Manitok Thompson is a former MLA, cabinet minister and commissioner of Nunavut. She now lives in Canmore, Alberta.
The spirit of Inuit has always been to help each other survive.
Let me provide some examples. If a person didnʼt have enough dogs for hunting, someone would give the needy person some dogs to help out. If a large boat needed to be pulled up on shore for repair or for the winter, the whole town helped with their strength or their dog teams to get the job done.
Whatever was needed, bullets for hunting, skins to make kamiks or cloth for a dress, people stepped up and gave, either of their time or with something material. If hunters harvested some meat, it was shared. Everyone would come and get what they needed.
There is even an Inuit cultural process for sharing the harvest, the first person gets this part and the second gets this part and so on. There were even specific parts of the harvest for women and a part for men. This still continues in some communities and with individual hunters who give, but with meat being sold at auctions and bids, people have become more cautious.
There was no room for a person to say “I canʼt.” The word “canʼt” was not in the Inuit vocabulary. If you were instructed to do something, you did it. Every person was useful whether helping with the birthing of a child, sewing a parka or preparing skins for clothing.
Young people were available for any job that was required of them. This help was always available, at any time. There was no time to just lie around all day getting bored with life.
There was always something to do, always something that needed to be done. People never turned their backs on anyone who needed help — thatʼs why Inuit survived in the harshest climate of Canada. You just didnʼt walk by; everyone practiced being a Good Samaritan every day. I vividly remember my mother taking two of our dresses and going over to one of the neighbours so that their little girl could have a Christmas dress.
In the past, before formal government and agencies came to our communities, the elders were our government and they did a great job. We didnʼt have social services to help take care of the children who were in need.
There were always community leaders who made decisions to make sure a child was placed with a family that could provide. In an important way, the elders were the adoption agency and social services and the police. The elders were the government. They had everything under control. Money was not the issue to our elders: they gave what they had and they governed the community effectively and with compassion and wisdom. This was done all year long.
This Christmas season, Iʼm pleased to know that the spirit of giving is still strong and well in Nunavut. Recently with more publicity to help the needy in Nunavut, we have seen agencies and individuals making available food baskets and parkas for children and families in need.
Our southern neighbours have also lent a hand and it will be remembered for years. We have seen large amounts of hockey equipment, food, knitted hats, mitts or clothing collected and donated and with our local airlines waving freight charges. It’s amazing what can be done when no one worries or cares who gets the credit.
Recently there have been so many Good Samaritans who have refused to walk by because they know Nunavut needs them to help out. Southern generosity should be received in the same spirit in which it is given; not in the spirit of welfare. The true Inuit spirit is to give and to help where and when you are needed. May this spirit of giving be alive all year through.
So to all those persons in Nunavut and to our southern neighbours, those who freely give of their time, energy and yes their spirit, be commended at this special time of the year.
The spirit of our ancestors has been reborn by the action of many. They would be proud to be Canadians.
Manitok Thompson is a former MLA, cabinet minister and commissioner of Nunavut. She now lives in Canmore, Alberta.
