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SA国际影视传媒橲he did it with loveSA国际影视传媒; remembering Millie Kuliktana

Millie Kuliktana, Teacher and inspiring leader from Kugluktuk passes away on Monday January 9th 2023
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Millie and her grandchildren: Nolan, Aqpaaq, Aili, Amelia, Saveah and Leighton. Photo courtesy of Wynter Kuliktana Blais 釖メ摃 釔冡晲釚戓憰釚忈摢釗: 釗呩摎釗, 釔娽枀釔羔枀, 釔娽摃, 釔娽挦釗曖悐, 釗瘁晼釗 釔娽捇釖 釗曖憰釗.

After the passing of Millie Kuliktana on Friday, Jan. 13, members of her family are helping to paint a picture of her life as an uplifting leader in Kugluktuk, but also for the rest of Nunavut. Wynter Kuliktana Blais, MillieSA国际影视传媒檚 daughter, shared how during her lifetime, her mother inspired the community to better itself.

Q: Where was your mother born?

A: My mother was born in Coppermine (NWT). Coppermine is now Kugluktuk, after they changed the territory to Nunavut, they changed the name. She was raised there and in Ulukhaktok (NWT). Our family has lived in multiple communities as well.

Q: How do you remember your mother growing up? What was she like during your childhood?

A: How much drive she had. She had so much passion for all the work that she did. Rather, itSA国际影视传媒檚 her career in education, language revitalization, her work towards a healthier community, and through all of that being the most incredible, loving mom at the same time. She really had this gift about her to be able to do it all, anything she set her mind to.

Q: What are some values that she has taught you and your siblings?

A: I think for us itSA国际影视传媒檚 the love of our community, and the love of our family first and foremost. We have a lot of family friends, being raised by a mom like her. It has been instilled within us since we were as young as I can remember I was volunteering alongside her as a little girl, and right up to my teenage years. And as I moved into adulthood, it was so important for her that we be active members of our community. She taught us a lot about having faith and hope and being guided by love throughout all these years. When she was first diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2010, at the time we were told she only had three months to live and we knew it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 her time and that she would fight through it. We have always told her since the very beginning of the diagnosis that she would never have to face the sickness alone and that her family would always be alongside her through the entire journey. Even more so, we were so blessed to have the whole community standing behind her and rooting for her always.

Q: What would your mother want for Nunavut in the future?

A: I think she would want people living their best lives. I think she was such a huge advocate of making sure we gave our all and there was always room for us to improve and be better and be part of a healthier community. Not just for our community but for communities all across the North. It was so important to her that people were living healthy lives with healthy minds and making healthy decisions for themselves because, ultimately, when you lead with love, especially for yourself first, you can be part of the larger healthy community, living and building.

I think she would also like to see our people strive with our culture and embrace our language. To continue practising those activities that are part of who we are as Inuit. Our family did that, she made sure all of us children SA国际影视传媒 even as far as her grandchildren SA国际影视传媒 she has always made sure our kids were part of the culture. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 simply part of our lives and it is very well instilled in us and our children through our mom.

Q: What would your mother be doing on a typical day like today?

A: I think today we would be celebrating Christmas, she would be in her kitchen baking with the grandkids, she would have food on the table, and people coming in and out. That is the thing about my mom: her doors were never locked. They were always open as young as I can remember, her doors were always open to anybody. She always had food on her table and she was always available for conversation and counsel and love. She was really just a place to go for love. She loved her grandchildren without a doubt.

with family

MillieSA国际影视传媒檚 last moments were spent with family:

SA国际影视传媒淢y mom was so fierce, and rarely showed fear. She was a fighter. She has proven to us multiple times that miracles do happen, and throughout the years of her illness, even through a lung transplant. Through all of these experiences that weSA国际影视传媒檝e had, our family had always said: this ainSA国际影视传媒檛 our first rodeo. We didnSA国际影视传媒檛 realize this would be her last. She showed bravery right through to the end. I would like readers to know that she was not in any pain as she passed. Her soul left this world so courageously. Myself, my two brothers and my sister were along the bedside with our mom and we chose to honour her passing by giving her that space SA国际影视传媒 we made sure it was a very peaceful environment. We chose not to cry for the first five minutes following her passing to allow for her to leave in honour and peace. It was a very beautiful experience for my siblings and I to be able to do that for her. ISA国际影视传媒檓 so proud of my siblings for their strength. I think my mom has shown us an incredible amount of strength over the last many years and it was the only way for us to send her off.SA国际影视传媒

Funeral arrangements:

SA国际影视传媒淢y mom requested to be cremated,SA国际影视传媒 said Wynter. SA国际影视传媒淪he also requested for the funeral service to be provided in English and Inuinnaqtun. Our current minister at home is able to provide English service. However, our family have been given approval to allow Jeffrey and Rosaline Dixon to fly to Kugluktuk to provide the service in Inuinnaqtun. Our family took it upon ourselves to cover the costs of travel and accommodation, to make sure we honour my mom and to be able to provide her service in both languages. We are so blessed that our minister in Kugluktuk is so supportive and so willing to help proceed with the service alongside reverend Dixon, which is actually the one who married my parents.

