From igloo to internet — Inuit have come a long way in 60 years, says Piita Irniq
Elders highlight resilience and innovation during International Inuit Day celebration in Ottawa
Caroline Iqaluk, a Nunavut Sivuniksavut student originally from Sanikiluaq, gives a piece of seal meat to classmate Jessica Pinguartuk, from Kinngait and Iqaluit, during International Inuit Day celebrations in Ottawa on Nov. 3. “It felt like home,” Iqaluk said of the meat provided by Reconseal Inuksiuti as a country food option at the event. (Photo by Corey Larocque)
This story was updated on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
If Canada can have an Inuk governor general, why not an Inuk prime minister?
Piita Irniq issued that challenge to dozens of Nunavut Sivuniksavut students celebrating International Inuit Day in Ottawa Nov. 3.
“Aim for becoming a prime minister of Canada,” said Irniq, a former Nunavut commissioner.
Inuit are resourceful, talented and creative, Irniq said, pointing to leadership roles like governor general, premier, and territorial commissioner as examples where Inuit have succeeded.
Irniq, who was born in an igloo, said Inuit his age went from igloos to the microwave in less than 60 years, and younger Inuit have gone from the igloo to the internet in the same amount of time.
Young Inuit like those at Nunavut Sivuniksavut, the Ottawa college for Inuit students from Nunavut, are future leaders who have “a big job” to tell the world about climate change and global warming because Inuit see their effects first.
“It happens first in the Arctic, then it goes all over the world.”
Irniq is a residential school survivor who said he was “kidnapped” and sent to the Sir Joseph Bernier Indian Day School in Chesterfield Inlet.
“We were severely punished by the church and the government for speaking Inuktitut,” he said in a speech that alternated between English and Inuktitut. “I still speak very good Inuktitut today.”
“They told us we were never going to amount to anything. Look! Here we are,” he said during a speech interrupted by students’ applause.
Manitok Thompson, who was Nunavut’s first female cabinet minster, echoed Irniq’s praise of Inuit resilience.
“We come from a people who survived with just three things. That is snow, bone and stone. Nothing much,” Thompson said.
But Inuit are “the best engineers in their environment,” she said. They invented the igloo, harpoon, ulu and the kayak.
“We have the qajaq,” Thompson said, emphasizing the Inuit pronunciation.
“It’s not a ‘kay-yak,’” she said, drawing some chuckles by leaning into the anglicized way of saying it.
International Inuit Day is Nov. 7, the birthday of Eben Hopson, who founded the Inuit Circumpolar Council as a voice for Inuit around the world.
Inuit in Ottawa have celebrated it on the Sunday beforehand since 2021 in Annie Pootoogook Park, renamed for the late artist.
“This park is for you,” Ottawa Coun. Stéphanie Plante, whose Rideau-Vanier ward includes the park, told the crowd of about 200 people.
“This is for you to celebrate your beautiful culture, your beautiful language.”
Correction: This story has been updated to correctly state where Sir Joseph Bernier Indian Day School was located.
Caroline Iqaluk, left, and Rhoda Nashalik give a throat singing performance Nov. 3 during an International Inuit Day celebration in Ottawa's Annie Pootoogook Park. (Photo by Corey Larocque)
Time to move on and try to keep up Nunavut. Museum is closed.🤯
Interesting, my understanding is the Tuniit invented the igloo and the kayak, while the invading Thule appropriated those technologies.
Our oral stories state otherwise. The stories always told of how the Tuniit, did not have qajat (Kayaks) but rather used an Avataq as a watercraft and they lived in Qarmait (sod houses) all year round. So, quite the opposite of your assumption.
I have always wondered why NS is ran in Ottawa and not in Iqaluit/Rankin/Cambay? Running it in Nunavut has better preservation of language, culture, etc?
Why not? Ottawa has a significant inuit population and it gives these kids exposure to a world outside of nunavut, which is cruicial if they decide to then get a college or uni education.
Stay strong.