Stained Glass Window Dedication Ceremony - Closing Songs

Transcript: Closing Songs

Greg Rickford: The extinguishment of the qulliq brings our ceremony to an end. Before we make our way to the reception room, we will have a few closing songs from the Ottawa Inuit Children's Choir. Thank you, merci, Miigwetch.

Linda: Good morning. My name is Linda. I've got some wonderful children here from the Ottawa Inuit Children Centre. That are very proud to demonstrate they've been learning all about their culture and language and they're going to demonstrate with a song from an elder from our pinger tongue. This is called 'tukalikita'. Ready?

(Inuit Children's choir)

Linda: (In native language) Now they're going to demonstrate a little bit of throat singing. Ready?

(Inuit Children's choir)

Linda: So now we're going to bring on the older kids from our centre, Charlotte, Abby and Anika.

Charlotte: (In native language) Good morning. On behalf of my two younger sisters, Abigail and Anika and myself, I would just like to say how honoured we are to be a part of your morning, to be a part of today, and what you're going to be hearing this morning is a result of the apology.

(Throat singing choir)

Charlotte: As a young Inuk woman growing up in the city, I have felt the pain and aftermath of residential schools. Although growing up and today, I have not been directly affected by residential schools, my people and my ancestors have, but we can choose to look at residential schools and learn from it, we can reflect on it and know that this will never happen again.

(Throat singing choir)

Anika: I, like my sister, have never been affected personally through the residential schools, but both my mother's older brother and younger sister were taken away at a really young age. We have this amazing ability though, to look at our past and forgive, and move on.

Abigail: I'm proud to be Inuk, I'm proud to be who I am, with many dreams, goals and opportunities. Some may look at us as a people gone old, but we're here today to celebrate our culture.

Charlotte, Anika and Abigail: That is still alive.

Anika: (In native language) Thank you.