A visual companion to Lisa Gregoire’s “Madam Premier”
- by André FrançoisAndré François Updated 18:13, Jun. 15, 2020 | Published 4:22, Jan. 12, 2011This article was published over a year ago. Some information may no longer be current.
Four-year-old Jenina savours a seal bone at lunchtime in Iqaluit, Nunavut’s largest city.
Kate Darling moved her three kids and her husband over 800 kilometres from Igloolik to Iqaluit, so she could attend nursing courses at Nunavut Arctic College.
Julie Alivaktuk, outside her grandmother’s house in Pangnirtung, a community of 1,500 just below the Arctic Circle. She leaves for college in Ottawa next fall.
Alivaktuk enjoys a cup of homemade arctic tea with her uncle Joavi, a hunting guide. The family has lost several members to suicide, which is ten times more prevalent here than elsewhere in Canada.
Salia Nakashak sews up holes in a sealskin before stretching it over a wooden frame to dry, which takes about a day.
Nakashak and her daughter Alookie (shown) will tailor this skin for outerwear or sell it to a local trapping association.
Pond Inlet resident Arlene Komangalik shows off a photo of her youngest son. Like many Nunavummiut, they were both born far from home, at Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit.
Leah Inutiq, who works for the territorial government, visits with her son Qilaluqaq, recently returned from university in Ottawa.
Inutiq’s collection of ulu knives hangs next to her stainless steel refrigerator—a juxtaposition of traditional and modern that’s typical in the territory.
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How’s The Walrus?
As the executive director, I am frequently asked this question. These days, I reply: “The Walrus was made for this moment.” From on-again, off-again trade news and negotiations to a new prime minister, we are committed to Canada’s conversations. We launched six regional bureaus earlier this year to ensure comprehensive coverage across this great country of ours. But we can’t do this alone. As a non-profit newsroom, this work isn’t possible without our readers’ support. If you believe in Canada’s stories, support our paywall-free journalism with a donation today.
Our team is small, but our commitment is big; just like our country. Every story we publish is the result of writers, artists, and editors going the extra mile (well, kilometres) to bring Canada closer together through compelling, fact-checked, and regionally grounded reporting.
