Inuit org’s annual competition recognizes Inuktut poetry, songs

Three young Inuit from Nunavut’s Baffin region have won awards for their poems and songs from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association as part of its annual competition held to celebrate Inuktitut-language month.

“It’s fantastic to see the creativity and ingenuity of Inuit in our Qikiqtani communities,” said QIA president P.J. Akeeagok in a recent news release. “These songs and poems are affirmations of the connection young Inuit have to our language, culture and history.”

The first prize of $400 went to Miali Coley-Sudlovenick from Iqaluit, a teacher at Joamie School, who shared her poem on a podcast that she created to promote Inuktitut.

Her poem “Uvva Aijaijaaliuqtuq” (Making of an Aijaijaa) describes travelling by dogsled and her reactions to the experience.

The second prize of $300 went to Jesse Tuluraqjuk from Igloolik, who graduated from Ataguttaaluk High School and Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa.

Now a substitute teacher at Ataguttaaluk High School, Tuluraqjuk submitted a song entitled “Majurainnari” (Keep Climbing) about following your dreams, being positive and achieving your goals.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbSttr9aRQ8&w=560&h=315]

The third prize of $200 went to Becky Han, originally from Arctic Bay, a musician who has established an online following of her videos and posts featuring Inuktitut songs.

Han was the winner of the 2018 QIA song and poem contest and the 2016 winner of the Government of Nunavut’s Qilaut children’s song contest.

For this year’s QIA competition, she submitted a video of a love song called “Kiligalaaksimajut” (Small Cuts.)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wko9jNZsXho&w=560&h=315]