The traditional way of hunting

I am writing this letter concerning the hunter who wanted to hunt a polar bear with a harpoon. It is unfair that he was not allowed to hunt because of safety reasons. How would we define safety? Is it to ensure that no one gets hurt, is it playing by the book, or is safety more about using common sense?

Are we going to be told not to hunt for safety reasons? Will hunting eventually get written out because of safety reasons? Going out hunting always has some sort of risk involved.

I think that for this hunter to ask to hunt with a harpoon he must already know what to do and expect. Would you go out polar bear hunting with a harpoon not knowing what to do? Unless I knew what I was doing, I would never take that chance. You need to know what you are doing in this situation. The knowledge about hunting a polar bear with a harpoon should be passed down to the new generation for the survival of Inuit culture. The hunting was to be filmed. That is even better, because more people could learn the skill.

Inuit tradition and knowledge have been passed on for generations. If it weren’t for our ancestors hunting with a harpoon, we probably would not be here. For this hunter to be refused his traditional way of hunting is not fair. This hunter should be given support instead of refusal.

It is not fair for the minister to deny this hunter the traditional way of life. The minister should let this way of hunting continue for the sake of Inuit tradition.

Leesee Papatsie
Iqaluit