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Small communities should get discounts too

Nunasi's discount program from Iqaluit to southern destinations is only serving 10 per cent of the people Nunasi claim to serve.

Ninety per cent of the Inuit who Nunasi claim to serve live outside of Iqaluit. What airfare discount have Nunasi offered other places than Iqaluit to travel between Nunavut's smaller communities?

Or, I would like to see a discount package from Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary or Vancouver to places like Igloolik, Cape Dorset, Pangnirtung, Resolute Bay, Kuugaarruk or Pond Inlet or other places than Iqaluit.

James Ungalaq
Iqaluit

Bossy bosses?

I am struck by the frequency with which I'm hearing politicians pronounce on what is "acceptable" and "unacceptable" for other people to do.

MLA Tagak Curley states that same-sex marriage is "not acceptable." Those are his personal religious beliefs, and he's welcome to them, but his certainty that he knows what a supreme being thinks doesn't give him the right to tell people who hold different beliefs that their lifestyles are "not acceptable."

Those are harsh words, the kind of language that reminds one of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan... (The good news for Mr. Curley and other evangelicals is that the Liberal government wants to make same-sex marriage possible - not compulsory.)

Then Makivik President Piita Aatami says it is "totally unacceptable" for the RCMP to conduct an internal investigation of the circumstances surrounding the killing of dogs in Nunavik and Nunavut.

Oh, really? I'm well aware that police services rarely get at the full truth when they investigate themselves, but is it unreasonable for the RCMP to want to interview all living former Special Constables to find out if they have some first-hand information that today's brass should be aware of? I don't think so.

It is one thing for Mr. Aatami to argue that a full and independent public inquiry is needed - it clearly is - but it is quite another thing for him to tell the RCMP that it is "totally unacceptable" for them to interview their former employees.

I was at an IQ workshop once where an elder commented that "bosses shouldn't be so bossy." She was right.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit

Why the fuss about same-sex marriage?

I don't really understand why so many people are upset about same-sex marriages. Is it the idea of using the word "marriage‚" that upsets them or the actual union between two people of the same sex? It just doesn't make much sense to me.

I wouldn't want anybody to interfere in my marriage and I certainly have no desire to interfere in somebody else's marriage. So why is it that these people who are opposed to same-sex marriage feel that they are so important that they can tell other people what they can and cannot do with the people they love?

I am neither qualified nor willing to offer any kind of advice to people who want to get married (gay or straight). Personally I don't really care if a man wants to marry another man, or if two women get married. What bothers me most about all this is the amount of people who openly oppose gay marriages and even discriminate against gays and lesbians. What is the need for this kind of discrimination?

Gays and lesbians are good enough to work in our offices and receive services from us but they aren't allowed to get married. It seems like our heterosexual society is just the big bully on the playground telling the little kids that they can play - over there‚ but not here. I don't really read or hear of many reasons for this discrimination and opposition either.

Your newspaper article "Same sex marriage not acceptable‚" reported Tagak Curley as saying that marriage is defined as between "a man and a woman" and that same-sex marriage is unacceptable. A definition is just a jumble of words strung together so as to allow us to take meaning from them, and all definitions come from a book that is always being changed and updated anyhow.

What is it about same-sex marriage that makes it so unacceptable to our modern society? I'm pretty sure that two women who want to marry each other just want to spend the rest of their lives together, not come into your home and change the way your family functions.

The majority of reasons that I have heard for not allowing same-sex marriages are either religious in nature or notions that it will destroy the family unit. Our society, a long time ago, decided to take religion out of a lot of institutions such as the school system and the government. Our society decided that forcing our religion (whichever faith you belong to) on other people was morally and ethically wrong. We had decided that children in the school system should be able to make up there own minds about what to believe and we believe that our government should not be influenced by a religious bias.

So why are you forcing religion on gays and lesbians? Do you really believe that this is a morally and ethically valid practice? Denying gays and lesbians from marrying people of the same sex would be denying them their Charter rights. And if you're going to do that you might as well just throw out the whole Charter of Rights And Freedoms that all Canadians citizens enjoy, because denying one Charter right and recognizing all others is unacceptable.

