Difficult Times

 This is a beautiful and barren land.  The wind blows so consistently that the icicles are bent by it.  The presence of icicles shows that Spring is here, although we have yet to cross into positive temperatures.

Since our last post it has been a very difficult time in Whale Cove. There was a tragic accident which resulted in the death of one of the community matriarchs.  There was a physical fight that was so intense that one of the participants needed to be airlifted out for care.

Then, we lost another teen to death by suicide.  This is the second youth since our arrival here on Jan. 12, 2021.  It is hard not to feel discouraged.  The challenges that are faced by everyone trying to live their best Inuit life are pretty much impossible to describe - the poverty, the state of housing, the difficulty in maintaining traditional values and lifestyles and the lack of job opportunities.

Colonialism has so much to answer for.  

In the aftermath of our student's death, I have also come face to face with other challenges in the North this week.  Disclosures of domestic violence, sexual assault, and serious medical conditions due to the unhealthy diet and lack of food availability and the use of tobacco in both smoked and chewed form have all come into my office as I have tried to support staff and students.

And then a parent calls and says the Community is going to walk together.  Tomorrow all who are able will walk on the one road out of town to the airport (7.8 Km one way).  We will talk, we will be together and we will be immersed in the scenery, the big, big sky and the rocky land. This will be done to show that all are valued and together on the life journey and to recognize those who have been lost.  No flashy T-shirts, no water stations with corporate sponsors, just a bunch of people who are trying to maintain their connection to the Land and each other.