KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
Honours are not new for long-time Nunavut politician Tagak Curley. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals and 2003's Order of Canada.

Tagak Curley, taking notes while minister of health in 2010, will receive the Order of Nunavut for his passionate dedication to ensuring Inuit have a formal voice in marking their path in the future. - NNSL file photo

But the Order of Nunavut being presented this month is one he will cherish.

"This time it's the younger generation who had felt that I should be given a recognition. I'm very honoured for that because, ... not in a formal capacity, but to be a spokesperson for Inuit for a long time and for the younger generation to put forward a nomination is a real honour for me," said Curley, adding, "the honour goes to them, not so much to me."

George Qulaut, Speaker of the legislative assembly and chairperson of the Order of Nunavut Advisory Council, announced in September that Curley, along with William Lyall and Father Robert Lechat, would receive that honour Oct. 27 at the legislative assembly in Iqlauit.

The objective of the order is to honour individuals who have provided an outstanding contribution to the cultural, social or economic well-being of Nunavut.

Curley was a founding member and first president of the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1979 to 1987, and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut from 2004 to 2013.

Curley has held a number of positions in the private sector, including that of president of the Nunavut Construction Corporation.

Looking back over the years, mulling over what work he has done and what contributions he has made, he said: "The most important thing that I can say about all these (awards) is that I wanted to raise the voice for the Inuit people. That's the most important contribution I could say I took part in and was really passionately committed to do so. Because 40 years or so ago, or more, we did not have a formal voice."

When Curley discusses the years since the late 1960s, it's never as a solo fighter for rights. He speaks of a group that built up over the years made up of individuals who have taken part over time in many leadership roles.

"But the most important was that I was very connected with the elders. Even though, if I didn't know them, I would have to search for them. When I arrived in a community, then I sat down with them. These are the original kind of people that I do know," he said.

Curley remembers being very aware of the dangers Inuit were facing in the 1960s.

"As a young man, I was conscious, certainly aware, that our culture was deteriorating and our identity was in crisis and I wasn't going to sit by and watch it fade away. That's what happened as a young person, and I realized I was not the only person thinking that way," he said, adding, "But I had a lot of support from the elders."

"They were the key of my passion."

Asked if there was a personal price he paid, Curley exclaimed: "Oh geez, yes. Definitely."

"Because starting from scratch, even with the elders, whether or not we stand up to gain a voice when we didn't have any ... that was an almost impossible task. To raise the generation, to try and get a formal voice, there were incredible challenges."

He spoke of a federal government whose colonial approach showed no respect for minorities.

"The younger generation, at the time, we didn't have a chance."

Spouses and children also paid a price.

"There was a tremendous price because when you have a young family, you married young, there are consequences all over," he said. "To married life and everything else. You had to leave your town. The transportation system and communication system was almost non-existent. So it was one-on-one communication that we had to apply." Curley sighs.

"Yes. There were tremendous challenges. The thing is, the reward the people eventually gave you is the real strength."

Curley will be travelling to Iqaluit to receive the award.

"I'll be travelling over there. I need to acknowledge the fact that people do care and I want to honour them, as well."

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