Living Above&Beyond

Animating the voices and spirit of Inuit Nunangat

Qilak, the main Inuit Gallery featuring INUA, at Qaumajuq, the Inuit Art Centre at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. © Lindsay Reid

The Winnipeg Art Gallery and the team of curators behind INUA, are pleased to announce a new online platform that invites the public to experience INUA virtually.

Made possible by the exhibition’s presenting sponsor RBC, INUA Online features an immer‐sive 360° tour of the gallery space, detailed background on each artist, and access to a growing library of virtual sessions. A central feature of the new site is an in‐depth audio companion to INUA, which allows visitors to hear the stories behind key artworks, directly from Inuit voices.

The audio companion was created in part‐nership with the Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership: The Pilimmaksarniq/Pijariuqsarniq Project, an initiative that provides innovative, hands‐on mentorship and training opportunities across the north and south for Inuit and Inuvialuit working in the arts.

INUA brings together more than 90 Inuit artists from across the Arctic, urban south, and circumpolar communities. New audio and video of the artists and their works will continue to be added to the Exhibit on a regular basis until March 2022. https://www.wag.ca/inuaonline/

Prize money up for grabs

Hannah Uniuqsaraq, Chair of the AIP Charitable Trust, and Lucy Kuptana, Vice Chair of the AIP Charitable Trust, speak before the 8th Annual AIP Awards Ceremony in Ottawa, Ontario. © Justin Tang/Arctic Inspiration Prize

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Arctic Inspiration Prize (AIP). Nominations are now being accepted for the 2021 prize with up to 10 teams able to win prize money to help launch initiatives to benefit their Arctic communities.

Teams can be nominated in one of three categories: one exceptional team can win $1 million, up to four teams can win up to $500,000 each, and up to seven youth teams can win up to $100,000 each. To make the prize more accessible to young people across the North, the AIP will accept video submissions for the youth prize category this year.

Potential projects can focus on one or more areas such as, but not limited to: education, training, health and wellness, environment and climate change, recreation, tourism, culture, language, and economic development.

The submission deadline for the Letter of Intent is September 7, 2021. Nominations will be accepted until October 13, 2021. www.arcticinspirationprize.ca

Language, culture, and societal values awarded

Representing the highest honour the Indigenous community bestows upon its own achievers, Indspire has announced the 2021 Award recip‐ients. Two Inuit take away awards this year in the Lifetime Achievement Award category and the Culture, Heritage & Spirituality category.

From Arctic Bay, Nunavut, Qapik Attagutsiak’s lifework has embodied both Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and Inuit societal values. Her lifetime has been spent living traditionally: raising dog teams, assisting with camp life, practicing midwifery and mental wellness support, sewing and child rearing. For these activities she received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Now at 101 years young, Qapik’s longevity and legacy represent a shining example for young Inuit to follow.

Language and culture are foundational components of Emily Angulalik’s identity as an Inuinnaq woman — elements which she has made it her life’s mission to preserve and share. With over 20 years as a teacher and cultural ambassador, she has dedicated much of her time to educating others about Inuinnaqtun, a dialect of the Inuktitut language. From Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Emily received the Culture, Heritage & Spirituality Award.

Created in 1993, in conjunction with the United Nation’s International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the Indspire Awards recognize Indigenous professionals and youth who demonstrate outstanding career achieve‐ment. They promote self‐esteem and pride for Indigenous communities and provide outstanding role models for Indigenous youth.

Left: Qapik Attagutsiak, recipient of Indspire's 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award. © Parks Canada Right: Emily Angulalik, recipient of Indspire's 2021 Culture, Heritage & Spirituality Award. © CanadaHelps

Rapping, fiddling, crooning and comedy at FOTR

North Star Calling. © Leela Gilday

Leela Gilday will be performing at Folk on the Rocks this year. She won a 2021 Juno award for Indigenous artist/group of the year with her album North Star Calling. Check out this Juno Winner on the FOTR stage this summer! © Pat Kane Yellowknife’s biggest music festival is celebrating 40 years this year and will take place July 16 to 18.

Headliners include Cartel Madras, a Calgary duo composed of sisters Bhagya Ramesh and Priya Ramesh with their Goonda Rap, covering punk, house music and South Indian trap genres, as well as the popular Iqaluit band, The Jerry Cans.

Yellowknife performers include Leela Gilday, Kid Gali (Bryan Tuyishime), fiddler Wesley Archie Peter Hardisty, teen garage rockers Quantum Haze, country crooner “Baby Brian” Weadick and writer and musician Laurie Sarkadi.

