DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE eNewsletter

In this issue: Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq 2018 ...... 2 Literacy Boxes to Schools, Daycares, and Libraries! ...... 2 Beliefs and Myths ...... 3 Songwriting Contest Winners ...... 7 Online Resources ...... 10 And much more! Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq | 2018

Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq Literacy Boxes to Schools, 2018 Daycares, and Libraries!

February is Inuktut Language Month. This is The Department of Culture and Heritage is a time when Nunavummiut celebrate Inuit pleased to be sending out over 100 boxes of language and culture across our territory! books to celebrate Language Month. Schools, daycares, and libraries across are This newsletter was developed to support once again receiving these boxes with carefully the promotion and use of Inuktut in our selected resources in Inuktut. workplaces, communities, and homes. Each box includes a range of picture books, In the following pages, you will find out about novels, and information books. The books were the theme for Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq chosen for the age groups receiving them and this year, including announcements, resources, to match this year’s theme of Inuit beliefs and and information about programs that suppor t myths. Inuktut.

Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarnirmut Themes

2018-19 Inuit Beliefs and Myths

2019-20 Traditional Songs and Chants

2020-21 Inuit Names

2021-22 Traditional Games

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The 2018 Theme for There were so many beliefs about how we treated people. We were told never to make Inuktut Language Month fun of people who had physical deformities, Inuit Beliefs and Myths had mental challenges, and so on. If we made fun of them, our children or grandchildren As an Inuk growing up in Canada’s Arctic, I would have those characteristics. We made learned that there were certain ways of doing sure to never make fun of people less fortunate things that we had to follow. These ways were than us. Other cultures might call this “karma.” shaped by our ancestors’ belief systems. There were lots of things that we had to do or not do We were told to never go into a house and because there were consequences for these steal. I was told that, if I went through another actions. person’s belongings to try to steal, a three- fingered hand would grab my wrist and never There were beliefs about how we treated let me go until I was caught. animals, how we acted, how we dressed, and how the weather would be impacted by what Another belief that I remember was, if we we did, to name a few. There were beliefs found kelp, we were told not to use the lengths about how little girls and boys were supposed of kelp as whips or it would get very windy. to act. I will share just a few of these beliefs, The wind could prevent people from going which I remember hearing from my late hunting, and they would get hungry. grandparents and elders, and which shaped who I have become. We were told never to torture animals big or small, not even bugs. They have the potential I always had kamiik growing up and as a to retaliate either directly against me, or against child. Kamiit have laces around the top, and my children and grandchildren. for children they had extra laces around the ankles to keep kamiit from drooping. The laces There are so many beliefs that have shaped around the top are called “ungirutiik” and the who I am today, and what I shared with you laces around the ankles are called “singiik.” If are just some of them. I carry these beliefs my ungirutiik or singiik had loosened and I was today and would not challenge or test them dragging them, I would be told to tie them to see if there was truth to them. I would not or the child I would carry in my womb would want to learn the hard way. When your elders have a very long umbilical cord. So, I tried not tell you things, you have to listen to them. They to walk around with loose singiit or ungirutiit. have come from a life that was structured by these beliefs to create harmony amongst Children are natural singers and often sing themselves. when they are content and happy. I remember singing while I was eating, and I was told to Qujannamiik, not sing while I was eating because my child Louise Flaherty would cry all the time. I certainly didn’t want to have children who would cry all the time, so I Louise was raised in Clyde River and currently lives never sang while I ate. in Iqaluit, Nunavut. These beliefs were practised by elders and community members I was told to never be lazy and to contribute in when Louise was a child. any way I could around the house. If I was lazy and tended to just lie around, I would have a long delivery when I gave birth.

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Inuit Beliefs and Myths

There are many Inuit beliefs and myths across Nunavut. Here are some of the many from the different regions and traditions. How are the beliefs and myths you know similar or different? What other beliefs and myths do you know and would you like to share?

These beliefs come from growing up in Pangnirtung and Clyde River.

After a successful seal hunt, the first-time Children should always go outside when hunter should take snow and melt it in his they wake up in the morning so they can mouth and spit it in the seal’s mouth so the live a long life. For the same reason, they seal’s spirit will not be thirsty. should observe the weather.

