Thank you, Annie May-Popert, for speaking out

Election day has come and gone, and for many of us, our dreams of change in the foreseeable future have dimmed.

But thank you for daring us to dream, and bringing us out to vote.

We have told you that we heard you, and that we believe in what you brought up for discussion.

For many of us, the ballot box was the only place we could really tell you of our support – the not so nice happenings in the last month spell reality out very clearly.

Speak out against the status quo and you will be attacked, personally, professionally, and economically. Silence pays, and pays well. Don’t rock the boat.

Speak the truth without blame and judgment. You have done a lot of that and we thank you. To dare to speak to us in the way you have, to talk about things we may not always like to talk about takes courage.

If we care about each other, we owe each other truth. Thank you Annie, for caring enough to take risks on our behalf, and on behalf of our children and grandchildren.

You have been encouraging and supporting people in the work you have chosen to do these past years. You encourage us to go beyond our comfort zone, to take the risk of change for the better, because we are worth it.

You’ve done your best to model it for us too, without resorting to talking about “those people.” We have noticed. Thank you.

Thank you Annie, for taking a stand now, and for your willingness to walk the hard road we have ahead even without the support of the whole region.

There are more than 600 of us ready and willing to move forward, and we will, one day at a time, with respect, honesty, and with caring and compassion for everyone.

When we heard you talk after you had lost, our heart went out to you. We know that place so well, but the point is you took that chance for us, win or not, and we are really proud you took that step for us, because we took a step too.

We also heard you say that when you fight for what you believe in, you are loud so that tells us that you will continue to voice your message as well as ours.

Nakurmiimarialuk Aani, upigijammarialugivattigit.

Some of the 688
Kuujjuaq