Artists from other areas of the North to perform include Abe Drennan, a folk artist from Inuvik; Fort Good Hope rapper Crook the Kid (Dylan Jones); folk‐country artist Joey O'Neil from the Yukon; and Celeigh Cardinal, an R&B soul artist from Edmonton, Alberta.

Looking for a laugh, the Absurd Turd Media comedy show aims to tickle your funny bone with Big Folkin Laughs and for the 19+ crowd, Glam on the Rock will entertain with a small burlesque show.

There will be free family programming in Somba K'e Civic Plaza from 12‐7 pm on the Friday night.

Yellowknives Dene Drummers will open and close the festival. Canadian North is title sponsor of Folk on the Rocks.

For the full lineup, visit the Folk on the Rocks website at www.folkontherocks.com.

Remote tourism operators to host guests

Thirteen remote operations have been approved by the NWT's Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) to host out‐of‐territory clients this summer as part of the territory’s remote tourism plan. Operations include big game outfitting, fishing and paddling.

Under the plan, visitors can self‐isolate on‐site at a remote tourism location, instead of in one of the territory’s isolation hubs. Visitors must submit a self‐isolation plan for approval by the Chief Public Health Officer.

Tourism operators must demonstrate that they can carry out business with no, or very minimal, contact between travellers and NWT residents who are not employees of the remote tourism operation. Scheduled overnight lay ‐overs that are necessary for clients in transit to remote tourism sites must only take place in Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Norman Wells.

Paddling, just one of the activities in NWT’s remote tourism plan. © Colin Field/NWT Tourism

IVA winner announced

Zacharias Kunuk. © Levi Uttak. 2018. Courtesy Isuma Distribution.

The Indigenous Voices Award (IVA) recipients were announced on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, in a virtual gala at 5 pm.

Congratulations to Zacharias Kunuk for his book, The Shaman’s Apprentice that won in the Published Work in an Indigenous Language category.

The IVAs were established in 2017 to support and nurture the work of Indigenous writers in lands claimed by Canada.

The Indigenous Voices Awards aim to support Indigenous literary production in its diversity and complexity. The awards honour the sovereignty of Indigenous creative voices and rejects cultural appropriation. The IVA Board endeavours to create opportunities for mentorship, professionalization, and creative collaboration among applicants, jurors, and other members of the Indigenous artistic community when possible.

For more information, visit: https://indigenousvoicesawards.org/homepage

Nineteen school teams from across the Northwest Territories competed in the Traditional Games Championships this year during March and April. Youth between the ages of 10 and 12 competed in the One‐Foot‐High Kick, Wrist Hang, Triple Jump, Stick Pull, Snow Snake and the recently introduced Snowshoe Race. All traditional game events are based on going on the land and the hunting, trapping, and fishing skills necessary for survival. For example, the Stick Pull is a greased pole that represents pulling a slippery fish out of the water. The One‐Foot‐High Kick is a game traditionally played by Inuit to develop skills to deal with the different types of land conditions they had to face during hunting seasons. Hunters had to be quiet, fast, and agile to have successful hunts to provide for their families. The Snow Snake event dates back more than 500 years and was originally a form of communication between Dene villages. Over the years and long winters, throwing “snow snakes” developed into a competitive sport between different communities after the men returned from the annual hunt.

The Team from École St. Joseph School in Yellowknife won the Championships with an overall score of 26 points. Students found the events fun and challenging.

Students did not travel this year to compete in the Games but participated at their home schools and results were tallied online.

Left: The Team from William McDonald Middle School in Yellowknife came in second place with 25 points. Front Row L to R: Peter Staples, Calen Knight, Journey Bergman, Mya Paul. Back Row L to R: Nyah Morin, Haley Sauve, Wesley Lizotte, Logan Lizotte, Dante Almond. Wesley Lizotte came in first in both the Triple Jump and One-Foot-High Kick. © Darren Wicks, Coach

Peyton Catholique from Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife earned the top overall time of 2:34 (male and female) in the Wrist Hang event. © Crystal Catholique

ÉSJS Junior Traditional Team Members (and cousins). L to R: Nolan Dusome and James Taylor. James placed first in the Stick Pull event, third in the Triple Jump, and second in the One-Foot-High Kick. Nolan tied second with James in the One-Foot-High Kick. © Tamara Statchook