Day 279- Dec. 28- Leah Mae Angnatuk

I am writing this post with a very, very heavy heart. Last week, on early Tuesday morning as I woke up and followed my routine of checking for the overnight details on FB, I had a message from George River telling me that Leah had passed away after a 4-wheeler accident. I was immediately in shock and saddened deeply by this news. Leah had been my student for many years. She left school a few years ago and was hired at the co-op, eventually running the main office. She started working at the coop store as part of her cooperative work placement in the Applied class that was my pet project for 3-4 years. Like many of her classmates, she had demonstrated a strong work ethic and organizational skills that eventually worked into the store trying to hire her right out of school.

Leah Mae never wanted to be the center of attention, she and Uttuqi were always together observing and absorbing the incessant discussions of their classmates. She had to work hard at everything she did in school, but made me proud with how despite some hiccups, she'd eventually get even the most challenging assignments done. Writing in English never came easy, but she tried to express herself as best as she could.



Leah was kind and patient. She was sharp as a tack, but had an edge to her too, so no one would mess with her. She would stand up for herself against things she never felt were right. It was nice being able to see her shine in the office every time I needed to go get money, or pay off an account. We'd always find some reason to laugh together.






Even when she was in my class, she always found reasons to enjoy the events we'd do for fun after a long assignment or unit in history- she rocked out on guitar hero like a pro at one fun Friday activity at my house, and had a blast when we went on a hike in winter and made a fire in the woods (even though at first she and a few others complained when I insisted everyone walk or ski or snowshoe but no skidoos were permitted, so we could go out on the land with our own strength like their Inuk ancestors).

Leah Mae loved camping and being out with her family. She loved driving around town. She will be missed, and I already feel her absence when I enter the co-op. She was quiet, but she held a noticeable space in my life. May her spirit rest in peace!

Song of the Moment: Home Again by Michael Kiwanuka