Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to celebrate the life of Ms. Millie Kuliktana. It has almost been a month since Millie passed away. For the people that got to know her, she was a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, mentor, teacher, super volunteer, and sister who had a heart of gold. She was about serving others throughout her life. She was well known and respected across Canada, especially in Nunavut, NWT, Yukon and Alaska.
I like to share the first time I met her. I was hired as the recreation coordinator trainee for the hamlet of Coppermine, now known as Kugluktuk. It was the first week of December 1987. I was given the task of finding billets for ten outoftown volleyball teams. I remember thinking how I was going do this? Millie's future husband, Simon Kuliktana, told me do not worry, Millie's coming home today, and she would get everyone looked after. True to his word, Millie came in and within an hour they were all looked after. This was Millie. Give her a task, regardless of the difficulty, and she had it solved. Later that day, she and Simon invited me into their home, and I have always been welcome since.
I watched their family grow and witnessed their children become what she was very proud of and the topic of conversation a lot. Quentin, Wynter, Shawn and Tundra are her and Simon's legacy. You could see her glow every time they were around, and her grandchildren became her special treasures.
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to be with some of the family when she passed away. I would like to thank her children for allowing me to be there with them; four of sisters, Edna, Helen, April and Jeannie; and two lifelong friends, Susie Evyagotailak and Kathy Okpik, at the hospital. It was such an honour. There are so many things I want to say but I am just saying she was an amazing person. She was always about family, this included extended family, and when we talked she always spoke so highly of them.
I was very fortunate to be added to the family in 1990. Her mom and father adopted me, and I was now her brother. It was like her sister Jeannie said, Millie watched you or welcomed you with open arms, making sure you knew you were part of her family and truly loved.
Throughout the years, I have had so many amazing conversations with her. It was always refreshing as she spoke her mind and with so much honesty but, most importantly, it was done with love. She cared and that was why she did what she did for others.
Mr. Speaker, at her celebration of life, her daughter Wynter did an amazing job with her eulogy and I would like it to be deemed as read here today.
To Simon, the children and grandchildren, may God bless you during this difficult time and may you share loving stories about her. She will be sadly missed, Mr. Speaker.
Welcome everyone, quana for coming. I know that Mom is so honoured to see you all here with our family today. We would especially like to thank Reverend Dixon and his wife Rosalind for coming to Kugluktuk. It was Mom's wish to have her service be provided in both English and Inuinnaqtun and our family made sure that her wish would be met. Quana Reverend Collis for welcoming them.
Another request of Mom was that she didn't want pressure put on me to do her eulogy, I looked at her sternly and said, "Do you really think I would let anyone else do it?" We laughed and she had no choice but to agree that I would provide her eulogy. All of you here have given both our Mom and our family support, prayers and hope all these years. In addition to your presence here, we have received so many expressions of condolence from the many people that our Mom has touched over the years. Their words and yours match those that echo in our hearts.
“Our Mom. Emotional, yet the rock. Tired, but keeps going. Worried, but full of hope. Impatient, yet patient. Overwhelmed, but never quits. Amazing, even when doubted. Wonderful, even in chaos. Life Changer, every single day" Rachel Martin
Millie Rose Qitupana, born on February 7, 1964 here in Coppermine, as the fifth child and fourth Daughter to Elva Wenek and Tommy Norberg.
A day before her birthday, at the age of 17, Mom would have her first son, Quentin. Although young, Mom knew that if she was to provide for her children, she would have to further her education. She gave Quentin to Nanny and Grandpa to raise him for the earlier part of his years when she would begin her lifelong career in education.
In 1978, both Mom and Dad would become best friends while pursuing their education in Fort Smith. They remained best friends until Dad says, in 1986, Mom would be the first girl he ever kissed sober, he knew then that she was to be his wife. Mom and Dad were married on December 26, 1987, by Reverend Dixon. I was born just shy of a month before their wedding and was given to them as a wedding gift. Dad welcomed Quentin as his own and together Mom and Dad later birthed our younger siblings, Shawn and Tundra.
Mom and Dad's pursuit to both advancing their careers and providing for their children was always a journey for our family. Mom and Dad uprooted us from Kugluktuk numerous times, living in Taloyoak, Iqaluit and Igloolik.
Mom and Dad showed us the true meaning of commitment through a marriage. Mom and Dad were never afraid to show us that sometimes, marriage could be difficult, but they always found a way to maintain their commitment. Mom was asked recently by a nurse what was their secret was to a marriage of thirty plus years, she says, "There is no secret. Even if it means we choose not to live together, we committed to being best friends first."
Mom and Dad lived true to that commitment, especially demonstrating that in sickness and in health, Dad stood by our Mom to the end. Mom and Dad taught us that wherever we were, we were a team that lead with support, commitment, trust, and love.
