This week’s entry is from Dianne Metuq. Dianne is an Inuit student at Prairie Bible Institute who is with us in Ndazkoh for 3 months doing an internship. We call her our little Inuk as she is only 4 ft. 8! She is a mature student who had come with lots of great experience in working in the Arctic in areas of healing, especially with residential school survivors. She bicycles around our village visiting folks and getting to know the Dakelh people. I hope you enjoy her reflections.
Shannon
My name is Dianne Metuq and I am from Pangnirtung Nunavut (Baffin Island), which is in the eastern arctic of Canada. I grew up and had an awesome upbringing and, like every family, we had ups and downs which is part of life. I remember when I was in grade 7, during our religious class the teacher introduced us to who Jesus is. Right then and there, I was intrigued to know more about Him. Ever since then, I have been trying my best to have a deeper relationship with Christ. Jesus is to me like my experience of my culture. We love too meet people, gathering and feasting with delicious country foods to share. I especially love eating frozen caribou and other delicious northern delicacies. That is how I see Jesus and His gospel. I just want to learn to share it properly and gather with people, savoring His amazing Word as though eating yummy mattaaq with soya sauce or frozen caribou with olive oil dip and fellowshipping with people. That is why I was encouraged to go school in Edmonton Alberta at Vanguard College where I studied and graduated with diploma of theology. Later on, my very good friend encouraged me to go to Prairie. Now I am a student intern from Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills Alberta, where I am currently majoring in Intercultural Studies. I can say that it is one of the best Bible Colleges that I have attended, because their mandate says it all, “to know Christ and to make Him known.”
When I first arrived to Nazko B.C., it felt like as though I was back in time because it was so peaceful in the bush. I also experienced a good cultural difference, which made me more curious of my surroundings. It has been awesome getting to know the differences and the similarities of my culture and theirs. It has been an adventure experiencing many new things and I have already learned so much. For example, we went to a conference and the speaker focused on about how our speaking affects our way of living. It changed how I think and I need to learn to be more true to Jesus and myself. I was encouraged to speak life into others. I also got to meet the Quesnel ministerial and was very welcomed. All I could say was, “what a bunch of great team key leaders of the ministry.”
As I explore and discover many good nuggets of life’s great treasures within the Carrier First Nation culture, I just want to be a good caring friend, praying with them during this summer season. I already have great respect for them. I believe that this ministry has laboured much and I give all the credit to them and especially God. I know that it is a harvest time for all of us, the ministry, the community and for students for all the prayer needs and provisions. That is why I want to learn properly within the coming months. Knowing that, it is challenging at times but very rewarding. I also have made some mistakes and learned from them already. Yes it has taken me out of my comfort zone; which is worth it to go through.
Reading books and meeting people and getting involved in events and get-togethers have helped me to become more aware of what to learn, pray for, and to recognize the needs of the community. First of all being a part of a healing circle has given me more opportunity to get to know some of the people. I am also part of the healing circle – it is life-changing experience. The most challenging part that I had to courageously face at times is connecting, talking to people and learning to listen to them carefully. So far it has been good!
The people that I have been connecting with are very welcoming in building relationships. As I learn more, I will have a better understanding of their culture and how to communicate with them the way they would want to be understood. I seek to be culturally sensitive towards them.
I know our mission work is not as intense as what the Bible teaches. There are also challenges we face at times, but God’s grace is sufficient in our post-modern world, because of his Son. He gave his life for us at the cross. In other words, I got to go to another reserve with a real experience of hands on mission outreach, by visiting people.
I used to think Inuit and First Nation were all the same, but my perspective about similarities was very different when comparing it to my culture. For example the political system and the way of living are different. That is why, it is a privilege for me to experience and learn more of their history, culture and the traditional values they have. Also, their language is very complex but beautiful and it is being preserved by being passed on to the next generation of Carrier people. I got to learn few words, for instance, Dahooja, which means “what is happening”; t’eont’e means saying bye or a farewell greeting; ‘Atsoo means Grandma, and chanailya means thank you in the Dakelh (Carrier) language.
In sum, I don’t know where this internship program will lead to, but I do know that it is going teach me many things along the way of my journey of faith. Also, I know that it has been a significant milestone in my life and toward my future goals. I don’t know what my future holds, but I do know that, just like a little nomadic Inuk, I would leave a landmark of which is the “Inuksuk”. After making it, I too would say, and I quote, “now that the people will know that I was here.” That means if I am only here for a time, then God resides among his created forever.
Dianne Metuq