As for destroying the family unit, I don't really see it. Two parents of the same-sex raising a child in a loving and caring environment just like any other family doesn't seem too threatening. That seems more like creating another family unit, not destroying it.

Solomon Tagak
Iqaluit

Excuse me while I roll my eyes

So, the RCMP will investigate itself about its role in the massacre of Inuit husky dogs? Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

The RCMP have obviously been ordered by their political masters to do a quick whitewash so the government can use their so-called findings as an excuse not to have a public inquiry.

This so-called investigation is the start of a public relations effort to push this slaughter under the rug. Even before the investigation is complete, they have already concluded that the government is not to blame. What a farce.

They have already started using the word "cull" instead of "slaughter." In many instances, it was a massacre.

They have started telling stories abut members of their force bringing sled dog pups into some communities to bolster local populations. Excuse me while I puke.

I feel sympathy for the RCMP officers who have been ordered to do this investigation so their political masters can hide behind them.

The best thing the RCMP can do is admit that a slaughter took place and the best way to find facts is through a public inquiry. That is the only conclusion they can reach that would have any credibility.

John Amagoalik
Iqaluit

New street names for Iqaluit

I've been thinking.

Maybe we should rethink our system of street names, to reflect life in Iqaluit more realistically. Here are some obvious suggestions.

The roads themselves:

• Pothole Street
• Crevasse Creek
• Abyss Avenue
• Corrugated Trail
• Moonscape Drive

The effects on the cars:

• Thump Street
• Shock Smash Lane
• Crunch Parkway
• Rattle Corner
• Shatter Crescent

The effects on the drivers:

• Ouch Street
• Aaaagghh Avenue
• Desperation Gulch
• Expletive Expressway
• Bankruptcy Boulevard

And finally, in honour of the only people who will be able to afford Christmas in Thailand this year.

The effects on those who serve us:

• Avenue of the Delighted Mechanics

Mick Mallon
Iqaluit

GN colluding with airlines in booze-gouge?

I'd like to start this letter off with a brash accusation. Someone in the government of Nunavut must be pocketing large sums of money in the form of a kickback for a completely unnecessary procedure.

Before people start screaming for a libel suit I will discredit myself. I have no proof to back this allegation, not one single shred of paper which could verify what I think, but think it I still must.

Think about this. With the new liquor store in Rankin Inlet, citizens of Iqaluit (where alcohol is completely legal) can order alcohol any time they want, and receive it in a day or two from our friendly neighbors in the Kivalliq.

All it takes is a few phone calls, a fax or two and the payment of a minimum of $40 to either of our fantastic northern shippers, First Air and Canadian North. This procedure can be performed in any of the communities of Nunavut where booze is allowed, including Rankin Inlet, though they have to do the reverse, ordering from Iqaluit. In general it is simple and painless - until you look at the scam.

Where is my complaint? Well, it is in the shipping. If booze is legal (and it is) and it is already here in Iqaluit in our liquor warehouse (and it is) what is the reason why people from Iqaluit (or Rankin Inlet) have to pay a shipping charge to receive alcohol? Why could they not just procure the same bottle from the liquor store here?

In my griping and complaining about this problem, I have heard some speculation that the reason is the timing. If you order, it takes a few days (the people in Rankin claim it can come in one day, but, put to the test, it rarely does.) Perhaps some well-meaning bureaucrat felt that this time would make the purchases more thought-out or less impulsive.

If this is the case though, then why not just have a holding period of say 24, 48, or 72 hours here in Iqaluit. Purchase your alcohol on Monday and don't receive it until Thursday or some such control method.

But why, why I ask, does the government force us to pay the expensive shipping costs, when the same, totally legal merchandise is right here in our town? The only answer that I can reasonably figure out is that there is a deal between the airlines and the government to gouge the citizens of this city of their hard-earned money.

I know that this may seem like an unreasonable assumption, but what other reason could there be? Call your MLA and ask.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit

Library continues Nuluaq's work

The Nuluaq Public Internet Access Site, formerly located at the Iqaluit Public Library, closed on March 15, 2005.

