It鈥檚 important to respect your Elders in Inuit culture, said Iqaluit Coun. Paul Quassa.
鈥淓lders are knowledge-holders and that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so very important. It鈥檚 very attached to our culture that you respect your Elders,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e lived longer, they鈥檝e experienced more life than you.鈥�
Now in his 70s, Quassa remembered when he was young and Elders鈥� names were not even used.
鈥淲e were just allowed to say either Ittuq or Ataatasiaq. You don鈥檛 say their name because of respect. That鈥檚 how much respect we had for our Elders,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 was told whenever you go to a camp, if there鈥檚 an Elder that鈥檚 the first one you go visit. Just to go see and say hi and that鈥檚 about it 鈥� at least see them.鈥�
Quassa, former Nunavut premier and former Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated president, hopes future generations learn the cultural values Elders have as knowledge-holders.
鈥淎n Elder鈥檚 an Elder, whether it鈥檚 a woman or a man. It鈥檚 being respectful because of their experience,鈥� he said.
While Quassa agreed that 60 and above is a good number to be considered an Elder, he added those metrics weren鈥檛 always used to measure such criteria.
鈥淚n the olden days we didn鈥檛 have numbers to say, this old you鈥檙e an Elder now. It was the facial expression, the physical being of being an Elder 鈥� it鈥檚 how you see them rather than looking at it as a number.
鈥淎n Elder in a community may not necessarily be a leader but a respected Elder,鈥� he said, stressing the importance of holding Elders in high regard.
鈥淚 encourage all Nunavummiut to respect the social values of Inuit, which is respecting our Elders at all times.鈥�
