Joy Suluk of Arviat, Nunavut, was only 10 years old when she first saw a picture of Queen Elizabeth.
It was 1963, and like most government buildings at the time, there was a picture of the queen hanging on the wall of the federal Eskimo Point hostel where Suluk was going to school.
“We used to sing God Save the Queen,” Suluk recalled.
“And there was a picture on the front wall of the classroom. And I thought he was the prettiest person on earth.”
Nearly 60 years later, Suluk’s admiration has only grown.
“He’s a very strong and compassionate person. And he’s spiritual. And he cares about people,” Suluk said.
“She puts her position above her personal needs.”
Suluk’s admiration for the monarch is not the only thing that has grown over the decades; there is also his collection of souvenirs of Queen Elizabeth. She began collecting all of Elizabeth’s belongings in the 1980’s.
Plates, cans, teapots and more: Suluk has been collecting all of Elizabeth’s belongings since the 1980’s. (Kate Kyle / CBC)
“This is the first piece I have,” Suluk said, pointing to a burgundy tin can. “It’s my favorite because that’s what got me going.”
Stamps, plates, salt and pepper shakers, magazines, books, spoons, newspaper clippings: Suluk’s souvenir treasure is on display in two display cases in his home or in storage.
“I also need space for my sewing,” she said.
Only part of Suluk’s collection is on display, and the rest is stored. A white T-shirt commemorates the Queen’s visit to Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in 1994. (Juanita Taylor / CBC)
Unique encounter in life
Suluk’s sewing is what made her known to the Queen in 1994, when the Sovereign made a stop at Rankin Inlet. The Nunavut community was still part of the Northwest Territories at the time.
Suluk flew 215 miles from Arviat to Rankin Inlet for a unique chance at life.
“Since I was little I said,‘ I want to see the queen with my own eyes, ’” she recalled.
Joy had responded to a call for artisans to showcase their work during Elizabeth’s visit to Rankin Inlet. A large tent was set up and the queen walked from table to table looking at the handicrafts.
Suluk in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in 1994. He went there to show some of his sewing creations during Elizabeth’s visit and ended up meeting her hero. (Submitted by Joy Suluk)
Suluk’s sewing creations caught the queen’s attention.
“I heard her say, ‘Did you do that?’ My voice left me … In fact, I had needles and needles everywhere, “Suluk recalled.
He returned to those days singing God Save the Queen.
The queen proceeded to the next craft table as her staff approached Suluk.
“The gentleman said, ‘The royal party wants to buy your quilt and your pillows,’ and at that moment I forgot how to speak English,” Suluk said with a laugh. He speaks mainly Inuktitut.
The relationship between the monarchy and the Inuit in Canada is complicated by colonial history and the legacy of residential schools.
Queen Elizabeth is greeted by local residents as she walks the streets of Iqaluit during her 2002 Golden Jubilee tour. (Paul Chiasson / Canadian Press)
The collection of the Dialogue and History Center of Indian Residential Schools shows that the federal hostel in Eskimo Point, now Arviat, operated from 1962 to 1967. It was a local day school that was part of the school system. residential areas of Canada.
Suluk decides not to focus on this problematic story. She says it’s about forgiveness.
“Things happened in the past, but we can’t live in the past,” he said.
“She cares about people,” Suluk said. (Juanita Taylor / CBC)
Always looking for new collectibles
Looking at his collection of souvenirs, Suluk chooses another of his favorite items: a teapot with the image of the queen. It came from a Winnipeg antique store, and Suluk never used it.
Suluk regularly searches for items online and at thrift stores when traveling south. There is no antique shop in Arviat.
Suluk holds a teapot commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. (CBC)
“I take pictures of what I have and take them to my mobile phone. And when I meet [something], I quickly check if I understand. And if I don’t, I’ll buy it, “he says.
He has some duplicate items, bought the days before he had a cell phone to keep track of what he had.
There is at least one more item Suluk hopes to add to his collection. It is a Barbie doll, designed to look like the queen in an ivory dress, a blue belt and a tiara. It was launched this year to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which celebrates its 70th anniversary on the throne.
When asked what she will do with her collection, she says she could pass it on to her children or someone else who “loves the queen as much as I do.”