Absence of cannabis outlets in Nunavut 'unacceptable,' says Iqaluit MLA Volume 74 Issue 26 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2019 $.95 (plus GST) ᐊᖑᓇᓱᒃᑎ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᕗᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᓂ 4-ᓂ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ Hunter recounts 4-day ordeal "I kept telling my buddy not to fall asleep. I told him to pray with me," says survivor of boating tragedy that claimed eight others twenty-five years ago Close call on the land News Life Sports Elderly couple Kenny Bell elected Students Taekwondo recovering after Iqaluit's mayor learn to make master falling through as Nunavummiut tasty tea buns teaches ice in Cam Bay head to the polls in Iqaluit in Arviat Publication mail Contract #40012157 "Everybody's testing positive for marijuana in their system and can't land those jobs." 7 71605 00200 2 – Kugluktuk's newly-elected mayor David Audlatak Nivingalok on the barriers to employment in the mining industry, page 6. 2 nunavutnews.com, Monday, November 4, 2019 kNKu W?9oxJ5, N[Z/su, k=WE 4, 2019 feature news êΩËîΩÇéíÇÀîê á·∆¿ÖÀî Walrus hunter recounts harrowing story of survival 25 years ago 10 men went on a hunting trip for walrus, only two made it back alive ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛ ᐊᓚᐃᙵ, 53, ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂ ᐆᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᐅᑎᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ "I was about three feet underwater and then I ᐊᖑᓇᓱᒋᐊᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᒥ ᐅᒃᑐᐱᕆ 1994-ᒥ, ᐃᓱᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᑐᖁᓂᐅᔪᓂ 8-ᖑᔪᓂ said to my mind, 'it's not time for me to go, I ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᖑᑎᓂᑦ, ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᓚᐃᙵᐅᑉ ᐊᑖᑕᖓᓂ, ᓴᐃᒨᓂ ᐊᓚᐃᙵ. could swim.' So, I got my head out of the water and started breathing." Pitseolak Alainga by Rajnesh Sharma relatives embarked by boat and headed onto Northern News Services Frobisher Bay to hunt walrus. Iqaluit They reached their first outpost camp on On Oct. 18, 1994, 10 Inuit hunters set out Oct. 18 and settled in for the night. Early on a journey from Iqaluit that would tragic- the next morning at around 4 a.m. the group ally affect the lives of many family and com- travelled toward a second outpost camp. They munity members. remained there and visited some relatives for Eight hunters would end up dying in the a few days until Oct. 25. icy waters of Frobisher Bay, leaving only two As they continued on their journey, the young survivors. Now 25 years later, 53-year- hunters encountered strong winds and had to old survivor Pitseolak Alainga is sharing a return to the outpost camp. They tried again detailed account of this dark tragedy. the following day and successfully anchored At the age of 12, Alainga began hunting their boat closer to a walrus colony. with his father Simonie Alainga, a prominent With harpoons and rifles ready, four older hunter in the Iqaluit area. He learned many men and six young men went out to catch skills while helping to provide food for their walrus. They hunted late into the evening Rajnesh Sharma/NNSL photo community. until they caught and butchered 13 walruses. From his father, Alainga would also learn The joy of the hunt however, would not last Pitseolak Alainga, 53, was one of only two survivors to return from a hunt- survival skills. This knowledge would one long. A crisis was looming on the horizon. ing trip on Frobisher Bay in October 1994, that ended with the deaths of eight day end up saving his life. other men, including Alainga's father, Simonie Alainga. The men ended up in Father and son, along with eight other Please see Four, page 3 the water after hurricane-force winds swamped their boat. kNKu W?9oxJ5, N[Z/su, k=WE 4, 2019 nunavutnews.com, Monday, November 4, 2019 3 Correction feature news êΩËîΩÇéíÇÀîê á·∆¿ÖÀî An error occured in the Oct. 21 edition of Nunavut News ("Preserving Inuit culture by producing bowhead oil cosmetics," page 4). Due to an editing error, incorrect characters appeared in the text. Nunavut News apologizes for any confusion or embarrasment the error may have caused. Simonie Alainga NEWS perished Oct. 29, 1994 after Briefs the boat he was travelling in Witches-ᓂ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᐅᔾᔨᓂᖅ ᓴᐃᒨᓂ ᐊᓚᐃᙵ took on water ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ/Cambridge Bay ᑐᖁᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᒃᑐᐱᕆ in high seas. ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ 12-ᓂ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ 29, 1994-ᒥ ᐅᒥᐊᖅ ᕼᐋᓗᕖᓐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕌᓂᒃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ Seven of his ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᒪᐃ ᕼᐊᑯᖓᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕝᕕᒋᔭᖓ other relatives ᐅᒃᑐᐱᕆ 23-ᒥ. ᐃᒻᒪᒃᑎᓪᓗᒍ also died. His ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᖅᑐᓂ witches-ᓂ ᒪᓪᓕᕐᔪᐊᖅᑐᒥ. ᐸᐃᑉᐹᒥᑦ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᖓ son, Pitseolak ᐲᑕ ᐃᕕᑕᓕᒐᖅ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᕐᒥᓂᒃ Alainga, who ᐊᖏᕐᕋᐅᔾᔨᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᑦ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓇᖅᑐᓂ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᕐᒥᓂ was 28 at the ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ. time, survived ᒪᓕᖕᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓂᐅᑉ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᑦᑕᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ the tragedy, ᐅᓇᑕᖅᑐᒃᓴᑐᖃᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᒥ ᓄᕕᐱᕆ along with Billy 11-ᖑᓕᕌᖓᑦ. Kownirk. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ photo courtesy of Pitseolak Alainga ᐱᓕᕆᔪᒥᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᖏᓐᓇᕋᓱᐊᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐳᓚᕋᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᕕᑕᓕᒐᖅ. "ᐱᓕᕆᒐᔪᒃᐳᒍᑦ (ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ) ᐊᓯᐊᒎᖅᑐᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᓂᑦ, ᑭᐱᙳᐃᔭᐃᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ," ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. "ᐅᓪᓗᕐᒥ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒥ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᕆᕝᕕᐅᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ, ᐊᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᕐᓂᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᖃᑎᖃᕐᓗᑕ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᓂᑦ." please see Taking, page 12 ᐸᕐᓇᐃᓂᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᔪᓄᑦ-ᑭᐅᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᕐᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᒡᓗ ᓕ ᒃ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᖕᒥ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᖃᓕᕐᒪᑦ – ᑐᓂᔭᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐲᔪᓪᒥ ᐋᓐᑎᐊᕆᐅᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓇᒃᓯᐅᔾᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ – ᐱᔪᒪᓂᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥ ᖃᔅᓯᐊᕐᔪᖕᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖑᓗᑎᒃ ᑭᐅᔨᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒍᕋᒡ Four days in the water ᒧᐊᕋᔅ, ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᐅᔪᖅ. ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᓚᖃᕋᔭᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ Walrus, from page 2 "We were wet all that time. If we had to ᐅᓯᑲᑦᑕᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᒥ go to the washroom we peed in our pants. We ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓄᖅ ᑲᐱᓯᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂ The next day, the hunters woke up to had no drinking water," says Alainga. "I kept telling my ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᔪᙱᓐᓂᐅᔪᓂᑦ. ᖃᔅᓯᐊᕐᔪᖕᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ heavy winds and radio warnings informing For a drink, they scraped off the snow buddy not to fall ᐱᓕᕆᓕᒪᓂᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᑐᒧᑦ them that the tail-end of a hurricane was that had accumulated on the boat and let it ᐸᖅᑭᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᖁᑦᑐᓐᓇᐅᒥ ᓚᐃᓴᓐᓯᖃᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂ going to hit Baffin Island. They decided to melt. asleep. I told him to ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᕌᓂᒃᓯᒪᓕᖅᐳᑦ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒧᐊᕋᔅ. immediately head back but on the night of Alainga explained that his father always "ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᒐᓛᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ Oct. 29, their keel broke in heavy seas and pray with me." ᐊᐃᒃᓯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐅᓂᒃᓯᒪᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᖁᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ told him never to chew the snow or swal- the boat started taking on water. low it right away. It was important to let it (ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᒻᒥ)," ᒧᐊᕋᔅ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ, Pitseolak Alainga ᐃᓚᒋᐊᖅᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᔪᓄᑦ-ᑭᐅᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ "We had an electric hand pump to pump become warm water before swallowing it. