Lines of racism and cultural segregation

Okay. So let's start off with a bit of honesty.

I'm white. I have blue eyes, brown hair, and a darker complexion. I'm one of those "black irish" don't-you-know.

I speak french. I speak english. And I moved to the north in the past year.

I have made many friends... casual and close... since I've moved here. And just about every one of them is white.

I work in an almost all-inuk office. I'm surrounded by Inuktitut. I have adopted some verbal mannerisms (eee, and ela, and taima). I treat my co-workers with the same respect I would "down south" (and vice versa)... but when the clock strikes five, we go our separate ways... rarely, if ever, to see one another until the next morning (save the odd trip to the grocery store).

I have been to "white" gatherings where other inuk men and women have been. I have been to "inuk" parties where I was one of the only southerners there.

But again. I can say with confidence, I don't actually have any Inuit friends.

So I have to wonder. At what point does a search for shared experiences become cultural segregation and racism? How much of this is intentional, how much is me not having met "the right people"? How much is a language barrier? How much is the education factor?

I don't think of myself as racist. But I'm sure most racists don't. But I sometimes do avoid talking to Inuks in favour of white folks like myself. Now I tell myself that's because I'm scared of offending them because I don't speak their language.

So I ask you, dear readers. Is this a subverted form of racism?

Or, in the words of an Avenue Q song .... is it that "we're all a little bit racist, sometimes"?

- J

Rip-off Artists

Does anyone else see a problem with this picture? Yes, it's been photoshopped, but take a look at the price of the ipod Nano from the Northern, and then compare it the price from the Apple online store. But wait! It's on sale! I'm gonna run down there and buy me one of those fancy MP3 players right now... What a freaking rip-off! I don't really understand how they get away with this. The fact that they would prey upon uneducated, underprivileged people by marking up a product over twice what any other person would pay for it just boggles my mind. How can the managers of the Northern sleep at night knowing that they are ripping off the people of Nunavut like this?

Can Positive Attitudes Change Nunavut?

Reader M. has submitted a bit of prose for our readers.

It’s so telling…(but, I may or may not be reflecting about you. You know who you are.)

You ‘know it all’ when you’ve been in up north for two years. It’s cute, refreshingly adorable when you pat yourself on the back with the proud assumption that you are a full fledged expert on controversial northern issues because your certificate/diploma of ‘authenticity’ is the stub of a First Air or Canadian boarding pass… Wow, let me roll out the red carpet for you to spew out your all encompassing knowledge of Canada’s newest territory and all her problems.
You are like what they call a ‘home wrecker’, well move over because I have stood by too many times while I’ve watched you favor your look alike twins at a lot of services, institutions and the most hurtful is at the hospital, favoring your kin and treating my family and especially my babies lesser to how you would nurture your family pet.
New territory. It isn’t one to be patronized and belittled. A new territory; is a mutli-generational construction site one which requires wisdom, patience and enough where-with-all to shut your mouth when you don’t have an answer (but that would be too for some). Nunavut is a work site where people are willing to pick up the pieces and work with what we’ve got. Sometimes it’s so obvious that it isn’t much, but literally, shut up, deal with it, get over yourself and be constructive.

You are not someone I would call an expert because you read a newspaper clipping, hear local coffee shop gossip or you internalize your spouse’s stories from ‘work’. Really expert; take your narrow minded comments excerpted from a history of haughtiness and put it back on the sealift on which you meticulously planned for a terrible time up in our beautiful, exotic locale and park your butt back in a suburb and strut like you’re ‘all that’ down south, because quite frankly I’m being burdened; quite often to the point of folding and saying, ‘Yeah, you’re right, I’m a f_cking failure. Thanks for pointing that out.’ (Arrogant prick)

Like, the climate of being under a global microscope to wait to see if we will fly or flop isn’t stressful enough, you add the nuts who strut around in their Patagonia’s, MEC’s, and ‘North Face’ getup who annoy and interfere with the monumental task of a group of people who until very recently lived in the now cutsie igloo’s being guided by the once necessary and now inspiring inuksuk, are mustering up any courage to ‘give it their all’ in their pride and joy, their fledgling Nunavut – a dream which you so smartly deflate.
Perhaps you are satisfied with replacing the difficult environmental elements that the Inuit survived and thrived in with your hostile mind frame that try’s to put her down and defame her God given wonderment and beauty. (F_cken Bully)

Some have been publicly humiliated, demoralized, shamefully disgraced and striped (literally and figuratively) at every turn; try as they might you will always set them up to fail, so get yourself another certificate/diploma and disgrace another land with your high-fa-lut'en negativity.