Mom was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2010. I recall my siblings and I being called to a family meeting with our Aunt Edna, to which we were told that Mom would only have three months of life left to give. I recall that moment so vividly, because I knew in my heart that this was not it for our Mom, and that the support, commitment, trust, and love that our parents instilled in us would be the guiding force that would make sure of this. Mom's illness, although physically hers to bare, emotionally, it was just as much ours too. She was never doing this alone.
Our life as we knew it changed forever, each of us making countless sacrifices, enduring countless hospitalizations, and uncharted emotions. Throughout years of uncertainty, what became certain was our Mother's will to live. Mom taught us faith, hope, strength, and patience, and most importantly, gratitude. Mom could be in the most challenging situations, yet she could find reason to be thankful. Through the challenges and despite her ailments, she had a will to live and that's exactly what she would do. We camped, we hunted, we fished, we travelled, we gave her grandbabies, we never stopped. The power of grandchildren would be proven time and time again, often surprising Mom's Doctors and Nursing staff as our babies guided Mom through miracles in hospital.
Countless times I would recite the following quote to Mom on some of her toughest days, "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow." The most rewarding tomorrow that Mom would receive was on Thanksgiving weekend, October 14, 2019. At 9:37 in the morning, Mom would get the call to accept her new lungs and undergo the double lung transplant."
"The idea is not to live forever. But maybe to help another live a little longer. Without the organ donor, there is no story, no transplant. But when there is an organ donor, life sprints from death, sorrow turns to hope, and a loss becomes a gift." To Mom's donor, thank you.
The transplant experience encompassed so many emotions dating back to her public health diagnosis, this time though, was the highest level of hope that our family could be gifted. I have only shared the intimate details of this experience with a few, witnessing firsthand a rush of so many doctors to pull our Mom out of near-death encounters. It was moments such as these that would add to my trust in Mom's doctors. Mom’s recovery wasn't without company, her dearest friends and family would join Shawn in her journey to recovery and on July 10, 2020 Mom would finally return home to the rest of our family. We made sure we celebrated that day so perfectly, setting up Christmas in July, singing happy birthday to everyone, and filling her home with people, music, and dance.
Mom had this really beautiful ability to bring people together and make some really incredible things happen. Among many of Mom's passions, one of her most powerful was the passion for this community. She loved the people of Kugluktuk with deepest sincerity, and she never lost sight of her vision for building healthy families that would contribute to the overall wellbeing of this place we all call home. I couldn't even begin to list the contributions that she has made to our home, but what I know for certain is that with every initiative that she provided, she had this ability to fill hearts with love, and comfort people with a sense of hope, regardless of what people were going through. I ask that you all can carry those beautiful moments and memories in your hearts, especially when times seem challenging. Sometimes we need a little help to maintain that hope, but know that the hope is within you, always.
With an aching heart, moments of reflection gave me comfort. What was once three months, turned thirteen years. I truly believe the demonstration of our parent’s marriage, instilled within us the courage to be a team and lead our Mom through a life that she deserved. Although living through an illness wasn't ideal, it gave our family the gift to live through the beauty of vulnerability, appreciating and finding gratitude in all that we did together. Again, with an aching heart, we remain grateful. Mom's will carried her through to watching her baby Tundra and her first grandgirl Saveah, becoming Mother's. Our Mom as Grandma was the most beautiful type of love that our family could feel.
From our Kugluktuk Health Centre, to the Yellowknife Stanton Hospital and the University of Alberta Hospital, a thank you will never be enough. Our gratitude especially to Mom's team of Doctors in Edmonton was a constant amongst uncertainty and the nursing staff in ward 5E3 were truly angels among us. They never failed our Mom, giving us thirteen more years with her, we consider their commitment a success and they should be so proud of themselves, because their work was reflected in our family.
I want you all to take comfort in knowing that Mom's medical team made sure that Mom's final days were free of pain. Quentin, Shawn, Tundra and I were comforted with the presence of our Aunt's Edna, Helen, Jeannie and April, Uncle Shane Thompson, and Mom's best friends, Kathy Okpik and Susie Evyagotailak. Their comfort, guidance and counsel will carry a special place in our hearts forever. We also took comfort knowing that Dad was home with Laila, Nick, Evan, Billy and Saveah and the grandbabies.
My siblings and I met to prepare ourselves for the removal of Mom's breathing machine. Together we chose not to cry as Mom's soul made its journey, we had to send our Mom off in honour, courage and grace. I am so proud of you guys. Your bravery made this moment so beautiful and I know that Mom was so proud of us for sending her off the way that we did.
To my family, the toughest days are yet to come, especially for our children. Our children were Mom's purpose and Mom was ours, and it’s going to be a challenge to find our purpose through the grief. In those moments, make time for moments of reflection, what was instilled within us carried our family forward and we will continue, "we've got each other". May all that are gathered today be inspired by our Mother's will to live, we all have it, it’s up to us to use it to live the best version of ourselves, for ourselves, our children, our families and our community.
Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and community.
