New TV show takes on issues important to Inuit culture
‘Tiiturta’ to feature contemporary interviews mixed with history and archival footage for a modern youth audience
Co-host Anguti Johnston, right, says a new youth-oriented show on APTN will take a holistic approach to Inuit history and culture and how they impact Inuit today. Johnston is seen here with co-host Janet Evvik. (Photo courtesy of the Inuit Broadcasting Corp.)
The Inuit Broadcasting Corp. is bringing a new youth-oriented Inuktitut-language show to APTN this fall that plans to tackle tough subjects while leaving room for laughs and fun.
The show, Tiiturta, which means “let’s have tea together” in Inuktitut, will take on a new subject each episode that’s significant to Inuit history, culture and contemporary issues, co-host Anguti Johnston said in an interview that also included co-host Janet Evvik.
The show uses Nunavut Inuit and urban Inuit in Ottawa as its subjects, including one episode devoted solely to what it means to be an urban Inuit.
While Tiiturta tackles difficult subjects like addiction, colonialism and sobriety, Evvik said she hopes it heals too.
“It helped me. It was hard to talk about some topics,” she said, because of her own family history. “It’s hard, but by talking about it we heal together.”
Producers were careful and took time to pick each topic and interview subject, Johnston said.
“We are proud of them, and when we show that pride in every episode, I hope each [Inuit] viewer can take a bit of that pride for themselves,” he said.
Each episode starts with a message from an elder — either a recording drawn from Inuit Broadcasting Corporation’s extensive archives or a newly recorded message — before exploring the subject through interviews.
One episode, titled “Inuit’s Best Friend,” was just about dogs, Johnston said.
It discusses dog teams using historical footage, then covers the dog slaughter of the 1950s and 1960s.
During that time, more than 1,000 dogs were killed primarily by the RCMP and by Quebec police in Nunavik. The slaughter devastated Inuit communities and caused food insecurity and loss of culture and tradition.
From there, the episode moves on to “a young woman who runs her own dog teams, and then it goes even further to a much younger woman who was participating in a spring dog-mushing competition,” Johnston said.
Johnston has worked in film and TV production for over 10 years. He lives in Iqaluit with his family but has lived all over Baffin Island, he said.
Evvik is originally from Pangnirtung but has called Ottawa home for the past 13 years. She works at Inuit Broadcasting Corp. as producer and archivist.
She said she’s more comfortable working behind the scenes booking guests, interviewing artists to showcase, and doing research, but has learned a lot by working on Tiiturta.
With the co-hosts living so far apart, they’ve have only been on screen together about five times, Johnston said.
All 13 episodes of the first season have been filmed. Now the hosts and production team are working on the second season, which they say they are enthusiastic about.
In the second season, filming locations will go beyond Iqaluit and Ottawa to places like northern Quebec and the Northwest Territories, Johnston said.
“We are trying to include all Inuit,” Evvik said.
On the topic of dogs, I wonder if they discuss the widespread mistreatment of animals in the north? Dogs that suffer tied up to short leads that never get to walk, are poorly fed or without water for long stretches of time. This is a reality we all know and have seen. Are you keeping this real or will we just wax romantic and pretend Inuit just love their dogs? Please, keep this real.
Iqaluit doesn’t seem as bad, but in the smaller communities it is awful to see so many neglected dogs. Not all of course, but I would bet a majority.
if you have an issue, why comment here?!? take it up with your hamlet officials.
Oh yea, I didn’t real Hamlet Officials (which Hamlet?) were running this TV show… crazy!
As an Inuk, I keep my dog tie up, otherwise my dog would be scooped if I keep her loose. What do I mean by scoop? Scoop meaning my dog would be snatched by southerners who thinks my dog doesn’t have a good home. Not all the time my dog wants to stay inside the house. I keep my dog outside and tied up because she prefers to stay outside.
So many people are dragging up issues from the past.
Does it matter who was colonized 200 years ago, or what dogs were put out of misery, 70
years ago.
Whatever, people have been well compensated.
When I worked in NWT 50 years ago I saw many starved dogs, on purpose so that their
owners could by snow mobiles.
Let us concentrate on todays problems today.
Southerners are still taking dogs today, either without permission or by offering to buy them. Southerners are really good at making things sound like Inuit are bringing up the past when similar things are still happening today.
Many Northerners buy a variety of things from the south, no problem!
Some people have bought Inuit dogs, and sell a lot of nice puppies in the south, good for
them.
Many northerners also bring up things in the past and present, and like a lot of places, it
is there own fault.
Gotta keep playing the victim card its the only way the money keeps flowing in
Ii’m playing the victim here, I’m speaking the truth. I had southerners knocking on my door wanting to buy my dog. And what money are you talking about?
Oh my gosh! Were you compensated for the shock and trauma of a southerner asking to buy your dog?
I hope so…
I should compensate, thanks for the idea.
When were people compensated? My father has never received compensation! Get your facts straight!!!!
People were compensated for movement and dogs, quite a bit of money.
Your people in Resolute Bay and the leaders should have settled with all the people who were
affected by this.
It might help if you contacted NTI or ITK.
GOOD LUCK
Though this show is being done for youth, I’m sure people less youthful will learn a lot too. I love the idea, and I’m so happy this is being done. Good luck, and congratulations!
“None of it”(nunavut) is already enough as it is. No explanation needed.🤘🥳
I like this concept, and I wish the show success.