Environmental Health in the Canadian Arctic of Nunavut
By Fred O’Brien Hon. Vice President and former Chairman of IFEH. Former Chairman of EHOA (Ireland). Qualified in both Ireland and Canada as an EHO. B.A. (Philosophy), University of Waterloo, Canada; M.B.A., University College Galway, Ireland. Retired in Kilkee, County Clare, Ireland
Our People – Our Land*
*In Inuktitut, Inuit means “Our People” & Nunavut “Our Land”
The Canadian Arctic territory of Nunavut, established on April 1, 1999, is immense. It is as large as Europe and stretches above the tree line across more than two million square kilometers of land, water and ice. Its people, the Inuit, were previously identified by the Algonquin Indian term “Eskimo”, meaning “eaters of raw flesh”. The Inuit were proud to accept this designation and to identify themselves as practicing the principles arising out of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). IQ encompasses all aspects of traditional Inuit culture, including values, world-view, language, social organization, knowledge, life skills, perceptions and expectations.