The following is a Farewell Message from outgoing Nunatsiavut President Sarah Leo:
“Over the past four years, it has been my responsibility to serve all Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement to the best of my ability.
I have been sustained by this single principle simply because I am so proud to be Inuk, proud of my culture and identity, proud of where we’ve come from as a people and a government, and proud of where we are headed.
When I took the oath of office, I swore that I would be faithful to Labrador Inuit, and that I would obey, observe, uphold and maintain our Constitution and all other Inuit Laws. I also pledged to protect and promote the rights and responsibilities of all Labrador Inuit, and to devote myself to the wellbeing of Nunatsiavut.
I feel I have honored these communities and while my decision not to seek re-election was a difficult one, I do believe the time has come for me to move on to begin another chapter in my life.
I truly believe we are at a crossroads in our history as a people. I think, in fact, I know, we are on the right track, and I am extremely excited about the future- one in which Nunatsiavut, our beautiful Land, will be much stronger- because of what we have all done together.
Our challenges will be many and seem complex at times. This will never change. Still, it is important we remain focused and believe in ourselves. By doing so, the future will always be ours.
As a young girl growing up in Nain, I never dreamed I would ever go into politics, but I was raised to believe that it was important to give back to your community, in some way or another. That is the Inuit way.
It’s been an honor to be your president, and I will always be thankful for your support, understanding, commitment and loyalty. I kindly ask that you provide the new president the same level of support given to me the past four years.”
Nunatsiavut President Sarah Leo
OK Radio will have an interview with President Sarah Leo tomorrow.