We are delighted that the Nunavut Public Library System will provide additional Gates Foundation laptops in the former Nuluaq space, which will allow the public to continue to enjoy free access to the internet. The Nuluaq assets, including computers, printer, scanner and furniture, have been donated to others in the community including the Qimaavik Women's Shelter, the Youth Centre and the Public Library.

In 1998, the Nuluaq Society was founded to address the lack of public access to the internet. Since that time, other agencies have introduced additional access points such that we believe our original mandate has been fulfilled. On behalf of the current Nuluaq Society Board members, Lorraine Thomas, Steve Smith, Jim Tegler, Alan Hetherington and Eepeebee Lyta, I would like to recognize those who have contributed to this success.

We thank our corporate sponsors, especially Northwestel for their unwavering support over the years, Iqaluit Centennial Public Library, Nunavut Arctic College, Industry Canada, Rotary Club, Nunavut Catering, Tittaq, Radio Shack, Baffin Regional Literacy Committee, Arctic Cooperatives Limited, First Air, Nortext, Arctic Sky Media, Ardicom, Urbco, Nunanet, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, Elks Lodge, and ArcTEC Laser Services. Also thanks to our individual donors, Ellen Bennett, Diane Stenton and Doctors Cran, Netscher and Stubbing.

We are grateful to the many volunteers, supporters and youth staff who have helped to ensure that Iqalungmiut have had free access to the internet since 1998. Finally, we would like to applaud the Nunavut Community Access Program administrators, Darlene Thompson and Christina Haight, for cheerfully ensuring delivery of the funds needed to pay for our youth staff.

Gary H. Pon
Interim Chair
Nuluaq Society Board

Saumik is grieved in Cape Dorset

I have no doubt I speak for all of us here in Cape Dorset that with the news of the loss of James Houston, also known as "Saumik" (the left-handed one), everybody here in Cape Dorset has lost a real friend.

When we were notified of Saumik's passing, the reaction in the community was the same as when we are notified of the death of a local member of the community.

Our grandparents and elders tell us he had a genuine love for the Inuit and he worked tirelessly to try and help the Inuit in whatever way he could. When he first saw a small carving by one of the locals, he was the one that saw the potential of this medium.

Driven by his desire to help the Inuit, coupled with his passion and enthusiasm for Inuit art, he set out to showcase this new form of art to the world and was received extraordinarily well, due in large part to his infectious enthusiasm.

The legacy of Saumik when it comes to helping the cause of Inuit is, in my opinion, unmatched. He was indeed the right man, in the right place, at the right time, and Cape Dorset will forever be grateful to have known him and he will always be a part of the community. Thank you.

Chris Pudlat
Cape Dorset

Iqaluit resident thanks RCMP

What a shock to go home from lunch and find glass all over my living room floor and my patio door all smashed to hell, followed shortly by a numb awareness that some of my favourite carvings were no longer in place.

This has happened to some of my neighbours and to a good number of other people in Iqaluit in recent times, but that doesn't make it any easier, especially when you think of those carvings you've had 30 years or more.

The upside of this story is that the RCMP, who were quickly on the scene, did a bang-up job, recovering almost half my carvings with the help of their sniffing dog, who followed tracks down to a temporary storage point in a shack on the beach. An arrest was subsequently made, but not after some of my carvings were sold off at the airport to parties as yet unknown (although police in Ottawa did question passengers disembarking from an Ottawa flight).

I would like to commend RCMP members Brad Anderson, Mark and Jessica MacDonald, and Corporal Joel LeBlanc (and his mutt) for their excellent service.

I know not all such cases end with the same results, mostly because of the many other cases competing for the officers' time, but this sure takes the sting out of my loss.

Larry Simpson
Iqaluit

Global warming threatens polar bears

Global warming has placed the magnificent polar bear in grave danger - the real truth.

