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November 23, 2015

Jeannie (Sappa) Nuktie


To:
Senator Charlie Watt
Minister of Justice Canada, Jody Wilson-Raybould
Minister of Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Status of Women, Patty Hajdu
Minister of Secrtariat aux affaires autochtones, Geoffrey Kelly
Minister of Justice Qubec, Stphanie Valle
Deputy of AbitibiBaie-JamesNunavikEeyou , Romo Saganash
Deputy of Ungava, Jean Boucher
United Nations
President of Kativik Regional Government, Jennifer Munick-Watkins
President of Saturviit Inuit Womens Association of Nunavik, Annie Arnatuk
President of Makivik Corporation, Jobbie Tukkiapik
Director of Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Minnie Grey
President of Native Womens Association of Canada, Dawn Lavell Harvard
President of Quebec Native Women, Viviane Michel
President of Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Rebecca Kudloo
President of Amnistie Internationale, Karine Gentelet
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Dear all,
Everything seems to be happening at the right time. Just like things always seem to happen either
all at the same time or one thing right after another.
For as long as I can remember, life has not always been easy. I recently left my relationship of
thirty-six years. I had been in this relationship since I was eleven years old.
I used to think my life of living in violence and alcoholism was normal. I used to feel that I was
cursed because no one helped me when I was in a violent relationship. I felt I did not matter. I
did not know what I loved doing and the colours I loved. I was born in the year of ninety-sixtyeight in Kuujjuaraapik in Inuktituk, which is Whapmagoostui in Cree.
I finally left my violent relationship of thirty-six years in December two-thousand-fourteen.
When I started working with Good Touch and Bad Touch, a program where we give children a
three day curriculum on five body safety rules, I started learning about my right to have my
safety and protection. On November two-thousand-fourteen him and I started arguing. When he

took a sofa cushion to hit me with, he started shouting. I covered my head so I would not be hit.
He began hitting my vagina area. It was that moment that I realized that I was not safe. I began
making plans to leave. On December two-thousand-fourteen during the Christmas holiday I left
to Puvirnituq with the things I needed.
Before this, I always ended up going back to my relationship. I always had reasons why I stayed,
our children, our marriage, financial difficulty, community pressure, lack of housing, being told I
should go back to my marriage, even being threatened to go back to my husband. To this day I
have no home also since there is lack of housing in Nunavik. I do not have a place of my own
and have no place. I am not the only mother who has a problem and there are a lot of women
even some men in abusive relationship who feel they are stuck in unhealthy relationship since
they have no place to move in. You know with high cost of living and little full time jobs
available it is not easy, even living with overcrowding which causes chaos. I have always had a
problem of having no home, since I was always told You live under my roof, its not your
home. I got married when I turned eighteen since both of our parents told us we had to get
married.
When I met him I was not allowed to have friends. I was not permitted to go out for long periods
of time and when I refused to have sex when he wanted sex, he would beat me up. I remember
times when I would be beaten up for making a mistake, if I cooked the wrong way, didnt clean
up properly or whenever he thought I made a mistake. When I was beaten up for refusing sex, I
used to give in. I remember times when I was beaten up in public places and in front of his
parents. I was blamed at for being beaten up, that I had caused him to get angry. I remember
times when the SQ police would come, and then just as quickly be on their way. I remember
those times when the SQ came almost every day and would never remove him. I didnt know
about my rights, and I have always lived in fear. I have always felt like no one cared for me. I
felt worthless and unlovable, because everyone I knew were aware of my situation but did not do
anything to intervene. When I see people now that I know who live in Kuujjaraapik, I am often
told they are happy that I am free and often say they heard stories where I was abused.
When our daughters were teenagers they both started fighting with their father to stop him from
beating me up. The only other people who tried stopping him from beating me up was his
brother, my mother and my brother. They used to end up fighting together.
Several years ago I pressed charged against my husband after he threatened to kill me with a rifle
and then kill himself. I was very scared. When we were at court, I was asked by the lawyer if I
wanted to say something. I agreed to. I was asked by the judge how long I was with him. When I
answered since I was eleven, everyone in the court shouted and yelled. I could see everyone
looked at each other, were shocked. The judge used the gavel and shouted quiet, please quiet! He
asked me what I wanted. I remember saying I want him to go to counselling, for him to get help
and to get better. I believed that people who are sent to detention centers come back angrier.
The judge told him You are very lucky your wife doesnt want you to go to jail. You have a

