The DYP Perspective on The Indigenous Population of Puvirnituq, Nunavik (Emmanuel Gauchier)

We had the chance to sit down with Emmanuel Gauchier, founder, and board member of the Centre of Unicura, since 2016. The centre of Unicura gives a unique experience for young girls from the Nunavik region, specifically Puvirnituq, to spend four weeks in a camp where they will explore and learn about their Inuit traditions with the inclusion of non-traditional approaches. A follow-up interview will be taken place with a graduating member of this program who is now pursuing her studies at the collegiate level. Emmanuel worked for the DYP in the Puvirnituq at the beginning of 2013 in the parental evaluation department. This interview and conversation speak on her experience as a black woman working within the indigenous community in Puvirnituq. This conversation covers an essential topic of culture, as Emmanuel talks about the struggles of managing her Haitian ethnicity while working in a Quebec system of approach while addressing an indigenous population. During the interview process, it is essential to understand that these views and discussion topics are viewed from the outside perspective. We do not claim to have a genuine understanding of the indigenous culture perspective. Information on Puvirnituq Located 4 km from Povungnituk Bay, on the north shore of the major river by the same name, this Inuit village is encompassed by an expansive plateau. It is a blend of numberless lakes and rivers, abundant wildlife and delicate arctic plants and flowers. Puvirnituq also beholds every year the migration of the Leaf River caribou herd. Two reasons are generally provided for the uncommon title of this village. The first recounts that many were swept downstream several years ago and drowned when migrating caribou ventured to cross the river. Their remains, it seems, were washed up on shore, where they started to rot, allowing a putrid odour. The other story of the site's name describes how everyone residing in the area was victim to a deadly epidemic. In the end, there was no one left to bury the lifeless remains. When the corpses began to disintegrate, the air was pervaded with a dreadful stench. The whole region, however, is known by a more charming name. Amaamatisivik signifies the place where women breastfeed their babies. According to legend, in this area, the women would constantly breastfeed their babies to restrain them from crying and disrupting the herds of migrating caribou. At the beginning of the 21st century, Puvirnituq is the hub of the Hudson coast. The village's airport is additionally the gateway to more distant communities. https://preventioncdnndg.org/podcast/ Reference: About us. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021, from http://www.nvpuvirnituq.ca/en/index_eng.htm