‘Inuk Met Gala’ celebrates cuisine and unity
Tapiriit event draws 600 to Ottawa’s National Arts Centre for taste of country food, dance challenge led by Beatrice Deer
The Tapiriit crowd enjoys a dance organized by Beatrice Deer, pictured onstage in a red skirt. Tapiriit is an annual celebration of Inuit cuisine and culture hosted by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Canada’s sovereignty depends on Inuit leadership and partnership, says Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, in a speech Monday that kicked off his organization’s annual gala in Ottawa.
Tapiriit — billed as a celebration of Inuit cuisine and culture — drew a crowd of 600 to the National Arts Centre. With emcee Jessie Frasier joking that it is the “Inuk Met Gala,” Tapiriit was a who’s who of politicians, business executives and artists.
Obed took the opportunity to advance ITK’s goals within the context of Canada’s renewed focus on Arctic defence.
“When the world is thinking about the Arctic, when other nation-states are making overtures about our homeland, we are the ones that need to partner with the Government of Canada to ensure that this country remains united,” Obed said.
Among those listening to Obed’s speech were Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Nunavut MP Lori Idlout.
Representatives from the four Inuit treaty regions and the organizations that form ITK’s board were present as well, along with a number of senators and ex-politicians including former Nunavut premiers P.J. Akeeagok and Paul Okalik, and former NTI president Aluki Kotierk.
Obed called on the federal leaders to continue to help support the creation of Inuit Nunangat University. ITK has raised more than $200 million for its construction, he said. The goal is for the university to be operational by 2030.
“It takes a room like this and all of your collective interests and power to push the Government of Canada into these spaces that are just logical to me,” Obed said.
Nunavik singer Beatrice Deer led the evening’s entertainment with three sets of live music.
After performing songs from her own repertoire, Deer welcomed her parents to the stage. Her dad Robert Deer played the guitar and her mom Eva Deer played the accordion.
Beatrice Deer stepped away from singing to assemble over 20 attendees on the floor, partnering men with women and putting them through a dance that left some looking sweaty.
After a break, the Beatrice Deer Band returned for a final set of popular cover songs from the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Shania Twain, Chappell Roan and Donna Summer.
Between live sets, DJ Esso, who is Natan Obed’s brother Seth Obed, spun tunes.
Attendees reconnected with friends, networked and tried on a wardrobe of sealskin clothing at a photo booth.
The star of the show was the food, which included a selection of Arctic char, caribou and beluga.
Chef Ethan Angnatok of Nain, Nunatsiavut, led of the culinary portion of the evening. He worked alongside Inuit chefs and the National Arts Centre’s kitchen staff to make sure everyone was well fed.
“It’s enough to bring a tear to a grown man’s eye,” Angnatok said when asked about how he felt as the evening unfolded.
“Just seeing everybody enjoy food that I grew up eating, and that so many of us grew up eating, and having the opportunity to showcase food like that at an event of this scale is just wonderful. It’s unbelievable.”
Inuk chef Sierra Conboy says it's "wonderful to connect and serve" her community at Tapiriit, an annual gala hosted by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. The event was held Monday night in Ottawa. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Isn’t that the lady everyone is looking for to for the report about the cost of food? Posing in a pic with Lori Idout, Paul Okalik and the Public Safety minister? I don’t actually Isn’t everyone in that room wondering about her and her report? Isn’t there an article from a couple of days ago asking about where is she and her report? There she is! Posing for public pics amount local celebrities. No one reporting on this event asked? Would that have been appropriate? No idea.
So what!
The elite had a great time, former politicians rubbing shoulders with current politicians scratching their backs for contracts and funds. Aluki, former Premiers, friends helping friends not based on the needs or obligations. This is an example of the old boys club, same players scratching each others backs.
When you see the same players over and over throughout the years it’s no wonder things do not change for the better.
These same former politicians will likely run in some sort of election again down the road, hopefully people will remember them and vote for someone new who actually cares about the people and the cause instead of themselves. Remember these faces.
she didn’t buy tickets for anyone but herself, explain how old boys happening at the gala, that people paid individually without any expectation but to be entertained, dined and enjoy each other companies, learn about basic Inuit culture.
It’s no wonder our political leaders have not mentioned or asked about the report that Aluki was supposed to produce that could have lower our food cost. They are all buddies that work for each other and not for the people.
They seem to take turns in politics and give each other consulting work when they are not in office.
What a corrupt world we have.
George Orwell wrote a neat story about pigs at the trough called ‘Animal Farm’.
He did. In it he wrote: “Some animals are more equal than others”.
In out culture animals are equal to us, they have souls and when we hunt them we use to thank them for giving themselves up and we had to do rituals to give thanks.
Ima, he’s not talking about animals… It’s a discussion of Animal Farm. Animal farm is an allegorical book where the animals representing the rise of the Stalinist era of Russia where all are equal but the pigs a corrupt and seize and abuse power.
In relation to this gala those current, former and other individuals are the pigs the commenters are referencing and “animals” are the people as a whole, not actual animals.