very serious file and a serious charge. You have a thick file at the SQ police against child abuse,
a very serious offence. There is evidence in the file to get you a life sentence. I would like to
know what you have to say about it Mister. After answering his question the judge gave him
conditions not to harass me, molest me, no alcohol, and to go to social services for counselling
for several years.
After several years, he started drinking again, Things were not always good. There were times I
just wanted to die when I was with him. I have been told by psychologists and lawyers I met that
I can take the SQ police and Social Services to the court for not intervening and for not doing
anything.
On September two-thousand-fifteen I went back to Umiujaq to visit my family. There were some
people who were happy that I had left my unhealthy relationship, but there were others who
made it clear in public places that they disapproved of me leaving my marriage. I was also
shouted and swear at by my sister in law`s boyfriend. He told me I was not welcome in his house
since I am a bad influence on his family and girlfriend since I had left my marriage. I could see
in his eyes and his face that he wanted to attack me just like when my ex-husband used to start
beating me up. I kept telling him ok, I knew if I said something it would have provoked him to
get more angrier to hit me. And yet my sister in law told me she was happy I left her brother,
knowing how we were before.
There was a time when I did not care if I stabbed my ex-husband to death while he slept when I
was living in violence. Thank goodness it never came to that point. I want to see him live in
peace, happiness and find love. Yet, with my experience my life has not been easy. He is the
father of our children and grandfather of our grandchildren. I am learning to accept that I do
deserve love and happiness. I am learning to take ownership of my life, my choices and learning
about my strengths.
I am receiving therapy since I am working in my insecurities, fears, doubts and trust issues
stemming from my history of abuse. I hope that by writing this letter that I am heard and my
dreams and hopes become a reality. I came to Montreal with the help of my daughter, who paid
my travelling costs so I could access appropriate services that are not available in our
communities and reserves. We also have non Indigenous workers who come to the north to work
and make money. Many do not know where we come from, or what makes us who we are
because of our past. These workers often do more harm than good. I can say this since my
grandparents and my mother were relocated from Inukjuaq to the Islands and I have a brother
who was sent to a residential school.
I remember my mother telling me how she remembered her father being angry at the government
for being lied to for not returning home in couple of years after being sent away from Inukjuaq to
the Islands. Before she passed away several years ago I started learning about family history. It
was ironic when they were eighteen family members living in a three bedroom house when

federal government gave large amount of money to Makivik for the Islands where my
grandparents and my mother were relocated from Inukjuaq, when my parents were overcrowded.
My mother`s health started deteriorating when house was overcrowded. My siblings and I have
not had an easy life since we grew up without extended families since family means support,
guidance, nurturing and love, with a sense of connectedness and belonging.
By writing this I want to help. I want to see changes for the better in our country. We are all the
same in the heart; we want to see changes made for our Indigenous women, people who come
from countries to live in Canada also people who live in Canada. I want better lives for our
younger generations, a better treatment of First Nations, Inuit, Metis and everyone in Canada and
around the world. I want to see our government be part of making changes for better since we are
all in this together as adults and as role models to our children. I just do not want to be left alone
like I did when I was a child. I want solid support, options and I want to see change.
The traumas, losses, addiction, high cost of living, suicides, missing and murdered women with
the lack of appropriate services and housing, is not acceptable. It is the leading cause of racism
which needs to be addressed and worked on together.
Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding this letter. Thank you for your time.
In solidarity,
Jeannie (Sappa, (Sapa)) Nuktie

POSTSCRIPT
Subsequent to the writing of the letter, in December 2015 I was accepted a housing in Puvirnituq
and moved in. I thank people of Puvirnituq Quebec for welcoming me and for being kind.
Thanks to KMHB in Kuujjuaq and Puvirnituq also for assisting me and accepting my request for
housing.
I want to add what I feel I need to say, that in no way I am trying to point fingers at anyone by
writing what I wrote since we all need help, that there is nothing wrong with us. Also to remind
that blaming, judging, shaming, gossiping only creates suffering and does not solve problems
and if we need to have better future for our children and in our lives we are going to need to
focus on ourselves to get help and that lifting each others up, working together and helping each
other we are making a difference for better.