If you let your mouth give you away in public and you see a ‘beneficiary’ or anyone else with some wisdom quietly smiling at you, make a mental note that you do not fool others with your terrible words which you cleverly masquerade as learned, superior with philanthropist rhetoric. (You are as malicious as you are self-destructive.)
Do everyone around you a favor and get a new postal code or, wonder of wonders - you might consider joining the band wagon because although Nunavut is still licking her wounds someday she will fly and some day I hope you may proudly point to your pieces of her success, may Our land (yours and mine) be filled with unity and not dissention. Make up your mind, put your malicious tongue away and do what you can to make our Nunavut fly.

M.

A positive post

Our first positive post about life in Nunavut. Something I'd like to see more of, and something you won't read in a newspaper. Thanks for the contribution Anonymous.


We just saw a screening of "Before Tomorrow", the new film directed by Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Ivalu of Arnait Video Productions (http://www.arnaitvideo.ca/) - a women's video collective that has been putting together film productions since the early 1990's in the unique style of Inuit narrative. The film was written by the directors and Susan Avingaq.The film was co-produced with Isuma (Zach Kunuk and Norman Cohn, www.isuma.ca), and uses Igloolik and Nunavik based actors. I have a feeling the film will open (somewhere down south) to rave reviews.

The film was beautiful. The actors Madeliene Ivalu and her grandson-in-real-life and in the film, Paul Dylan, played the moving lead characters. In the film, Paul Dylan convincingly plays a mature and 'able' and focused young boy - but around town he is any one of the loony kids runnin' around. The film was funny at parts and immensly sad. Scenery and cinematography, spectacular. The screen play was adapted from a Danish novel. This is one aspect that I found so remarkable. Marie-Hélène read the book in some language (French or English?), which was translated from Danish, wrote a screenplay in English/Inuktitut with writers Ivalu and Susan Avingaq. Although the style of the films is somewhat improvisational (not directly reading from scripts) - the writing-collaboration between directors and writers who don't speak the same language is fascinating.

This women's collective and their latest product, and first feature film, is a shining example of collaboration between the Inuit and 'southerners' - through art (as are the products of Isuma). So it is possible for there to be a positive product made from the intercept of two cultures. The middle between black and white need not be mediocre and gray, but a rainbow - more than the sum of the parts. The rich and unique history and art of the Inuit, combined with the art and the technology of the south.

- Anonymous

Non-Inuit beneficiaries: Are they real?

In the comments section (link https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3804229191398393578&postID=5082985712686012220) of a previous article, commenter "kotn" stated:

• "There are long time northern residents who were named beneficiaries when NTI and Nunavut were formed. Each community got to decide how long you had to live there to qualify. Saying "in order to be a "beneficiary" you need to be of a certain race" isn't true."

I've done some research on this since reading that, and I can't dig up anything on this, not even in a theoretical or policy sense. I meet a lot of people, from all walks of life, from many different communities, and would be aware of their beneficiary status. I have never come across a non-Inuit beneficiary, and I've been around a while.

I have to admit, I am very skeptical that this alleged group exists. If any do, these individuals would be very rare indeed.

So I turn it over to the readership, some of whom are reporters: Have you ever heard of a specific non-Inuit beneficiary? Not the concept that they could theoretically exist, I mean, do you actually, really know of any? Or, if you know where the policy or legislation on this matter is, point us towards it to learn more.

Don't give us names, but give us a vague idea of the individual's history in the north, the region they're in, and why they were given beneficiary status.

Fear, loathing, and the right to be here...

The recent xenophobic and personal attacks in the comments of the last post (A call for new posts) illustrate the need for Nunavut Uncensored. A commenter posted a pretty moderate and balanced comment only to be personally attacked. This is why bloggers around Nunavut were looking for an outlet out fear of reprisal and/or job dismissal for freedom of speech. Thank you Arctic Agent for giving us the outlet.

Xenophobia has ultimately not been productive in history, and it is likely similarly not going to be productive here in Nunavut.

But this brings up an important issue that many people that come to Nunavut have to deal with - the ethical right to be working here.

In my work (at the GN), I am often attacked in a similar way in the comments to the last post. I am asked, why am I telling Inuit about what they already know better? Who am I, an outsider, to tell them what to do?

The simple answer is, because it is my job. I've been hired by the Government of Nunavut as a qualified professional. The Government of Nunavut is an Inuit Government born from the NLCA. This land-claim government had decided their policy and sought to hire someone with qualifications to enact that policy. This Inuit land-claim Government wrote the qualifications for the job, and decided, through a job competition process that is skewed towards hiring Inuit, not to hire an Inuk. Likely because no Inuk applied who met the qualifications of this Inuit Government. So they hired me, someone from the south (but I don't have a big belly or bushy eyebrows). And then I get attacked for "telling Inuit - who know better - what to do."

