Much To Do About A "U"

Over the last week there has been much made about a spelling mistake in a Government of Canada press release. As happy as I am to find the media paying such close attention to our spelling rules I'm afraid I just can't work up either insult or outrage over this, and, unlike others, I really don't think anyone needs to be fired.

In Inuktitut a "u" does not automatically follow a "q" as it does in English, and yes, “Iqualuit” means something completely different than does “Iqaluit”, but what really happened is that the PMO's office made a innocent spelling mistake in a press release, the same spelling mistake that non-Inuktitut speakers have been making for as long as I can remember.

Focusing on this innocent and trivial mistake is a distraction from real issues

• rapid climate change is having a severe impact on Inuit lives
• housing need in all four Inuit regions is at a critical level
• H1N1 infections among Inuit are already high and predicted to be higher this fall, and
• our young men are committing suicide at a rate 40 times higher than other Canadians

These are the issues that should be front and centre, and partisan political comments that take any time away from dealing with them are less than helpful.