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23 novembre, 2015
Jeannie (Sappa) Nuktie
:
Snateur Charlie Watt
Jody Wilson-Raybould, ministre de la Justice (Canada)
Carolyn Bennett, ministre des Affaires autochtones et dveloppement du Nord Canada
Patty Hajdu, ministre de Condition fminine Canada
Stphanie Valle, ministre de la Justice (Qubec)
Geoffrey Kelly, ministre au Secrtariat aux Affaires autochtones
Romo Saganash, dput fdral de AbitibiBaie-JamesNunavikEeyou
Jean Boucher, dput provincial dUngava
Nations Unies
Jennifer Munick-Watkins, prsidente de lAdministration rgionale Kativik
Jobbie Tukkiapik, prsident de la Socit Makivik
Annie Arnatuk, prsident de Saturviit Association des femmes inuit du Nunavik
Minnie Grey, directrice de la Rgie rgionale de la sant et des services sociaux du Nunavik
Dawn Lavell Harvard, prsidente de lAssociation des femmes autochtones du Canada
Viviane Michel, prsidente de Femmes autochtones du Qubec Inc.
Rebecca Kudloo, prsidente de Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
Karine Gentelet , prsidente de Amnistie Internationale
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Bonjour tous et toutes,
Tout semble arriver au bon moment. En fait, les choses semblent toujours arriver toutes au mme
moment ou se profiler les unes aprs les autres.
Aussi longtemps que je puisse me rappeler, la vie na pas toujours t facile. Jai rcemment mis
un terme une relation qui a dur 36 ans. Javais 11 ans lorsque cette relation a dbut.
Jai longtemps pens que vivre dans la violence et lalcoolisme tait normal. Je croyais que
jtais maudite parce que personne ne maidait lorsque jtais dans cette relation violente. Javais
limpression ne rien valoir. Je ne savais pas quels taient mes gots, ce que jaimais faire et ce
qutait ma couleur prfre. Je suis ne en 1968 Kuujjuaraapik ou Whapmagoostui en langue
crie.
Jai enfin quitt cette relation violente en dcembre 2014. Quand jai commenc travailler pour
Good Touch Bad Touch, un programme de trois jours qui enseigne aux enfants cinq rgles
fondamentales pour la scurit du corps, jai dcouvert que javais droit, moi aussi, la scurit
et la protection. Un jour de novembre 2014, mon mari et moi avons commenc nous disputer.
Il a pris un coussin du sofa pour me frapper et sest mis crier. Jai protg ma tte pour viter

les coups. Il a alors commenc frapper ma rgion vaginale. Cest ce moment que jai ralis
que jtais en danger. Jai ainsi commenc planifier mon dpart. En dcembre 2014, pendant
les vacances de Nol, jai quitt la communaut de Puvirnituq avec les choses dont javais
besoin.
Avant, je revenais toujours lui. Je trouvais toujours des raisons pour rester avec lui : nos
enfants, notre mariage, les difficults financires, la pression sociale, le manque de logement. On
me disait que je devais retourner vers mon mari. Parfois mme, on me menaait. Depuis le jour
o je lai quitt, je nai pas de maison, parce quil y a une pnurie de logements au Nunavik. Je
nai pas de chez moi. Je ne suis pas la seule mre qui a de tels problmes. Il y a beaucoup de
femmes, des hommes aussi, qui se trouvent dans des relations abusives et qui ont le sentiment
dtre pris dans cette relation parce quils nont pas dautre endroit o habiter. Vous savez, tant
donn le cot lev de la vie et le peu demplois temps plein disponibles, ce nest pas facile. De
plus, le surpeuplement cre le chaos dans les maisons. Le fait de ne pas avoir de maison a
toujours t un problme pour moi, parce quon me disait toujours : Tu vis sous mon toit, ce
nest pas ta maison. Je me suis marie quand je venais davoir 11 ans, parce que nos parents
nous ont dit que nous devions nous marier.
Quand je lai rencontr, je navais pas le droit davoir damis. Je navais pas le droit de sortir de
la maison trop longtemps. Et quand je refusais davoir une relation sexuelle lorsquil le dsirait,
il me battait. Je me souviens des moments o il me battait parce que je faisais une erreur, parce
que je ne cuisinais pas assez bien, parce que je ne nettoyais pas suffisamment, et toutes les autres
fois o il considrait que je faisais une erreur. Lorsquil me battait parce que je refusais davoir
une relation sexuelle avec lui, je finissais par lui donner ce quil voulait. Je me souviens des fois
o jtais battue dans des lieux publics et devant ses parents. On me blmait pour tre battue,
parce que javais caus sa colre. Je me rappelle lorsque des policiers de la Suret du Qubec
venaient la maison et quils repartaient aussitt. Je me rappelle quand la police venait presque
tous les jours et ne lemmenait jamais. Je ne connaissais pas mes droits et javais toujours vcu
dans la peur. Javais toujours eu le sentiment que personne ne se souciait de moi. Je sentais que
je navais aucune valeur et que personne ne pouvait maimer, parce que tous ceux que je
connaissais avaient connaissance de ma situation, mais personne ne faisait rien pour intervenir.
Aujourdhui, quand je vois des gens que je connais Kuujjuaraapik, ils me disent quils sont
heureux que je sois maintenant libre et quils ont entendu parl des abus que jai subis.
Lorsque nos filles sont devenues adolescentes, elles ont commenc lutter contre leur pre pour
quil cesse de me frapper. Les seules autres personnes qui ont tent de larrter ont t son frre,
ma mre et mon frre. Lorsquils intervenaient, ils finissaient toujours par se battre avec lui.
Il y a plusieurs annes, jai port plainte contre mon mari aprs quil ait menac de me tuer avec
un fusil puis de senlever la vie. Javais vraiment trs peur. Quand nous tions la Cour, lavocat
ma demand si je voulais dire quelque chose. Jai accept. Le juge ma demand depuis
combien de temps jtais avec mon mari. Lorsque jai rpondu : depuis mes 11 ans , tout le

