by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 13/98) - One of the North's most prominent mothers has died.

Nipisha Lyall, 80, passed away April 3 at Stanton Regional Hospital in Yellowknife. Funeral services were last Thursday in Taloyoak.

Lyall spent the winter with her daughter, Sylvia Ritchie, in Drayton Valley, Alta.

The mother of 10, originally of Cape Dorset, left behind a long line of hard-working and dedicated sons and daughters.

She raised them with her husband, Ernie, a Labradorian who passed away 11 years ago.

Nipisha met Ernie in Lancaster Sound, where he worked with the Hudson's Bay Company. They both travelled to Fort Ross, where Ernie set up a HBC post.

In 1949 the Lyall family moved with the Bay to Taloyoak, where most of the Lyalls were born, grew up and settled.

Many of them today hold prominent positions in various Nunavut organizations. Dennis Lyall is mayor of Taloyoak. Bill is the president of Arctic Co-operatives Ltd.

The last time the whole family was together was at their father's funeral.

There have been occasions however when five or six of the brothers and sisters have been together, usually during business conferences in Yellowknife, Iqaluit or Cambridge Bay.