Canada. What comes to mind? Beautiful mountains, forests, lakes, Tim Horton's, hockey, beavers, snow and freedom?
"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/canada/nunavut/"
I am a Canadian. Born in Toronto, Ontario and raised in a middle class family. I always had necessities of food, shelter and clothing. I lived inside a sheltered bubble and was not exposed to much outside of the comfort of my friends and family. In school we learned the basics that the Board of Education deemed important to know. Especially when it came to Canada and it's history. We did our studies on our indigenous people and what I remember or took away from it was teepees and igloos, peace pipes, drumming and dancing and animal fables. Until about 2 years ago I really knew not much more! I heard stories through the news both good and bad, but without any true connection I had know idea about the fate of our first nations people.
Map of Canada showing Nunavut
It was about 2 years ago on Facebook, I came across a charity sharing stories of grocery prices in Nunavut, our newest Arctic territory. The photos were shocking with prices of basic food items at 10x the prices of what I pay in my own community. It opened my eyes to something I was oblivious to. I spent that night reading story after story of poverty and crisis in these remote locations in Canada. I joined the group and became completely immersed in the lives of our Inuit. I quickly realized that Canada is not the land of the free and that these people have been abused, neglected, disrespected and forgotten by the rest of Canada. Inuit people have lived through horrendous conditions brought upon them by Canada. They were stripped of their culture and livelihood when they began to take their children away to residential camps.
Inuit children at residential camp school so far away from their families
"http://www.rememberingthechildren.ca/history/history-acc.htm"
Children were given numbered inuit discs to be worn around their necks like dog tags
"https://thediscoverblog.com/2016/06/22/the-inuit-disc-numbers-and-project-surname/"
It is sickening to think of the heart wrenching stories. Imagine this happening today? Imagine government officials deciding that they have the right to take your kids away because "they know better"? Our government decided that our first people needed to be "Canadian-ized" by relocating them into new communities made for them. They tell stories of police shooting their sled-dogs (their only means of transportation) so that they can not leave their new locations. They no longer can go out on the land to hunt and were forced to begin to "buy" foods that their bodies are not used to. The introduction of sugar and fake food ingredients was detrimental to their bodies.
Introduction of modern groceries to Inuit after they can no longer rely on hunting traditional foods
"https://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/article/continued-importance-hunting-future-inuit-food-security/"
Fast forward to today. Nunavut is a disaster. The Canadian Government continues to fail these communities over and over again. Even after the acknowledgment and apologies by our Federal Government. Through the Facebook group "Helping our Northern Neighbours", I have met a friend in Iqaluit, Nunavut's capitol, who is an advocate for homeless and vulnerable Nunavummiut. Qaumariaq is speaking up against these injustices. He is determined to spread the word that systemic discrimination is continuing in Nunavut. Almost 25 years after the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement was signed, the Governement of Canada has yet to commit to their promises. The food programs have failed. The training and job programs are a mess. The infrastructure is old and crumbling with mold in houses rampant. People are homeless living in harsh arctic conditions with weather reaching -40's. People living in shacks, tents and even old boats trying to get warm by candles and small propane cooking stoves. Kids living on 1 meal a day. Suicide rates among Canada's Indigenous population is unimaginable. It is just so sad.
In the meantime a small group of us collect and send boxes of food, clothing and personal items as a gift of hope! It is a band-aid to a crisis bigger than most people in the world can imagine happening within one of the richest countries in the world. It's Canada's dirty secret and the secret is out! Our group is supporting Q with letter campaigns to everyone and anyone who will listen. I have so much I'd like to share about this situation and will consider this post first of a series. Please follow to learn and spread the word that Canada needs to step up and help their own. I know first hand through my friend the injustices that are happening and being covered up. He is now wanting to reach out to the UN for intervention.
My friend Qaumariaq out delivering food and clothing to homeless on foot pulling a sled
THE INUIT OF CANADA IS SENDING AN S.O.S. TO THE WORLD.
Please sign Q's petition to demand action now: https://www.change.org/p/premier-peter-taptuna-government-of-nunavut-respect-the-nunavut-land-claims-agreement-jobs-and-housing-now?recruiter=512646107&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
God bless you
God Bless you
God bless you dear you are doing good