monde la Cour sest mis crier. Je pouvais voir comment ils se regardaient les uns les autres;
ils taient choqus. Le juge a frapp avec son marteau pour demander le silence. Il ma demand
ce que je voulais et je me souviens avoir rpondu : Je veux quil aille consulter, je veux quil
obtienne de laide pour devenir une meilleure personne. Je crois que ceux qui vont en prison en
ressortent plus en colre . Le juge a dit mon mari : Vous tes trs chanceux que votre femme
ne souhaite pas vous envoyer en prison. Des accusations trs graves psent contre vous. Vous
avez un lourd dossier la Sret du Qubec rapportant labus denfant, ce qui est une offense
trs srieuse. Nous avons suffisamment de preuves pour vous envoyer passer le reste de votre vie
en prison. Quest-ce que vous avez dire ce sujet, Monsieur ? Aprs quil ait rpondu la
question, le juge lui a donn des conditions de ne pas me harceler ou me molester, de ne pas
boire dalcool et de consulter les services sociaux pendant plusieurs annes.
Aprs plusieurs annes, il a recommenc boire. Les choses nallaient pas toujours bien. Il y
avait des moments o jtais avec lui et o je voulais tout simplement mourir. Les psychologues
et les avocats que jai rencontrs mont dit que je pourrais porter des accusations contre la Sret
du Qubec et les services sociaux parce quils ne sont pas intervenus et quils nont rien fait.
En septembre 2015, je suis retourne Umiujaq pour rendre visite ma famille. Certaines
personnes taient contentes que jaie mis fin cette relation malsaine, mais dautres ont
clairement et publiquement laiss comprendre quils dsapprouvaient le fait que je quitte mon
mari. Le conjoint de ma belle-sur ma cri dessus et ma insulte. Il ma dit que je ntais pas
bienvenue dans sa maison parce quayant quitt mon mari, jtais devenue une mauvaise
influence sur sa famille et sur sa copine. Je pouvais voir dans ses yeux et sur son visage quil
voulait mattaquer, comme mon ex-mari avait lhabitude de le faire. Je lui disais sans cesse
ok , mais je savais que si je disais quelque chose, cela laurait provoqu et enrag davantage
contre moi. Malgr tout, ma belle-sur ma dit quelle tait contente que jaie quitt son frre,
car elle savait ce que javais vcu.
Un jour, alors que je vivais dans la violence, jai pens poignarder mon mari mort dans son
sommeil. Dieu merci, je ne lai jamais fait. Je veux le voir vivre en paix, dans le bonheur et
trouver lamour. Bien sr, ma vie na pas t facile. Il est le pre de mes enfants et le grand-pre
de mes petits-enfants. Japprends accepter quil mrite lamour et le bonheur. Japprends
prendre le contrle de ma vie et de mes dcisions, japprends connatre mes forces.
Je suis prsentement en thrapie et je travaille sur mon sentiment dinscurit, mes peurs, mes
doutes et mon problme de confiance en moi. Jespre quen crivant cette lettre, je serai
entendue et que mes rves et espoirs deviendront ralit. Je suis alle Montral grce laide
de ma fille qui a pay mon voyage afin que je puisse avoir accs des services appropris qui ne
sont pas disponibles dans nos communauts et dans nos rserves. Il y a des travailleurs non
autochtones qui viennent dans le Nord pour travailler et se faire de largent. Beaucoup ne savent
pas do nous venons et ne connaissent pas notre pass. Ces travailleurs font souvent plus de mal
que de bien. Je peux affirmer cela car mes grands-parents et ma mre, qui vivaient Inukjuak,

