‘It’s our table, it’s our time,’ Inuk comedian Nicole Etitiq says

Cracking jokes had been a big part of Nicole Etitiq’s personality long before her first turn at open mic at the Mahaha Comedy showcase in Iqaluit in 2014.

“My dad always told me that since I was a little kid, I would always crack myself up by being silly. When I was older, I would find that in stressful situations, especially at work, I would know what to say to defuse a situation and bring light to it by making a funny joke,” Etitiq says.

Now, the Inuk standup comedian from Iqaluit is one of the performers at this weekend’s Canadian North Arctic Comedy Festival in Iqaluit.

The four-day event that got underway Thursday at the Aqsarniit Hotel and Conference Centre includes a special Just for Laughs Originals album recording on Friday night — the first JFL album featuring comics from Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

In the past few years, Etitiq has been committing more time to her comedy career, performing at the Just for Laughs showcase in Toronto in 2022 and as MC for the Crackup Comedy Festival at venues across Ontario.

In the summer, she also performed at the Keemootch: Indigenous Comedy Showcase in Winnipeg with other comics.

“Being able to do these showcases has helped me realize that I can do this. People want to hear Inuit stories and learn about us in an indirect way, as an energy exchange,” she says in a phone interview the day before the Arctic Comedy Festival got underway in Iqaluit.

Describing the differences between comedy scenes up North and down south, she speaks about the supportive and tight-knit community in Nunavut.

“I love the comedy scene in Nunavut, as we are all very supportive of each other and we like to riff jokes off each other. Iqaluit is relatively small so people who have seen my shows before would have heard my previous jokes, so I try to come up with new material or change the delivery of certain jokes,” she says.

In southern Canada, where opportunities to take the stage abound, the experience is different.

“Some comedy clubs down south are kind of skeptical of me, because up North we don’t get the same stage time to work our material unless festivals come up.

“However, I feel very proud to be Inuk and share my stories. Even though some people may not relate to it directly, it gives people an idea of what it’s like to be Inuk, dating and living in the North,” she says.

Comedy workshops are a way for standup comics like Etitiq to soundboard their jokes and make sure they’re translatable to different crowds and communities.

“In the future, I would really like to start workshops like these for comedians and people who don’t believe they’re comedians yet, because Inuit are so naturally funny once we get comfortable with each other,” she says.

Her comedy focuses on her personal experiences, like the Nunavut dating scene and its “small pool of options,” as well as funny family stories.

“When I talk about my family, I really try to bring them along as if they were on stage with me rather than just in my memories. Inuit storytelling has always been magical that way as we paint a picture for you.”

Describing Friday’s Just for Laughs showcase and the importance of the Canadian North Arctic Comedy Festival for Indigenous and Northern-based comics, Etitiq stresses the need to support local talent in the North.

“Comedy is an art form, and paying artists for their art is important,” she says. “I hope that by Inuit being in the spotlight more it gives smaller communities across Nunavut an opportunity to celebrate and find their place at the table.

“It’s our table, it’s our time and we need to keep believing in ourselves.”

John Helmkay, founder and president of the Canadian North Arctic Comedy Festival, says the Just for Laughs Originals album recording, scheduled for Friday night, can benefit local comics.

“It’s a great opportunity to get exposure and they get residual income from the album as well, which will hopefully encourage them to continue with their talent development,” Helmkay says.

Etitiq says she’s excited to hear Friday’s lineup of Indigenous artists and to see where the opportunity takes them.

“Laughter does heal and Inuit love laughing with and at each other. When we hold our emotions in, laughter is a healthy way to get it out, like crying. I hope people coming to the shows this weekend laugh ’til they cry,” she says.