Sometimes our parents tried so hard to If you whistle to the northern lights, the provide food for us and keep our iglu warm northern lights will come and take your with seal fat, and they would leave as soon as head and play ball with it unless you rub the weather was getting better. Our parents your nails together or clap your hands. wanted us to grow up so well, and it seems to be like that everywhere still. It seemed If you have your underpants on inside out, it like every day they had to go hunting, even will be foggy for a long time. For the fog to when they had something to do in the go away, a person who was born breech will iglu and on the . Some days they have to go up a hill and moon (show his or would not go hunting when they had to fix her bum). something.

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If a girl is playing house and carries a rock It’s better to give children small things, in her amauti, she will have a heavy baby not big things. When you give them things when she’s older. that are too big, they will start thinking something is too small when you give them It was noticeable when there were people something big. They will be able to get what who were more fortunate. They would give they want someday. Give them small. Follow out to people who were less fortunate and their growth. that is how they helped each other, which is what I remember. They didn’t think If a pregnant woman drinks seal broth about payback then, but now it is different; directly from the pot, she will have a dark- even families have to pay back now to get skinned baby. something. It seemed to work out well back then, when people shared with people When someone comes to you who is who were less fortunate. They didn’t think suicidal, don’t tell him or her to “try and do of money even though they had a hard life, better.” Let that person talk after he or she but that was their tradition. calms down. After you let that person talk, tell him or her to wait. Tell that person to A boy should never scratch others. If he come again when he or she wants to. does, when he’s hunting bearded seal, he will be scratched by the seal. If a dog brutally attacks a person, the dog shouldn’t be killed because the person will When you hear a dog fart and you laugh, die as well. you will get a mole right in the middle of your forehead. When we were children, we weren’t allowed to talk back. We didn’t even call people by If you go through someone else’s belongings, their names if they were older than us. That you will encounter a hand with three fingers was how we were taught: to never talk back with long nails. to the person who is older than us but to just listen. That was how we were expected to be as children.

We have to be welcoming to everybody. And we have to help other people. We have to help each other.

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2017 Literacy Award Winner Elizabeth Dean

The winner of the Literacy Award for Nunavut for 2017 is Elizabeth Dean. Elizabeth Dean is a long-time educator who has taught in both Gjoa Haven and Iqaluit. She implemented a guided reading program in Gjoa Haven and created a literacy space for students in Aqsarniit Middle School in Iqaluit. She was nominated for the award by her school’s principal for her dedication to improving literacy in Nunavut.

Premier Peter Taptuna announced the Literacy Award for Nunavut in September 2017. Since 2004, premiers of territories and provinces in Canada have presented the Council of the Federation Literacy Award to recognize the successes of adults who carry out literacy training, and to celebrate “achievement, innovative practice, and excellence in literacy.”

Supporting Each Other— Language Is about Not Language Shaming Communicating

Have you ever heard negative remarks about Language is about communicating, and someone because that person doesn’t read that means practising. Practising is how or speak Inuktut, or doesn’t do so as well every person learns languages. Don’t stop as someone else? These are examples of practising just because you don’t know language shaming. Language shaming all the grammar rules or the exact hurts and bullies; such remarks can make terms; keep communicating. Focusing on someone feel less valued than others. communicating will help you to learn and grow. If your language skills give you the opportunity to help and teach others, you can make the choice to support others, encourage them, and respect their knowledge and learning styles. We can all bring each other up as we celebrate Inuit language and culture across our territory!

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Qilaut: Inuktut Songwriting Contest

Qilaut, Nunavut’s annual Inuktut songwriting contest, promotes Inuktut and celebrates the music scene in Nunavut.

When it was launched in August 2015 by the Department of Culture and Heritage, the contest invited Nunavummiut to submit their original Inuktut songs. The 2016 competition asked for submissions of songs for children. The 2017 competition asked for original songs in Inuktut from songwriters between the ages of 13 and 30.

The 2017 winners were:

•• “Qaigialaurit” by Leetia Kalluk •• “Angijuq” by Joey Nowyuk •• “Aullarniaqtunga” by Abraham Eetak •• “@1000 BPM” by Abraham Eetak •• “Nagligijaugavit” by Corey Panika •• “Angirrarviga” by Angela Amarualik •• “Ataata”by Colleen Nakashuk •• “Inuinnaujaami” by Gordon Kaniak •• “Maanna” by Leetia Kalluk •• “Hilami Ulapkiyami” by Gordon Kaniak

“This is to promote our language and it’s also to support the arts in our language,” said Tocasie Burke, manager of language promotion and revitalization for the Department of Culture and Heritage.

