Inuit Reflection
I don't think many of us Inuit have heard about the work that Armine Nutting Gosling did to achieve women’s right to vote in this province.
The more I learn about her life, passion and work, and the more I reflect on it... the more I feel this overwhelming feeling of empowerment...
For how far women came to be where we are today because of the work of our leaders, our elders and our ambassadors.
Armine said “No Class, or race, or sex can have its interests attended to.. Unless it is through direct suffrage”.
Even right now the amount of truth in that statement gives me goosebumps.
The vote for women was only achieved 100 years ago.
I feel like I have a little bit of an understanding about the terrible impact Kallunak men (or white men) in power have when they are the only decision makers when it comes to what is right and what is wrong and what is best for everyone.
IsumaKangitualuk. They don't even know.
They knew all about having power and control, but they never knew what was best.
The world could have been an ugly place today if it were not for the groups of people who took a stand and fought the hard battles they did.
We have come such a long way.
And we still have such a long way to go.
It makes me think about my Inuit ancestors.
Being picked up and moved from their homeland, forced to leave their parents as children, and then having their children taken, forced to speak a different language, believe what they did not believe, eat differently and behave a certain way and it makes me feel ray mad and ray heartbroken.
It makes me wish I could go back in time and join my ancestors in the fight for Inuit rights.
When I think about Armine and the group of women who gathered in her kitchen having those hard conversations and uniting and building confidence from their unity, it makes me think about my Atatsiak (my grandfather).
And I reflect on his journey.
When the first meeting to form the Labrador Inuit Association was held, those Inuit were not allowed to use any meeting rooms in their community, so they met in my Atatsiaks house.
It’s easy for us to sit with that and feel angry like if we was just treated like nothing and like our people never even mattered to the people in power.
And those feelings are totally valid because that was true at that time.
I also believe that we are who we are because of our ancestors.
I believe they are cheering for us every day.
I believe they were fighting tirelessly for their rights and the rights of their people and the generations to follow them.
And vice versa too.
What I’m tryna say is that I wholeheartedly believe that they are with us and we are with them.
When I think about it, I can close my eyes and I can see our generation's presence in my Atasiaks house at their meeting all those decades ago.
I can see us just cheering on those Inuit who took a stand and united as a people and gained confidence from each other to fight for our rights.
The immeasurable amount of gratitude I have for what all those people had to go through to achieve what they achieved feels both devastating and glorious and so empowering.
Unity really can move mountains.
Tamanevugut tamannauluattuk taikkunangat.
We are here because of them.
The more I learn about her life, passion and work, and the more I reflect on it... the more I feel this overwhelming feeling of empowerment...
For how far women came to be where we are today because of the work of our leaders, our elders and our ambassadors.
Armine said “No Class, or race, or sex can have its interests attended to.. Unless it is through direct suffrage”.
Even right now the amount of truth in that statement gives me goosebumps.
The vote for women was only achieved 100 years ago.
I feel like I have a little bit of an understanding about the terrible impact Kallunak men (or white men) in power have when they are the only decision makers when it comes to what is right and what is wrong and what is best for everyone.
IsumaKangitualuk. They don't even know.
They knew all about having power and control, but they never knew what was best.
The world could have been an ugly place today if it were not for the groups of people who took a stand and fought the hard battles they did.
We have come such a long way.
And we still have such a long way to go.
It makes me think about my Inuit ancestors.
Being picked up and moved from their homeland, forced to leave their parents as children, and then having their children taken, forced to speak a different language, believe what they did not believe, eat differently and behave a certain way and it makes me feel ray mad and ray heartbroken.
It makes me wish I could go back in time and join my ancestors in the fight for Inuit rights.
When I think about Armine and the group of women who gathered in her kitchen having those hard conversations and uniting and building confidence from their unity, it makes me think about my Atatsiak (my grandfather).
And I reflect on his journey.
When the first meeting to form the Labrador Inuit Association was held, those Inuit were not allowed to use any meeting rooms in their community, so they met in my Atatsiaks house.
It’s easy for us to sit with that and feel angry like if we was just treated like nothing and like our people never even mattered to the people in power.
And those feelings are totally valid because that was true at that time.
I also believe that we are who we are because of our ancestors.
I believe they are cheering for us every day.
I believe they were fighting tirelessly for their rights and the rights of their people and the generations to follow them.
And vice versa too.
What I’m tryna say is that I wholeheartedly believe that they are with us and we are with them.
When I think about it, I can close my eyes and I can see our generation's presence in my Atasiaks house at their meeting all those decades ago.
I can see us just cheering on those Inuit who took a stand and united as a people and gained confidence from each other to fight for our rights.
The immeasurable amount of gratitude I have for what all those people had to go through to achieve what they achieved feels both devastating and glorious and so empowering.
Unity really can move mountains.
Tamanevugut tamannauluattuk taikkunangat.
We are here because of them.
Written & performed by an anonymous Inuk contributor.