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᐅᓪᓗᓂᑦ 7-ᓂ 10-ᓅᖓᔪᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ. out the water but the water was flowing faster "Every night we couldn't sleep. Alto- ᓂᕆᐅᒃᐳᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖢᒑᐱᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ, than we were pumping," explains Alainga. gether for the three nights and four days we couldn't cry. I lost my dad, three uncles and ᐱᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᓂ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᓂᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᓕᓴᒥ, Eventually the water reached the engine slept 15 minutes." four cousins." ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ. ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐊᖑᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ and "killed" it. Each night both of them would see a little Upon seeing the location of their sub- ᐃᓕᓴᐃᓂᐅᔪᖅ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᓛᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ A distress signal was sent out by radio. girl in a milk crate if they fell asleep. merged boat from the helicopter, the surviv- ᐋᑐᕚᒥ, ᒧᐊᕋᔅ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. The communities of Kimmirut and Pangnir- "The little girl would say, 'Come here ors were finally able to cry please see Planning, page 12 tung heard the call. where it's good and dry.' But every time that Today, Alainga's eyes become teary as With the boat now starting to sink, all little girl was getting closer, we were getting he remembers the moment he was reunited ᐊᑎᖓᓐᓂ-ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑕᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ 10 men boarded an 18-foot canoe they had closer to the water, almost falling in." with his wife and two sons at hospital 25 brought with them. They made it through The young men turned to prayer and tried years ago. ᓂᕈᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ two big waves but the canoe did not survive to maintain a positive attitude. Over the years, it has been Alainga's wife ᓄᖅᑲᖓᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᑲᒃᐳᖅ the third. The smaller boat capsized and "I kept telling my buddy not to fall asleep. and siblings that have helped him cope with ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ everyone went overboard. I told him to pray with me and just sit beside the aftermath of the tragedy. When he occa- ᐸᕐᓇᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᑎᖓᓂ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂ Eight of the men drifted away into the me and we'll get through this," says Alainga. sionally struggles with the thought of losing ᓂᕈᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓂᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᑕᐅᑦᑎᒃᑯᑦ dark waters except for Pitseolak Alainga and The following day, on Oct. 30, they could his father and relatives, his family is always ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᓂᕈᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᒃᑐᐱᕆ 28-ᒥ ᐲᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. Billy Kownirk. see planes searching for them and even hear there for him. ᑐᙵᕕᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᓴᓂ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ, "Every time I tell the story, the burden ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᓄᑐᖃᕐᓂ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐸᕐᓇᐃᓂᕐᒧᑦ "In just a matter of few minutes, the eight a search boat from Iqaluit. ᑲᑎᒪᓂᐅᔪᓂ, ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ Cambridge Bay-ᒥ men perished," recalls Alainga. that I'm carrying becomes lighter and lighter. ᐸᕐᓇᒃᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ "It was approximately 11:30 at night. I Rescue at last If I had not talked about it, I probably won't ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᓯᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᑉ ᐊᑎᖓᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒧᑦ, remember because I had my watch on and it On the second to last day before their res- be here today." ᐱᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᑎᖓᓐᓂ ᑐᑭᖃᖅᑐᒥ, "ᐃᓂᐅᔪᖅ had a little light button so I could see what cue, Alainga even recalls seeing a boat about With time, Alainga has come to terms ᐃᖃᓗᖃᐅᕐᔪᐊᖅᑐᒥ." time it was." 10 kilometres away. with what happened. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ, ᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᙱᓐᓂᖃᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ Alainga was wearing winter clothing, ski "My feeling was we're gonna get rescued." "It was a tragedy that happened but I have ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᑲᓗᒃᑐᑎᐊᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᓪᓚᕆᐅᓂᖓᓂ. pants and boots. He thought he was going to His feeling turned to reality, when on to move on. We can't go backwards and bring ᒪᐃᔭ ᐹᒥᓚ ᒍᕉᔅ, ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ sink but knew he could swim.