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RANKIN INLET - Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean quickly warmed the hearts of Rankin Inlet residents upon her arrival in the community on a bitterly cold spring day Monday.

Jean braved blowing snow and temperatures around -18 C with the windchill to talk with every cadet on parade to greet her, as well as numerous onlookers.

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, centre, braves blowing snow and -18 C temperatures to chat with Rankin Inlet cadet George Dunkerley upon her arrival in Rankin Inlet Monday. - - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Jean was accompanied by her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, and their daughter, Marie-Eden. Rankin was the first of her eight-community tour of Nunavut to mark the territory's 10th anniversary.

Much of the focus of Jean's visit to Rankin was on youth and education.

She received a huge ovation from students gathered to hear her speak at Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik.

Her message of staying in school and achieving goals was met with enthusiastic applause from students who chase their dreams in a territory with a drop-out rate of about 75 per cent.

Jean told the students she was here so people in the south could know what life was really like in the North.

She said it was very important for people in the south to understand the dreams of Nunavut youth.

"There are so many young people in the North, and I see you as the richness of the North," said Jean.

"I am very proud of you, and I want you to dare to dream very big and to succeed at what you want to achieve.

"People, right now, are talking about sovereignty and development in the North, but it can't happen without you and it has to be about you."

As successful as Jean's visit was, it was overshadowed by coverage in some southern media, which chose to portray Jean's desire to sample seal meat as a political statement.

Kivalliq Inuit Association president Jose Kusugak said political statements were not the purpose of Jean's visit.

He said he was incensed by the National Post's decision to run a photo of the East Coast seal hunt in a story on Jean's visit.

"The real story here was very positive, both with her message on education and our community being able to share a traditional food she wanted to try," said Kusugak.

"We were so happy she came and no southern people can take away the sense of good will that happened in Rankin Inlet, not even the National Post.

"It was very unfair -- when we share one of our main foods while entertaining their Excellencies -- for southern media to turn it into a political statement.

"The National Post, especially, using a picture of something totally against the Inuit philosophy of hunting, was hurtful to our people."