New stamp pays tribute to Inuit drum dance teacher Julia Haogak Ogina
This news release is also available to read in Inuinnaqtun.
ULUKHAKTOK, NT, June 13, 2025 /CNW/ - At a celebration in Ulukhaktok today, Canada Post unveiled an upcoming stamp honouring Indigenous leader, Julia Haogak Ogina.
The accomplished Inuit drum dance teacher has devoted her life to maintaining the culture and language of her ancestors. Ogina is known for her efforts to retrieve and preserve drum dance songs and the creation of a regional language framework and programs promoting oral learning and knowledge transfer.
This stamp is one of three Indigenous Leaders stamps that will be issued on June 20 – the day before National Indigenous Peoples Day. The set is the fourth in Canada Post's multi-year Indigenous Leaders series.
Ogina's life and legacy
Born in 1962 in Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., Ogina grew up learning the customs and traditions of her ancestors through dancing, singing and storytelling. As more people in her community began moving into centralized communities, children were sent to residential schools and people had to learn English to find work, Ogina began noticing gaps in her own knowledge. She worked as a translator and research assistant on The Northern Copper Inuit: A History (1996). The project, carried out through consultations with community Elders, spanned the early history of the Ulukhaktok region to early and late contact periods and into modern-day life.
Around 2006, she became the programs coordinator of Elders, Language & Culture for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, whose mandate is "to manage the lands and resources that support traditional and cultural values." In her position, she emphasizes oral learning and the transfer of knowledge via community. In 2017, she helped publish Huqqullaarutit Unipkaangit (Stories Told through Drum Dance Songs). The project involved a decade-long consultation with Elders to retrieve and preserve drum dance songs – which she sees as a conduit for ancestral knowledge and "a window into all the strengths of our people."
Ogina has been honoured within her community and on a national level for her work. She received an Outstanding Achievement in Language Revitalization award from the Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit in 2017 and she was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2020.
About the stamp
The stamp features a photograph of Ogina in her drum dancing attire at the festival, QAGGIQ 2021 in Iqaluit, Nunavut. It is designed by Andrew Perro, featuring photography by Matisse Harvey for Archives Radio-Canada, and printed by Lowe-Martin. The issue includes a booklet of six Permanent™ stamps, an Official First Day Cover and a souvenir sheet.
The cancellation site is Ulukhaktok, N.W.T. (Ogina's birthplace), and the cancellation mark bears an image of a traditional drum.
About the Indigenous Leaders stamp series
The Indigenous Leaders series was launched in 2022 and highlights the contributions of Inuit, Métis and First Nations leaders who dedicated their lives to preserving their culture and improving the quality of life of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
This year, Canada Post will issue three stamps in honour of Julia Haogak Ogina, Sophie McDougall and Bruce Starlight. Two other stamp events will be held this month:
On Tuesday, June 17, the stamp commemorating Sophie McDougall will be celebrated in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
On Thursday, June 19, the stamp recognizing Bruce Starlight will be celebrated in Tsúut'ínà Nation, Alberta.
The new stamps and collectibles will be available at canadapost.ca and select postal outlets across Canada starting June 20.
For links to images of the stamps and other products:
TM Trademark of Canada Post Corporation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cision Canada
7 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation - EVENING LOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS - Aug. 4, 2025 Français
TORONTO, Aug. 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Monday 04/08/2025 Daily Grand Regular Draw 09, 13, 23, 31, 42 Grand No 07 POKER LOTTO Winning Hand: Q-S, 8-S, 7-H, 10-C, 10-D. MEGA DICE LOTTO 10, 11, 16, 19, 38, 39 Bonus 9. PICK-2: 3 9 PICK-3: 4 1 9 PICK-4: 9 0 4 2 ENCORE: 5607048 DAILY KENO 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17 25, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 45, 48, 61, 67. POWERBUCKS™ WATCH 'N WIN: 3, 4, 15, 21, 24, 32 MidDay lottery winning numbers PICK-2: 5 7 PICK-3: 5 1 6 PICK-4: 3 5 6 1 ENCORE: 5304317 DAILY KENO 1, 4, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 25, 33, 35 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 50, 52, 56 POWERBUCKS™ is a trademark of IGT or its affiliates. SOURCE OLG Winners
Winnipeg Free Press
10 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Japan's aging atomic bomb survivors speak out against nuclear weapons
HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Eighty years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a dwindling number of the aging Japanese survivors are increasingly frustrated by growing nuclear threats and the acceptance of nuclear weapons by global leaders. The U.S. attack on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and three days later on Nagasaki killed more than 200,000 people by the end of that year. Others survived but with radiation illness. About 100,000 survivors are still alive. Many hid their experiences to protect themselves and their families from discrimination that still exists. Others couldn't talk about what happened because of the trauma they suffered. Some survivors have begun to speak out late in their lives, hoping to encourage others to push for the end of nuclear weapons. An English-speaking guide at Hiroshima's peace park Despite numerous health issues, survivor Kunihiko Iida, 83, has devoted his retirement years to telling his story as a way to advocate for nuclear disarmament. He volunteers as a guide at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park. He wants to raise awareness among foreigners because he feels their understanding of the bombings is lacking. It took him 60 years to be able to talk about his ordeal in public. When the U.S. dropped a uranium bomb on Hiroshima, Iida was 900 meters (yards) away from the hypocenter, at a house where his mother grew up. He was 3 years old. He remembers the intensity of the blast. It was as if he was thrown out of a building. He found himself alone underneath the debris, bleeding from shards of broken glass all over his body. 