Iqaluit (Joamie), Nunavut
What Students of Joamie School think of Nunavut
- Nunavut is going to be a new territory of Canada. Iqaluit is beautiful and it will be the capital of Nunavut. We are forming a new government for the people of Nunavut.
In 10 years from now what will Iqaluit look like?
- It will have lots of traffic and therefore also lots of vechicles. It will have busses that go on daily routes from Iqaluit west all the way to Apex.
- It will also have cement roads, a greenhouse inside of a giant bubble,
it will have a bigger and better hospital, with lots of doctors and nurses that are well trained. - It will have a giant theater made just for acting and plays, and a huge community hall that can be rented by anybody to have a party or wedding.
- It will have also a giant new arena, or new swimming pool, and a youth and activity centre, where you can do things like playing pool, bowling, playing air hockey and getting food and drinks and also a room for kids with lots of toys to play with, and a youth room with lots of video games and stuff.
- Iqaluit will also have a bigger and better homeless centre for the homeless and more cops to protect this precious town
Iqaluit (Apex), Nunavut
What does the creation of Nunavut mean to the children of Nanook School in Apex?
The children have mixed feelings. There is certainly joy in the fact that after so many years the Inuit will have their land named Nunavut. The land has always been here; the Inuit have always lived here; and so have many non-Inuit who have made their home in the land that will be called Nunavut on April 1, 1999. There is joy at the formal creation of Nunavut. There is pride that the Inuit will be able to maintain their culture and their language. There is pride that the majority of the people who live in Nunavut will make all future decisions through their elected representatives.
There is also fear that the creation of Nunavut will bring with it a number of problems. Some children have expressed their fears by using the word, "scarier". Scarier has numerous meanings: increased population means pollution and social problems; the erection of many buildings means the destruction of the land that children have long used as play areas; jobs may be given to only some Inuit and this will make the other people unhappy. Some have stated that there will be many more selfish people living in the community-people who have a lot and are not willing to share what they have in the traditional Inuit way. Children see it already happening.
A number of children are wondering. Some have called it, "the big puzzlement". Why do we have to separate from the Northwest Territories? Could we not be part of the Northwest Territories, have our own government and improve our standard of living by sharing the wealth of the whole Northwest Territories?
Here is a statement made by a Grade Six student: "Nunavut means our land and we would be happy to share it with other people. As time goes by there will be changes; and many more changes. I hope these changes will make Nunavut a better place for people to live in and to stay. I hope when Nunavut is born every child will learn to read, write and speak Inuktitut. I hope that the people who will make decisions in the future will act to help every person in Nunavut.
Our Community
Apex Hill known locally as Niaqunnguut was established in the early 1950’s. Families arrived from the nearby outpost camp in Ward Inlet to the Southwest. Families also came from Cape Dorset, Kimmirut and Pangnirtung. These families lived in tents and igloos before erection of wooden houses that looked like matchboxes. In the olden days people traveled by dogteam between communities. They also used kayaks. Today transportation is mainly by snowmobiles, private vehicles and cabs. The main source of food was country food; later basic foods such as flour, oatmeal, powdered milk, tea, lard, salt and sugar were introduced. Pilot biscuits were eaten by a number of families.
The Hudson Bay Company opened a store in Apex. Local people looked forward to the annual sealift. Apex was the location of the first Group Home for teenagers who were having social and emotional problems. A nursing station was located in Apex. In the late sixties the International Order of Daughters of the Empire donated a recreation centre for the residents of Apex.
Apex has its own elementary school. Older children attend the high school in Iqaluit. There is a small community hall where dances and community feasts are celebrated. There are few employment opportunities available in Apex. Those who do have a job work in Iqaluit. A bridge built by the Americans links Apex to Iqaluit. There are half a dozen carvers in Apex. A number of families go hunting seal and caribou. However the main diet is food purchased from the Northern Store and Arctic Ventures in Iqaluit.
Today Apex has a population that does not exceed 200 people. There are about 50 modern houses in Apex. The majority of the people are Inuit. A number of the Inuit women have married non-Inuit men. The people of Apex accept people from different cultures.
Apex is a peaceful community. Its main attraction is the gentle hills that surround the settlement. The wide-open spaces allow children the freedom to play in a safe environment.
Ten Years From Now
We love our open spaces; we love our hills. We love the freshness in the air. If we have our way we would like to stay the way we are. Ten years from now we can only hope that Apex remains a peaceful settlement of people who care about their neighbours.
Iqaluit (Nakasuk), Nunavut
Nakasuk Class
Library