Let's Move On : The Life Story of Paul Okalik

Pangnirtung, where Paul Okalik was born, has survived starvation, epidemics, relocation, foreign language schooling, and confrontation with the Canadian justice system. That is what prompted Paul to work to improve the living conditions of the Inuit. He was called to the Bar in 1999 and then elected the first Premier of Nunavut. Though Nunavut was a reality, attaining full self-government would be a work in progress. Inuit needed education and training to become decision-makers. Ten distant communities spread over a vast territory required new infrastructures, affordable housing, and a decentralized civil service where Inuit would take the reins. Inuit employment in government did exceed 50 percent, yet the Inuit account for 85 percent of the population. Let's move on is an expression of determination inherited from generations of Inuit, who have also faced colonialism. Paul Okalik's idea is to move forward with hope and confidence, despite frustrations. His is a story of personal and political courage. But it is also that of the creation of a government in a Canadian jurisdiction with an indigenous majority, a dream for which Louis Riel and eight Cree leaders hanged more than 100 years earlier! Book jacket.