Queen Mystifies Eskimos

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32358, 25 July 1970, Page 10

Queen Mystifies Eskimos

(From MELVIN SUFRIN, Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) TORONTO. Canada’s Eskimos got their first look at Queen Elizabeth during the Royal tour of the Northwest Territories this month and by all reports were mystified. Could this woman in parka and headscarf trudging through the Baffin Island mud to an Eskimo Church service really be the Queen for whom they pray every Sunday morning? Despite the absence of crown and robes, they had been assured by their minister that it was in fact Queen Elizabeth IL And although the Eskimos were generally undemonstrative, being a shy people by nature, they were curious and apparently enjoyed the occasion. The 10-day tour of the Arctic and the province of Manitoba by the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne was a study in contrasts. In the chill north it was about as informal as Royal tours can be. The sleek limousines were there but in small Arctic communities such as Frobisher Bay and Tuktoyaktuk the visitors simply walked about, trailed by a large part of the local populace. And the übiquitous black flies and mosquitoes showed no respect whatever for Royalty. Sun Not Shining The trip to Tuktoyaktuk on the shore of the Beaufort Sea

was billed as an occasion for the Royal family to view the midnight sun. But although it is daylight round the clock in ; the far north this time of the year, the midnight sun was , unfortunately obscured by cloud on this particular July night. I As the tour progressed to > slightly larger communities, rope barriers were used to keep crowds in check. But j still there was informality as , the visitors passed down the [ line chatting with the people. . At the other extreme was the formality in Winnipeg, 1 the Manitoba capital, where 150,000 people hysterically ’ welcomed the Queen to the I celebration of the 100th • anniversary of the province’s i entry into the Canadian union, i And it was in Winnipeg, as ' Queen Elizabeth and Prince ' Philip prepared to board ! their plane for the trip home, - that the Queen was finally seen dressed the way the ■ Eskimos had expected—-in a ' gown and tiara that sparkled ,■ under the television lights. i One of the marks of prei vious Royal tours, with their emphasis on hand-shaking i presentation of local dignil taries, was the typically un- : controversial addresses made i by the Queen. This time it i was different Controversial Speech I In Yellowknife, capital of I the North-west Terirtories, . which is also celebrating its . centenary this year, she made . a speech, apparently approved by the Canadian Government in which she supported Ottawa’s controversial plans i for imposing anti-pollution i controls on the Arctic.

“In this territory, vast tracts of land and water are still unspoiled,” she said. “This places a heavy responsibility upon the authorities to plan and manage its development, not just for your benefit or even for the benefit of Canada, but as a vital part in the balance of nature of the world.” And her very presence in the Arctic had political overtones. Discovery of oil in the area has made it economically attractive and some United States businessmen have tried to raise doubts about Canada’s sovereignty there. How better to show the flag than by having the Queen travel personally to the shore of the Arctic ocean? In Winnipeg there was another speech of significance in which the Queen said she hopes the Crown will “continue to be a unifying force and focus for national identity” in Canada. These remarks were delivered against the background of continuing debate over whether the monarchy should be retained by this country. For although the reaction of the Winnipeg crowds indicated a real affection still exists, there has been talk of the possibility that Canada will ultimately become a republic. Trudeau’s View The Prime Minister (Mr Pierre Elliott Trudeau) who welcomed the Royal visitors on their arrival in the Arctic and also saw them off at Winnipeg, has said his Government has no plans for abolishing the Crown in the 1970 s but he will not go so far as to say it is here to stay.

“The truth of the matter is that you can’t see the future very far in this day and age." The debate will go on, but this Royal tour has given rise to a feeling that abolition of the monarch is a long way off, if ever. “Further Dimension" Said an editorial in the “Toronto Telegram,” a newspaper that has backed the monarchy for all of its 95 years: “The monarchy has given a further dimension to the meaning of Canada, a fresh new stature away from the sentimentalism of the past “There is not nor will there be for a long time, any entirely Canadian institution or personality which we can offer to the world as a symbol of our northern sovereignty. "The Queen and her family, in an informality compelled by the times and the environment have reminded the world that Canada is seeking national identity through Arctic sovereignty.”