HALUQQURUT. INUIN IQALUKTUUTIAMI NAAMMAINNAQTUT. TAMNA AANIARUT TIKINMAN INUIN NUTAQQATLU AIHIMAVAKTUT. QUANA NIQIHANIK TUNIJAUJUT TUNNGAVIKKUNNIT. TUHAQPAKLUGIT DAKTIITLU MUNAQHIITLU. NAUNAIRUMARUVIT AANIAQTUNIK HIVAJAKLUGIT MUNAQHIVIK. IKAJUQTAUNIAQPUHI. IHUMALUKPALAAKHIMAITTUMIK. ILAGNIT HAVAGIALIKMATA ATUKPAKLUGIT IVYARUTIT UAQATTAQLUGIT ALGATIT. QUANAQPIAQ TAPKUAT IKAJUQPAKTUT NIUVIQVIMUNGNAUVAKTUT. HAMLATKUTLU UPLAPKAIVAKTUTLU QARITAUJAKKUT ALIANAQ. AITUHIANIK ALIANAQ TAPKUAT AKIMAJUT. BINGOKPAKTUTLU IQALUKTUUTIAMI. QUUJAKPIARUMAJUGUTLU TAKLIK KANIAKMUN TUNIQHAIJUK PUALUKHANIK NUTAQQANUN. INMINIK MIQHUKTAIT PUALUIT. QUANA TAKLIK PUALUKHANIKMIJUT NUTAQQAT. NAAMMAGALITPAKLUHI ILLA.
The sun is back and it sure gives a beautiful feeling that the sun returned to give us brighter daylight hours in the middle of cold winters on the land of the Inuinnait.
It sure helps since Cambridge Bay has been under strict rules to stay home with the arrival of Covid-19. During the outbreak, the Hamlet’s recreation and wellness departments have been holding virtual contests with many great prizes. They even have bingo games with cards being sent to residents’ post office mail boxes. I have seen many handmade products made by seamstresses in Cambridge Bay that are so beautiful and warm, especially during the lockdown, pandemic, staying home isolation, no school, no work.
Keeping busy is important and so is receiving food hampers.
School homework packages have been made for students. Kiilinik High School has put out a notice with a schedule for its students. Please make note of your children’s class schedules. Quana to parents and grandparents who make sure their children are doing their homework. Big thanks again to all our hunters and fishers who continually supply country food to families in our community.
Warm heart! Warm hands! A big thank you to Junna Ehaloak and her grandchildren Etokana and Ehaloak for providing nice, warm, handmade sealskin mitts for children in Cambridge Bay. It was so exciting to watch a video they made to do a draw with all names submitted on the Cambridge Bay news Facebook page. The gifts went to children of single parents and unemployed parents. The mitts were all made with scrap leftover material that Junna had saved from other sewing projects. As she gathered her scraps, she kept thinking of parents who could not afford to buy warm mitts for their children during the cold winter season. Junna had enough to make five pairs of sealskin mitts for children. She was short on material for inside liners, so she went and bought some at the store with her own money. She found enough fur for the cuffs around her house. She started making mitts on Thursday or Friday and was done on Monday, sewing all weekend. She grew up in Umingmaktok, Nunavut, also known as Bay Chimo. Her late father Joseph Kaniak was always her inspiration. She watched her father always helping others any way he could. She recalls his words: “Remember, always help people out if you have more than enough food or clothing for yourself and your family. Never just watch people in need; someday you may need their help.” Wise words to learn from. This is my story as sent to me by Taklik. I wanted to write about it as it made me think to help others in need. A feel-good story while we are in this pandemic and to be together as a community to help one another.
Stay well, be safe and stay home if you are not feeling well. You will get better and be healthy and happy.
God Be With You Son.