Non-Beneficiaries are required to obtain permission from the Nunatsiavut Government to harvest wildlife and plants on Labrador Inuit Lands unless their interests are accommodated under the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement or an overlap agreement.

Applicants are required to produce the relevant federal and provincial license, when necessary, before a permit to access Labrador Inuit Lands can be approved.

Applicants are also required to follow laws of general application regarding open seasons, beg limits, etc.

The permit also allows a Non-Beneficiary to harvest wildlife and plants including domestic firewood in Labrador Inuit Lands. Harvesting of wildlife and plants in Labrador Inuit Lands for commercial purposes is prohibited.

Non-Beneficiaries requesting a permit to access Labrador Inuit Lands for harvesting purposes must complete an application form and submit it to an authorized Nunatsiavut Government employee for review.

A $20 cash fee is required upon approval of a permit to access. The fee may be waived in some instances. For further information, please contact your local Nunatsiavut Government office.

Labrador Inuit Lands are privately-owned by Labrador Inuit and managed by the Nunatsiavut Government. Labrador Inuit have exclusive harvesting rights for wildlife and plants in Labrador Inuit Lands.

The renovations are now completed at the Labrador Friendship Centre where there were some repairs that needed to get done.

Jennifer Hefler-Elson is the Executive Director of the Labrador Friendship Centre.

She says changes were made in the programs due to COVID, and the centre is not fully open for the public.

And added people have to a mask and get screened when they arrive to the centre.

Hefler-Elson says the hostel has been open since July 13 last year, but the numbers of clients are kept low, lower that when it used to be.

Stay tuned to AtjiKangitut today to hear Hefler-Elson give you more details on how the Friendship Centre has changed since last March.

Today’s COVID-19 briefing will be held at 3:00pm.

Andrew Furey and Dr. Haggie will once again be joining Dr. Fitzgerald at the briefing.

Most major news outlets will carry it live.

We’ll be covering the press conference and will keep you up to date.

As a result of inclement weather this week, residents of the five Labrador Inuit communities are advised that Public Health staff from Nunatsiavut Department of Health and Social Development have revised its planned schedule to begin administering the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to all eligible residents, 18 years of age and older.

Below is the tentative schedule for administering the vaccine in each community:

•Thursday, February 11 – Makkovik
•Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13 – Nain
•Sunday, February 14 – Rigolet
•Monday, February 15 – Postville and Hopedale
•Tuesday, February 16 – Hopedale

The Modena vaccine requires two doses to be effective. The first dose was administered in all five Labrador Inuit Communities the week of January 11. Public Health staff will arrange times for eligible individuals to receive the second dose. Those who have yet to receive the vaccine, and wish to do so, are asked to contact the Public Health Nurse in their respective communities.

The Nunatsiavut Government continues to work with all relevant authorities to ensure the vaccine is administered as quickly as possible in a safe and efficient manner.

Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement residing within Nunatsiavut are being advised of changes to the allocation of gasoline and snowmobile oil (lube) under the COVID-19 Emergency Harvesters Support Program.

Effective immediately, eligible applicants will receive a total of 50 litres of gas every two weeks, regardless of the size of snowmobile (two or four stroke).

Motor oil will no longer be provided.

Yesterday we reported ice conditions in the areas of Nain, Postville and Makkovik.

Today we spoke with AngajukKâk for the Hopedale Inuit Community Government, Marjorie Flowers.

Flowers says they just hired workers to place trail markers going to Natuashish from Hopedale.

Trail markers has been placed within the harbour and northward of the community, she says that the thickness of the ice is 2 feet.

Flowers says that the thickness of the ice will continue to be monitored before heading southward to set markers.

In other news, the Nain Ground Search and Rescue team has an advisory about a hole in the ice west of Nain.

This hole is at third pond and tree markers has been placed there for travelers to be aware.

There was a Newfoundlander who appeared on the well-known show, Dragons Den who presented Ocean Floor Granite.

