months, she entertained herself with thoughts about her home, way up North. She played these thoughts over and over. One day, a new person came to her bedside. There was a silent stare by


both of them. The woman was very pretty, well dressed and she carried something in her hand. She opened the item and began to say words, words that were foreign to Eemeelayo. The woman motioned for Eemeelayo to repeat after her. The first word to repeat was “Saa-lee.” When Eemeelayo finally said the word, the woman smiled and nodded her head, so the very first English word coming out of her mouth was “Sally.” The teacher and student were doing well until Eemeelayo looked around


the room. “There was one person looking at me. I froze,” Eemeelayo exclaims. She went on to explain that she has always been very shy. The woman continued to say more words but Eemeelayo would not say anymore; she was too frozen and embarrassed. The woman began to look angry and walked out. She never came back. The bedridden and medication regiments went on for several months, until one day she was motioned to get off the bed. “I was so eager to get off the bed, to touch the cool floor, to stand up. When my feet touched the floor, I stood up. Then I collapsed! There were no more muscles or fat in my legs,” Eemeelayo remembers. She says she had to learn to stand up and walk all over again. Despite all the pain and despair this brought, Eemeelayo looked forward to the exercise each day because she knew she was on the way to recovery. Eemeelayo did recover and was sent home, but not for very long. While


at home, on the land, she recognized the symptoms of TB. She knew she would have to leave home once again, back to Hamilton. The treatments were gentler and the hospital stay was much shorter. She was once again sent home. The third time the TB came back, she was sent to a different hospital outside of Toronto. The stay was even shorter than the last one. Eemeelayo knows the medication and treatments for TB and other illnesses have greatly improved over the years. “I became active in health and social services in my community because I wanted to make sure health services were adequate and relevant to our people,” declared Eemeelayo. She served on the Baffin Health Board for several years and indeed helped to improve the health services by instituting proper interpreter/translators, escorts for the elders and proper communications. Years ago, letters took over a year to reach loved ones and today we are just a phone call away.


Sadly, many Inuit didn’t come back home; they are buried at Woodland Cemetery, my mother Josie included. There are Inuit buried across Canada. Their loved ones are still looking for them. Some Inuit died en route to the hospitals. Fortunately, so many more Inuit were cured and came back home and are able to tell their stories, such as the three recounts here. “Our ability to wait and be patient pays off” is echoed by many


Inuit who had to go far away for medical treatment. Many of us believe that if we weren’t treated for TB in southern hospitals there would be a lot fewer Inuit. TB was so rampant, contagious and we had no way to treat it up North, so our gratitude is huge.


ᐃᒥᓚᔪᖅ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕈᓐᓃᕐᒪᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖅᑎᑕᐅᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅᑐᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᓂᐅᑉ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖏᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᓴᐅᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕕᓕᐊᕆᐊᓕᒃ ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂᓕ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᖕᓂᖓ ᐋᓐᓂᕐᓇᓐᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑮᑕᑲᐃᓐᓇᐅᓂᖅᓴᒥᓪᓗ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕕᖕᒦᑦᑐᓂ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐱᖓᔪᐊᓐᓂ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᑦᑕᓕᕆᕗᖅ. ᓱᓖᓛᒃ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖅᐳᖅ. ᑐᕌᓐᑐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᒥᓂᖅ. ᑮᑕᑲᐃᓐᓇ ᐸ - ᓗᒎᖅ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᓂᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᒎᖅ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᒡᓗᓂ ᐃᓅᓕᓐ ᓂ ᐅᑏᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᓄᑖᖑᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᓴᕋᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᑎᒡᓗ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓕᖅ ᑐᒥᓂᖅ.


Eemeelayo Annie Nataq ᐃᒻᒥᓚᔪᖅ ᐊᓂ ᓇᑖᖅ


“ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅ -


ᓯᒪᕗᖓ ᐊᑲᐅᓯᒋᐊᖁᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᓂ ᐃᒥᓚᔪᖅ ᓈᑖᖅ. ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᓯᐊᖅᐳᖓ ᐊᓂ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᐅᑎᓪ - ᓗᖓ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᖕᒥ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᕐᔪᐊᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐅᑭᐅᒐᓴᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᐅᓪᓗ ᒪᑯᓂᖓ ᐋᖅᑭᑦᓯᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕕᓕ - ᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᑦᓯᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᑐᓵᔨᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᑑᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂᓕ ᑐᓴᕐᓇᓵᖅᐸᔪᒐᑦᑕ ᐃᓚᕗᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᒻᒪᖔᑕ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᓕ ᑕᕝᕙᑦᓴ - ᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐅᖄᓚᒍᓐᓇᖅᓯᒐᑦᑕ. ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅ ᓯᒪᕗᖓ ᐊᑲᐅᓯᒋᐊᖁᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓᑦ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᓂ ᐃᒻᒥᓚᔪᖅ ᓇᑖᖅ.


“I was so eager to get off the bed, to touch the cool floor, to stand up. When my feet touched the floor, I stood up. Then I collapsed! There were no more muscles or fat in my legs.”


“ᓇᑎᕐᒨᕈᒪᓕᒧᑦ ᓂᑯᕕᒍᒪᓕᒧᑦ ᑐᓵᑦᓯᐊᕈᓗᓕᖅᐳᖓ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐃᓯᒐᒃᑲ ᓇᑎᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᖕᒪᑕ ᓂᑯᕕᒋᐊᕋᓗᐊᕋᒪ ᐅᕐᖁᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᖓ. ᓂᐅᒃᑲᒃ ᓄᑮᒍᑦᑐᒥᓃᒃ ᓂᕿᖃᕈᓐᓃᖅᑐᑎᒡᓗ ᐅᕕᓂᖃᕈᓐᓃᖅᑐᑎᒡᓗ.”


ᓇᓗᒥ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᒻᒪᑕ, ᑕᐅᓇᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓐᓂ


ᐃᓗᕕᒃᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᒐ ᔫᓯ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ. ᓱᓖᓛᒃ ᑕᐃᒪ ᐊᒥᓲᕗᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓚᒥᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᒥ ᐃᓗᕕᖅᓯᒪᖕᒪᖔᑕ. ᖁᔭᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᓂᖅᓴᑦ ᐅᑎᖃᑦ - ᑕᖅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᑐᑎᓇᖅ ᐅᑯᐊ ᐱᖓᓱᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕋᖅᑖᖅᑐᑦ. “ᐅᑕᖅᑭᒍᓐᓇᕈᓘᔭᕋᑦᑕ ᑐᓵᑦᓯᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑕᓗ” ᑖᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯ - ᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓐᖏᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᒧᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕕᓕᐊᕐᓂᑯᓄᑦ. ᐊᒥᓲᓪᓗᑕ ᖃᐅᔨ - ᒪᕗᒍᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓐᖏᑉᐸᑕ ᓘᒃᑖᖅᑕᐅᓐᓂᓐᖏᑉᐸ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᑦᓰᓐᓇᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᒐᔭᖅᑐᑦ. ᐅᐱᓐᓇᕋᓂ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᖕᓂᖅ ᓯᐊᕐᒪᒃᓴᕋᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᕙᒍᑦ ᐃᓅᓕᓐᓂᐅᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᒍᑦ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᒃᑐᖅᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ, ᐅᐱᓐᓇᕋᓂ ᐊᖏᔪ - ᐊᓗᖕᒥᒃ ᖁᔭᓕᓂᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ.


March/April 2012


above & beyond


29


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56