Summer 2012 - Royal Canadian Legion

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8 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F N O V A S C O T I A / N U N A V U T C O M M A N D Summer 2012 Notes from Nunavut Unloading a cargo ship in Iqaluit at the annual sealift. Nunavut Today - The Economy by Nick Newbery The traditional economy of trading between small isolated groups has long since passed for Inuit. But although ‘the job’ has imposed itself on most people in the Arctic, there are still some who make much of their living by the traditional means of hunting, fishing and trapping. Part-time employment is popular with many Inuit. Most Nunavut communities are small, offering a limited number of jobs; these are sometimes shared so that several people can access a moderate regular income along with the freedom to carve, sew, attend to their young families or to go Northern souvenirs for the tourist market. hunting. This is really the closest that they can get to the independence of the traditional lifestyle. One in three Inuit derive part of their income from arts and crafts and since most prefer ‘country food’ to expensive store-bought items, for many the mixed lifestyle economy suits them well. Most jobs are to be found with private enterprise and the government but in the 25 Nunavut communities, only the ten largest (which have decentralised government offices) can offer any real amount of employment and then, because of the 75 per cent drop-out rate of students before grade 12, many of those government positions remain unfilled or occupied by people from the South. The land still dominates the psyche and lifestyle of Inuit and increasingly work is being derived from employment linked to the outdoors, jobs associated with wildlife, guiding, eco-tourism, transportation, food production, commercial fishing and the fur industry. What looms over the future is the question of mineral development. Canada’s North promises to offer up more minerals than any part of the globe. Gold, diamonds, coal, lead, zinc, silver, oil, gas, iron ore and uranium are all being actively mined or investigated and almost every mineral known to man is located in Nunavut. This raises concerns such as pollution from roads or uranium tailings and environmental damage related to the mines. However, as a result of the 1993 Land Claims Agreement Inuit have the right to negotiate (Con’t on Page 9)
Summer 2012 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F N O V A S C O T I A / N U N A V U T C O M M A N D 9 St. Agnes School, Halifax, won the 2012 Call To Remembrance finals held at the Bridgewater Legion in May. Above, Provincial Call To Remembrance Co-Chairman Joe Murphy (left) and Chairman Roger Purnell (right) congratulate the winning team while Krista Locke, Regional Director General, Atlantic Region, Veterans Affairs Canada, presents the first place plaque to the St. Agnes coach. King’s- Edgehill School in Windsor took second place, Bridgewater school placed third and Eastern Passage fourth. Notes from Nunavut (Con’t from Page 8) with developers. They are not only getting jobs and training but are often getting a cut in the royalties. Like everything in life, it’s a question a balance, of preserving the environment while providing an income for people to feed their families. Right now, the Nunavut Government, like those in the NWT and the Yukon, is asking Ottawa for devolution powers, for control over its own resources to enable it to be less financially dependent on the central government. This is starting to happen in the Western Arctic, but the Nunavut government is still very inexperienced and Ottawa is hesitant to hand over further powers until the territorial government in Iqaluit can provide a more solid administrative track record. Global warming will likely wreak much damage on traditional Inuit dependency on the land. But it may also provide a different source of livelihood if the anticipated northern mining boom occurs and offers enough jobs to Inuit and if the Government of Nunavut can eventually persuade Ottawa to allow it access to the purse strings of mining royalties. ‘The paid job’ will undoubtedly largely replace the original lifestyle of most Inuit, resulting in a new northern way of life, less dependent on hunting and fishing. But aspects of both the traditional enjoyment of the land and the need for wage employment may be a feasible future combination for Inuit that can help them survive in the modern world and yet retain their northern distinctiveness. Notes from Nunavut is a regular column providing background on Canada’s newest territory and its people. Nick Newbery is a teacher, author and photographer who spent 30 years in the North and who recently retired to Nova Scotia. The photographs which accompany this article are drawn from three coffee table books he produced on the Eastern Arctic, all published by The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 168, in Iqaluit. www.iqaluitlegion.ca. North Sydney Branch 19 President Carl Wall stands with children of the North Sydney community who participated in the Queen’s Jubilee ceremony on June 2 held at the branch. Comrade Wall explained how they are going to lay a wreath in honour of the Queen. The North Sydney Branch 19 Colour Guard assisted with the ceremony. The Branch’s celebration included a pancake breakfast, a bike rodeo, a parade and a Cenotaph ceremony followed by a dance. District Commander Ted Martens (right) presented WWII veteran Alcide Landry (left) and Korean War veteran Fred Martel with their 55-Year Legion Membership pins at Isle Madame Branch 150’s Honours and Awards Dinner in March.
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Summer 2012 - Royal Canadian Legion

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