Iqaluit turns out for Nunavut Day celebrations by the hundreds

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. staff were on site at the Nakasuk School grounds early on Nunavut Day, setting up canopies for food and activity stations, and helping to setup the stage and seating for what they expected to be the hundreds of Iqaluit residents coming to the celebrations.

And Iqalummiut showed up! Lineups for food, cotton candy, and merchandise giveaways were hundreds of people deep throughout the afternoon. Even as NTI staff were pulling down the canopies that they no longer needed at 3:30 p.m., the line for cotton candy still spanned the width of the gravel field.

NTI president Gloria Uluqsi, who was attending her first Nunavut Day celebrations as the elected leader of the territorial Inuit organization, addressed the crowd in Inuktitut and English.

“It’s wonderful to see so many families, elders, youth, and friends come together today,” Uluqsi said from the stage. “Today is a day of celebration. We celebrate our language, our culture, our communities.”

Nunavut Day is the annual holiday to celebrate the signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement on July 9, 1993

Mary Itorcheak joined Alassua Hanson to perform throat songs, and Itorcheak later entertained the crowd and got Inuit kicking up dust, dancing to her accordion-playing.

The Iqaluit band Noteven! played tunes for the crowd, with Naomie Eegeesiak providing the accordion during their set. Looee Arreak and her band also played a set.

Hosts Annie Aningmiuq and Miali Coley-Sudlovenick kept the crowd energized as they hosted a goose-call competition, introduced performers, and announced winners of prizes in a draw. Tamara Kolit, originally from Coral Harbour, walked away with a brand-new stone qulliq.

There were stations where NTI staff provided face-painting for kids, there were tables setup for kids to colour Nunavut Day themed pictures, and NTI staff was busy handing out sweatshirts, T-shirts, and ball caps.

Hundreds of attendees gathered in a large circle around the Nakasuk basketball court to try to win cash from what NTI was calling a ‘money-ball’: yarn wrapped around 10-, 20-, 50-, and 100-dollar bills. Participants rolled a die and if they rolled a four ran to unravel the yarn-ball in an attempt to unveil cash to win.

The biggest crowd-pleaser of the day was a goose-call competition, entered by women, men, and children who stepped up to the mic to make their best Canada goose sounds. Simon Gibbons, from Arviat, won the competition which the crowd decided by loudest applause.

“I grew up in Arviat going goose hunting,” Gibbons said with a big grin after accepting his prize, an extra-large cooler.

The performances and celebrations all day highlighted Inuit community and Nunavut pride. NTI president Uluqsi set the tone from the beginning.

“Today is the day to celebrate,” Uluqsi said. “Enjoy the music, the food, laugh together and make memories together. Because strong communities are built not only through hard work, but through moments like these celebrating, truly celebrating with one another.”