inukjuak drive nov 30 2012

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Inuit Clothes and Other Essentials DriveNovember 30, 2012


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Inukjuak Fast Facts

Inukjuak Meaning: The giant

Population: 1456

Record Low: - 49.4 C (- 57 F)

Innalik is a combined Primary and SecondarySchool with more than 400 students.

Inuuvunga: I Am Inuk, I Am Alive 2004Documentary 8 Inuit high school students fromthe school documented their final year in the high

school. Daniel Weetaluktuk Museum: the museum

exhibits a magnificent collection of Inuit arts andcrafts as well as traditional tools, hunting andfishing gear.

Robert J. Flaherty filmed Nanook of the North(released 1922) in the area.

The suicide rates among Canadian Inuit is staggering, comparing to some third world and developing nations

for years. The suicide rate among Inuit is 11 times higher the national rate with 15 to 24 year old men in

Nunavut is 28 times the national rate.


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Inukjuak

Inukuak is located on the east coast of Hudson Bay, at the mouth of the Innuksuac River, facing the Hopewell Islands, previouslyknown as Port Harrison. Principle access to Inukjuak is by air. Population approx. 1300, principle languages Inuktitut andEnglish.

Some of the population was moved out of the area in the 1950s and relocated to Resolute Bay, on Cornwallis Island, and Grise Fiord onEllesmere Island. Years later, compensation was provided to the people involved in this situation. The name "Inukjuak" means "the bigman" or the "giant". Inukjuak is a major cultural capital for the Inuit. The Inukjuak Museum and headquarters of Avataq Cultural Instituteare both in the community.


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Background

Daughny Langer who now lives in Acton has, for over 25 years, beenfostering over 300 children said the people of Inukjuak need our help. Sheraised Siasi Irqmia Smiler, and now as an adult and pillar in her community,she reaches out: The little ones, new born to 12 years are in desperate need of baby &

childrens clothes ages newborn to 12 years (sleepers, blankets, under

garments, long johns, socks, boots/shoes, mittens, hats, etc.) and otheressentials (baby formula, teething biscuits, baby diapers, baby wipes, babypowder, hand soap, etc.).

Air Inuit provides free transport. Air Inuit offers service from Montreal viaKuujjuarapik and Inukjuak, to Puvirnituq 5 times a week.

December 2009 TD Canada Trust started collecting these items.

St Pauls Anglican Church and other friends joined in the drive.

March 12, 2010 Shipment # 1 63 KG (11 boxes): friends of the Church,Cindy DeSousa, Paula Granton and myself drove the goods to Inuit Air


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Our Contact: Siasi Smiler Irqumia

Siasi Smiler Irqumia wasborn and lives in Inukjuak.She was greatly influencedby her parents who taughther the traditional way of

living. She is a printmakerwho uses wood and lino toproduce limited editionprints. She also doespaintings and drawingsportraying images of

women at work.

Footnote: Isa Aqiattusuk Smiler was born in Inukjuak in 1921, both of his parents died

from an illness when he was only nine-years-old. He began carving in 1948. In 2004, he

was named one of the four best carvers by his colleague Johnny Inukpuk. Isa Smiler

adopted Siasi. TD Bank has a large collection of Inuit Art and some of Isa Smilers

works are in the collection at TD Waterhouse.


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Siasi received the shipment April 27th

2010 all was gone within the day.

Re: Your Friend from the South

Hi Connie,

First let me tell you that I went on the local radio station to read your

card and all the names written on it and one lady was super grateful

about people we don't even know thinking about us so far from our

community Thank you to all of you and thank you for your thoughts

for me of my husband, he is doing better, but he is still in MTL, we are

always happy to receive more clothes, all the stuff you sent was well

received, and gone already first day we got them, I should go now but

Im online during the day and not evenings,

take care now, Siasi


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The Iqaluit ConnectionSeptember 24, I met Jennifer Birmingham, Daughnysgrand daughter. you should be helping the Iqaluit people she said and

connected me with Susan Gardener who in turn introduced me to Mary Ellen Thomas, Iqaluit.

