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Nunatukavut Newsletter NunatuKavut News The official newsletter of the Southern Inuit of Labrador Spring/Summer 2013 Issue Recognized by the Labrador Winter Games Moving towards The People of Food security A firm decision Queen NunatuKavut members acceptance NunatuKavut It was a message being NunatuKavut council This year marks the proudly took their place NDP and Liberal party Documentary film shared to old and young stands strong in their Queen’s 50th year on at this year’s games. make the move for explores NunatuKavut in several of the decision to support a the throne. To celebrate Page 7-8 acceptance of the history. NunatuKavut caribou hunting ban. medals are awarded in NunatuKavut Land communities, but what Page 5 her name. Check out claim. Page 4 does it mean for us? some NunatuKavut Page 12 Page 8 members receiving their The Daniels Decision Diamond Jubilee helps pave the way for medals. future negotiations. Page 11 Page 8 NunatuKavut On-the-Ground Action Why the fight for our rights must continue On April 5, 2013, dozens of NunatuKavut members gathered on the Trans-Labrador Highway, their aim to show the provincial and federal governments and the rest of the country that NunatuKavut will not stand by and be ignored while it’s resources are depleted and the needs of the people are not met. That day, eight members were arrested while peacefully protesting including President Todd Russell, Vice President Jim Howell, elder Garfield Bessey, elder Jim Learning, CEO Dorothy Earle, Marjorie Flowers, Ed Heard and Lloyd Pardy. Despite the arrests, dozens of people stayed on the road and peacefully made their point. “When they took our Elder, he was not deterred and we were not shaken, instead we have become stronger and more determined than ever,” said President Todd Russell. With the arrest of the leadership, NunatuKavut youth were quick to take the reins of leadership. They fearlessly walked on the road, slowing but not stopping traffic. Their voices were heard from Labrador to the other side of the country, yet government refuses to listen. NunatuKavut President Todd Russell being taken from the site of April’s on-the-ground action “Our work is not yet done; there is much left to do and we will persist,” said Russell. (continued on Kirk Lethbridge photo page 2) NunatuKavut: Our Ancient Land 1 NUNATUKAVUT NEWS NunatuKavut On the ground action: Why the fight for our rights must continue (continued from P. 1) NunatuKavut and On-the-Ground Action Committee member Kirk Lethbridge said members have to continue to make themselves heard. He says NunatuKavut wasn’t always the thriving organization that it is today, but it was the people and their determination that has helped it grow. He remembers a time when his mother and other founding members of the organization would hold bake sales to raise money for office supplies to mail letters, a task that was carried out from someone’s at-home, makeshift office. “Sometimes we forget where we came from,” said Lethbridge. “That’s as grass-roots as it gets—selling pies for a dream.” That was the 80‘s and since then Kirk has participated in more protests than he can remember. The biggest protest he recalls is the blockade of Groves Point by NunatuKavut members. The blockade prevented any ships from entering the Jenny McCarthy photo dock at Terrington Basin for a period of three days. Elder Jim Learning is released from custody after three days of a hunger strike following his on-the-ground In all, Lethbridge says there were over a hundred action arrest. people involved in that protest and the aims of the organization were met with a forestry deal from the province—exactly what they had been looking for. wouldn’t be where we are today without those helicopter and preventing it from heading to the He has also seen the fruits of his efforts— protests,” Lethbridge said. proposed place of the new camps. On top of this recognition of forestry rights, fishing rights and the NunatuKavut member Jim Learning feels the occupation, there were supportive protests in right to hunt small game. organization would not have come so far as it has if Happy Valley-Goose Bay. “We’ve always had these rights, they (the people had not been ready and willing to stand up Learning said it was the steadfast action of the on- government) just don’t want to acknowledge these for their rights. The 74-year-old elder with an the-ground movement that created access for rights and that’s the problem.” otherwise clean record has been arrested twice in his NunatuKavut members. He said NunatuKavut has fought for everything it peaceful protests, once for ignoring an injunction to “They won’t say that’s the reason we got those has accomplished so far, as limited