CANADA'S NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
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- humorous_sage
- Red
- humorous_sage
- Red
- humorous_sage
- Red
- humorous_sage
- Red
- humorous_sage
- Red
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» humorous_sage - Re: Re: Brrrrr.
In response to Re: Brrrrr. posted by Red:Living in Minnesota, I'm getting good training.
Hank
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Red - Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr.
In response to Re: Re: Brrrrr. posted by humorous_sage:Henry,
I guess Minnesota would be quite cold. The same here. This has been one of the coldest winters in years. We've also had more than our fair share of snow. Lots of Alberta Clippers this season.
-- posted by Red
» humorous_sage - Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr.
In response to Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr. posted by Red:You freeze while we swelter. I don't think our thermometers hit -20 even once this year.
Hank
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Red - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr.
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr. posted by humorous_sage:Henry,
On the news tonight, they did a story on Nunavut, which used to be part of the Northwest Territories. On this map, Nunavut is shown in dark green.
<img src="http://www.suite101.com/files/topics/188...">
The unemployment rate is horrific. One man works in a diamond mine 5 days a week and has to hunt caribou on the weekends so his family can have food. Another couple live in a porch with little heat. They have 4 kids. Eleven people live in a 3 room house. All because the Canadian government is not supplementing their income.
Food costs there are atrocious. They pay $8.99 for a pound of bacon. A jar of Cheese Whiz is $8.00. There are few roads. All food has to be flown in, which makes the cost skyrocket.
If you'd like to learn a few more things about Nunavut, here is the link to an article I wrote. Though it is in Kids Korner, there's lots of interesting things for adults.
-- posted by Red
» humorous_sage - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr.
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr. posted by Red:Brrr again. Nunavut reminds me of the "cold" Hell that Dante wrote about. As you probably know, he pictured one Hell as being hot and one as being cold.
Is there no escape from Nunavut? Or do those who live there do so by choice? As for me, I prefer the warmth of Minnesota.
Hank
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Red - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr.
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr. posted by humorous_sage:Henry,
The families that live in Nunavut are mostly Inuit. They have little education and to move into southern Canada would be culture shock. Their way of living is off the land. The government needs to start thinking about the people that live there and instill a minimum wage that is the highest in Canada, for no other province, unless it's the Northwest Territories, (I haven't checked) has such a high cost of living.
The government goes into these places, sticks their noses into the business of the people who have lived there for hundreds of years, puts strict demands on them and then leaves them high and dry. This may sound horrible, but it is true.
Nunavut needs schools that are accessible to children, which is hard, considering the remote land. There is little work in the province and that there is, is low paying. With the cost of housing and groceries being sky high, these people live in abject poverty.
-- posted by Red
» humorous_sage - Poverty
In response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Brrrrr. posted by Red:Are they really in poverty by THEIR standards, or by ours? Don't they prefer to live off the land like their forefathers did? How many of them would like to be fenced in with large populations surrounding them? When you bring them into "civilization" you are asking them to live our type of lives whereas I feel that they would rather continue to "live off the land."
Am I off base? Wouldn't an average Inuit have a hard hard time living with neighbors less than a mile away?
Or does the government restrict their ability to live off the land?
Hank
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Red - Re: Poverty
In response to Poverty posted by humorous_sage:Hank,
For the most part I don't think the government has too many restrictions about the Inuit living off the land. However, even they say it isn't like it used to be and they need help to survive the high cost of living and housing shortages. They no longer live in igloos and 11 people in a three room house has to be a terrible way to live.
The problem is, the government steps in and tries to "civilize" these Peoples, and inadvertently do more harm than good. The Inuit lived for centuries without the help of the Canadian government. Once they stepped in, nothing was ever the same again.
The only Inuit that want to come to the larger cities are the youth. They want better educations and to help their families financially. The oldsters would never survive in the big cities.
-- posted by Red
» humorous_sage - Re: Re: Poverty
In response to Re: Poverty posted by Red:You have me a little confused. If the Inuit want to live off the land, shouldn't they be happy to live in igloos instead of wanting modern conveniences?
I hope you take this as being a serious question and not a judgemental statement.
Hank
-- posted by humorous_sage
» Red - Re: Re: Re: Poverty
In response to Re: Re: Poverty posted by humorous_sage:Hank,
The government went into the Northwest Territories and interfered in the Inuit's lives. They didn't like them living in igloos in remote parts of the territories. So, they gathered them together and talked them into adapting to white man's ways. (Sound familiar?) Then, when they need help, the government is no where to be seen and no money if forthcoming.
I feel sorry for these people. They were duped, as is the case with most Indigenous Peoples. Now, they are left high and dry to pay expensive prices for good and supplies that are flown in by bush plane. Yes, they all supplement their food by hunting and trapping, but the old way of life is fast disappearing. The young are no longer interested in learning these skills.
-- posted by Red
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