Yellowknife (June 02/03) - Nunavut is among the most religious jurisdictions in Canada according to data released earlier this month from the 2001 Census on Religious Affiliation.

Just six per cent of Nunavummiut said they have no religion, according to the 2001 Census of religious affiliation. Pastor Wayne Moore of the Pentecostal Church in Iqaluit said religion in the territory is alive and well. - Christine Kay/NNSL photo

Just six per cent of Nunavummiut said they had no religion.

"I believe that there was a sort of great opportunity 70 or 80 years ago to lay the foundations of Christianity down in Nunavut. It relied not only on a priest, but on the people who already lived here," said retired Rev. Mike Gardener of Iqaluit.

Gardener was ordained in 1955 and began his journey with the Anglican Church in Kimmirut. He said Christianity is successful in Nunavut because it was based on a partnership between the missionaries and the Inuit people.

Importance to the people

Leonie Duffy of Coral Harbour calls herself a born again Christian. She said her family thought she was going crazy when she found God.

"I just felt that something was missing in my life," Duffy said.

"I grew up in a loving family but I started to question myself. I realized that I could be free of sin and I started to understand why I was born and where I was going."

For the past 30 years, Duffy has served as a pastor at the Glad Tidings Church in Coral Harbour with her husband.

Duffy said it doesn't matter what denomination a person chooses, the word of God will help.

"My mother always told me I should pray no matter where I am. It's not my word. It's the word of God. It helps guide us and heal us," she explained.

Nash Sagiatook of Iqaluit agrees. He is an Anglican and goes to church as much as he can.

He said religion plays a very important role in his life.

"I'm still learning every day. It helps me to forgive others no matter what they have done. I believe that God is helping me go through life when it is hard and even when it is not hard times," he explained.

Inuit church leaders

Rev. James Peck established a Christian mission on Blacklead Island near Panniqtuuq in 1894.

The island was a whaling station and it was from Blacklead that word of the Bible travelled across Baffin Island. Missionaries were also active in the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions.

The Arthur Turner Training School in Panniqtuuq, named after a missionary in the community from 1928 to 1953, started training Inuit people to become religious leaders.

The Diocese of the Arctic covers an area 15 times the size of Britain and 13 of its 19 clergy in Nunavut are Inuit.

Religious denominations

The 2001 census showed that almost 60 per cent of the adult population living in Nunavut are Anglican. This makes Nunavut the most Anglican jurisdiction in the country, next to Newfoundland where 26 per cent of the adult population were Anglican.

The second highest denomination in Nunavut is Roman Catholic (23.3 per cent) and then Pentecostal (4.4 per cent).

Future of religion

Gardener believes a gap is growing in Nunavut between people who go to church and people who don't. He said although Nunavut is among the most religious jurisdictions in the country, there is work to be done to keep it that way.

"There is a challenge for the church in the North to keep the numbers up. There's really a need to make church interesting and to provide a way of life for families. There's a lot to be done," he said.

Gardener said the more Southern influence that comes into the territory, the more the churches will have to work to keep people coming.

"Many events take place on Sunday that never used to. There's nothing wrong with the events, but they are taking the place of the church service," he said.

Data from the 2001 Census on religious affiliation in Nunavut, by percentage:

Percentage of Canada's adult population who have no religion: