Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (July 22/02) - At 24, Israel Mablick has been through more than his share of hardships. But after a bout with alcoholism and drug addiction, he's managed to turn his life around and is rebuilding family relationships.

Israel Mablick passed through Iqaluit on his way to Rankin Inlet earlier this month. He now calls the Kivalliq community home. - Kerry McCluskey/NNSL photo

News/North: You just moved to Rankin Inlet?

Israel Mablick: On May 24th. I like it. It's peaceful. The people are very generous and there is lots of hospitality. And lots of people from Iqaluit or other communities go there for meetings.

N/N: So you see people you know all the time?

IM: Just about every day.

N/N: How does it compare to other communities you've lived in?

IM: I've lived in Iqaluit, Pond Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Yellowknife, Ottawa and now Rankin. I would have to say Ottawa (is my favourite) for all sorts of reasons. The education is a lot better there and the prices are cheaper. I prefer the South.

N/N: When you're in the South do you miss the North?

IM: There are times but life goes on.

N/N: Why are you living in Rankin and not Ottawa?

IM: I'm trying to stay close to my father. I haven't seen him in quite some time, seven or eight years, so I decided to stay close to him and live there.

N/N: How is your relationship with him?

IM: Good, we talk a lot -- just about every day or whenever I have a chance to go see him. There are times when I don't talk to him for two or three days and then I'll go visit and have supper.

N/N: What did you miss about your dad?

IM: The father-son relationship. It's been a long time.

Things changed in our relationship when we moved to Ottawa in 1992. Our whole family moved to Ottawa and started going to school there ... then my parents got divorced and I stayed closer to my mother.

N/N: You now work at the Siniktarvik Hotel?

IM: Yes, the position was originally for food but they're making some changes. At the moment I set up all the banquet rooms before meetings. Since the dining room is short-staffed, I'm working in there as a waiter.

N/N: Do you ever find it tough to wait on people?

IM: I'm experienced at it. I used to work (in Iqaluit) at the Toonoonik Hotel as a waiter and at the Tulugak Bar as well.

N/N: Did you like working in a bar?

IM: Good tips, but let's just say when people have one too many drinks it gets kind of unfriendly. At times it's hard. I didn't stay there long.

N/N: What made you get a job there and not go to the government of Nunavut where you worked before?

IM: I got tired of the GN. When I worked there, it was just starting up as a new government. All the people I worked with were friendly enough, but there were times when I had my personal and professional life going up and down. I decided to resign and do something else.

N/N: Do you think you'll go back to the government?

IM: Sometime in the future. That depends on how my life goes.

N/N: What are your goals for life?

IM: I don't like to set up big goals or long-term goals. I just like to set up things I like to do for myself. For example, next summer I'm planning to go to Paradise, N.S., to visit some friends.

N/N: Do you think you'll live in the South again?

IM: Most likely not. I grew up in the North. I was born in Iqaluit and I've lived in Pond Inlet and various communities. I'd like to keep my Inuit culture. When I start living in the South I lose my culture. When we moved to Ottawa -- when I was going to school -- I had to learn French and a bit of Spanish. That made me lose my Inuktitut a bit. After four or five months, I forgot how to read Inuktitut.

N/N: Have you regained it?

IM: Yes, it's slowly coming back.

N/N: What effect did that have on you?

IM: That was in 1992. It had a huge effect on me. When I came back North and I saw Inuktitut syllabics, it was pretty hard to read. One thing that helped me out was to keep a copy of the Inuktitut syllabic alphabet on hand.

N/N: Did you lose self-esteem because of it?

IM: I was young then, but I did feel kind of guilty.

N/N: You mentioned before you don't like to plan too far ahead. Why is that?

IM: I tried that before. It kind of screwed up my life.

N/N: How so?

IM: I became a drug addict, but I quit that. I also became an alcoholic, but I quit that as well.

N/N: You're clean and sober now?

IM: Except for cigarettes.

N/N: What happened in your life that made you turn to drugs and alcohol?

IM: Growing up and my parents being divorced, my life just went down. I was hurting a lot -- so much I just couldn't handle it. About a year later, my biological father passed away and that made things a lot worse.

N/N: Is that when you first starting drinking and doing drugs?

IM: It was before that. I was a kid. My first alcohol was wine. Every special occasion I had wine. Then we moved to Ottawa and I had more access to alcohol. I could go to the liquor store and get alcohol or have beer with friends of mine or go to the bar.

N/N: But you managed to put it all behind you?

IM: Yes.

N/N: Was it hard?

IM: No, actually it wasn't. I just put my mind to it and the next thing I knew, I hadn't touched it for several weeks.

N/N: Are your friends different now that you're not drinking and drugging?

IM: Yes, everything is different. All the people I knew when I was an addict are different.

N/N: Are you more at peace with yourself?

IM: Yes, I feel better. I feel healthier, except for smoking cigarettes. I'm more addicted to cigarettes now that I quit drugs and alcohol. I smoke two packs a day now but I'm trying to cut down. I try to think about something else and keep busy. I try not to think about feeding my lungs.

N/N: Why are you passing through Iqaluit?

IM: I was in Pond Inlet to attend my brother's funeral. He was the one who fell from the cliff. He was my biological brother.

N/N: It must be hard to deal with his death.

IM: It is. To make things worse I just found out last year he was my biological brother. I grew up with him as a child so I knew him but I didn't know he was my brother. I'm still trying to get over the fact that he died. I'm trying to understand exactly what happened. I heard the whole story of what happened that day. My mind is going off and on.

N/N: What's next?

IM: I want to stay in Rankin for a while and then go somewhere else.

When I was contracted to do the Wildlife Act community consultations as an audio technician, every community I went to I found out I had relatives. My family tree is growing bigger and bigger. I got a copy of my family tree from the 1930s to the 1950s. Following those bloodlines I'm related to lots of people, even people in Greenland. And that's just my father's side. My mother's side -- there are even more.

N/N: That must give you a real sense of belonging in Nunavut?

IM: It does.