Isaruit Inuit Arts takes over Ottawa Inuktitut radio program

For Jessie Kangok, hosting an Inuit radio program brings back memories of sitting with her father in Igloolik, listening to the community radio together.

She has hosted Uqallagvik on CKCU 93.1 FM at Carleton University in Ottawa since it first aired in 2019.

“The excitement and the feeling of being in the studio, the feeling of being home reminded me of my dad,” she said in an interview Wednesday. “That same love for the radio can be heard and passed down here, even in the city. It doesn’t have to be only in Nunavut or isolated communities, and that’s what I’m proud of.”

Now, the program Kangok helped establish is entering a new chapter.

Isaruit Inuit Arts, which, according to its website, celebrates Inuit art through skill development, took over management last month of Uqallagvik from Tungasuvvingat Inuit, a non-profit that offers social support and employment opportunities.

“Isaruit taking on the partnership is a great asset because they really believe in sharing Uqallagvik’s vision to share stories that are elder-led,” said Kangok, who is also a communications adviser on the organization’s board of directors. “I’m really happy that we’re going to really strengthen that more.” 

The program began in 2019 after Nipivut, an Inuit community radio program in Montreal, approached Tungasuvvingat Inuit about creating a similar program in Ottawa. 

The organization agreed and hired Kangok and two other hosts.

Tungasuvvingat Inuit supported Uqallagvik from its launch until this year. But it could no longer fund the program, said Beverly Illauq, Isaruit Inuit Arts founding co-ordinator, in an email to Nunatsiaq News. 

When funding dried up, Kangok and co-host Franco Buscemi stepped in on a volunteer basis to keep the show running.

Tungasuvvingat Inuit then approached Isaruit about taking over the partnership last month, Illauq said.

Nunatsiaq News reached out to Tungasuvvingat Inuit but did not receive a response.

The show will now be funded through Isaruit’s Back to Roots program, which is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Indigenous Services Canada, the City of Ottawa and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. 

Elders, artists and hosts will all be paid, Illauq said.

Isaruit is also recruiting new hosts, with training planned through CKCU-FM in October. Kangok said Isaruit program co-ordinator Ben Ilauq and elder consultant Asenath Kannutaq will be joining the hosting team. 

“We’re looking for someone who just wants to share their Inuit culture, their language, and promote it, and are not shy to speak,” said Kangok.

Uqallagvik airs every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon and broadcasts in Inuktitut and English.