Mr. Blake wrote and designed the book entirely himself, including painting the artwork and compiling the pictures.
It is a book of genealogy and history that he said he hopes will help preserve the culture of the area of Eskimo Bay-the name Europeans originally gave to Gross Water Bay and Lake Melville.
"Things are already being forgotten," he said. "(I wrote this) so the history and culture won't be forgotten by the kids."
He said the release of the book at this time is just the way things happened. It was published amidst a controversy that saw Mr. Blake suspended from his role as ordinary member with the Nunatsiavut government for three months without pay.
Mr. Blake was not willing to talk about the charges or the disciplinary action taken against him.
The controversy has not stopped Mr. Blake from carrying on with his book- he said this will be his last book and he has 1000 copies printed and distributed to local bookstores.
A Nunatsiavut government disciplinary committee officially suspended Mr. Blake last week after an alleged incident of misconduct in Nain in early June.
The Nunatsiavut government has it's own regulations that members of the government are required to follow.
Two complaints against Mr. Blake were officially investigated. The first incident involving Mr. Blake arose in the evening of June 3. Mr. Blake was in Nain attending a research forum but was not conducting government business at the time of the complaint.
Mr. Blake wrote a letter of apology to the Nunatsiavut government for his actions taken that evening, which he attributed to being under the influence of alcohol.
Patricia Ford, speaker for the Nunatsiavut assembly, said Mr. Blake was not suspended based on the zero tolerance (of alcohol or drugs) policy for government members on official business whereas he was not on official business at the time of the alleged incident in the evening.
His suspension stemmed from his actions towards his constituents that evening and the following morning.
She explained the Disciplinary Committee followed up on a complaint from one person on some comments Mr. Blake had made before leaving for the airport to head home to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
The disciplinary committee interviewed hotel staff and others who were present on the morning the alleged comments were made, and they confirmed the complaint. The complaint surrounded comments Mr. Blake allegedly made towards Inuit women and women in general.
Mr. Blake's actions, Ms. Ford said, breached two sections of the code of conduct-2.2- lacking integrity and 2.6- not treating the constituents and members of the public with respect.
Mr. Blake was found guilty, not of any criminal or civil matter, but of breaching a code of conduct of the Nunatsiavut government.
His suspension is set to last until October but he may not return to work even then. The disciplinary committee also made the recommendation that Mr. Blake be removed from his position as Ordinary Member for Upper Lake Melville in the Nunatsiavut government.
Ms. Ford said that decision would be made by a vote in the assembly when it reconvenes in the fall.
editor@thelabradorian.ca
