2021 Ukiungani Nutauyuat Inuit Pitqusiq Aturlugu Aullaaqturviat

2021 Youth Cultural Camp

Parks Canada has been hosting camps since 2003! That first year, staff and students gathered at Aktlaq Lake for six days of fishing, swimming, hiking, learning, and pure enjoyment. Since then, Paulatuuq residents of all ages have experienced camps at Thrasher, Rat, and One Island lakes. In 2014, with the construction of a permanent building at Uyarsivik Lake in the park, the camp found a permanent home.

The camp—now named Camp Jonah Nakimayak—is in the perfect setting. Located on the massive Uyarsivik Lake, it’s rich in cultural sites, wildlife habitat, and scenic vistas. Many Caches is a short 6km hike away and just beyond that is the Hornaday River. There’s no better spot for participants to learn more about their ancestors’ culture, to lend a hand at traditional activities, and to understand more about Tuktut Nogait itself.

—Stephanie Yuill, Park Manager

The caribou ran under us as we soared through the sky

We watched as the snow fell in July and covered the land like a blanket

We danced with the wind while we set up our tents

We hiked to places our ancestors once roamed

We played cards as we auntie-laughed the nights away

Our ancestors hiked these lands

Paddled these rivers

Fished these lakes

For 10 days

We experienced what

They experienced

We learned

We taught

We laughed

We cried

But we always ended up fishing under the midnight sun

As Summer 2021 Tusaayaksat Interns, this art piece was made to reflect the inspiration Mataya and I received from our trip to the Tuktut Nogait National Park for a Culture Camp with other Inuvialuit from Paulatuuq.

To create this piece, I took reference from the land we stayed on to create the environment and landscape in the painting. Some of the animals you see were also drawn from reference pictures we took out at the camp, while others were simply animals you could find in that region. Each animal was designed to help represent the people we spent time with and even took some significance in regard to their placement in the painting.

A lot happened during our trip, and I did my best to help portray the growth, truth, discovery, lessons, and connections we experienced during those ten days together.

—Panigaq

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ATANAUYAQPAALUUYUAQ INUVIALUUYUANUN TAMAINNUN UQAUSINGA MESSAGE FROM THE IRC CHAIR & CEO

Aaqana. At 25+ years of Tuktut Nogait (Tuktut Nurrait) Park, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation appreciates the original and determined commitment of our co-signatories: Paulatuk Community Corporation, the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee, the Inuvialuit Game Council and congratulates Canada in reaching the Tuktut Nogait Agreement.

Accomplished together, this formal understanding recognizes the additional significance of this land to Canada and to Inuvialuit alike and was passed into Canadian law to strengthen existing protections. The agreement was made to ensure that the local community—the occupants and harvesters of this land—will always have a lead role in the management of this land and will be able to see the benefits from opportunity.

In the negotiation process, Inuvialuit leaders modelled a proper collaborative partnership. You will read stories of how local leaders set the culturally based terms and approaches for parties to work under respectfully and productively.

Inuvialuit have also had to educate governments in the reality that basic decision making is best left to those Indigenous to the area and living there day to day, who can and should retain both rights and choice in land use and land protection, and that the outcomes of those decisions can sustainably stand, over time, for everyone’s enrichment. And again, to undertake this work requires the consistent and meaningful financial resources from Canada.

Respect is due for the Inuvialuit Knowledge of local Elders regarding these lands and ecosystems which set the vision for the park. Their generous contribution of knowledge that encompasses science, with their experience and their foresight, initiated the process and could then fuel the stamina and the resolve of all Inuvialuit leadership throughout the negotiations until a thorough agreement was reached. Because of their wisdom, the Tuktut Nogait Agreement now exists as a self-determined supplement to the IFA, under the same goals, for the overall benefit and interests of future Inuvialuit and as further outline for the continuous work in implementation.

The examples provided throughout this magazine reflect the original intent of community leaders, with the youth continuing to gain inspiration, appreciation and understanding of the impressive cultural heritage and substantial resources at stake and enjoying their time in this area whenever they can visit: passing on Inuvialuit Knowledge and framing their aspirations for the future.

The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation hopes that children and youth will become encouraged to pursue careers within the park, whether in guiding services by land and sea, as cooks or harvesters, wilderness first aid and search and rescue, in the research fields of permafrost, animal biology and botany among others and especially as future leaders of their community!

The objective of the park is for the integrity of the ecosystem to be maintained while Inuvialuit welcome responsible eco-tourism, lead collaborative research endeavors and cultural opportunities within the park while there is continued acknowledgement of Inuvialuit rights to sustainably harvest for the food security of the greater community.

The Tuktut Nogait Agreement was inspirational in again showing that Inuvialuit processes and priority can lead policy; we know Inuvialuit knowledge should be the lead within science and beyond as we determine the priority for ISR lands, our day to day lives, and that Inuvialuit set our own priorities for sustainable livelihood.

Creation of this park is a perfect example of the Inuvialuit aspirations when it comes to the IFA as well as our objective to be part of our sustainable ecosystem.

Respectfully,

DUANE NINGAQSIQ SMITH