Donald Snowden, 1928-1984

Abstract

... those who are old enough to remember how life was for the Inuit 30 years ago when they were caught by changing times in a spiral of unemployment, poverty, and slow starvation, will remember the big, laughing young man from the government who radiated joy and optimism and introduced them to the idea of cooperatives. And whether they remember him or not, every Inuit man, woman, and child who lives in the Northwest Territories, Labrador or Arctic Québec today leads a better life because of Don Snowden's vision and singular determination. Snowden first came to the North in 1964 as an information officer for the Canadian government's then Department of Northern Affairs. Two years later, as the department's Chief of the Industrial Division, he was given the job of tackling the twin problems of poverty and unemployment in the North by providing some sort of economic system that would help to make the Inuit self-sufficient. He had a vision for the future of the North of an independent native population of Canadian citizens governing themselves. ... The tool that Snowden and his dedicated staff put into the Inuit hands was the cooperative, because it seemed to fit into the Inuit way of living and sharing. He also saw the co-ops as a training ground where Inuit would learn to speak up and assume responsibility. ... Snowden organized fisheries, the production and marketing of Inuit art, and the N.W.T. Tourist Office. Twenty-five years later he could look back on a proliferation of 43 co-ops involved in a variety of business operations across the North. Many of today's Inuit leaders received early training and confidence in running their own affairs in their local cooperatives. ... He is credited with doing much to transform the lives of the rural populations of Newfoundland, bringing the University's education programs to the outports and to Labrador for the first time, and creating a fisheries cooperative program that attracted students from 25 countries. In Newfoundland he devised (in association with the National Film Board) a new, unique method of communication called the Fogo Film Method, first used on Fogo Island. ... [When facing relocation, the Fogo Islanders made a videotape to be sent to the government expressing their views. The government responded in a similar fashion,] thus setting up a dialogue that led to greater understanding between the two groups. The Fogo Islanders were able to stay where they were, and formed fishing and boat building cooperatives that gave them a fresh economic base. ... Snowden took the Fogo Method to many parts of the world .... One of the projects of which he was proudest was the making of 33 tapes bringing together government biologists, Inuit, and Indians in the Keewatin, all of whom were concerned about the welfare of the Kaminuriak caribou herd but who disagreed on management methods. The result was face-to-face management meetings and a greatly improved level of understanding. ... In April 1961, Snowden and two of his staff met with a small group of Inuit who had formed the first Inuit cooperative, at the George River, 12 miles from Ungava Bay. ... Snowden kept the meetings going night and day until plans for a settlement, a fish freezer, a store, a handicraft industry and myriad other details were understood by all. At the end of the final meeting, George Annanack, the senior Inuit leader, said unexpectedly to Snowden in Inuktitut, "We will remember you forever and ever." This was followed by a spontaneous shout of "Nakommiik! Nakommiik!" (Thank you) from all the Inuit participants. ...