The funeral will take place on Jan. 25, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. at the Colin Adjun Hall in Kugluktuk. Doors will be open at 1:00 p.m.SA国际影视传媒

聯She was an amazing person. She was always about familySA国际影视传媒 and when we talked, she always spoke so highly of them,聰 Shane Thompson, Millie Kuliktana聮s adopted brother, said of her. Photo courtesy of Wynter Kuliktana Blais釕栣搻釗 釕册挭釗囜枀釕愥捇釖晢釔呩摎釔呩枀釔翅枀. 釔冡摎釖メ搨釖 釔贬斁釘憥釚冡悆釗愥搰釔呩敪釗氠悈釚呩憪釚匰A国际影视传媒 釔娽捇釖摋 釔呩杻釗曖挭釕庒摢釗椺憰, 釔呩杻釗曖挭釚忈搻釗囜摬釚戓捇釖懄, 釗瘁悆釗 釕栣捇釗瘁搻, 釖メ摃 釚佱摃釕︶憱釗囜悈釕 釕庒拲釔娽枔, 釔呩杻釚呩摫釗.
SA国际影视传媒淪he was an amazing person. She was always about familySA国际影视传媒 and when we talked, she always spoke so highly of them,SA国际影视传媒 Shane Thompson, Millie KuliktanaSA国际影视传媒檚 adopted brother, said of her. Photo courtesy of Wynter Kuliktana Blais
釕栣搻釗 釕册挭釗囜枀釕愥捇釖晢釔呩摎釔呩枀釔翅枀. 釔冡摎釖メ搨釖 釔贬斁釘憥釚冡悆釗愥搰釔呩敪釗氠悈釚呩憪釚匰A国际影视传媒 釔娽捇釖摋 釔呩杻釗曖挭釕庒摢釗椺憰, 釔呩杻釗曖挭釚忈搻釗囜摬釚戓捇釖懄, 釗瘁悆釗 釕栣捇釗瘁搻, 釖メ摃 釚佱摃釕︶憱釗囜悈釕 釕庒拲釔娽枔, 釔呩杻釚呩摫釗.

NWT minister Shane Thompson, and adopted brother of Millie, also had words to share in her honour:

SA国际影视传媒淪he was an amazing teacher and superintendent for the Kitikmeot region. She was all about the community and how we can make things better for the residents. The fishing derby was her idea; improvements to the Nattiq Frolics SA国际影视传媒 very part of the team.

Her parents adopted me as their son in 1990. She is my sister and her family (sisters) have called me brother and their kids have called me uncle. To those who knew her, she was a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, mentor, teacher, super volunteer and had a heart of gold. She was about serving others throughout her life.

I would like to share the first time I met her: I was just hired as the recreation coordinator trainee for the Hamlet of Coppermine (now known as Kugluktuk). It was the first week of December, 1987. I was given the task of finding billets for 10 out-of-town volleyball teams. I remember thinking, SA国际影视传媒楬ow am I going to do this?SA国际影视传媒 MillieSA国际影视传媒檚 future husband (Simon Kuliktana) told me: SA国际影视传媒楧o not worry, Millie is coming home and she will get everyone looked after.SA国际影视传媒 True to his word, Millie came in and within an hour they were all looked after. This was Millie. Give her a task, regardless of the difficulty, and she had it solved. Later that day, she and Simon invited me into their home and I have always been welcomed since.

I watched their family grow and saw their children become what she was very proud of and we talked about them a lot. Quentin Norberg, Wynter Kuliktana Blais, Shawn Kuliktana and Tundra Kuliktana were her and SimonSA国际影视传媒檚 legacy.

I would like to thank them for allowing me to be with them, three of her sisters (Edna Elias, Helen Larocque and Jeannie Ehaloak) and two lifelong friends (Susie Evyagotailak and Kathy Okpik) at the hospital. It was such an honour.

There are so many things I want to say, but I will just say she was an amazing person. She was always about familySA国际影视传媒 and when we talked, she always spoke so highly of them.

Throughout the years, I had so many amazing conversations with her. It was always refreshing as she spoke her mind with so much honesty, but most importantly she did it with love. She cared and that was why she did what she did for others.

It is still difficult to think that she passed away but I know she is no longer suffering and that makes me happy. To Simon, the children and grandchildren, may God bless you during this difficult time and may you share loving stories about her.SA国际影视传媒

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Millie Kuliktana smiles while in the presence of her husband Simon. After a long illness, Millie passed away on Jan. 13. Photo courtesy of Wynter Kuliktana Blais 釖メ摃 釕摃釖冡憱釗 釚佱枔釕︶憪釚 釕曖悆釕册搩釕庒摢釗椺拲 釔呩悆釚 釗瘁悆釖搻. 釔嬦搻釗傖悐釕憱釗氠悈釚呩憥釗摋釖, 釖メ摃 釔冡搮釘搻釗冡摎釔呩枀釕愥枀 釘搫釔娽晢 13-釖.