Mark Brace of Bishop Falls is the owner of Ocean Floor Granite.

Brace hopes to get to Ten Mile Bay this summer just south of Nain to start a clean-up of the site.

He says that there is still some paper-work that still needs to be ironed out.

Brace’s production plant that is located on the Island produce custom fireplaces, floor tiles, paving stones, wall hangings and countertops.

He is amazed with the Labradorite at Ten Mile Bay and would like to hire local people to make jewelry from the stone as well.

Brace adds, that he have markets all over the world including, Asia, Africa, and the United States.

We will be speaking with Mark Brace later in the AtjiKangitut Program to find out more about his plans for Ten Mile Bay.

The Nunatsiavut Government is once again discouraging all non-essential travel to and from the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area following a recent cluster of new COVID-19 cases in the St. John’s metro area.

“It is imperative that all efforts be made to ensure the virus does not spread to our communities,” says Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe. “We are at a crossroads during this pandemic, and in order to ensure we remain safe we need to shield our communities by asking people to stay away.”

Effective immediately, all non-essential travel is being restricted for all Nunatsiavut Government employees for a two-week period. As well, Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement who are currently outside Nunatsiavut – particularly in the St. John’s area – for medical purposes, will be permitted to return to their home communities. However, while in the St. John’s area, Beneficiaries are asked to follow the modified special measures order issued Tuesday by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, as well as to take extra precautions to protect themselves from potential exposure to COVID-19. The special measures order can be found at Public Advisory: 30 New Cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador – News Releases (gov.nl.ca).

“While there is some level of hope on the horizon, we still have a way long to go before the threat of COVID-19 has passed,” notes President Lampe. “Now is not the time to be complacent. History has proven just how devastating an impact a pandemic can have on our people. We can’t take any chances.”

The Nunatsiavut Government continues to encourage residents of the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area to follow all Public Health protocols, including practicing proper hand hygiene, wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing of at least two metres from those outside immediate households.

Individuals who suspect they have been exposed/infected with COVID-19, are urged to stay at home and call 811 for further instructions.

The province is reporting 53 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The province is also reporting 32 presumptive cases.

Today’s daily number of new COVID-19 cases has soared to an all-time high of 53 new confirmed cases; the previous daily record in the province was 32 on March 25, 2020.

TODAY, February 10th, Newfoundland and Labrador has 53 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Eastern Health region.

Contact tracing by public health officials is underway.

Everyone considered a close contact will be advised to quarantine.

The 53 new confirmed cases are as follows:

• Forty-four under 19 years of age
• Four between 20-39 years of age
• Four between 40-49 years of age
• One between 50-59 years of age

There are 110 active cases.

The regional breakdown of the total cases is as follows:
Eastern Health-110
Central Health-0
Labrador Grenfell Health-0
Western Health-4

There have been no new recoveries since yesterday, meaning 393 people have recovered from the virus.

There is no one in hospital.

To date, 84,220 people have been tested.

The press conference is ongoing and we will keep you up to date.

The NG Department of Education & Economic Development, along with Memorial University through the Tradition & Transitions Among the Labrador Inuit Partnership, is proud to announce the release of the second book in the INUKBOOK series: Nautaima

Jodie Lane is the Director for the Department of Education and Economic Development for Nunatsiavut Government.

This book is an Inuktitut “I Spy” book written and illustrated by Roxanne Nochasak of Makkovik. The hand painted pictures include lots of images to search out and all vocabulary on the pages is only in Inuktitut, encouraging you to not only find the images but learn the Inuktitut words.

Copies were sent to all K-6 students in our Nunatsiavut schools, as well as copies for the school and daycare libraries in Nunatsiavut and Upper Lake Melville. Copies will also be available for purchase ($12) at your local NG office or can be ordered through our Resource Center by e-mailing graphics@nunatsiavut.com

Tune into today’s Sugusivut program when Lane gives you more information on the new children’s book.