Ian Stirling is a biologist who studies polar bears. At times, he tranquilizes some of the bears so he can measure their growth. Among other tests, he feels along their spines to see how much fat they are carrying. He has noticed that over the last 15 years, the bears have become smaller and lighter. Sometimes they are so skinny that he can feel their ribs.

Polar bears live and hunt on the ice. They have huge claws to catch and tear apart seals, which provide them with a high-fat diet. Global warming is a big problem for the bears because it causes the sea ice to break up sooner than it should, so they can't hunt seals and other marine mammals. With each degree that the earth warms up, the ice breaks up one week earlier. Presently the ice breaks up 10 to 14 days earlier than it did only 15 years ago.

Once the ice is gone, polar bears typically go hungry, living on the fat they consumed while feeding. The bears can lose over half of their body weight over the summer months.

Some people still believe that the notion of global warming is little more than media hype. Even those diehard disbelievers who are willing to concede that the globe might actually be warming up have difficulty drawing a connection between that and the plight of the polar bears.

They should consider this: after the recent eruption of Mount Pinatubo, volcanic ash which collected in the atmosphere over the arctic ice made temperatures drop significantly in that region. The result was the ice did not melt as fast and the polar bears were fatter.

All people need to take action now to combat global warming, as the forces that are causing the demise of the polar bear could be the same forces that could lead to our own extinction.

James Bilovus
Kativik School Board
Kuujjuaq

Snowmobile safety should be first priority

Whether it's going to and from work or just at play, snowmobile safety should be your first priority.

Before you start your machine you should ensure that your brakes, throttle and lighting devices are all in excellent working order. The wearing of a helmet for the driver and passenger is not only an important safety precaution, but also a mandatory piece of equipment required by law.

While in the city limits it is required that helmets be worn on ATVs and snow machines, both on and off the road.

As a rider, you hold all the responsibilities of any other driver on our roadways. It is of the highest importance that you ride your machine on the right hand side of the road, ensuring you stop at stop signs, obey the speed limits, and be mindful of your surroundings.

Never ride your machine on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic, as your headlight may cause ill effects to the others drivers' vision and place not only them, but yourself, as well as any pedestrians, in danger.

As well, snow machines are built for the capacity of one driver and one passenger only. Carrying more than one passenger at a time on your snow machine can place their safety and wellbeing in jeopardy.

A driver of an ATV must be at least 14 years of age to ride the machine. Any individual under the age of 14 wishing to operate an ATV or snow machine must be accompanied by an adult.

If we take this little extra time to wear a helmet and obey the rules of the road, it will provide everyone with an enjoyable experience.

Please keep in mind that all snow machines must be properly insured and registered with the city while operating within city limits.

The use of modified exhaust systems are strictly prohibited within city limits, as it creates excessive noise pollution and infringes on every citizen's right to a peaceful environment.

The city and you, together we can make Iqaluit a safer and more enjoyable place to live.

Robert Kavanaugh
Chief Bylaw Officer
City of Iqaluit

Thanks from the Kaludjak family

Thank you to all on behalf of Joeffrey Kaludjak, his wife Charlene, and their son, Cole.

I have not had time until now to express my greatest thanks to all who assisted my son when he got into an accident during the Kimmirut-Iqaluit race on Easter weekend last month. I acknowledge the care and consideration given to my son until he was picked up by helicopter and eventually to the hospital for care and treatment.

He received two fractures on his upper neck. I am thankful it was not any worse than that. He is currently recovering at home in Rankin Inlet and will be off work for two months or so. I especially want to thank the individual who stopped and left the race to stay with my son when he was unconscious for about five hours off and on.

On behalf of the Kaludjak families, grandparents, and friends, we do not know all the people who stopped and assisted. We acknowledge the following with the information we have:

• Paul Gordon from Quebec, who quit the race to help my son. We commend you greatly.
• Neco Towtoogie and James Makpah for informing us by satellite phone about the accident.
• Johnny Mike for advising people of the location by GPS.
• Bruce Uviluq Patterson and Janet Brewster for staying with him and caring for him until the helicopter arrived.
• The young people who helped him when he was first discovered, and whose names we did not get.

