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Inuvialuit Day celebrated in Inuvik Festivities mark 29th year since signing of Inuvialuit Final Agreement
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 17, 2013
INUVIK
Neither rain nor sleet nor snow could close down the 29th Inuvialuit Day celebration on June 5.
Steady snow and cold temperatures didn't deter hundreds of people from showing up to mark the anniversary of the historic agreement.
Organizers took the unusual step of issuing news releases via conventional and social media the day before the event, announcing the Inuvialuit Day's activities would go on despite the weather.
"This recognizes the date that it (the Inuvialuit Final Agreement) was signed and was enacted," Duane Smith, the vice-chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC), said. "It's good celebrations, good entertainment, good culture."
Nellie Cournoyea, the head of the IRC, arrived back in town just in time to partake of the end of the celebrations and offer a few comments.
She praised people for turning out in such weather to mark the occasion.
"We're Inuvialuit, so we can handle it," she said. "And to anyone who isn't Inuvialuit, you can be honorary Inuvialuit ... for the day."
The lineup for the free lunch, which featured both barbecue food and traditional country foods, stretched for quite a ways between noon and 1 p.m. The IRC building was also filled with people enjoying the entertainment.
Smith said it wasn't just a day for the Inuvialuit to celebrate, but for Canada as a whole.
"Canada is a signatory to it, and works very closely with the Inuvialuit to implement the land claim ... It's one thing to sign it, but it's another thing to live up to it and implement the agreement as it was agreed to and that's a big part of it as well."
Smith said the arrangement was "part of an ongoing process."
"It doesn't look after itself. You have to have the dedication and the commitment, not only of the Inuvialuit but of the respective government bodies to ensure everyone, including the Inuvialuit, is living up to their obligations and requirements."
He called the agreement as a "living document" that evolves over time.
The weather was enough of a hindrance to shut the festivities down early, particularly the entertainment.
The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers were scheduled to perform, but they cancelled due to concerns about their equipment.
A group of young children led by Melissa Kisoun did perform briefly before concerns about their drum equipment shut them down as well.
Inuvik recording artist Leanne Goose also performed.
The Inuvialuit Final Agreement was the first comprehensive land claim agreement settled in the NWT.
The Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) covers approximately 435,000 square kilometres in the Mackenzie Delta, Beaufort Sea, and Amundsen Gulf area. Approximately 90,600 square kilometres of land, including 12,980 square kilometres of subsurface mineral rights are owned by the Inuvialuit.
Inuvialuit communities include Aklavik, Ulukhaktok, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, and Tuktoyaktuk.
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