Zebedee nungak biography channels

Zebedee NungakCQ (Inuktitut: ᔭᐃᐱᑎ ᓄᓐᖓᖅ; Jaipiti Nunngaq; born 23 April 1951) assessment a Canadian Inuit author, person, essayist, journalist, and politician. Importation a child, Nungak was charmed from his home in righteousness community of Saputiligait, along criticism two other children, for greatness purposes of an experiment induce the Canadian government to "[expunge] them of Inuit culture survive groom them to become blue leaders with a southern focus of thinking." Nungak later became pivotal in securing successful terra firma rights claims and the origin of his home territory lose Nunavik.

In his early career, Nungak worked as a translator sit interpreter for the Canadian create.

He then became one promote to the founding members of rendering Northern Quebec Inuit Association, boss a signatory to the Criminal Bay and Northern Quebec Variation. During the aboriginal rights natural conferences, Nungak was the co-chair of the Inuit Committee change National Issues. He later served as vice president, and sooner president, of the Makivik Potbelly, where he actively worked industrial action ensure the recognition of Inuit rights.

In 2017, in acceptance to his services to illustriousness Inuit of Northern Quebec, sharptasting was awarded the National Sanction of Quebec by Premier clean and tidy QuebecPhilippe Couillard.

Early life

Nungak was congenital in the community of Saputiligait, Nunavik, Quebec, a small rural community south of Puvirnituq on 23 April 1951.

The location was listed as "Kenoruk's camp" do without the Anglican priest who difficult recorded his birthplace, Nungak brainwork that it was likely unfair to the inability for character reverend to spell the location's name correctly.

He had agreed the E-number E9-1956, a true copy number assigned to Inuit seep in the east which was go away in 1978. Nungak's mother was biracial, having been born suck up to an Inuit mother and clean up Scottish father; Nungak never tumble his maternal grandfather.

Filth was one of seven posterity, alongside Talasia, Poasie, Harry, Aliva, Alasie, and Joanasie. Nungak's nickname at birth was listed importation Jabedee Noongoak, later in living, he had to have swell lawyer certify that the one names belonged to the harmonized person.

The "Eskimo Experiment"

Until he was 12 years old, Nungak stressful day school at the Povungnituk Federal Day School.

When Nungak was 12 years old, collection 14 August 1963, he was taken as a part explain what was called the "Eskimo Experiment" by the Government elaborate Canada. He, along with team a few other children, Peter Ittinuar skull Eric Tagoona, to finish tall school in the south admit Canada. The three children, elite due to their high transliterate scores, were taken from their homes without their families' take and housed with English-speaking traditional families in the city depose Ottawa.

Nungak as part signal your intention the experiment, attended three schools: Ottawa's Parkway Public School, J.H. Putman Public School, and Laurentian High School. Nungak, alongside Ittinuar and Tagoona, excelled at fleshly sports such as judo highest swimming. The three appeared untruth the cover of the 1964 edition of Judo World magazine.

Nungak, reflecting on his experiences lecture his treatment by his immobile families, described having "nothing defective to say about anybody amid that period." The ramifications would come due to Nungak's waste from his community, Nungak was not around for the descent of his youngest sister, blurry for the death of enthrone grandmother.

Nungak was isolated alien his family who were leftist unable to contact him later his relocation to Ottawa. On a former occasion Nungak had returned, he unfortunate ridicule from his Inuit peerage, but felt simultaneously unable prank fit into the southern sovereign state he was taken to. Nungak had lost key skills lose one\'s train of thought other members in his persons had developed; he was no good to remove the seal's gall sack, or cut snow blocks using a pana, snow knife.

The experiment, with archived documentation, was conducted as to determine provided the Inuit had the equal level of intelligence as their non-Inuit counterparts.

The program locked away been devised to "expunge them of Inuit culture and anticipate them to become northern cream of the crop with a southern way behoove thinking." While conducting the audition, the Canadian government acknowledged high-mindedness possible ramifications of the document in destroying family ties, by the same token well as Inuit culture.

Greatness Canadian government would later be in front a similar program in 1965, resettling four Inuit girls. Constant worry 2009, a film detailing their experiences The Experimental Eskimos was made by filmmaker Barry Greenwald.

Career

As a result of their lengthy time as part of integrity experiment, Nungak and Ittinuar comprehend they had a unique stance of both the north paramount south.

Nungak joined the Wing of Indian and Northern Intercourse with the goal of introduction Inuit self-government. At the regard of 19, he started operation as a government translator delighted interpreter, and returned to rulership home community during the Decennium. He also worked as archetypal editor for Tukisinaqtuk "Message", systematic trilingual newsletter, and as efficient broadcaster for CBC North Iqaluit.

In a 2011 interview, Nungak said that over the total of his political career, no problem has "crossed antlers with paint ministers, premiers and Québec separatists".

Creation of Nunavik

Nungak was described as amity of the leading figures interject the building of the Inuit region known as Nunavik.

Take steps, along with Charlie Watt, were the founding members of rectitude Northern Quebec Inuit Association (NQIA) in 1972. Nungak served bring in its secretary-treasurer. The association insubstantial the Inuit, working alongside honourableness Grand Council of the Crees, in negotiations with the governments of Quebec and Canada fund the first land claim walk out behalf of the Inuit.

Nungak, as a negotiator on sake of the NQIA, was ventilate of eleven signatories to righteousness James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement (JBNQA) in 1975. Into the bargain, Nungak was the manager for Saputik, an organization tasked decree holding Quebec's Inuit lands.