So... this Inuit land-claim government hires southerners to work for them, but there is open hostility from within the communities. It appears that the community either doesn't understand democracy, or their MLA's aren't simply working for them. Or rather, because this Inuit land-claim government has obligations beyond the communities (in addition to the communities), i.e., to other territorial/provincial governments, the federal government, and in some cases to international governments, they need to hire 'professionals' with 'credentials'. I've heard this be called 'credentialism'.

If Inuit don't want southerners telling them what to do ... then simply don't hire us. Go to your newspapers, blogs, MLA (not to HR at GN, who will just give you government lip service) and say : Don't hire southerners to do these jobs. Please hire Inuit, we can do better. And show them that you can do better.

Ask your Inuit landclaim government why it is not hiring Inuit. Don't attack the people who have been hired. These people who are doing their best to serve this government, while it gets on its feet.

I for one will love to see the day when there is an Inuk in my job. Despite the fact that I feel that I do a great job, because of my white face, the people will always interpret my decisions with suspicion and even perhaps hostility.

Any thoughts? What does 'qualified' mean? Can a southerner ever have legitimacy in a race-based government? Can this government be accountable to the Inuit, at the same time by meeting international standards of policy?

- Anonymous

A Call For Posts

Ladies and Gentlemen of Nunavut... The Agent needs your help. In order for this blog to stay alive we need submissions from our readers. This blog was designed as a venue for all of us to post our take on life around Nunavut without the fear of reprisal. There have been some really great debates in the comments, and lets keep it up. The trouble is, I live in one small community, and observe only a fraction of what really goes on. In order for this blog to work, we need your help. So how 'bout sending some sweet type written love this away...
arcticagent@gmail.com

- A.A.

Are we safe?

Rumors abound in our community that the RCMP have ignored death threats given to our high school principal by a local teen. What isn't rumor is that our principal has had a tough year (as I'm sure many do), but is still fighting the good fight, and we commend him for his efforts. But his professional and personal hardships aside, what is a teeny bit more serious are these threats on his life...

We in the community have heard through the rumor mill that the local RCMP officers have dismissed these threats as "benign" after confronting the individual and giving him a stern warning and informing him of the "gravity of the situation". Personally, this is insulting. Why isn't he under arrest and in jail? He's broken the law! Twice now actually because the threats have continued. We shouldn't have to wait and see if he decides to act on those threats! By that time it's too late! According to a google search, here is the laymans legal definition for death threats:

Threaten death or bodily harm

Under the Criminal Code, it is an offence to knowingly utter or convey a threat to cause death or bodily harm to any person. It is also an offence to threaten to burn, destroy or damage property or threaten to kill, poison or injure an animal or bird that belongs to a person.

Penalties

The offence of utter death threat may be prosecuted by summary conviction or by indictment. If prosecuted by indictment, the accused person is entitled to elect trial by jury and upon conviction is liable to up to five years jail. In most cases, however, the offence is prosecuted by summary conviction, requiring a trial before a lower court justice. In this case, the maximum penalty is 18 months imprisonment.

It seems pretty obvious that this young man should be in custody and awaiting a trial. But that's not the point of this post. The question I'm asking is why? Why aren't the RCMP doing their job? Is it because they are young, inexperienced officers that are afraid to take on Inuit-White violence? Is it because they are understaffed and overworked and don't have the time and resources to deal with an apparently "minor" offense? Or is it because these things happen all the time in larger cities and they just go unnoticed? Personally I would be really scared if someone were threatening my life, and I would hope the RCMP would take these threats seriously. It certainly doesn't seem all that unreal of a possibility that these threats would be affirmed, given the drunkeness, and history of crime in these small communities.

I for one hope that our principal gets on a plane, gives Nunavut the finger as he's boarding his $1500 flight home (First thief of the north), and contacts every newspaper, blog, and RCMP head office he can to inform them about this.

Your thoughts?

-Anon

Welcome to Nunavut, now go home!

Awhile back, we got into some trouble over what we had written on our blog. In a meeting with our superior we were told that we are visitors here and that we should behave as such. After the adrenaline wore off from the meeting, it hit me. Visitors? Visitors!? I couldn’t believe what I had heard. Did he really say that? A glance at my notes confirmed it. I know that we live amongst people of another culture and that qallunaat are the minority in the north. But are we not still in Canada? I was born and raised in Canada. I am Canadian. Nunavut is in Canada, no?

What the dilly?

Almost 3 years ago I saw a job opening. I applied for the job. I got the job. I moved. I work, live, pay taxes, and vote in Nunavut. I left my life in the south to live here. To LIVE here. And it doesn’t matter how long I live here. One year, 5 years, 10 years – as long as I live here I am not a visitor. I know we won’t live here forever. This might be our last year, I don’t know. But that shouldn’t matter. If I moved to Alberta for 3 years would I be a visitor there? Would I have to watch what I say so as not to upset the Albertans? When Inuit move to Ottawa are they visitors? No way! So WHY am I a visitor here?

