NunatuKavut looking for feedback on proposed official flag

NunatuKavut Community Council, one of Labrador's three indigenous groups, is gathering input on the design of its proposed official flag.

An ulu, a traditional knife, sits in the middle of the flag's blue background. A dog sled is seenin the ulu's handle while a flame from a kudlik or oil lamp burns at the bottom of the blade.

"When people look at it they'll say, 'That's about me, that's about who I am and I'm proud of who I am and where I come from, my land, my water, my ice, my snow,'"NunatuKavut president Todd Russell told CBC'sLabrador Morning.

"It's being driven from our people but it's also a need in our organization to have outward symbols and displays of who we are."

Separate from Labrador's flag

After changes were suggestedby a panel that reviewed other submissions,Cartwright artist Barry Pardy's design was chosen.

What we want to do here is capture our uniqueness.- Todd Russell

NunatuKavut is gathering feedback aboutPardy'sworkthrough an online survey.

While Labrador has its own flag, and Russell saidmany NunatuKavut people feelpride from it, he thinks NunatuKavutshould have a separate flag.

• Labradorians want official status for their flag

• Labrador flags to 'officially' fly at N.L.-Quebec borders

"What we want to do here is capture our uniqueness, our special place, our territory as southern Inuit and in some ways, I suppose, we're fulfilling some of what the Labrador flag itself represents," he said.

"We do have a unique history, we do have a unique place, we do have a unique territory, and so, hence, a unique flag."

NunatuKavut hopes to unveil the final flag at its annual general assembly in Forteau, Labrador,on Jan. 13 and 14.