Toonik Tyme announces its honorary Tuniq

Meet Toonik Tyme’s 2013 honorary Toonik Tuniq): Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, at right. Here, Williamson Bathory and Mathew Nukingaq paint each other’s bodies after stripping off their heavy parkas, in a bawdy skit inspired by Greenlandic mask dances, which they performed at the opening of Iqaluit’s 2010 Toonik Tyme. (FILE PHOTO)

As Iqaluit gets ready to celebrate the April 12 opening of the city’s Toonik Tyme spring festival, organizers decided to start a new tradition.

They announced the identity of the honorary “Toonik” or “Tuniq,” who presides over the 10-day event, ahead of time in a tweet sent out April 8, rather than wait to reveal the identity of the honorary festival head.

“Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, uaajeerneq dancer, storyteller, poet, mother, wife, intellectual, artist, friend, enchantress, & now Honorary Tuniq!” reads the Toonik Tyme message on Twitter.

Williamson Bathory, 34, chairs the Qaggiavuut Society for a Nunavut performing arts centre,

Williamson Bathory is also a Greenlandic mask dancer who has performed during previous Toonik Tyme celebrations

Williamson Bathory now joins the ranks of distinguished honorary Tooniks — who recall the Tuniit people, the predecessors of today’s Inuit, who possessed super-human skills.

During the early years of Toonik Tyme, a tradition which dates back to 1965, this honour was often given to a distinguished guest, invited to preside over the week’s festivities.

The ranks of past honorary Tooniks include John Diefenbaker, former prime minister of Canada, Prince Charles, former governor-generals, and former commissioners of the Northwest Territories, a former premier of Greenland, and a former mayor of Nuuk.

“Our first Toonik was an Inuk from Cape Dorset, his name was Atchealak…he used to be my clerk at the Hudson Bay Company, a real handyman he was, always around to help out … he dressed up in caribou furs and came over the hill by dog team… it was really quite dramatic and exciting with all the Inuit dancing and music,” said Gordon Rennie, who was himself chosen as the honorary Toonik for 1970.

In more recent years, the honorary Toonik award has gone to an individual considered to be “an outstanding volunteer who demonstrates exceptional community spirit,” such as elder Inuapik Sageaktook, the 2009 honorary Toonik, speed skating coach John Maurice, the 2010 honourary Toonik, or Solomon Awa, leader of the successful bowhead whale hunt near Iqaluit in 2011, who was 2012’s honorary Toonik.

The opening ceremonies of Toonik Tyme in the Iqaluit gets underway April 12 at 7 p.m. in Iqaluit Curling Rink, with an admission charge of $2 (free for elders and children).

For more information and the final schedule for the non-stop activities during Toonik Tyme 2013, go to Toonik Tyme Facebook page.