In October, I was fortunate to be able to attend the 20th Inuit Studies Conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland. We were honoured to have our film Hivulipita Uqauhiit Tuppaaqtauffaaqtut: Awakening Our Ancestors’ Words selected as part of the Katingavik Inuit Arts Festival.
This film is about a visit several Elders and researchers from Ulukhaktok and Cambridge Bay made to interact with Inuinnait objects that are housed at the British Museum. The trip was part of the Council’s Ulukhaktok Literacies Research Project. Despite a few technical difficulties, the film was a resounding success.
The conference featured many dynamic presentations. Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Tanya Tagaq, well-known entertainer and activist, and Maatalii Okalik, President of the National Inuit Youth Council gave outstanding keynote speeches. They challenged us on a number of key issues that affect Inuit: suicide, violence against women, and youth issues. All received standing ovations. And then there was Joar Nango, a Saami from Norway, who talked about Saami architecture: its simplicity, adaptability, and Do-It-Yourself attitude. This was thinking outside the box!
As well, there was an extensive selection of workshops that covered topics such as education, history, culture, health and wellness, Inuit art, and identity.
Innovation was alive and well. Several things stood out for me.
- Everyone commented that there were more Inuit at this conference than at any other, and that they played more meaningful roles.
- The Katingavik Arts Festival as a separate, but integral, part of the conference worked really well.
- The opening reception at The Rooms with an exhibit of Nunatsiavut arts and crafts was outstanding.
- The organizers introduced pop-up arts and crafts stores that were a roaring success.
- INuit Blanche was an all-night festival of Inuit art and culture spread throughout the city. I saw komatik-making, an updated take on traditional food, throat singing and drumming, several art exhibits, and a display of Inuit fashion – all in one evening. It was impossible not to be impressed.
- The concert with Tanya Tagaq and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory was an experience not to be missed.
Inuit came into their own at this conference. They took it and made it theirs in a way that hasn’t happened before. The challenge now is for future organizers to live up to what happened at the 20th Inuit Studies Conference.
-- Helen Balanoff
