I think you can see from my impressions lately that I think we are still locked in colonialism and it is hurting us big time. People talk so intelligently about Maslow’s Law and how we actually draw a pyramid showing our growth physically, psychologically, mentally emotionally and spiritually. This diagram shows how we can go from nothing to full personal actuation. And the comment is still, ‘if you ever get to actuation’.
Why is it so hard to move up the pyramid? Let’s look at our situation with an open mind ...
There are some things we need to do in order to come to grips with ourselves. As we progress in the recognition of accountability in our development, a maturing growth takes place in all our domains. We realize we cannot do things or accomplish things without the assistance of spiritual awareness.
We hone our physical, mental and emotional stability through experiences that bring out the best in us.
We begin to see that we have more patience, understanding, empathy, self-control, temperance and all the human qualities available to us.
In all this growing and maturing, there is another side to this positive existence and that is the influence of matters outside our control. These matters of influence outside of our control have been the main crux of a lot of my writing.
We have come from a nomadic existence and as sovereignty and claim to land and wildlife and water from a foreign entity began to grip and influence our very existence, change has happened that is irreversible. Now we are grappling with the notion of Maslow’s Pyramid.
There are some very fundamental rights that we claim as humans and these are food, shelter and clothing. We have even gone so far as to adopt the tight hands of governance by way of setting up our own legislative assembly, but this too is under the influence beyond our control. I thought that government was of the people, by the people and for the people. Please do not take this as my outright opposition to the set-up, but we have to rely on outside influences around financing this new territory from the federal government – and it is limited.
Our geographical make-up of Nunavut is such that we have to be creative and innovative just to make ends meet. We are still grappling with employing a majority of our Inuit in meaningful positions of management and authority and directorship and this is a challenge. This is another discussion for future issues but had to be brought out.
The external influences that are hindering us are meeting the very basic human rights and services of food, shelter and clothing in order for us to grow and build our homeland with confidence and assurances of moving forward. For us, to continue to support mining and the fledgling fishery endeavours along with tourism is to be healthy and happy.
The negatives of the past have really crippled the desire for sustainability and full autonomy and we need to out-grow a third-world colonialist mentality. I understand talks of devolution are still on the table and these talks have to take on a serious inclusive approach for all Nunavummiut to embrace.
Full actuation requires the IQ Principles to be front and centre and applied for personal fulfilment.