Finally, David and Kelvin Salluviniq for advising me he was taken care of, and on his way to the Iqaluit hospital and to the race organizer for getting the helicopter to go pick him up in spite of difficulty in convincing them to go.

Once again, our greatest thank-you for your actions. You have shown human kindness to our family. If it wasn't for your help, he wouldn't have being able to pull through all this.

For this we are indebted for your deeds. Qujanamimarialuvusi - Tamasitiaq.

On behalf of the Kaludjak family
Paul and Dorothy Kaludjak
Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet

Inuksuk debate a bit of a laugh

My dad and I had a bit of a laugh over this "raging" debate over the unveiling of the Inuksuk logo for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

It is with not a little bemusement that I write this opinion regarding the traditionalist view versus the stylized and modern interpretation of the venerable inuksuk.

I do not see any need to decry global recognition of Canadian Inuit through this symbol. Certainly no one that I know of is attempting to attack or encroach upon cultural integrity when they, whoever they may be, recognize and flatter Inuit heritage and culture by a universal application of an Inuk concept, however symbolic or interpretive that application may be.

Purists may not see it that way. After all, purists moaned and groaned over the fact that Bob Dylan went to electric music from acoustic folk music. Dylan still created great music afterwards in the electric genre.

As in music or dance, there may be the "classics," but the art forms evolve, even though the classics are never lost, and in fact are revered and practiced. Similarly, there is much to be said for some understanding of what inuksuit or inuksugait did for and meant to Inuit of eras past. It would take years of study for any student today to fully appreciate the culture and language surrounding all those inuksuit across the north, and certainly those fields of study in anthropology and language should be developed and encouraged.

In today's world, recognition means marketing. If it is as positive as the Vancouver attempt at utilizing the inuksuk for a world class event, let's take advantage of it, rather than misconstruing it as an encroachment on our culture.

Hmm, as a bit of an aside, interesting that the Creationists take the "evolution" side in this particular case.

Peter Ittinuar
Brantford, Ontario

Who owns the boat?

It is a mistake to assume that having monopoly control over fish quota amounts to controlling Nunavut's fishery. Rather, the boat-owners who catch and land the fish call the shots, especially if they have gained exclusive rights to fish for the quota-holders. Consolidating the quota under one company such as Baffin Fisheries Coalition Ltd. simply removes their competition and allows the boat-owners to dictate the fees paid to the quota-holders for the entire quota. Naturally, it is in their best interests to set the price as low as possible.

So who are the boat-owners who would benefit from such an arrangement?

According to Transport Canada, the vessel known as "Inuksuk I" is owned by Nataaqnaq Fisheries Inc. (Canada corporation #6238769). According to Industry Canada, no parent or subsidiary companies are registered for Nataaqnaq Fisheries Ltd. Therefore (unless the Government of Canada has been misinformed) Baffin Fisheries Coalition apparently does not own this vessel, even indirectly.

What do we know about Nataaqnaq Fisheries Ltd.? According to Industry Canada, its Board consists of the following members:

Unless I am mistaken, none of these people are Inuit. None of them live in Nunavut. Three of them don't even live in Canada and they are very likely not even Canadian citizens. In short, the "Inuksuk I" is not controlled by Inuit at all; it is in the control of foreign hands.

Curiously, one of these directors, Henrik Leth, is listed as an Executive Vice President of Royal Greenland Ltd. As their website states, "Royal Greenland is one of the world's leading groups when it comes to catching, processing, manufacturing and distributing seafood products." They also just happen to be the former owners of the Inuksuk I according to the Newfoundland newspaper The Independent (July 25, 2004). Why would an executive from a foreign seafood processing company want control over a vessel his company used to own? I think we can guess.

Apparently the corporation called Niqitaq Fisheries Ltd. is leasing the "Inuksuk I" from Nataaqnaq Fisheries Ltd. Niqitaq Fisheries Ltd. supposedly has an option to purchase the vessel as well. Like Nataaqnaq Fisheries Ltd., there is not one Inuk person on the board of directors of the company leasing the vessel. In fact there is only one person listed as a director and that person happens to be a lawyer living in Ottawa! Like Nataaqnaq Fisheries Ltd. the company leasing the vessel has no listed parent or subsidiary companies.

