Mapping of Nainimiut Knowledge of ocean currents, sea ice, and travel routes is being conducted this week.

Breanna Bishop is a student with Dalhousie University and she is working with May Wang, Eric Oliver, Caroline Nochasak and John Winters.

Bishop says that they are here all week at the Pulâpvik Center for anyone interested in sharing their knowledge.

This will be used for community and government planning for climate change.

Bishop says that this started way back in 2019 and all Nunatsiavut communities will be visited by the end of the project.

We will be speaking with Bishop on our AtjiKangitut later on today.

The internet trouble facing the health care system is disrupting operations at Eastern Health for another day from an apparent cyberattack since the weekend.

Only emergency services in acute care facilities will proceed today and tomorrow.

Eastern Health says patients who have not been contacted directly assume that their appointments have been cancelled. The health authorities says that appointments are not being re-scheduled, and patients will be contacted directly once the IT system outage is resolved.

A temporary patients inquiry line has been established for those who had appointments, procedures or surgeries scheduled for today and tomorrow only. The number is 1 – 833- 777- 1276.

Doorways single session counselling services continue to be available but all psychiatry appointments scheduled for today are cancelled with an update pending for Thursday. Services through Mental Health Systems Navigator are proceeding by phone. More information on the impacts to mental health services can be found on Eastern Health’s website.

Meanwhile, a series of services are continuing Pediatric chemotherapy at the Janeway, high risk prenatal appointments, blood testing for patients who require INRs, in-person dialysis and maternal-fetal assessment unit appointments.

Students at the Jens Haven Memorial School will be bringing home Chromebooks today.

Kent Chaulk is the Principal in Nain; he says in partnership with the Nunatsiavut Government and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, the Chromebooks will be used for educational purposes.

They will be given out to students from kindergarten to Grade 7.

Chaulk adds that they will be taking them home today and will notify parents on how the students will be using them.

The following statement was read yesterday by the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs and Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation:

Minister Dempster congratulates artist, Bronson Jacque.

Speaker, I would like to tell you about a visual artist from Labrador whose work is delivering a powerful message.

Bronson Jacque is Inuit, and he is a proud son of Labrador who hails from Postville on the North Coast. He has been giving expression through his art for more than 10 years, but his most recent creation may just be his most powerful.

The Nunatsiavut artist was commissioned by the Aboriginal Women’s Association of Prince Edward Island to paint a commemorative group portrait. The mural depicts 10 family members and friends of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Each subject in the portrait is holding an object that connects them to a missing loved one.

The mural is more than artwork. It tells a human story and reminds us of that family members who have suffered personal loss never truly escape the mourning. Before taking paintbrush in hand, Bronson studied photos of women he was painting, and he listened to their heartfelt stories over a period of several months. He calls it the most important project that he has worked on to date.

Speaker, the mural has had a profound effect on many people who have admired the painting. Those who have viewed the portrait have reflected on the love, the fight for justice, the culture, and the strength. Each of the lives lost had value and meaning. We must resolve ourselves to make this a cause for change.

Please join us in congratulating Bronson Jacque of Postville for helping us increase our understanding of the resilience of Indigenous women and the power of healing.

Mapping of Nainimiut Knowledge of ocean currents, sea ice, and travel routes is being conducted this week.

Breanna Bishop is a student with Dalhousie University and she is working with May Wang, Eric Oliver, Caroline Nochasak and John Winters.

Bishop says that they are here all week at the Pulâpvik Center for anyone interested in sharing their knowledge.

This will be used for community and government planning for climate change.

Bishop says that this started way back in 2019 and all Nunatsiavut communities will be visited by the end of the project.

We will be speaking with Bishop on our AtjiKangitut Program tomorrow.

Meredith Purcell is a Wildlife Analyst for Torngat Wildlife, Plants and Fisheries Secretariat and they will be in Rigolet tomorrow.

This is there last stop after visiting all the Nunatsiavut communities.

Torngat Wildlife Plants and Fisheries Secretariat would like to learn more about lesser geese, and they will be at the community hall tomorrow evening from 6:30pm to 8pm.

There will be many different goose activities for example a flock size photo contest, harvested goose sampling, camera trapping- and they would love to talk through them with you.

All ages are welcome at this event. There will be a live-sampling demonstration, mapping workshop, a children’s corner and contest, door prizes and some food and refreshments.

If you’ve harvested geese this year, this is the perfect time for you to drop your samples off.

Just one new confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in the province today.

The case involves a person under the age of 20 in the Eastern Health region and is a contact of a previous case.

With 32 new recoveries, there are 60 active cases in the province, including one person in hospital.

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says they’re hoping to have an update on the availability of vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 in the not-too-distant future.

Being away from home brings back a lot of memories for Inuit elders.

Wilson Jararuse from Nain is one who, and now lives in St. John’s.

He says he attends the First Light Aboriginal Friendship Centre’s program called Men’s Group.

Jararuse says he misses the Inuit Traditional Celebrations around this time of the year, the Advents and Christmas’s back home.

He says the most memories he also mentioned was interviewing our Inuit Elders when worked with OKalaKatiget Radio back then.

Stay tuned to PiusituKavut to hear Jararuse talk more about his stay in St. John’s.

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Dr. Andrew Furey has expressed interest in Indigenous Art for the lobby of the Confederation Building. The art in question will be a mural based on a concept designed by the artist.

Interested artists can submit a proposal to Arts Program Co-ordinator, Chantelle Evans or by e-mail chantelle.evans@nunatsiavut.com.

Proposals must include artist name, mural information including size title and materials used, concept for the mural, images or drawings of proposed work (optional), and price (the total cost for the mural include artist fees, materials and expenses.)

The mural will be placed in the lobby of the Confederation Building in St. John’s, NL.

Dimensions of the space is approximately 25 square feet. Lobby consists of open spaces, but the mural in question will only fill one of the available spaces.

Ability to work alone or in collaboration with their Labrador Inuit artists.

Artists have the ability to design what they feel represents Inuit given the space provided.

The deadline for all proposals must be submitted by Friday, November 12, 2021.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami congratulated all members of cabinet that was recognized on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 in the morning during a formal ceremony at Rideau Hall.

The ceremony itself reflected a new phase of the Inuit Crown relationship of members of Ministers being sworn by our Inuit Governor General, the Honourable Mary May Simon.

ITK looks forward to continuing the productive of the Inuit Crown Partnership Committee with a new co-chair in Crown Indigenous relations Minster Mark Miller.

We welcome the Ministers who entered the cabinet, those moving to new portfolios and those continuing their excellent work in existing portfolios. We also thank outgoing Ministers for their services.

Together with our Board of Directors, we look forward to working together to advance our shared priorities to achieve social equity and wellness among Inuit.