ont t relocaliss vers les les du Nord, et jai un frre qui a t envoy dans une cole
rsidentielle.
Ma mre me racontait le souvenir de son pre en colre contre le gouvernement parce que ce
dernier avait menti en disant que sa famille reviendrait la maison, Inukjuak, au bout de deux
annes passes sur les les. Avant quelle dcde, il y a plusieurs annes, jai commenc
apprendre lhistoire de la famille. Cest assez ironique de savoir que, dans les les du Nord, 18
membres de ma famille vivaient dans une maison ne comptant que 3 chambres coucher, alors
que le gouvernement fdral donnait beaucoup dargent Makivik pour ces les o vivaient mes
grands-parents et ma mre. La sant de ma mre sest dtriore parce que la maison tait
surpeuple. Ma fratrie et moi navons pas eu une vie facile puisque nous avons grandi loin de
notre famille largie, celle qui sert normalement supporter, guider, duquer et aimer, par le
biais des sentiments dattachement et dappartenance.
En crivant ceci, je veux aider. Je veux voir des changements positifs dans notre pays. Nous
sommes tous les mmes au fond, nous voulons des changements pour les femmes autochtones,
pour les gens qui viennent des autres pays pour vivre au Canada, pour tous les gens qui vivent
ici. Je souhaite une vie meilleure pour les jeunes gnrations. Je souhaite que les Premires
nations, les Inuit et les Mtis, et tous les habitants du Canada et du monde entier, soient mieux
traits. Je veux que notre gouvernement contribue changer les choses pour le meilleur, parce
que nous sommes tous ensemble dans cette situation, en tant quadultes et modles pour nos
enfants. Je ne veux pas tre laisse pour compte comme je lai t lorsque jtais enfant. Je veux
un soutien solide, je veux des options, je veux voir des changements.
Les traumatismes, les deuils, les problmes daddiction, le cot lev de la vie, le suicide, les
femmes assassines ou disparues, en plus du manque de services appropris et de logement ;
cest inacceptable. Cest la cause principale du racisme auquel on doit faire face ensemble.
Nhsitez pas me contacter au sujet de cette lettre. Merci pour votre temps.
En solidarit,
Jeannie (Sappa, (Sapa)) Nuktie

POST-SCRIPTUM
Suite lcriture de cette lettre, jai obtenu en dcembre 2015 un logement Puvirnituq
(Qubec) et je my suis installe. Je remercie les gens de Puvirnituq de mavoir accueillie avec
gentillesse. Merci aussi lOffice municipale dhabitation Kativik et au village nordique de
Puvirnituq de mavoir assiste dans ma dmarche et davoir accept ma requte.

Je souhaite ajouter quelque chose quil est important pour moi dexprimer. En aucune faon je
nai tent de pointer du doigt qui que ce soit en rdigeant ma lettre, puisque nous avons tous
besoin daide et quil ny a rien de mal avec nous. Je veux aussi rappeler que blmer, juger,
humilier et faire des commrages ne produisent que de la souffrance et ne rsolvent aucun
problme. Si nous souhaitons un meilleur futur pour nos enfants et dans nos vies, nous aurons
besoin de nous centrer sur nous-mmes pour obtenir de laide, pour saider les uns les autres se
relever, pour travailler ensemble et sentraider. Ainsi nous pourrons faire une diffrence pour le
mieux.

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