In short, BFC is not even remotely involved in this whole business of ownership.

Wouldn't it seem like a reasonable thing for BFC to have representation on the board of the leasing company for the sake of control, especially if that company happens to have an option to purchase a multi-million dollar vessel which fishes their quota? Yet it seems that BFC has absolutely no representation on the board of the company which owns the vessel or the company that leases it from those owners. Who would stand to benefit from this arrangement? If this is so good for Inuit, then where is the Inuit representation? Where is the Inuit control over the fishery? So much for Mr. Ward's platitude that "you will not control your own destiny before you control your resources through the ownership of vessels."

Who owns this boat now and who will own it if the option to purchase it is exercised? Who stands to get very very rich from this arrangement?

So far, all we know is that the "Inuksuk I" is owned by a company whose shareholders' identity remains a secret and the company with right of first refusal to buy it does not appear to be even run by Inuit. Am I the only one growing a little suspicious?

Perhaps all Inuit (and all other Nunavummiut who care about the fate of Inuit interests) ought to demand that the identity of all shareholders of Nataaqnaq Fisheries Ltd. and Niqitaq Fisheries Ltd. be revealed before one more penny of public money is given to the BFC.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit

Nunavut NDP congratulates MP

The New Democratic Party riding association in Nunavut would like to congratulate our member of Parliament, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, for the principled position she has taken on Bill C-38 - the legislation on same-sex civil marriage.

She was correct to point out that to vote against the bill would be to agree that it is acceptable for some groups in society to be discriminated against. Discrimination against any person or group is wrong, and Nancy is right to say so.

The Nunavut NDP remains very critical of this weak minority Liberal government. Inuit were promised that their lives would improve in many areas after the Nunavut land claims agreement was settled.

Yet, more than a decade after the agreement came into force, the federal government still has no idea how well the land claim is being implemented. It is shocking and shameful that the Liberals have not measured the progress of implementing the NLCA.

But when it comes to the controversial issue of same-sex civil marriage, and of the willingness of some Canadians to discriminate against other Canadians, we agree whole-heartedly with our MP's courageous position in support of Bill C-38.

Bill Riddell
Nunavut NDP Riding Association
Iqaluit

Group needed for victims of sexual and physical abuse

My name is Pauline Oolayou Alainga, a long-time Iqaluit resident and beneficiary.

I am going to be 37 this week and my birthday wish is to ask someone out there to see if we can get a group together to try to come to a solution on how and when we can try to find, or open, a place where people like me can go to a healing group here in Iqaluit.

What I am trying to say is that there are so many of us who have been sexually abused as young babies and children and adults, and there is just no place in town that we can go to unless we go to get counseling at Health and Social Services.

I have been going to counseling now for about six months, once a week, and I am so happy that I am taking this, but there are so many people who won't go, as it is sometimes shameful to be seen going to that building, since it's in a very open area.

I think that if the MLAs or the City of Iqaluit or the HSS can try to work together on opening a place for people like me, that there would be more people getting help and dealing with their childhood sexual abuse that is causing a lot of grief and so on. And there may be fewer suicides if there is a place to go for help.

I am not saying that Social Services is not helping me, because I am very thankful that they have a therapist there and they are the best. If they weren't accepting people like me, I don't know where I'd be today, so I don't want the message to get out there in the wrong way, because I will never put people down, such as the therapist.

I just know in my heart that we desperately need a place to go for healing as there are so many people who have no place to go to get help, unless you go down south to a place we didn't grow up in and have to go away from family.

If there was a place to go, as in groups, I know for a fact that it would help a lot of people, especially when they know that they are not alone and that they are not the only ones that have been sexually abused and what not. I know that there may be a lot of people who would rather take counseling alone due to being scared or ashamed or shy, but there are a lot of people I know who say they would like to speak out in circles, as it gives them more confidence knowing they are not alone.

