President extends condolences on passing of respected Inuk elder

September 20, 2022

On behalf of the Nunatsiavut Government and Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, President Johannes Lampe today extended his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of respected Makkovik Inuk elder Muriel Andersen, who passed away late Monday evening at the long-term care facility in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, at the age of 105.

Born on Dunn’s Island in 1917, Mrs. Andersen left home to attend boarding school some 30 miles away in Makkovik. As a child she worked at splitting fish and cooked for Newfoundland fishing crews.

At the age of 21, she married John Edgar Andersen, and the couple moved to Adlavik, just south of Makkovik. They had six children, two of whom are now members of the Nunatsiavut Assembly – Wilson “Wally” and Anthony “Tony” Andersen. Her husband passed away when Tony was three-years old, leaving her to raise the children on her own. Her grandson, Thomas Evans, is also a member of the Nunatsiavut Assembly, and her granddaughter, Lela Evans, is the legislative member for Torngat Mountains in the House of Assembly.

Mrs. Andersen was well known for her crochet work, and for making sealskin boots and other clothing to support her family. She also worked for the Moravian Mission, and provided interpretive and translation services for the medical clinic in Makkovik, as well as for the courts.

“Mrs. Andersen was very well respected by those who were fortunate enough to have known her,” says President Lampe. “She endured a great deal in her life, having lived through both the First and Second World Wars, two global pandemics, and residential school. She will be sadly missed, but fondly remembered. Her legacy will live on for many generations to come.”

Mrs. Andersen is survived by 21 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 28 great-great grandchildren.

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Bert Pomeroy
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