Tapiriit gala treats guests to Arctic experience in Ottawa

Updated June 3 at 11:50 a.m.

Fine cuisine from the North was served to guests Thursday at Tapiriit, the annual social event hosted by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

The event featured Inuit country food that was hunted and harvested across the four regions of Inuit Nunangat and prepared by Inuk chef Sheila Flaherty and NAC executive chef Kenton Leier.

The reception-style event was held for the second time since 2019, after being put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. ITK — Canada’s national Inuit organization — estimated the crowd to be about 500 people.

A few faces from Parliament Hill joined the festivities, including federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, and senators Brian Francis and Michele Audette.

There were numerous fine cuisine options available for the tasting, including a hot table featuring umingmak (muskox) stew, barbecue glazed tuktu (caribou) brochettes, and seared iqaluk (arctic char).

Some of the frozen delicacies included iqaluk, maktaaq (whale), and tuktu.

Bannock was served in two ways, palaugaaq and inaluujaq, and desserts included a wild cranberry bannock shortcake parfait and warm berry crisp.

The Beatrice Deer Band rocked the stage and DJ Geronimo kept the grooves and dance floor going through the night with a mix of tunes featuring Inuit singers.

“We do a number of events during this year, but this is by far the one that brings the most exciting performances together and also friends and family,” ITK president Natan Obed said to the guests.

“I reflect every year on the work we do and also on the reasons why we do it, and for tonight, this is one of those moments where we come together to celebrate our successes.”

See below for more photos from the event.

Note: This article was updated to correct the name of the event and to note chef Kenton Leier’s participation.