I know that we have an AA place in town where people meet who have alcohol problems, so why can't we get a place for sexually abused victims? We need help too and need a place to go.

I really hope that the MLAs and the premier and the city will hear me out and look into this and make it one of the priorities now that we have the Government of Nunavut. Let's speak out and yell for help and a place.

If anyone wants to talk with me about this I am very available and not hesitant to speak out as God made me vocal to speak. I hope this will make other people who were abused come forward like me and try to get a group together to start something. I am always willing to try anything, as I am a strong believer.

Pauline Oolayou Alainga
Iqaluit

A response to Shelagh Grant

In 1912, a missionary doctor, S. K. Hutton, writing about the Inuit of Labrador, commented, "To write of the Eskimos as they were in bygone days would be a fascinating thing, but it would mean building upon a slender foundation. No, the past of the Eskimo people must always remain something of a mystery."

If that was the case in Labrador in 1912, it is even more the case in Nunavut almost a century later. And so we who choose to write about the events of northern and Inuit history must build upon the slenderest of foundations to tell the stories that excite us and, we hope, interest our readers.

I don't write historical fiction. I write narrative non-fiction. Presumably Shelagh Grant knows the difference, although it is not apparent in her letter in the April 22 paper ("History versus historical fiction.") In suggesting that my portrayal of the death of Robert Janes in 1920 is "seriously flawed" and that I have fictionalized it, Grant makes a serious charge that she fails to substantiate.

I've studied all the official documents in this case, as I know Grant also has. I've pored over 36 different statements taken by the RCMP from 27 Inuit during the years 1922 and 1923. These were taken by a police officer who knew very little Inuktitut, working with a Labrador interpreter new to North Baffin, who understood the dialect imperfectly.

As a result, some of these statements are difficult to reconcile and some of them are contradictory. But they are important because they were taken within a few years of the killing of Janes, and they are the basis - the slender foundation - of the information upon which Nuqallaq was convicted. I have also studied the interviews conducted for the Igloolik Oral History Project and the Pond Inlet History Project. Of course, Grant has used these same sources.

But I also conducted my own archival research. And I did interviews on the Janes killing, in Inuktitut, in the 1970s and 1980s in Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet. I began my research on this topic two decades before Grant did, and was therefore fortunate in being able to interview Inuit who had passed away before her interest in the story was sparked.

Of particular importance, I interviewed Ataguttiaq, the widow of Nuqallaq, Janes's killer, a number of times. [I note that Grant dedicates her book to Ataguttiaq's memory, without acknowledging that she never knew her.] I also interviewed Uujukuluk, son of the accused, Aatitaaq, and many other Inuit for whom these events had clear and personal meaning. And of course, among many others was the incomparable Jimmy Etuk, whose memory for historical detail was unequaled.

I must respond briefly to a few of Grant's specific charges.

Grant states that, as Janes tried to get up after the second shot, "witnesses stated they could not see any blood." In fact, most witnesses don't mention whether they did or didn't see any blood. Ivalaaq, however, stated that "I then saw Janes lying on the snow beside a komitik wounded and bleeding."

Grant says that Nuqallaq shot him "from above and behind." Certainly it was from above, but it cannot be proven that it was from behind. Ataguttaaluk said he was lying on his back, Ijjangiaq that he was lying on his belly, and in another statement that he was "lying partly on his side and leaning on his elbow." Tupirngat says he was "lying on the snow... and resting on his hands." A shot through the side of the head, from above, is consistent with the coroner's report.

This is important because Grant states categorically, "At no time was there ever any eye contact between the killer and his victim."

But Maniq reported that "Nuqallaq looked at Janes lying on the ground for a little while, then he shot him through the head." And Naqitarvik said that "Janes was talking before Nuqallaq fired the shot into his head, but I could not understand what he was saying." My conclusion is that Janes was lying on his back or side, and talking in English - to Nuqallaq - the only Inuk man present who could understand English.

Grant also emphasizes, "Nor did anyone state that Janes had ever called out to Nuqallaq." Not so. After the first shot, Janes saw Nuqallaq but did not realize that it was he who had fired the shot. He called out, "Nuqallaq uvvaa - Nuqallaq, here!"

