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Makivik honours three heroes

Polar bear fighter and two revered elders receive awards

JANE GEORGE

The friendship of Donat Savoie and Tivi Etok resulted in a fruitful, 36-year long relationship between the federal government and Nunavik. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

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In February, Angyiou, who lives in Ivujivik, tackled a polar bear that threatened her kids — and she lived to tell this tale to delegates at Makivik Corporation’s annual general meeting.

“I looked at his black eyes,” Angyiou told delegates, who listened spellbound to her story.

In Kangirsuk two weeks ago, Pita Aatami, the president of Makivik, and Adamie Kalingo, the mayor of Ivujivik, presented plaques of appreciation to Angyiou for her bravery.

Aatami also awarded Angyiou with a Makivik medal for her “bravery and courage.”

Makivik also recognized several other individuals, including retiring civil servant Donat Savoie and Tivi Etok, who fostered Savoie when he came to Kangiqsualujjuaq in 1967.

Nunavik’s Avataq cultural institute also had words of thanks for the pair.

Charlie Arngak said Savoie had given “many thousands to Nunavik over the years [but] the total amount is the bigness of your heart.” However, without the help of Etok, Savoie may never have become one of the region’s major friends in the federal government.

Etok shared some memories of his first encounter with the young Savoie.

“I ignored him at first. My wife asked him if he was being properly fed and then he came in,” Etok said.

“He told me later it was so good to eat a home-cooked meal. Since then, he has been like a son, I’m always disciplining him in Inutittut, instructing him in our ways, giving him good sound advice, encouraging him to take on these kind of jobs and always to keep trying to get funds to help the Inuit population.”

“Your helping Donat has been helping us,” Aatami told Etok.

Makivik also honoured George “Aqqigiq” Koneak, another pioneer of relations between Inuit and Qallunaat. The Kangirsuk annual general meeting was Koneak’s final one as a governor of Makivik.

Koneak, a skilled interpreter, was instrumental in setting up the first cooperatives in northern Quebec. He was one of the signatories of the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, a founding member of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association, and a long-time governor of Makivik.

“He was always looking after the needs of his fellow Inuit,” Aatami said.

With his knowledge, understanding of Inuit traditional way of life, Aatami said Koneak “helped the population of Nunavik immensely.”

Deeply touched by the recognition, Koneak, nevertheless, had a few funny stories about his early sorties to southern Quebec to share with the meeting, such as the time when he mistakenly carved up a napkin in a dark restaurant or when he tried eating Chinese food with chopsticks, and sent a barbequed spare rib flying onto a table of well-heeled diners.

“They had no idea where that pork rib came from! They thought it came from the sky,” Koneak recalled.

Makivik gave Koneak a plaque and a helicopter trip out to a favourite hunting area as a present.

“It’s my last time I am going to be sitting with you,” Koneak said. “Don’t give up. Consider your future generations. Encourage them.”

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