Letter From the Editor

Hot in the news the past few months has been grievances of the Inuvialuit ‘99ers. Few seem to agree on the origin of the name, but it is the term used for Inuvialuit living outside of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

Because governance of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is set up so that directors from each of the communities vote for the chair, and only people living in those communities can vote for directors, some ‘99ers feel disenfranchised by not being able to have an active role in the political ongoings in the ISR.

Nearly half of Inuvialuit now reside outside of the ISR. In this issue, we interviewed several in Edmonton. Previously, we profiled more than a dozen in Whitehorse.

With the economic state of the North and the opportunities available for young people in the south, it is likely that Inuvialuit will continue leaving the territory to pursue their dreams.

What it means to be Inuvialuit might also be a widening tent. In this and past issues, we’ve profiled many unique urban characters, from actresses to models and beyond. At the same time, we’ve talked to some true culture carriers and members of long-running traditional families in Paulatuk and Sachs Harbour.

It was fortunate to find in our Edmonton interviews two unique stories of “lost” Inuvialuit, adopted out of the North at a young age only to rediscover their heritage as adults.

So what does it mean to be Inuvialuit? At the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s general assembly this past summer in Alaska, Inuit the Arctic over were adamant there is no one “true” way to be Inuit: they are all of the above.

This is no political call: the IRC shall execute the Inuvialuit Final Agreement as the elected directors deem appropriate. IRC Chair Duane Smith, in our Q&A, elucidates why changing the voting structure in the IFA is a can of worms the organization would rather avoid. But beyond voting rights, this is a call for the global Inuvialuit community to stay connected.

There are about 165,000 Inuit on Earth. Fewer than five per cent of them are Inuvialuit. It is a beautiful, unique culture in the world, but one that is far too small to set up purity tests or allow the tides to pull apart.

QUYANAINNI THANK YOU,

Stewart Burnett

Editor-in-Chief