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LETTER FROM THE INCOMING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
CAPTURING INUVIALUIT ARTISTRY
Incoming Editor-in-Chief Jason Lau (centre) with Ethel-Jean Gruben (left), Lena Kotokak (right) and her granddaughter Polly Kotokak (bottom right) at the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre.
Dear Reader, Uvlaami! My name is Jason Lau, and it is a great honour to introduce myself as the incoming Editor-in-Chief of Tusaayaksat Magazine. When I first saw the sleek pages of this incredible publication, I already knew it was something special. The vibrant lives and stories seemed to radiate out of the glossy paper, in all of its positivity, strength and warmth – something undoubtedly needed through those cold winter months. However, what kindles the warmth of Tusaayaksat is not anything to do with the ink or paper quality you feel now with your fingers, but the undying spirit and artistry of the individuals who fill these pages. As Elder Pauline Gordon once told me, one warm summer day out on her front porch: this artistry is living and breathing, and very much infused into the everyday lives of those
who make up the pages of Tusaayaksat. As such, our goal at ICS is to continue capturing this living artistry as honestly and creatively as possible. To do so, then, means to continue having lively Inuvialuit voices, stories, and even art – whatever that means to you – throughout the pages of this magazine, no matter where you are in the world. But more so than that, to continue improving Tusaayaksat, we at ICS would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, feedback, and ideas about how we’ve been doing. What have you liked about the publication? What could we do better? How can we design it to better reflect your culture and daily lives? While those are just some examples of questions with no easy answers, what we do know is that this publication continues to have lots of potential. Print is a format that we thought would have
been outdated by 2019, but it somehow still sticks around to find itself in your mailboxes every couple of months. Perhaps there is something special about being able to hold a work of art in your hands, much like an Inuvialuit soapstone carving, ulu blade, or even an atiqluq made by everyone’s favourite Auntie. So – our wish for Tusaayaksat is that it continues to be created by and for you, your family, and your kids as they grow up. I hope you enjoy this issue of Tusaayaksat Magazine – and I am excited to meet you during my time here. Again, please don’t hesitate to call and say hi, drop by the ICS office if you’re in Inuvik, or shoot us an email at tusaayaksat@northwestel.net. Please let us know if we can ever work with you to tell your story to the world. Quyanainni! Koana! Quyanaq!
