Members of the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) Governing Council and friends travelled to Henley Harbour in Chateau Bay on August 21 to mark and commemorate the British-Inuit Treaty of 1765.
We held a small and moving ceremony that included a Kullik lighting, drum dancing by Katie Simmonds and McKenna Penney and the raising of our NunatuKavut flag. President Russell and Dr. Amy Hudson were on hand to talk about the significance of this important Treaty to NunatuKavut Inuit, and Minister Lisa Dempster joined us to bring greetings from Premier Furey and the Government of NL.
Our thanks and gratitude to captain Darron Rumbolt for getting us out and back safely, to Pauline and Aubrey Russell and their family for preparing a delicious traditional meal (in the rain) and to our NCC staff for helping to organize. We know that so many others would have loved to attend and we truly wish you could have been there. We hope to have a larger gathering for our next Treaty celebration and we hope you will be able to join us then.
Here are some photos from our event!
Greg and Lynn Mitchell 
Boarding the Iceberg Hunter for Henley Harbour 
Raising the NunatuKavut flag 
Marilyn Penney lights the Kullik with Dr. Amy Hudson 
President Russell addresses the crowd 
President Russell and Charlene Rumbolt 
(L-R) Greg Mitchell, Dr. Amy Hudson, Bryn Wood, and Derek Simon 
Minister Dempster 
Members of NCC arriving at Henley Harbour 
The Treaty plaque 
Drum dancers Katie Simmonds and McKenna Penney 
The tablelands in Henley Harbour 
Greg Mitchell (r) showing Governing Councillor Boyce Turnbull a map of the area 
Enjoying lunch in Henley Harbour 
Governing Councillor Hughlett Williams 
A small ceremony to mark the Treaty 
The crowd gathered to mark the Treaty 
Enjoying lunch 
Our cook Pauline Russell 
Karen Simmonds and her son Jake 
Dr. Amy Hudson talks about the history of the Treaty 
Arriving in Henley Harbour 
Minister Dempster with drum dancers Katie and McKenna 
Our Kullik ceremony
BACKGROUND ON THE TREATY
In response to an invitation made by the British in 1764, over 300 Inuit met with British officials and their Moravian translators in 1765 and negotiated a Peace Treaty in Chateau Bay. This Treaty confirmed that Inuit would continue to live freely and safely upon their lands as they always had, and without threat from the British. Inuit agreed to trade peacefully with the British, without bringing harm to them. The beneficiaries of this Treaty are today’s NunatuKavut Inuit.
#TreatyDay2021 #NunatuKavutInuit