Seeking Identity
Saimanaaq Patricia Netser ᓴᐃᒪᓈᖅ ᓇᑦᑎᖅ
Arviat, NU
Abstract
Inuit need to know and understand colonization before they can begin decolonizing. They need to name and recognize the impact of colonization in order to start the process of decolonization. This paper addresses my own need to decolonize by describing some of the colonizing forces that have had a negative impact on my life. These forces include experiences in a hospital while undergoing treatment for tuberculosis as well as my forced attendance at a residential school and the impact of an arranged marriage. It considers my experiences as an Inuit educator in the late sixties and early seventies when the school system focused on an assimilationist agenda. Finally, the paper reflects on my own search for Inuit identity and healing. It describes my work with Elders and how this has enabled me to change, decolonize and understand what has taken place for Inuit over the last 60 years. Many indigenous people all over the world have begun to decolonize and some Inuit in Nunavut are now starting this process, which is prompting a rediscovery and reclaiming of our culture, traditions, and language.
Key words: colonization, decolonization, Inuit, Nunavut, reclaiming, assimilationist
ᑭᓇᐅᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᕿᓂᕐᓂᖅ
ᓴᐃᒪᓈᖅ ᐸᑐᕇᓴ ᓇᑦᑎᖅ
ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ
ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ
ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᒋᐊᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᑐᑭᓯᓯᒪᑦᓯᐊᕐᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᙱᑕᑉᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑎᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᖕᒪᖔᑦᑕ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᓯᒐᓱᓚᐅᙱᓐᓂᑉᑎᓐᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᑉᑎᓐᓂᒃ. ᓇᓗᓇᐃᕐᓗᒍ ᑕᐃᓗᒍ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᓗᑎᒍᓪᓗ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᙱᑕᑉᑎᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᑉᓗᑕ ᐱᐅᓯᑖᖅᓯᒪᔭᕗᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᖅᑳᕆᐊᖃᕋᑉᑎᒍ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᐊᕈᑉᑕ. ᑖᑉᑯᓇᓂ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᒃᑲ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᓯᒪᔭᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᙱᑕᑉᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑎᓯᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᕋ ᐱᐅᓯᕆᙱᑕᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑲᐅᙱᑦᑐᐊᓗᖕᒥᒃ ᓴᖅᑮᓚᕿᓯᒪᒻᒪᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᓂ. ᐊᐳᖅᑕᕈᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐳᕙᓪᓗᒡᕕᖕᒥ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᑉᑎᓐᓂᓗ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᕈᔾᔭᐅᑉᓗᑕ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᕗᑦ ᐱᔪᒪᑎᓐᓇᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᓯᒪᒻᒪᖔᒃᑯ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖅᑖᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᕋ ᓂᕈᐊᙱᑕᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᒻᒪᑐᖃᖅᑐᑦ. ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᖅᓯᒪᑉᓗᖓ ᐃᓐᓇᐅᓕᖅᑐᖓ ᐃᓅᓪᓗᖓ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑕᒃᑲ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᐅᑎᓪᓗᖓ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ 60ᖏᓐᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᓱᓕᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ 70ᖏᓪᓗ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᙱᑕᑉᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔾᔪᓯᓂᒃ ᐱᓂᐊᕐᓂᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ. ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖏᑦ, ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔭᓐᓂ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᓇᓱᐊᓚᐅᖅᑕᒃᑲ ᐃᓅᓂᕋ ᑐᑭᓯᓇᓱᐊᖅᑐᒍ ᒪᒥᓴᕈᒪᑉᓗᖓᓗ. ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖃᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐃᓐᓇᒻᒪᕆᖕᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖃᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᕐᓗ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᕐᓂᕋ, ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᓄᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓯᒪᓂᕋ ᑐᑭᓯᓯᒪᓂᕆᓕᖅᑕᕋᓗ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ 60ᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᓂᒍᕋᑖᖅᑐᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᖕᒪᖔᑕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ. ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᑎᓐᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᖕᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᑕᐃᓐᓇᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ, ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓴᐃᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᓇᓂᓯᒃᑲᓐᓂᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᖁᓪᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᐅᑎᕆᐊᓖᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᐃᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᖏᑦ, ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᖓᐅᑏᑦ.
ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ ᓇᓂᓯᔾᔪᑏᑦ: ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᙱᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑕ ᐊᑎᓯᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᕗᑦ, ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᒃ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ, ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ, ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᙱᑕᒥᒃ ᐊᑎᓯᑎᑦᓯᖔᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ
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