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TEA TALK: Wash your hands and follow the rules

UPLUKKUT IQALUQTUUTIAMIT. INUIN NAAMMAINNAQTUT. TAMNA AANIARUT TIKINMAN NUNAVUNMUT INUIN AIHIMAJAVUTGUUK. NUTAQQAT TAPKUAT HAVAKTUTLU AIHIMANIAQTUTLU. NIUVIKVIIT KIHIMI ANGMAUMANAHUAQTUT. NUTAQQIKIIVIKLU UMIKHIMANIAQTUTLU. TAPKUAT ILIHAQTUT ILIHAIJIIT HAVAAKHANIK TUNIJAUNIAQTUT MAKPIGAAKHANIK ILIHAGUMAAKTUT AIMATILLURIT. INIKNIRIITLU HAVALAITTUTLU. PULAAQHIMAITTUMIKLU. MAMIANA TAPKUAT KAVAMAKKUT IIMA IHUAQHAIJAIT TAIMA AANIARUT TIKINMAN NUNAVUNMUT. TUHAKPAKLUGIT MALIGAINNIIT TITIRAQHIMAJAIT. NUTAQQATGUUK NIUVIKVIMUT ITILAITAITLU. TAPKUAT TAKTILIQIJUT YALONAIMILUUNIIT ETMINTINMILUUNNIIT AVALIINGAAQTITAUVINGMI ITIKTIKVINGMI UUTAQQIJUKHAT. AYUQNAKMAN ILAA. NAAMMAINAQPAKLUHI. ITQAUMAJAVUT INUIN ARVIANILU KANGIRLILINGVINGMILU TIKIRAQJUAMILU. NAALAGUPTA TAMNA AANIARUT ILANNAVJANGNAHUAQ. INUIN AUDLAATTIVAKTUT IQALUKTUUTIAMI. ALIANAQ OOGARKHIUKTUT. KUVYALIQIJUTLU ALIANAQ. QUANAQQIVAKTUT. 

Welcome to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Now lockdown has begun across Nunavut to protect residents from the pandemic. It will be quite difficult to live this way with many rules, shutting down many public places in our communities. Schools have now shut down, both Kullik and Kiilinik students are now also not allowed to go to school and also preschool programs, daycare, Heritage Centre/Library. 

Restaurants have only take-out services. Both the Northern and Co-op will remain open with limited number of shoppers allowed. Our dear Elders are also staying home from work at the heritage centre. One good thing on the first day of lockdown, it was dividend payday for members of the Ikaluktutiak Co-op. It was nice that they only allowed Elders to shop first in the morning of Nov. 18. Rest of the day was for the other members to shop, done by alphabetically order of their last names. We hope everyone was able to use their dividends, and a big thank you to the management and staff for all their kind services looking after their members at Co-op. 

All this happening in our community is to avoid getting the virus to our beautiful community of Cambridge Bay. We are strong people and let us hope there will be no positive cases coming to anymore Nunavut communities. We are thinking of our fellow Inuit from Sanikiluaq, Rankin Inlet, Arviat and Whale Cove. We are all thinking of you all. Wash your hands and listen to the rules set out so we can all make Nunavut Covid free. Stay well, stay healthy, stay positive in our minds and spirits. Spend time being safe, everyone at home. Masks are now mandatory if going out to stores. It is the first time that we as Inuit and Northerners have to experience this pandemic. Do not be afraid. Listen to rules and we can get through this together.  

On a brighter side of life, Inuit are ice-fishing down on the ice of the bay/ocean. Part of the ocean further towards mainland is not quite safe yet to travel on. Fishers are catching tom cod and lake trout and many have set nets and some are getting arctic char. It is always been tradition that those who catch fresh fish share their harvest with family and others in the community. Elders are always so thankful also. Quana for providing country food for each of us to enjoy. Quana to EHTO for giving out fish also. 

All recreation activities have been shut down for two weeks, also bingos are shut down also. The Wellness Centre continues to have their food bank open for those in need of food at their regular food bank hours. RCMP detachment is closed and if you need assistance we have to call the Iqaluit office and your situation will be assessed from there. Our hard working airline and cargo workers up at the airport continue to provide their good services, I hear planes coming in daily. Essential services and their workers are still working, health centre will only see emergencies. Residents are asked to phone ahead of time before going to the health centre. Usually the community of Cambridge Bay holds their annual Christmas bazaar where many bakers, cooks, seamstresses, carvers sell their products, but will wait after two weeks lockdown see what happens on the update of the bazaar. Please watch for announcements and notices about this most fun event. 

During this lockdown we already have seen many beautiful crafts and food being made, so more likely many seamstresses and carvers and cooks will have made many most beautiful products. It is during freeze-up that our mothers and grandmothers are busy sewing to make warm clothing for their families. Inuit women are known to make most beautiful crafts all over the world. I see lots of beautiful crafts on facebook social media. Way to go ladies. 

Stay well everyone, stay safe and be healthy. Wash, wash, wash your hands! Together we Nunavummiut can do this and no more Covid! 

God Be With You Son.