Thanks to the people of Tuktoyaktuk

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, and the people of the Inuvialuit settlement region, particularly to all people of Tuktoyaktuk for the wonderful hospitality you showed us during our recent attendance at the Coastal Zone Management meeting, August 14-18.

We are the participants who helped put together a forum focused on healthy Arctic communities as part of this meeting. All of us, in our work, have been concerned about the well-being of Arctic coastal communities, and we were pleased to see this topic emphasized in the programme.

The meetings were fruitful. The ideas that came out of this conference will allow all of us to move forward, in putting on the table issues relating to all coastal waters in Canada and particularly in the Arctic.

We live in such a vulnerable Arctic that we must aim to protect it for our future generations of people, particularly our grandchildren and their children. We truly enjoyed your Inuvialuit drum dances, the display of games put on by young people and the fashion show, which seemed to involve everyone.

We appreciated the opportunity to do our Nunavut drum dances. Young people in your community obviously have many talents and strengths and have built these on the wisdom of their elders. We greatly appreciated their attendance at the community events.

Without your support and kindness, the meeting would not have been as successful as it was. You’ve shown your true Inuitness of being gracious hosts. For this, we are truly grateful and we look forward to more opportunities to work together!

Qujanaini-Qujannamiik-Nakurmiik and Thank you.

Martha Flaherty
Janet McGrath
Marius Tungilik
Peter Irniq
Frank Tester