as some of the stay a certain distance from the Muskrat Falls work licenses, but it was,” said Learning, “It changed the gains may be—limited fishing rights, limited site and more recently while laying on the roadway game, it really did.” hunting rights and funding to help run the during the on-the-ground action, peacefully With many of the inherent rights to the land organization. protesting at the intersection to the south coast. NunatuKavut has always occupied ignored, on-the- For years, he said it’s been a stand-off with the “But we are not criminals,” said Learning. “We ground-action is often imperative to getting a provincial government to have NunatuKavut’s wandered these roads when we were kids hunting message across to those running the province and rights acknowledged. for partridges. They came to us. It’s that simple.” the country. And so the struggle for recognition continues. Learning has been involved with the fight for rights Learning say he has no plans to stop fighting for the NunatuKavut established an official On-The- for many years. He remembers clearly the night in life on the land he has always lived and hopes to see Ground-Committee earlier this year with 10 1996 when protesters ‘took’ a helicopter. future generations continue that fight. members ready to go when needed. In early April The previous night, a group of NunatuKavut [email protected] they put the call out that it was time to go back on members (then known as Labrador Metis) came the road for an on-the-ground action. The province together to talk about proposed fish camps for the and Nalcor were, at the time of publication, still Eagle River, a waterway that runs deep into denying NunatuKavut the right to be consulted NunatuKavut territory and is very dear to the hearts about development happening on ancient lands, the of its people. hunting and trapping grounds fathers and A new fish camp was being built on the Eagle River, grandfathers lived on, and in many cases, died on. a traditional salmon fishing area of NunatuKavut, The support was tremendous. More than 100 people but NunatuKavut members were forbidden by throughout the day and in the day following joined government to fish for salmon there. News of the the On-the-ground action team to voice their camp was enough to anger members who had spent concerns. Young and old alike held signs and stayed their youth fishing where now only visitors would on the road to show that we do have a right to be be permitted. heard. The idea was bred and soon a plan was in place. Kirk Lethbridge photo In recent years, members have protested a lack of What began with a group of 30 or so people in the NunatuKavut consultation for the Muskrat Falls wee hours of the morning turned out to be a group The boat used in the 80s protest that helped project as well as the lack of fishing rights for of more than two hundred people surrounding a NunatuKavut obtain their forestry rights. Nunatukavut members in Upper Lake Melville. “We NunatuKavut: Our Ancient Land 2 NUNATUKAVUT NEWS Jenny McCarthy photo On the Ground Action in pictures These are a few of the many photos we collected during our on-the-ground action in April Jenny McCarthy photo Jenny McCarthy photo Jenny McCarthy photo Kirk Lethbridge photo Jenny McCarthy photo NunatuKavut: Our Ancient Land 3 NUNATUKAVUT NEWS The People of NunatuKavut History in the making Jenny McCarthy photos In the first event of it’s kind for NunatuKavut, a film Inuit home. documenting the history of Labrador’s Southern Inuit The research of Dr. Rankin and her associates has been people was screened at the Lawrence O’Brien Arts Centre incredibly important to NunatuKavut—both in affirming on Feb. 9. for its residents something they had been trying to Dozens of people filled the auditorium to witness the explain for years and also in establishing the unbroken documentary created by a group of independent university continuance of the Southern Inuit people, right up to the researchers and archeologists. people who inhabit the communities today. Dr. Lisa Rankin, an associate professor at Memorial As Dr. Rankin points out, there was no end to the University of Newfoundland is the lead archeologist in the Southern Inuit presence in Labrador. The lives of the 5-year project entitled “Understanding the Past to Build Southern Inuit simply evolved into a different way of the Future” which culminated in the documentary film, of life, as did the culture and lives of the other aboriginal which she was also the executive producer. groups in Labrador. The people of NunatuKavut are Dr. Rankin has been researching the Inuit presence in direct descendants of those southern Inuit people who Southern Labrador for more than 10 years.
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