A solitary image of Marieyvonne Alaka adorns the wall of her mother’s residence in Iqaluit, with her youthful countenance peeking out from her mother’s amauti.
Captured in 1959 as an infant, Marieyvonne’s life took a tragic turn when, at the tender age of four, she was sent from Igloolik, Nunavut, to the residential school in Chesterfield Inlet. Sadly, Marieyvonne passed away in November 1967 at the age of eight.
Recalling her final memory of Marieyvonne, her mother, Therese Ukaliannuk, shared in Inuktitut, “The last time I saw her was when I was boarding the plane for TB. Her father held her hands. She was very small, and that image remains etched in my mind.”
For nearly fifty years, Marieyvonne’s resting place remained unknown to her family. Now, at 76 years old, Ukaliannuk is gearing up to visit her daughter’s grave for the first time.
“I am immensely grateful. I couldn’t have done this alone. It required immense effort from everyone involved, and I am thankful that she has been located,” expressed Ukaliannuk.
The Fate of Marieyvonne
Through the investigative efforts of a family friend, Martha Maliki, Marieyvonne’s family has pieced together the events leading to her tragic demise.
Marieyvonne’s health struggles commenced with a head injury suffered while playing on the school grounds in Chesterfield Inlet. This incident led to her being sent to Churchill, Man., for treatment, where she contracted tuberculosis, eventually developing TB meningitis and becoming severely disabled.
Transferred to Winnipeg for tuberculosis treatment, Marieyvonne was then relocated to Toronto. However, due to unavailability of appropriate treatment, she was subsequently moved to Montreal and, finally, to Austin, Que., where she breathed her last and found her eternal rest.
Unraveling the Enigma
Discovering Marieyvonne’s fate proved challenging due to the multiple hospital transfers across the country that occurred without her parents’ knowledge, as explained by Maliki.
“During that period, parental consent was required for treatment, but officials neglected to obtain such consent before transferring her to various locations,” Maliki highlighted.
The search was complicated by the lack of surnames among the Inuit at the time, with name changes instituted by the Catholic church. However, using her “Eskimo identification number” or “E-number,” they managed to locate Marieyvonne. This controversial numbering system, initiated by the federal government in the 1940s, assigned a unique identifier to track Inuit individuals.
“The E-number was instrumental in identifying her, as her birth date was linked to it. This significantly expedited the search process, as navigating through paperwork proved cumbersome,” Maliki shared.
Their efforts were supported by the “
