about our sewing skills, our language skills and our written skills to one generation to another generation.

Nunavut is one of the richest lands that was given to us, to live, to thrive and to guide one another by our Creator. Some of Nunavut is still untouched and I hope it is left that way “untouched.”

Nunavut is so beautiful and it leaves you breathless to see, how beautiful a sunrise and sunset can be.

Naulaq LeDrew lives in Toronto but is originally from Apex Hill.