‘A great relief to know’: Nunavummiut remember loved ones during visit to Charles Camsell Hospital

After 60 years, Allen Kudlak had the opportunity to finally reunite with his father Jacob, who is buried near the Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton. The last time they saw each other was in August 1965 when Allen boarded a float plane to residential school. Now, as part of a delegation from Nunavut’s Kitikmeot region, Kudlak visited the hospital where thousands of Indigenous people were sent for treatment during the tuberculosis epidemic that ravaged the 1940s to 1960s.

The Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. brought 49 Inuit to the site as part of the Nanilavut initiative, a federal project dedicated to creating resources for those impacted by the epidemic. The initiative includes a database of Inuit who underwent medical treatment at the time, commemorative events, monuments, and compassionate travel for family members. The word Nanilavut means “let’s find them” in Inuktitut.

Kudlak brought flowers from home to place on his father’s grave, giving him a piece of Nunavut to rest with. The relief and closure he felt from seeing his father’s resting place was palpable. Junna Ehaloak, another delegate, shared in this relief as she found her grandfather’s grave site. She expressed how her father spent most of his life not knowing where his father was buried and that finding the grave brought peace to their family.

Karen Nanook emphasized the importance of the Nanilavut initiative in providing proof and acknowledgment of what families like hers experienced during the epidemic. She spent years researching the hospital where her mother was treated and her uncle was buried. Nanook highlighted the challenge of finding accurate information about what happened at the hospital and the impact it had on families.

Visiting the site and having a record of those affected by the epidemic has allowed Nanook and others to confront their family’s past. She mentioned that her family never spoke about losing their loved ones, but now they can come together and share stories about those who died of tuberculosis.

The delegates spent time visiting the former hospital site and the nearby cemetery where some patients were laid to rest. They participated in a memorial banquet, healing circle, and closing banquet to honor the memories of those impacted by the epidemic. The journey to Edmonton allowed the delegates to connect with their past and find solace in knowing their loved ones are remembered.