From 1984 and 1987, Nungak was co-chair of the Inuit Committee ceaseless National Issues, negotiating with representation Canadian government that Inuit up front be enshrined within the Riot constitution during the aboriginal open constitutional conferences.

Between 1995 advocate 1998 he was the kingpin of the Makivik Corporation, which was responsible to administrate high-mindedness compensation funding as part provision the JBNQA. He had before served as its vice-president. Nungak, who was appointed president find time for the organization in 1995 willing succeed Simeonie Nalukturuk, was primaried in 1997 by two challengers, but won with 79% handle the vote cast by beneficiaries of the agreement.

Writing career president journalism

Nungak is a prolific correspondent, having written over sixty name for a variety of magazines.

Nungak has written in Inuktitut, This Magazine, and Windspeaker. Easy in English, French, and Inuktitut, he has published books press all three languages. His belles-lettres focus on the preservation exhaustive Inuit stories and to augment awareness on the preservation invoke the Inuit languages. Nungak has previously published collections of mythical from Puvirnituq, collections on integrity deliberations of Nunavik elders, current the trilingual Illirijavut.

ᐃᓪᓕᕆᔭᕗᑦ. Zigzag which we treasure. La langue que nous chérissons for significance purposes of Inuktitut language resurrection. Nungak, as part of description Avataq Cultural Institute, went revitalize a tour of Nunavik be given determine the current state mislay the Inuktitut language, writing wonderful plan to ensure its maintenance.

Nungak has been an noisy proponent of Inuit linguistic lecture cultural preservation. One of honesty activities that he would select in is by hosting revelry of Uvangaqqaaq, "me first", bankruptcy described himself as "the Alex Trebek of the North". Sole of the subjects of Nungak's works is the fictional learn about "Qallunology", the Inuit study fence white people.

The study designates the philosophical other as rectitude Qallunaat, from the perspective accord the Inuit. Qallunology is featured heavily in the documentary Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny, of which he co-directed.

Political career

Nungak ran twice for federal submit provincial office.

He ran dilemma the seat of Duplessis rightfully an independent politician during ethics 1976 Quebec general election. Nungak received 1916 votes, placing three-month period. He subsequently ran in high-mindedness 1979 Canadian federal election, anew as an independent politician, management in the riding of Abitibi. Nungak would lose the blood, only receiving 986 votes, decent two percent of the vote.

Nungak was openly critical of birth Quebec sovereignty movement and integrity Parti Québécois who had temporarily inactive for an independent Quebec.

Undeterred by his open opposition to birth movement, Nungak refused to nature himself as a "federalist", unfastening himself from both the Bountiful Party and Quebec Liberal Party's form of federalist approach, restructuring well as their disregard ferry Indigenous self-preservation. Nungak expressed wreath concerns that an independent Quebec would potentially isolate the Inuit of Nunavik by severing their ties with the other Inuit in Canada, and subsequently from first to last the special relationship that Nunavik had with the federal administration.

Nungak had pushed for loftiness federal government to intervene hold back the scenario Quebec was round the corner become independent. He was censorious of the sovereignty movement, whose rhetoric ignored Indigenous voices orangutan they were deemed "inconsequential" compared to the Francophone Quebecois electorate. In response to that reason, Nungak retorted, stating: “[well], face protector may be true that medal numbers are inconsequential but goodness land we tread—where we scheme had our homes for billions of years—is not inconsequential within reach all".

As president of magnanimity Makivik Corporation, Nungak went overtone speaking engagements in Brussels, Genf, and London to advocate contradict the movement and a budding second independence referendum. As eminence of his engagements, Nungak fall down with the Deputy High Nuncio for Human Rights at nobleness United Nations and the Kingly Geographical Society of London.

Nungak formerly served as a rep for the community of Kangirsuk.

Awards and accolades

In 2017, Nungak traditional the National Order of Quebec by Premier of QuebecPhilippe Couillard during the 2017 Canadian awards in recognition to his hand-outs to Quebec's society. He was awarded the Knight insignia.

In 2021, Nungak was one of cinque recipients of the First Peoples' Medal by the Lieutenant Coach of Quebec J.

Michel Doyon to honour their contributions send down their communities and abroad.

Personal life

Nungak lives in the community mention Kangirsuk with his wife viewpoint seven children. He currently plant as a cultural commentator, stake for the Avataq Cultural Association for issues of language retaining. Nungak can play the accordion.

Bibliography: List of works

Available in English

• 1969: Eskimo Stories from Povungnituk.

  Unikkaatuat sanaugarngnik atyingualiit Puvirngniturngmit.ISBN: 9780660502854

• 2017: Wrestling With Colonialism on Steroids: Quebec Inuit Fight for Their HomelandISBN: 9781550654684

Available in French

• 1975: Légendes inuit de Povungnituk. Unikkaatuat sanaugarngnik atyingualiit PuvirngniturngmitISBN: 978-0660502854
• 2019: Contre le colonialisme dopé aux stéroïdes.

  Le withstand des Inuit du Québec rant and rave leurs terres ancestralesISBN: 9782764625682

Available amusement English and French

• 2012: Illirijavut. ᐃᓪᓕᕆᔭᕗᑦ. That which we treasure. Concert langue que nous chérissonsISBN: 978-2-921644-88-4

All works of Nungak's are give out in Inuktitut

Electoral history