Communication1: October 29, 2011

This is exciting and we would be glad to work with you. The more partners the better to help build our cathedral . As you

may know it was destroyed by arson in 2005 and badly under insured so we have a long way to go to rebuild.

We are also well aware of other needs in the community as the church runs a soup kitchen that usually has over 70 people

per day. Various members in our committee also are involved with the womens and mens homeless shelter and other

community groups.

Years ago there was a program that ran here in Iqaluit called Bare Essentials and then it ran out of money because the cost

of freight was so high. Its goal was to provide the Bare Essentials to women and children. Things like hair brushes, socks,

toothbrushes, shampoo, toothpaste, pads, diapers, pencils, crayons, colouring books, etc,etc. Clothing is way too heavy

and not much return.

Things that if you are living on low income are hard to come by. Perhaps we could charge a dollar or two for these items and

use them for fundraising. Lets try a few boxes to start and see how it is received in the community.

Im excited so lets perhaps have a teleconference and make some plans.

Remember there is no Dollar Store in the Arctic.

Communication # 2: November 14, 2011

Mary Ellen Thomas, Arctic College, St. Judes parish November 14, 2011

Thank you so much for the good news. I will share it with our committee as we have a meeting planned tonight. We look

forward to working together. In our community we also have the First Nations bank that is an affiliate of TD I think.

Katherine Gomez is the manager there and I will also have a chat with her to see if she can offer any kind of assistance.

Every Blessing, Mary Ellen


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Iqaluit

St. Thomas' - Inukjuak, Nunavik: The Anglican mission station was established in 1925. A church was built

in 1965 and a new church was constructed in 1985. A rectory was first built in 1951 and a new rectory was

constructed in the late 1980s.

Church of the Epiphany, Umiujaq is located on the east coast of Hudson Bay, 160 kilometers north of

Kuujjuarapik. Principle access to the community is by air. The population is approximately 250 and the

principle languages spoken in the community are Inuktitut and English. With access to both a fresh water

lake and Hudson Bay, Umiujaq is a site that has a lot of advantages for the practice of traditional Inuit

hunting and fishing. This was important when the Nunavik authorities chose the area for the creation of a

new village. The village was completed in 1986 and is made up of Inuit who had been living in

Kuujjuarapik. "Umiujak" can be translated as "one who looks like bread", "one who looks like an upside-

down boat", or "one who looks like a beard". Traditional hunting and fishing are the principle economic

activities in the community.

The current incumbent is Rev. Iola Metuq.

The rector visits the community once a month.


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St. Judes Cathedral, Iqaluit, Nunavut

The Iqaluit Cathedral Story Once upon a time over 35 years ago RonThoms, a renowned Canadian architect, designed St. Judes Cathedral whichwas later built by a team of volunteers headed by Markosie Peter. Thismagnificent building became one of the main landmarks in Frobisher Bayuntil a 2005 fire destroyed it along with its Handmade Tapestries, Bishops

Chair, Pastoral Staff, Holy Table, Narwhal Tusk Cross, Sealskin cushions,Qamotik Communion Rails and Pulpit, to name a few of the items.

A new design, similar to the original one, was approved and is currently beingbuilt with the latest energy saving technology and a larger footprint to allowseating for over 400 people. It is designed to meet the Arctics spiritual and

cultural needs into the next millennium.

STANDING TOGETHERSt. Judes has a strong sense of itself as a community of faith, called by God, united

in Christ, lead by the Holy Spirit. It has been what the Bishop of the Arctic, AndrewAtagotaaluk, has described as a place of peace and comfort for parishioners of thisArctic diocese.

VISIONTwo fundraising committees have been formed: one at the Diocese of the Arctic office

in Yellowknife and our local one in Iqaluit. Our Fundraising Committee has heldcaribou stew suppers, auctions, chili bake-offs, various sales as well as participated inlocal events running a canteen, to encourage donations. We are raising moneyneeded for the contents such as new hymn books, pews, organ, and tapestries.Today, weve laid the foundation, raised the roof, and now please help us complete

the inside and fill the Igloo-shaped shell.The costs are estimated in excess of $6m and considering the small population of theDiocese of the Arctic (Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Nunavik), we cannot do thison our own. We need your help! Be a part of this great story

Heritage Canada Foundation included St. Judes in their worst loss list in 2007.


