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PAULATUK
Paulatuk elder Anny Illasiak died in October, but her knowledge will live on in countless children and community members for generations to come.

Anny Illasiak takes a break during the Health Canada Climate Change and Health Adaptation workshop last summer in Paulatuk. - photo courtesy of Paulatuk Community Corporation

Illasiak lived in Aklavik before moving to the Paulatuk area in the 1970s, said Lawrence Ruben.

During her time in Paulatuk, she divided her time between caring for her large family, nine children, 28 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, and making sure the community's children learned about their land and their culture.

Illasiak was a core member of a group of elders who brought youth on the land to spend time and learn.

“What the children learned from them was that the land was more important to them in terms of living off it, getting caribou, fish and geese rather than getting gold and diamonds and other things,” Ruben said.

“Her knowledge provided for the children greatly.”

Illasiak was never happier than when she was out on the land, and her passion was transferred to anyone who went with her.

“Her love of the land was always shown to the community, she loved fishing and caribou hunting, anything to do with how her parents lived,” said Ruben. “She gave her knowledge and provided for the younger children through programs out on the land.”

Illasiak also brought tradition into the community’s education programs. In 2006, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation recognized her for her 10 years as the aboriginal language teacher for the Paulatuk Aboriginal Headstart Program. Even after her retirement, she still helped out with the program every morning.

The children in the program adored her.

“The name stuck to her, ‘Granny Uma’,” Ruben said. “It was a way the younger children showed respect for her and her knowledge.” Illasiak also helped run a community sewing group for anyone who wanted to learn how to make traditional clothing.

“They were classes for the younger generation, she was good at that,” Ruben said. “She always had time for the younger generation no matter what.”

Illasiak was also known for her culinary skills. She used her love of cooking as a volunteer with the Paulatuk Community Kitchen, which began in 2010.

She also acted as a cook during the Tuktut Nogait Oral History Project, which was organized by Parks Canada and took place between 1999 and 2001.

Ruben said though Illasiak was hired as a cook, she was definitely much more.

“She was a cook, but I’m pretty sure she did other things because she had knowledge of the area the park is in,” he said. “She was there a few times providing her knowledge and cooking services.”

Illasiak also participated in the Art in the Park project in Ivvavik National Park. There, Illasiak created beautiful tapestries of the land she saw during her visit.

“She just loved doing tapestry off the land,” Ruben said. “She wasn’t an actual painter, but she took that mental picture and put it on a tapestry.”

Ruben said Illasiak will be greatly missed by her family, friends and community members.

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