This is reported by Rachel Ujarasuk in an interview done by the Igloolik Oral History Project in 1989. This may be the report that Grant alludes to, and offhandedly dismisses as inaccurate because it doesn't fit her convenient conclusion, although it is a narrative from a respected elder.

Shelagh Grant patronizingly suggests that I should "stick to the facts found in original primary sources." That's what I've done. I've built a narrative based on the slender foundation of facts at our disposal. I stand by my interpretation of those facts and the narrative I've constructed from them.

Kenn Harper
Iqaluit

Celebrating Inuit youth

It's spring again, and this is a good time to celebrate some of the people who are now enjoying the spring of their lives - our young Inuit.

In early April, Elisapie Isaac, who is originally from Salluit, Nunavik, and her musical partner Alain Auger, were awarded the Juno for Aboriginal Recording of the Year.

The group's name Taima, as many know, means, "that's it" or "enough." It notes an ending. But for Elisapie, Taima has also proved to be a beginning.

She has travelled, singing her unique brand of music and bringing a piece of the Inuit experience to audiences around the world. Taima performed in Iqaluit at the annual Toonik Tyme festival a few weeks after receiving their Juno. It was a rare opportunity for them to play for a northern audience, and I hope they and other Inuit musicians have more chances to entertain Inuit in the North.

I admire Elisapie's drive and determination to do what she does. Her talent is without question, but it takes something special inside to make good use of that talent.

Another example of a motivated youth is the new president of the National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC) Jason Tologanak. My staff and I were impressed with Jason after we met with him when he was elected president, and we look forward to working with him at the NIYC, and when he takes his place with the ITK board of directors.

Jason is from Cambridge Bay and worked as the Elder-Youth Coordinator for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. He has shown a keen interest in youth issues, and Inuit youth across Canada are lucky to have him as their president and representative.

One more thing that spring brings with it is the end of another school year. It's a brief respite for students like Krista Zawadski from Rankin Inlet, who was awarded the Laura Ulluriaq Gauthier Post-Secondary Scholarship in January. Krista is a hard working anthropology student at Carleton University in Ottawa, and also a graduate of the Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS) program. Many young Inuit have used NS as a stepping stone to further their education and career paths. Several now work in the various departments at ITK.

I've made it a kind of annual tradition to speak to the graduating class of the NS program. They were learning the history of our land claims, and I hoped to show them a little of how Inuit are being represented today, and maybe inspire them to be the leaders of tomorrow.

I'm encouraged. The exceptional Inuit talent in all the regions is growing, and as the summer dawns on this young generation our future looks to be bright.

Jose Kusugak
President
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Nakurmiimarik to Nancy-Karetak-Lindell

I would like to applaud your taking a position on the same-sex marriage issue that has been such a tough one in Nunavut.

As an Inuk, I am proud that you have clearly stated your support for same-sex marriage. We both know that Inuit are sometimes very conservative on certain issues, but it is up to people like you and I to show them that rights are not given to people by appointment and that you can't chose who to give them to and who to take them away from, but that their liberties and rights must be respected.

Taking a stand like that will help make Nunavut a better and safer place to live in and I am sure that all the gay and lesbian people of Nunavut have hope for a better tomorrow because of what you did.

Nakurmiimarik!

(Name withheld by request)
Quebec City

Iqaluit Guides invited to international camp

I received some news through Google Alerts about Girl Guides in Iqaluit who are raising money for a trip.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite them to plan to come to Guiding Mosaic 2006, an International Girl Guide Camp being held in Guelph Ontario, July 5-14, 2006.

We would be extremely happy to welcome them to this camp. We are hoping to meet 3,000 girls and women from across Canada and the world at this camp!

There is a lot of information on the National Girl Guide website www.girlguides.ca and I would be pleased to answer any questions. Please give it some serious consideration. We hope to hear from you.

Phyllis Miners
International Supervisor
Guiding Mosaic 2006
Ottawa
pminers@cogeco.ca

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