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For information or to make a donation:

St. Judes Rebuilding Fund, c/o Anglican Church, Box 57, Iqaluit, NU, X0A 0H0

Telephone: 1-867-979-5595

Facebook Page: Friends of St. Judes

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/247065565322656/

Email: [email protected] Income Tax RECEIPTS provided.

The Cathedral is, again, a focal point from different locations in our City.Temporary church/Parish Hall is the grey building/ green trim on the right.

Our next fundraising effort is to pay for the electrical, plumbing, etc., as well as

all the contents
http://www.facebook.com/http://www.facebook.com/


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January 29, 2012

Shipment # 2 Inuit

Airport Cargo Bay

210KG (37 boxes) werecollected and shipped toInukjuak via Inuit Air.

We have received the

boxes, all are long gone

and if and when you are

ready to send more

boxes please let me

know. Thank you for

taking the time to do

this.Siasi


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Daughny Langer, Dylan Smiler Irqmia, Ward 2Halton Hills Councillor Brian Lewis

Jennifer Birmingham, Susanna Hunter


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Busy

Volunteers!


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The Need is Great!

From Mary Ellen Thomas, November 2, 2011

I thought you might be interested in this news item on CBC radio. It is shocking that in this town of 6000 people that over

our local food bank has to supply food for over 500 people per month and the soup kitchen feeds over 70 adults and

children per day.

Food bank organizers say Bank a Treat campaign was a success

Food bank organizers in Iqaluit say their Halloween Bank a Treat campaign was a success. Jen Hayward is Co-chair of theNiqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank and helped to coordinate the food drive on Sunday. She says volunteers couldn't visit

all the homes in the capital because vehicles filled up fast.

And our volunteers went around trick-or-treating to various houses and collected over 4,000 individual items. And thats,

thats just a ballpark figure. We couldnt count that high.

Yesterday Food Banks Canada released its annual hunger count survey. It showed an 80% increase in food bank use in all

three territories since 2008. Thats the largest increase in food bank usage in the country. In October Hayward says the food

bank in Iqaluit provided food for more than 500 people. Right now she says there are only six formal food banks in Nunavut,

the Northwest Territories, and Yukon.


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Shipment # 3: November 15, 2011 208 KG (40

boxes) shipped to Inukjuak through Inuit Air


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The Fourth Drive: Clothes and Other Essential Items over one ton and

129 boxes of goods was driven to Inuit Air Montreal on Dec 16, 2011 along

with 40 boxes (over 300KG) to First Air, Ottawa for the community of

Iqaluit. George Gastle and Paula Granton her friend Cary and myself drove

to these two airports.

This would not have been possible without the generousity of a $200

donation from St Stephens of the Anglican cluster church, $805 from TD

Bank and $500 from Norval United Church. We were able to rent a 20 foot

cube van along with our regular van, to pay for gas to and from Norval to

Ottawa to Montreal and home again. Also the generousity of Doug and

Jennifer in Picton who each time put us up for the night, feed and water usand put us on our way again.

Mary Ellen Thomas of St Judes Cathedral, Iqaluit received the shipment

on Dec 21, just in time for Christmas!


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Next Steps

Community Committee: Form a committee to have greater and faster

positive outcomes

Fund Raising: Liaise with companies that can support through cash donations and items

for essential life support; Purchase movie through NFB

Develop relationships and a sense of understanding of the situation in the

North through education of existing programs: Existing Aboriginal (Inuit)programs, Corporate Responsibility Programs, Federal, Christian and/or

other religious outreach programs.

Work with our partners to develop an evaluation plan to measure the impact of this

outreach program to enable funding from private and non private entities.

inukjuak drive nov 30 2012

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