Feds help Gjoa Haven to develop Netsilik exhibit

The Kitikmeot Inuit Association will receive $100,000 through Canadian Heritage’s museums assistance program to preserve and present Netsilik culture and heritage, Leona Aglukkaq, Nunavut’s MP, announced Sept. 14.

The money will go towards the development of a display for the Netsilik Cultural Centre in Gjoa Haven.

“The exhibition will document and interpret the Netsilik traditional way of life and the external influences that ultimately led to the adaptation by the Netsilik people of a modern northern lifestyle,” said a Sept. 14 government news release.

“This project will provide younger Inuit generations, as well as visitors from the South, with information about Netsilik culture and heritage,” Aglukkaq said. “Thanks to this investment, the Kitikmeot Inuit Association will increase public awareness and understanding of the rich and diverse culture of the Netsilik people.”

Charlie Evalik, KIA president, said the money would will help the KIA to in preserving the history of the Netsilinkmeot Inuit “by way of recording the stories of our elders and having those records preserved in the soon-to-be completed Heritage Centre.”

“This will be of benefit to our youth and to all visitors that come to view the exhibits,” Evalik said.

The KIA, whose mandate is “to defend, preserve, and promote social, cultural, and economic benefits for Kitikmeot Inuit,” is a partner in the Netsilik Cultural Centre, Gjoa Haven’s only arts and heritage facility.