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David C. Ward, an Inuit and a lawyer, has written Prime Minister
Mulroney, regarding "Canada's failure to recognize the heroic and
selfless acts of a fourteen year old Inuit boy, David Kootook,
who knowingly and willingly placed his life at risk" in order to
save the pilot, Martin Hartwell, almost twenty years ago.
Mr. Ward is appalled at the lack of action taken on behalf of the
Canadian government to honour David Kootook, both in 1973 when he
first brought this issue up, and today. He wrote this letter,
which he shared with me, in order to get the Canadian government,
and the Canadian people's attention as to just one of the
injustices which were and are practiced concerning the Inuit
people of Canada.
I am asking both the Canadian and American populace to support
David Ward in his plea to the Canadian Government to recognize
David Kootook as a hero by awarding him, posthumously, the
Governor General's Award. I am asking this to honour a young boy
but also to symbolize that fact that we do care about the Inuit,
and we do appreciate the incredible selflessness, warmth and
caring which is a part of Inuit culture, and was demonstrated by
Kootook.
I will let David Speak for himself:
"If you and your fellow students and your fellow Canadians really
want to support the Inuit, get them to write/phone/protest
(civilly of course) the Government of Canada and ask them to
PROPERLY recognize David Kootook who, at age 14, gave his life to
help a fellow human being."
The following is an excerpt from that letter to the Prime
Minister:
I am writing (again) on the issue of Canada's failure to
recognize the heroic and selfless act of a fourteen year old
Inuit child who knowingly and willingly placed his life at risk
to save a pilot of a plane downed in an Arctic crash
approximately twenty years ago. Mt. Tadman was kind enough to
provide me with a copy of the letter he sent to the Governor
General's office rejecting his application which was almost a
copy of the one I received in 1973.
With as much respect as I can muster at this time, this is not a
complicated issue. One need not be a rocket scientist to do what
is right.
To expediate matters (and this letter), I will shorten and
generalize the facts:
1) An Inuit child of fourteen years suffering from
appendicitis, being rushed to a southern hospital, was
involved in an airplane crash.
2) Said child, KNOWING he was seriously ill, WILLINGLY
placed his life at risk by moving about and gathering
food and water for Martin Hartwell, the pilot of the
plane.
3) He died in the process. Martin Hartwell lived.
If the criteria for the Governor General's award is as you
provide, I respectfully submit that said criteria WAS MET by
young david Kootook. If you do not agree, I am willing to debate
this issue with anyone in the Federal Government from the Prime
Minister, to the governor General or down to anyone they feel
would best represent them.
Certainly our customs differ from yours. I am not asking you to
recognize Kootook in our way. I am asking you to recognize
Kootook in YOUR way --- to show the Inuit YOU care enough to say
"thank you" or "well done" for an act YOU consider honourable! I
doubt that it is your custom to wear a feathered headdress and
make yourself honourary chiefs but I don't see or hear any
political or governmental official rejecting an honourary
chieftainship because it isn't his custom. They accept it (and,
rightfully so) as a symbol of the Indian way of bestowing honour.
Are you not considerate enough to give what you so quickly accept
and receive?
It is a sad note to think that if one dies in the process of
saving a life in Canada, that the only thanks one gets from
Canada is a funeral and an unmarked grave in a strange city. i
want better for my people and for my country! They both deserve
it!
Respectfully,
David C. Ward: Keeviak
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