Jean spent a day in Rankin on May 25 with her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and their daughter, Marie-Eden. Rankin was the first of an eight-community tour of Nunavut to mark the territory's 10th anniversary.

Canadian Ranger Ollie Ittinuar greets Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean upon her arrival in Rankin Inlet on May 25, 2009. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Much of the focus of Jean's visit was on youth, education and sharing.

Her message of getting an education and achieving goals was met with enthusiastic applause from students at Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik, who chase their dreams amidst Nunavut's 75 per cent drop-out rate.

Jean told the students she was here so people in the south could know what life was really like in the North.

She had students and teachers speak of their lives in Rankin, their school and what sports and music they enjoy.

The gym erupted with wild applause when she told the youth she heard they were awesome and great students.

"I want you to dare to dream very big and to succeed at what you want to achieve," said Jean.

"I see each of you as a potential leader in your community, and school is the first step in exploring your potential and how you can make a difference.

"I'm from Haiti, arriving in Canada at age 11 with my family as political refugees, and the thing that really helped me in my life was the confidence I had in myself and learning.

"It's very important for you to find the inner strength to be confident in who you are, your beautiful culture and language, the wisdom you receive from your elders and the opportunities out there."

Mayor John Hickes said he was impressed with Jean's vision of improved education in the North, including better educational and training facilities.

He said Jean spoke well and her positive message was well received.

"I was pleased with so much of the focal point of her visit being on education and her positive message to our youth," said Hickes.

"You can't send enough positive messages to our youth, their parents and institutions because we have to catch up with today's world.

"We got caught between the old traditional ways of Inuit and life today, and the requirements of the children today are not the same as the traditional ways.

"That message has to be taken out to the parents – that they have to find a venue that allows the kids to aspire to be something bigger than what they have been in the past."

Hickes said when kids cheer and clap over a message on staying in school, that tells you Jean got through to some of them.

He said the visit was a great day for Rankin.

"She left both our youth and us, as a community, with some challenges.

"The world is out there if you want it, but you have to work your little butt off to get what you want out of it.

"There's no racial or geographical boundaries that can't be overcome anymore."

Jean's visit was marred by coverage in southern media, which chose to portray her desire to sample seal meat as a political statement.

Kivalliq Inuit Association president Jose Kusugak said political statements were not the purpose of Jean's visit.

He said he was incensed by the National Post's decision to run a photo of the East Coast seal hunt in a story on Jean's visit.

"The real story here was very positive, both with her message on education and our community being able to share a traditional food she wanted to try," said Kusugak.

"We were so happy she came and no southern people can take away the sense of good will that happened in Rankin Inlet, not even the National Post.

"It was very unfair – when we share one of our main foods while entertaining their Excellencies – for southern media to turn it into a political statement.

"The National Post, using a picture of something totally against the Inuit philosophy of hunting, was hurtful to our people."

Kusugak said Jean's powerful message on education was made more relevant by her background.

He said, hopefully, the positives of Jean's visit won't be lost in the debate over her tasting of traditional food.

"I saw Condoleezza Rice being asked how hard it must have been to be from the wrong side of the tracks, but go on to become the U.S.A.'s secretary of state and she said, 'It's not where you come from that matters, it's where you're going that matters.'

"That statement meant something coming from her and it really touched me.

"When our Governor General gets those type of messages out to other minorities, like Inuit in this example, they really feel it.

"Anyone can say it, but it means more to the kids coming from Jean because she's proof of the statement."