Since that meeting, other things have irritated me. One of them being when someone asks “Are you going home for Christmas?” I’m guilty of it too, don’t get me wrong, and I kick myself every time I make that error. The other thing that bugs me is when kids ask me where I live. I point to the house and they say “No, I mean where do you really live?” The fact that the kids also see us as transients hits me. I can, however, understand it coming from them. They have seen so many qallunaat come and go, after all. But from an adult? It didn’t hurt; it made me angry.

So I genuinely want to know. Can someone explain this to me, please? Is it because we live in a territory protected by a land claim agreement and since I’m not a beneficiary of that agreement, that makes me a visitor? I guess I could sort of see that explanation. But if I am called a visitor just to protect the sensitivities of NLCA beneficiaries so they don’t think this land is anything less than theirs… is there any question?

- J.M.

Are we guests or inmates?

There's a time-honoured tradition in Nunavut that I'm ready to see the last of. That tradition is the doubling-up of strangers in hotel rooms and B&B's.

I had the misfortune of being booked into a B&B for a few days in one of the communities last fall. It was either that or the hotel, so I asked the travel agent to make sure that I would NOT be sharing a room, and to choose for me accordingly. I was also quite willing to not travel if I would not be guaranteed a private room for the duration of my stay.

The agent checked and said the B&B would guarantee me a private room. So, optimistically, but still doubtful since I'm not new to travel in the north, I had them make the booking.

Well, I can hear the squeals of laughter of the Arctic Agent readers from here. You guessed it. As soon as I arrived, I was told that the person previously in the room had decided to extend their stay, so I'd be sharing.

So, here I am put on the spot, as we are all put on the spot. "It's the way of the north". "It's winter in the Arctic, what do you do?".

Well, I've had enough of it, so I made the difficult decision to be a bitch. I knew there were other rooms available in town (more expensive), and I had the earlier booking, so I refused to share. It was so hard! The pressure should not have been on me. The person I was kicking out was not happy, although they did not blame me (I don't think!). If I had been the displaced person, I would have forced the B&B owner to make up the difference of having to switch to a different room after having changed my travel plans on the condition that I could extend my stay, but that was not my decision to make.

This is just so wrong. It's bad enough expecting strangers to share rooms, but to do it to someone after they had gotten a guarantee of a private room is just unethical.

I took an informal poll in the days following, and I was shocked at how many endorse the sharing of rooms. Everyone has been convinced that there is no other way to do it, that you can't throw people out in the cold.

Well, I am here today to call bullshit on that notion.

Let's face it. There are no unplanned arrivals to the communities in Nunavut. You book in advance (unless you're stupid, but face it, the travelers in the north are either well-heeled tourists or transient workers. We're not stupid, we make plans, we can't drive into town on a whim). If your plane arrives, the weather is OK, so the person scheduled to vacate your room is generally not stranded, unable to leave the community (Arctic Bay is an exception due to wierd flight schedules, and I should mention that the B&B there is wonderful, I've stayed there too and it wasn't that one!).

The reason people are doubled up are because we put up with it. We're nice. We don't want to be labeled as snobby or demanding southerners, or "culturally insensitive" at these "misunderstandings" (definitely not a misunderstanding in my case, although that card was played), so we suck up the "tradition" of sharing, due to the "shortage" of rooms.

Guess what causes the shortage of rooms? Well, I run a small business, and it's a no brainer. If you can sell the same product twice, at double the profit, and the customer bears the inconvenience and not the business, it starts looking pretty darn lucrative, doesn't it? Further, not only do the inconvenienced customers not complain, everyone just says it's the way of the north. Heck, the hotel operator is practically a hero for offering this unique cultural experience, and the pushovers- oops, I mean guests- are left to dine out on the tales of roughing it in the north. Hardly a big incentive to expand rooms when you can double the profits on the ones you've got.

I'm not a tourist looking for a unique experience though. It's not 1957 any more, and I've had enough.

I also have the solution. If rooms have to be shared due to lack of space due to "emergencies", pass a law that the guests are each charged half rate in that situation. That way at least they get a financial break for having had to sleep with (or worse, not sleep at all) the snoring stranger with the questionable hygiene who might be out on parole for all they know. The hotel operator loses nothing, their room is still rented. And you know what? If the hotel or B&B operator is denied the double income, I think the number of rooms will suddenly increase.

After all, room rates in the north cost are higher than the south, for far fewer of the amenities. Sure, it's expensive to build in the north, but the room prices reflect that, and they don't need to put in the conference rooms, the pools, or the parking lots to attract guests, so it does work out. The demand is there, otherwise, what is that stranger doing in my room?!?

Stop trading my sleep and privacy for your profits! The innkeepers of the north are not going to do anything unless we stop being such good sports about being treated so deplorably.

-- F.St