Nunavut government, Inuit orgs call for celebration of Inuktut

Libraries across Nunavut, including the Iqaluit Centennial Library, seen here, will receive new Inuktut language during the month of February. (FILE PHOTO)

In February, it’s “time for Nunavummiut to celebrate Inuit language and culture across our territory,” says the Government of Nunavut, which is holding its Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq-Inuktut Language Month at the same time as the Qikiqtani Inuit Assocation’s Inuktitut Literacy Month.

This year’s theme for the 2017 Inuktut language month is Unikkaaqtuat or Inuit legends, a theme intended to reflect the importance of cultural expression and art in Nunavut, said the GN’s minister of Languages, George Kuksuk, in a recent release.

“Traditional and modern day Inuit legends offer insight into Inuit spirituality and relationships, while keeping the tradition of storytelling alive. I invite all Nunavummiut to take time to celebrate and learn more about these legends and their related terminology throughout the month of February,” Kuksuk said in the release.

In February, the Department of Culture and Heritage will release recordings of the 2016 winners of Qilaut, Nunavut’s annual Inuktut music contest, with the winning songs available online and on a CD.

And every school, daycare and library in the territory will receive boxes of Inuktut resources with books, flash cards and posters to promote Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq.

The GN is also encouraging all Nunavummiut to speak, teach and learn Inuktut, by organizing cultural activities at home and in communities, workplaces and schools.

For more information on Uqausirmut Quviasuutiaqiarniq you can visit this GN website.

The QIA also wants to do its part in “keeping Inuktitut alive is key in preserving our culture and identity.”

“QIA wants to do our part to encourage young people to be proud of Inuktitut; we want to show that learning and using Inuktitut is fun,” QIA President P.J. Akeeagok said in a release.

In Nunavut, the percentage of Inuit who report the ability to speak Inuktut was about nine in 10, according to Statistics Canada data collected through the 2011 National Household Survey and the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

During February, some of the QIA-sponsored events include:

• book showcases: each day in February, the QIA will introduce a different Inuktitut book published with the help of the QIA funds on its social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,) with free digital download links provided for the books;

• book fair and exchange in the lobby of the Igluvut building in Iqaluit, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to noon, where the QIA will showcase Inuktitut books published, hand out free copies and participants can also bring a used Inuktitut book they want to exchange;

• Inuktitut song-poem contest, Feb. 1 to Feb. 24, with winners announced Feb. 28: Participants are asked to share an original short song or poem (50 words or less) with the QIA on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) using the hashtag #QIALIT. The winners will receive $400, second place $300, and third place $200; and,

• word of the day—daily throughout February: A new Instagram account @Qikiqtani_Inuit featuring our Words of the Day will help teach young people new words and phrases and help them in their efforts to learn Inuktitut and expand their language skills.