Media Review....

Labrador North
from the Film Board of Canada's
Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories Project

reviewed by Sue Hamilton

“To Hopedale, Makkovik and Nain, people from Hebron, people from Nutak, going against the wind. Some of them, even close relatives were separated from one another by being placed in other villages. That is why some of us are poor here. We’re also hungry for seal meat, caribou meat and trout. In the winter we are always hungry now. We always had these foods in Hebron. Now we are living like nothing, like a void. Some of us, some of the Inuit, the men, those who are able are OK. We are not hungry for the foreigner’s food. We are not always able to get wild food here ever since the time we were moved from Hebron. Our land, Hebron, we are proud of and we are greatly attached to. Because we had to listen to what was required of us, we were moved here when we didn’t want to move from our land.”

“Of course there are two sides to the story. Again, where the Eskimoes would love to go north with their young people, go fishing and hunting like in old days. We must not overlook that white people and government are very concerned about building up an education at the same time to help the Eskimoes. But how can you do both when parents are in need of their children for the work, hunting and fishing, to continue to exist as they would like to and they have enjoyed? Yet at the same time we would like to put them back into the school bench. So what is it what we want? What is it that is best? Are we trying to make their future or let them form their own future?”

“Education is perhaps a key to the future. However in arranging their priorities, they will have to retain what is unique and necessary to their own way of life. Only then will they be able to withstand the pressure of other values imposed from the outside world.”