ABOUT NORA FORD
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Nora Ford is a retired journalist with a wealth of fascinating credits on her CV. She was involved in the production of two documentaries on icebreaking in the north with a film crew from the Inuit Broadcasting Corp. She's done four stints in Greenland on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, been a past Team leader with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and a researcher with Violence Against Women. She's also been a researcher and writer with Pauktuutit (The National Association of Inuit Women.) and a researcher and writer with the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada. She is committed to creating a more realistic view of her culture and traditions.
“We are often portrayed in a stereotypical way which creates a view to the audience that is not correct, and gives the audience the impression that we are what is portrayed.” |
In the short time that I’ve gotten to know Nora I’ve learned that she is a proud great-grandmother, a fabulous cook with a passion for traditional food, and she exerts her passion to enlighten us all in her powerful social media posts. Nora took some time to fill out some of the Vision-Airre.
IN CONVERSATION WITH NORA DRAKE
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Your name:
Eleanora Ulrika Ford Do you live with a Seen or hidden disability? Phobia of racists. What gender are you comfortable being cast as? Female. How many hats do you wear? Depends, sometimes I wear more than one, when necessary. What is your primary passion/job? Writing/ journalism, photography. Where do you live? St. John's, NL I need/want/wish: I want to live in a place where I feel part of society. I would love to meet: Oprah Winfrey. I am inspired by: kindness. My offerings: My truths. What is your impossible dream? To see world peace, rid of intolerance. What do you hope will change during and after the pandemic in terms of your practice and connections? Hoping people become more aware and sensitive to notions of intolerance. |
Nora is also a singer and songwriter, and created songs together with her late husband, her beloved Hayward. They are sometimes played on OK radio in Nain. She’s currently working on a memoir which encompasses her life and times, including her story as a residential school survivor. It’s called ‘My Name is Nora.’ Nora speaks Inukituk, and is keenly aware that her language is rapidly disappearing.
"Kanuilaangilavut, taiqua ulluit Kaangijut. PivalliatsiatuinalaakKugut." (We are going to be okay. Those days have passed us. We will move forward in a better way.) Oprah would be very lucky to meet Nora. http://www.oksociety.com/online-live-radio-streaming/ |
Food is a huge part of healing...
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The writer/journalist/activist Nora Ford is sharing a story about her love of fishing. Nora is a residential school survivor who is writing a book about her life. She is also contemplating a foray into screenwriting with her story. Food is a huge part of healing, and for instilling joy for her. It's also important to her because she honours the traditions passed along to her from the generations that came before. Nora is inspirational to many, even as she struggles to bring her own story into the light. Her food postings on Facebook are filled with mouth- watering deliciousness, reminders of cooking with old values that still matter today.
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"I was raised on food from the land, baked duck being a favorite. Growing up in Labrador, we, like many output Newfoundland communities, sustained our diet by hunting and gathering from what was available at our fingertips. I love the traditional ways of preparing our foods and still try to stay with the traditional process of preparation. Living in St. John's for the past 10 years has been somewhat of a challenge in sticking with a traditional diet but thankfully, I have some very thoughtful friends who provide and enjoy a good old fashioned meal in return."
"Cod, like seal or anything we took from the water, has sustained us as sea people, Inuit, from the beginning of time. It has sustained us during many hardships, and brought us through times when starvation was imminent. I have always respected and wanted to know the life of a fisherman, the real life. My late husband, Hayward, was a sealer and a fisherman all his life. He was and expert fisher, who would become my teacher. It was the summer of 2000 when I told him I wanted to experience the life of a fisherman, every aspect of it, good and bad. I got my commercial license. We had 7 nets, a boat and motor, and Hayward’s berths that originally were handed down to him since the eighteen-hundreds. Those became my berths for that summer. I learned to set the nets, clean and repair the nets, drive the boat, clean the fish, every aspect of the processing of char until it was brought to the main plant for sale. We so often take for granted what being a fisher-person means. That was on my bucket list of things to do." |
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#Indigenous #Inclusion #Food #Music #BlueSkyVision
The Thriving Together initiative has been made possible through support from the Canada Council for the Arts.
