Pond Inlet (Jan 15/07) - Pond Inlet has lost a pillar of the community, and the Nutarak family is facing its second major loss in a year.

Kooneeloosee (Cornelius) Nutarak Sr., 83, passed away last week. A funeral service was was scheduled for Jan. 12 in Pond Inlet.

Pond Inlet elder Cornelius Nutarak passed away last week. He will be remembered, among other things, for his accumulation of Inuit knowledge. - photo courtesy of Rideau Hall

Born on Jan. 1, 1924 in Piniraq near Clyde River, he lived most of his life in Pond Inlet.

Known as a guardian of Inuit culture - much like his son, the late Jobie Nutarak - he collected stories from his family and from other elders since he was a teenager.

He was also known for his ability to use traditional knowledge to predict the weather.

Nutarak garnered numerous awards and recognition over his lifetime.

On Oct. 6, 2006, he was named as member of the Order of Canada by Governor General Michaelle Jean.

In 2005, he received an award from Nunavut Commissioner Ann Hanson for acquisition of special skills, and for sharing his knowledge so freely in the community.

The Inuit Heritage Trust named gave him the Elder's Recognition Award in 1999, for helping other Nunavummiut understand their own culture.

Nutarak was also the right hand of the man they called Father Mary. Father Guy Mary-Rousseliere was a noted northern historian, and Nutarak was one of his best sources.

A large part of the Canadian Museum of Civilization's Inuit collection comes from the work of Father Mary, and Nutarak was always available to assist him.

Parks Canada used Nutarak as a resource when trying to collect elders' knowledge about polar bears in Pond Inlet.

One reason that he was so sought after as a scientific resource was the ordered fashion in which he collected notes. Since his teens, Nutarak carried a notebook with him, and used those books to record news, weather, and whatever other community news he saw.

Those journals were a major resource to Parks Canada staff, as they will be for scientists for years to come.

Members of Nutarak's family declined an opportunity to comment for this story, saying that it was still too soon since his death.