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Tea Talk: Keep safe in troubling times

HALLU INUIT HUMILIKIAK. UKIUQHAQ TIKINMIJUQ IQALUKTUUTIAMI. NUNAKPUT APINMIJUQ, NUNA PINIKHIJUQ. PULAAHIMAJUNGNA EDMINTINMI. PANNINUAGALU INGNUTANNUAGALU. NAAMMAINNAQTUT. PULAAQNAIKTUQ AANIAKVINGMUT AJUQNAKMAN TAMNA AANIARUT HIVURANAKMANGUUK. ILANI ANGMANGNIAQPUQ PULAARIAMI. IPAKHANI INUIN EDMINTINMIITTUT MAKTAKHANIKLU IQALUKHANIKLU TUNIKHAIJUT . QUANARUNARAMI ITQAUMAJAIT INUIN NIRIJUKHAT. NUNAVUT TUUNGAVIKKUT TUJUKTAIT INUNGNUN. QUANA IKAJUQTUT INUNGNUT. ILLAA NAAMMAINNAQTURUT. TAPKUAT AANIAKVIKMIITTUT AANIAQTUTLU NAAMMATJAVUUT. ATUKPAKLUGIT KINAQHIUTIIT. UAQATTAQLURIT ALGATIIT. MUNARILURIT NUTAQQATIT. INUTUQAITLU. NUATQATIITLU. IHUMALUKPALAAQHIMAITTUMIK.

Welcome to winter wonderland, where the land looks so beautiful with all that fresh white snow. Cambridge Bay, Nunavut has decided to skip fall and head right into winter weather. It is one of nature's most beautiful time of the year on the island up here. The air is so fresh and clean as it always is up North in our land of beauty and peace.

With the cold season it was most difficult time during this pandemic to make sure that those who caught the cold self isolate for 14 days. Just to be on the safe side.

Quana! Quanaqpiaq! for country food! Inuit living in the city of Edmonton, Alberta were all excited to receive. Aktaaq and Arctic char during the covid19 pandemic. From left to right and back are: back : Jaynine McCrae, Goota Desmarais, Jeela Maniapik and 18-month-old daughter Meeka. Front : Kimberly Tologanak and her 3 year old Panniq Alexis Navalik Ward, Phyllis Ongahak thankful to be receiving narwhal maktaaq and arctic char fillets. Monday, September 14, 2020.

While in Edmonton, I saw everyone walking around with masks, it is like in the movies. It made me realize that this pandemic is real and it is here. It made me sad and brought tears to my eyes and my heart was sad. We must abide by the rules set out in many areas and public places such as the stores. So many are taking precautions and making sure public areas are being disinfected and wiped down, and this is what I am witnessing in this day and age. We in Nunavut have had zero cases of the Covid-19 and let us keep it that way.

For us survivors of residential school we always had to wash our hands, brush our teeth 3 or 4 times a day, take showers and duties were given to us to help clean our dorms, hallways and bathrooms. We had a infirmary in our hostel at Stringer Hall with some of the meanest nurses, but our health was always looked after. I remember the hallways very shiny and clean.

We even changed 2 to 3 times a day, we had school clothes and we had another set of clothes for after schools and weekends. Our bedding was also changed, forgot how many times a week. I remember a big laundry basket always full of used towels, clothes, bedding ready to be sent to the laundromat.

We lived in an institution where everything had to be cleaned as there was so many of us together in the dormitories. When I see in some movies how institutions were done, it reminded me of residential school.

So many were abused secretly and many secrets were not told until many years later. So today we have many victims who have to live hard lives in today society. But today, we as survivors are able to speak about it and heal and to move forward.

I hope that never ever again to never ever see another residential school operation again here in our homeland and anywhere around the world. What the Canadian Government did was unbelievable and let us make sure our leaders never let it happen again. So much racism in the old days. Let us have that healthy happy life we all deserve.

Our Ancestors lived out on the land where it was quiet, peaceful and there was no such thing as racism, we were all the same. Let us continue to learn from their wise words and story telling. I remember old man Norman Ford always singing, he lived in Rankin Inlet. I will always remember his singing, made me happy to see that. I enjoy writing about the olden days of what I can remember and my growing up.

Life has changed now, but so many ways I wish we still lived the old ways, we as Inuit still do that, live out on the land. Many cabins and tents are still set up out on that beautiful peaceful land of the Inuit. The best in the world. Let us protect our lands so it is not spoiled or ruined from industry, pollution and bad influences.

We want so much in our hearts to keep the land the way it is for our grandchildren and for many generations on and on forever. Take good care everyone. Keep washing your hands.

God Be With You Son.