'Mommy, help!' he tried to scream, but his voice didn't come out. Eventually he was rescued by his grandfather. Within a month, his 25-year-old mother and 4-year-old sister died after developing nosebleeds, skin problems and fatigue. Iida had similar radiation effects through elementary school, though he gradually regained his health. He was almost 60 when he finally visited the peace park at the hypocenter, the first time since the bombing, asked by his aging aunt to keep her company. After he decided to start telling his story, it wasn't easy. Overwhelmed by emotion, it took him a few years before he could speak in public. In June, he met with students in Paris, London and Warsaw on a government-commissioned peace program. Despite his worries about how his calls for nuclear abolishment would be perceived in nuclear-armed states like Britain and France, he received applause and handshakes. Iida says he tries to get students to imagine the aftermath of a nuclear attack, how it would destroy both sides and leave behind highly radioactive contamination. 'The only path to peace is nuclear weapons' abolishment. There is no other way,' Iida said. A regular at anti-war protests Fumiko Doi, 86, would not have survived the atomic bombing on Nagasaki if a train she was on had been on time. The train was scheduled to arrive at Urakami station around 11 a.m., just when the bomb was dropped above a nearby cathedral. With the delay, the train was 5 kilometers (3 miles) away. Through the windows, Doi, then 6, saw the flash. She covered her eyes and bent over as shards of broken windows rained down. Nearby passengers covered her for protection. People on the street had their hair burnt. Their faces were charcoal black and their clothes were in pieces, she said. Doi told her children of the experience in writing, but long hid her status as a survivor because of fear of discrimination. Doi married another survivor. She worried their four children would suffer from radiation effects. Her mother and two of her three brothers died of cancer, and two sisters have struggled with their health. Her father, a local official, was mobilized to collect bodies and soon developed radiation symptoms. He later became a teacher and described what he'd seen, his sorrow and pain in poetry, a teary Doi explained. Doi began speaking out after seeing the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster following a strong earthquake and tsunami, which caused radioactive contamination. She travels from her home in Fukuoka to join anti-war rallies, and speaks out against atomic weapons. 'Some people have forgotten about the atomic bombings … That's sad,' she said, noting that some countries still possess and develop nuclear weapons more powerful than those used 80 years ago. 'If one hits Japan, we will be destroyed. If more are used around the world, that's the end of the Earth,' she said. 'That's why I grab every chance to speak out.' At Hiroshima, learning from survivors After the 2023 Hiroshima G7 meeting of global leaders and the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the grassroots survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo last year, visitors to Hiroshima and Nagasaki peace museums have soared, with about one third of them coming from abroad. On a recent day, most of the visitors at the Hiroshima peace park were non-Japanese. Samantha Anne, an American, said she wanted her children to understand the bombing. 'It's a reminder of how much devastation one decision can make,' Anne said. Katsumi Takahashi, a 74-year-old volunteer specializing in guided walks of the area, welcomes foreign visitors but worries about Japanese youth ignoring their own history. On his way home, Iida, the survivor and guide, stopped by a monument dedicated to the children killed. Millions of colorful paper cranes, known as the symbol of peace, hung nearby, sent from around the world. Even a brief encounter with a survivor made the tragedy more real, Melanie Gringoire, a French visitor, said after Iida's visit. 'It's like sharing a little piece of history.' ___ Associated Press video journalists Mayuko Ono and Ayaka McGill contributed to this report.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Natal Day 2025: What's open and closed on P.E.I.?
Aug. 4 is a Natal Day, a civic holiday for many in Prince Edward Island, meaning some stores and services will remain open and running on regular hours, while others may not be open Monday. Federal government employees won't be working, but not all provincial employees on the Island will have the day off. Here is a list of what is open and closed on Natal Day 2025. It may be a good idea to call ahead if you're heading out. Provincial government offices will be closed in the Prince County area: Summerside, Kensington, Borden, Evangeline, Tignish, O'Leary and West Prince. Access P.E.I. locations in Prince County will be closed. Charlottetown locations will remain open. Three Rivers Town Hall will remain open, while Charlottetown and Summerside's city halls will be closed. Canada Post offices will not be open, and there will be no mail pickup or delivery. Public libraries in Prince County are closed. T3 Transit city and rural routes will run on their regular schedule. Island Waste Management Corporation will be operating regularly. Grocery and retail The Confederation Court Mall in Charlottetown will be open regular hours. Royalty Crossing mall in Charlottetown is open as usual. The County Fair Mall in Summerside is open regular hours. All P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission stores will be open regular hours. Cannabis P.E.I. stores will be open regular hours. Walmart stores in Summerside and Charlottetown are open regular hours. Atlantic Superstore locations across the Island are operating on their usual hours. Foodland and Co-Op locations will be open regular hours. Sobeys stores across P.E.I. will be open regular hours. Brighton Clover Farm in Charlottetown is open regular hours. Kensington Food Basket will be open regular hours. Panda Mart in Charlottetown will be open regular hours. Pharmacies
