'Nunatsiavut has flourished': community celebrates 10 years of self-government
On the 10-year anniversary of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement and Labrador Inuit Constitution coming into effect, people across Nunatsiavut were celebrating.
Celebrations were planned all across the region Tuesday, with key festivities taking place in Nain and Hopedale, the legislative capital of Nunatsiavut.
The celebrations featured displays of local talent, feasts, singing and dancing and participation from elders and youth from the community.
A day to celebrate
Nunatsiavut President Sarah Leo told CBC's Labrador Morning the celebrations are an important milestone for the Labrador Inuit community.
"It's amazing that we're here, after 30 years of very intense, sometimes, negotiations, to be celebrating 10 years of self-government," said Leo.
But even as the region takes time to celebrate, Leo stressed the continued importance of reasserting who the people of Nunatsiavut are to provincial and federal governments.
"We are where we are with Nunatsiavut and self-government today because it's always been a challenge having white people come and dictate how our government and how things within our region should be run," she said.
However, Leo is optimistic that things will change with new provincial and federal governments in place.
"We can work with the two new governments in explaining who we are as Labrador Inuit by having them understand that our land claims agreement is a constitutionally-guaranteed document," she said
Although there were a lot of events planned for Tuesday, Leo was sure to stress the people of Nunatsiavut are always looking to celebrate how far they've come.
"These are excitements that we see quite regularly, a lot of them are more subtle. They may not be community feasts, they may not be big events, it's just in the everyday we see them," she said.
"Being a Labrador Inuk is always something to be proud of."
Hard-fought battle for recognition
On Tuesday, William Barbour, who was president of the Labrador Inuit Association (LIA) for nine years, reflected on the events that led up to the creation of Nunatsiavut.
He recalled the tough negotiations that took place between the LIA and the provincial and federal governments, and the decades-long fight to gain respect and succeed in their land claim.
"It became important that we not only reflect on the past but carry forward on what they would have wanted for us."
Barbour said he was pleased to see an agreement in 2005 after all the hard work involved in fighting for it, even as many elders were no longer around to see the dream of an independent Nunatsiavut government made a reality.
Barbour will be celebrating in Nain, and said it's nice to see how far they've come since the initial agreement was made.
"I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends, and spending hopefully quality time during our celebration day."
Youth looks towards future
One of the people celebrating on Tuesday was Grade 12 student Caroline Nochasak.
At an event Tuesday evening in Nain, she will have the honour of lighting the kullik, an item traditionally used for light, heat and cooking, with an elder, as well as host the entertainment portion of the event.
"I feel really honoured to be asked to the kullik lighting because it's the first young person to do this," she said.
"The kullik is a really good tradition, and not many people know how to do that, and to have that passed down, and to have someone ask me to have it passed down too, it's just really special."
When Nochasak starts college next September and tried to decide whether to travel elsewhere for university, she said she will always make sure to come back and call Nunatsiavut home.
"It's amazing because over 30 years they worked hard for this, and then now 10 years after they succeeded I see how much Nunatsiavut has grown and Nunatsiavut has flourished."
