“They should be kicked out of Iqaluit,” said Leesee Naulalik.

She is at the Montreal Children’s Hospital where her son Bernard has been on life support for the past two weeks.

“These boys should get help and talk to a psychiatrist or something,” said Naulalik.

Bernard suffered third degree burns to 30-per-cent of his body at about 9:30 p.m., Aug. 20, when he was set on fire under a residence in the middle of the Baffin Island town.

At least one resident has speculated that the tot was lured under the house in a planned manner by the two boys who were apparently high from sniffing gas fumes.

Bernard is still sedated after two skin graft operations to his arms and chest. He was scheduled for another graft to his back on Friday.

Since the incident, the two boys who set Bernard on fire have been in the care of Social Services and have left the community.

Uncle heard child’s cries
Nakasuk Tikivik said he saw Bernard's upper body engulfed in flames that night, heard his cries and watched the boys - one of them his nephew - run from the scene.

He, too, believes the boys should be banned from the community.

“I don’t think they should be allowed back to Iqaluit for at least three or four months,” he said. “They need help.”

“They knew what they did to him. I talked to my nephew after it happened and he feels badly about it,” Tikivik added.

His nephew is now in Edmonton, where he’s receiving counseling.

The whereabouts of the second boy has not been revealed by family or Social Services, however one resident who didn’t want to be named said the boy had been taken out of the community for counseling.

Tikivik admits his nephew is no angel and, although he’s upset with this latest incident, he isn’t surprised the boy is in trouble.

“He has been in trouble in the community before,” he said.