On behalf of the Nunatsiavut Government and Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, President Johannes Lampe extended his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of respected Nain Inuit elder Julius Merkuratsuk, who passed away last Monday.
“Julius made tremendous contributions to the community of Nain, to Labrador Inuit and to Nunatsiavut as a whole,” says President Lampe. “A person’s life is measured through the lives they impact and the memories and sorrow they leave behind. Today we mourn a huge loss, but we also celebrate a life that was well-lived. Julius will be sadly missed, but his legacy will live on for many generations to come.”
Mr. Merkuratsuk relocated to Nain from Nutak as a young boy.
Over the years he was often called upon to offer up his traditional knowledge on a number of land-use and wildlife matters.
He was a long-time board member of the Labrador Inuit Association, and served as a land claims negotiator, a member of the Nain and North of Nain land selection team, and as a lay pastor in the Moravian Church.