Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, I’m pleased to be able to rise today and pay tribute to Mr. Yoanis Menge and Mr. Ruben Komangapik. These gentlemen are the friends and business partners behind Reconseal Inuksiuti. As the clever portmanteau suggests, they have developed a new hunting project that aims to bring about reconciliation through understanding the importance and significance of the Inuit practice of hunting seals, while also bringing traditional country food to the Inuit in Ottawa and Montreal.

Mr. Menge is a photographer, and his black-and-white photographs of seal hunting are meant to challenge viewers to see the beauty in a tradition that brings a source of sustenance, clothing, income and spirituality to families throughout the North.

Mr. Komangapik is originally from Pond Inlet, although he now describes himself as a nomad.

In a CBC article that was published on October 30, Mr. Komangapik describes how this project advances reconciliation:

We’re just not talking, we’re actually doing the actions of reconciliation (between) the sealing industry, the animalist and all those people that (hunt) the seal the wrong way. They made a big, big rift between the South and the North seal hunters.

To avoid taking from Nunavut’s Inuit, who are among the most food-insecure Canadians in the entire country, this team has decided to hunt in the Magdalen Islands where there is a healthy seal population.

Colleagues, the fact is that Canada is home to over 400,000 grey seals which are the type being hunted. It is a true delight that these gentlemen can take a few of those seals and bring the meat back to the Inuit living in the South who, like Manitok Thompson of Ottawa, believe the meat “tastes like happiness.”

As an aside, I would say it’s a bonus that they’re helping to alleviate some of the huge pressures on fishing stocks caused by adult seals that consume up to 1,500 pounds of food each per annum. Given that there are approximately 8 million grey and harp seals in Canada, I’ll leave you to do the math.

I applaud Mr. Komangapik’s and Mr. Menge’s efforts to break down the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding the Inuit seal hunt — all done without any government funding or support.

So qujannamiik for pushing for reconciliation in this way, and thank you for bringing nutritious, omega-3-rich country food to Ottawa and Montreal’s Inuit populations. Qujannamiik. Taima.