The assumption that Indigenous people can move on shines light on our heartlessness

Before anyone judges the Inuit of Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, it is important to understand the history behind the issues. We must remember that, as North Americans, our collective ancestry decimated their populations with violence and new diseases.

The turmoil and anguish they had to go through are evident. Yet, they are still not provided the same opportunities we have even though they were "Canadian" even before we were.

Moving Together to Have the Stories of the Inuit Heard

When you want to understand people, the best way to do it is to ask for their stories. When ordinary people can find safe places where they can tell their own stories, they want to know that their voices are heard. My walk of 8000 kilometers across Canada is a wonderful tool for CONNECTION. It is also about connecting people. Events happen. I meet many new people and we share.

To communicate the little-known reality of the Inuit

To begin, all the previous texts were to serve to communicate the little-known reality of the Inuit people through their conditions of life. During my research, I realized that the history of many indigenous peoples were alike. The texts thus became more general, however, keeping in mind the real distinctions of far-away communities living away from one another affected by very similar problems. An example of these differences relates to Inuit communities. No roads, no judges, no equal opportunities for employment, but with the same tax obligations as all other Quebecers.  Their nordicity is not served very well in Nunavik: racism and discrimination don't set the tone for human rights.

The family life of the Inuit has been radically altered

With the meeting of the White people, the Inuit people have suffered a cultural upheaval that has questioned their ancestral traditions. Over the last sixty years, the Nunavik Inuit have been facing an unprecedented historical development. The provision of family-centered care would likely build more effective and supportive relationships with women experiencing domestic violence. Education, compassion and service is the way to promote values. Education with cultural sensitivity is the most powerful tool there is.