October 2014

thet original dwellings in the region. The invitation for that process in 2006 was throught Tagak Curley, a founding father of Nun- avut.a On the Internet, Wikipedia states, “Tagak CurleyC (born 1944) is an leader, politician anda businessman from . As a prominent fi gure in the negotiations that led to the creation ofo Nunavut, Tagak is considered a living father of confederationc in Canada.” In 1991, Tagak married Sally Curley, a very anointeda singer from the North. When she would playp the guitar and sing songs like “There’s Pow- ere in Praise,” she could bring the glory down, anda release Heaven into the atmosphere of the TheThe llalatette SSallyalllly CCurleyurlley (left)(lefft) andandd herher husbandhusbbandd TagakTaggakak CCurley,urlleyy, ooff RRaRankinnkkiin IInlet.nllett. earthlye realm. As one of the descendants of the original inhabitants in the Rankin Inlet region, RETURN TO RANKIN INLET EIGHT she had a strong connection to the land, and had YEARS LATER experienced the changes that had come when others began to settle in the land of her ancestors, and to make changes, From July 7 to 9, the community has been revisited where many of which were not for the better. the Canada Inuit Ministries in northern Canada really start- Sally had truly experienced the pain, the frustration, and ed. There is now an expectation of not only building upon sometimes the anger of feeling violated, and yet because past foundations, but of going further. I am referring to the of her strong connection to the land, she had the spiritual community of Rankin Inlet (in the Kivalliq region of Nuna- authority to bring either a blessing or a curse on to the land, vut, which is in the central Arctic, due north of Winnipeg). depending on her willingness to forgive rather than to be- This was the fi rst community where CIM offi cially did come angry and bitter, and to bless rather than to curse. the Healing the Land process eight years ago now, in July of When CIM brought the Healing the Land Process to 2006. A ceremony took place within and around this circle of Rankin Inlet back in July of 2006, Sally stood with the de- rocks which is on a site which marks the tent pegs of one of scendants of the original inhabitants of Rankin Inlet within a circle of stones that marked the tent pegs of one of the PROJECT PROFILE, PRAYER & PRAISE original dwellings. United they chose to release forgiveness, • Pray for Rev. Roger Armbruster’s leadership of and to welcome the people who had moved into the area Canada Inuit Ministries (006CIM-01-91). more recently. • Pray that this ministry will help bring healing and Those who had moved into the community in more re- God’s salvation into the lives of Canada’s First cent years had often made changes that by-passed protocol, Nations people. and ignored the people who had lived there from antiquity. • Praise God for the lives that have been changed Together, they partook of Communion together with one through this ministry, with God’s power. another and with the land, applying the power of the blood • Pray for God’s comfort and encouragement for Tagak of Jesus to do a washing and a cleansing of past defi lements. Curley, whose wife, Sally passed away recently. Within 30 hours, some 15,000 caribou showed up on that very spot, some of the caribou repeatedly encircling the circle Gifts for this Intercede Project should be designated to 006CIM. 201 Stanton St Fort Erie, ON L2A 3N8

Or Visit us on the Web at http://www.intercedenow.ca/reports.php Ph: 1-800-871-0882 2014-2487 of rocks within which the Healing the Land Ceremony had place from the oldest to the youngest. taken place. It was as if those caribou knew that something “It is like the land had been holding its breath for the of spiritual and heavenly signifi cance had taken place right longest time and now, wow, there is new breath and air and on that part of the earth just a few hours previously. water. It is the same with the sea.” NEW LIFE BLOSSOMS IN RANKIN INLET It is important that we in Canada heed these words from By that Fall of 2006, people in the Rankin Inlet region a respected elder from Canada’s far North who is no longer were picking cranberries. New life began to blossom on the with us. On Saturday, July 5, I received the sad news through landland.. our friends Ron and Veronica Dewar that Sally Curley had passed away that morning. She had contracted a serious cough, and so called the homecare nurse on Wednesday, July 2. On the next day, the nurse came to check on her health, and she was told that she will be all right. She had had respiratory problems, and frequently needed extra oxygen in order to be able to breathe adequately. It may have been a factor that the power was off in Rankin Inlet for fi ve hours that morning. In any case, on the morning of Saturday, July 5, 2014, her spirit left her body as she sat on the couch in her living room and went into the fullness of that glory realm that she used to tap into so frequently with her message and with her song. After hearing of Sally Curley’s passing on July 5, I con- tacted Dorothy Aglukark in Arviat to fi nd out any details that were available on the funeral, as I was not able to immedi- ately get through on Tagak Curley’s number. Some residents of Rankin Inlet. Dorothy mentioned that her husband David (Sally’s “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, brother, and another descendant of the original inhabitants and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the garden. It of the Rankin Inlet region) would be taking the funeral, and shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and sing- would be fl ying into Rankin Inlet the following morning of ing…They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of Sunday, July 6, and they would have a family consultation our God” (Isaiah 35:1, 2). and give me more details on the timing and planning for the Exactly seven years ago now, Sally Curley sent me the funeral. following note on the healing of the land which she gave me In the meantime, Marge and I had a witness that I needed permission to share with others, and I believe that it is fi tting to go up to Rankin Inlet for the funeral. The only other one that I should share her powerful words of wisdom right at from the South that we had heard was planning to come up this time. was Bill Prankerd from Ottawa. Both of us have done things “As one of the originals of Rankin Inlet, I encourage together in the Canadian Arctic in the past, and we both every community to open up to the ‘Healing of their Land.’ have a similar desire to see Inuit leadership under the Head- The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. ship of Christ arise on their own territory. “We tend to forget that God had blessed us with this It was a great honour to be able to participate in the beautiful land. Instead, we fi ght over it against each other- funeral, but especially to connect and to reconnect with -either verbally, or by our actions, making others feel unwel- other Inuit who knew Sally and who come from the Kivalliq comed in the community. region, from communities like , Chesterfi eld “Who will be standing before God someday to confess Inlet, Wale Cove and Arviat. Most of my time up North over their actions regarding the land? As we have heard of our the past 20+ years has focused on the Eastern Arctic, but in forefathers speak of their life on the land, we see the dif- the central Arctic, or the Kivalliq region, not so much. ference today. We the younger generation tend to get hard Yet, these are a very special people who have been patient, hearts towards the people that we think are responsible for who have not launched out independently in order to see a the different lifestyle today. new wineskin develop that can move beyond “one man” or “If we feel that we are being pushed aside, it is crushing us “one woman” leadership into a team leadership that builds inside. Some are hurting silently regarding this, and some have bridges in the communities where there had been walls. They a voice. From the time that we can remember to now, we had have waited God’s timing, and there is a sense that they are stored all the hurts of the past without realizing it at times. about to be unleashed, and will have a signifi cant role to play in showing the way forward for other churches and commu- “Forgiveness is the best medicine for a new beginning nities in the Canadian Arctic. within the people of the community and the surrounding land and sea. This healing and forgiveness needs to take Roger Armbruster

Gifts for this Intercede Project should be designated to 006CIM. 201 Stanton St Fort Erie, ON L2A 3N8

Or Visit us on the Web at http://www.intercedenow.ca/reports.php Ph: 1-800-871-0882 2014-2487