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February 2017’s Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq

February 2017 was our annual Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq—Inuktut Language Month, a time for Nunavummiut to celebrate Inuit language and culture across the Territory. The theme was Unikkaaqtuat, which means Inuit legends.

As part of the year’s celebration, the Department of Culture and Heritage released recordings of the 2016 winners of Qilaut, Nunavut’s annual Inuktut music contest. In addition, boxes of Inuktut resources with books, flash cards, and posters to promote Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq were delivered to every school, daycare, and library in the Territory.

Traditional and contemporary Inuit legends Throughout the month, the Government are an important form of art and cultural of Nunavut invited all Nunavummiut to expression, conveying our connections celebrate and learn more about these and our perceptions of the world. The legends and their related terminology, and theme reflects the importance of cultural encouraged everyone to participate by expression and art in Nunavut as traditional speaking, teaching, and learning Inuktut and modern-day Inuit legends offer insight and by organizing cultural activities in into Inuit spirituality and relationships, while their homes, communities, workplaces, and keeping the tradition of storytelling alive. schools.

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Language Program Officers Language Rights: Did You Know...?

Nunavut’s language program officers are The Official Languages Act of Nunavut involved in many different projects— recognizes Inuktut (Inuktitut and for example, planning events such as ), English, and French as the Uqausirmut Quviasuutiqarniq (Language official languages within the territory. Month), supporting the teaching of Inuktut in the communities, arranging for original Under the Official Languages Act: materials in Inuktut to be created and shared, and communicating policies and •• Members of the public have the right guidelines about Inuktut. to communicate with and receive services from territorial institutions (the Inuktut language program officers: Government of Nunavut and its public agencies, the Legislative Assembly, and •• Help promote and revitalize Inuktut the Nunavut courts) in their official as a language of work in government language of choice. workplaces •• Work closely with government The Inuit Language Protection Act sets out departments, public agencies, other to protect, promote, and revitalize the Inuit organizations, and communities to language. It includes: promote and revitalize Inuktut •• Educational rights, including early •• Support the increased use of Inuktut childhood education, Inuit language among Nunavummiut instruction, and adult language acquisition and upgrading For more information, see the Culture •• The right to work in the Inuit language and Heritage website: in territorial institutions www.gov.nu.ca/culture-and-heritage. •• Obligations for municipalities as well as the private and public sectors, including Libraries in Nunavut federal and territorial institutions, to offer services and communications in Across Nunavut, public libraries are able to the Inuit language provide a wide range of resources (books, magazines, DVDs, free Internet access, To find out more, please contact the Office children’s programs, Lego-style building of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut: blocks, special events, and more) to adults, 867-975-5080 or, toll-free, 1-877-836-2280. children, elders, and families. Nunavut residents can borrow resources from the 10 libraries in communities throughout the territory. Check your local branch to see what is available!

Libraries provide many Inuktut resources. Libraries can be found in Arviat, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Clyde River, Igloolik, Iqaluit, Kugluktuk, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, and Rankin Inlet.

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Online Resources

Here are some of the many online resources about Inuit language and culture. For more information, see the Culture and Heritage website.

• Nunavut Department of Culture and • Inhabit Media—Inhabit Media is an Heritage—This website is a way to Inuit-owned publishing company in access many people, programs, and Nunavut and has released over 200 other resources. publications in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, www.gov.nu.ca/culture-and-heritage French, and English. Inhabit Media offers resources in Inuktitut to teachers • Inuktitut Tusaalanga: Learn the for free download. Inuit Language—The Pirurvik Centre www.inhabitmedia.com website has pages about the language and its grammar, lessons, a glossary, • IsumaTV—Isuma TV is a web channel dialogues, and practice. that offers many Inuktitut videos and www.tusaalanga.ca programs for free viewing online. www.isuma.tv • Asuilaak: Inuktitut Living Dictionary— This collaborative website combines • Nunavut Arctic College (NAC), terms and definitions from many NAC Media web page—This web users. page leads to books, media products, www.livingdictionary.com and other materials. nacmedia.ca/about • Nunavut Bilingual Education Society (NBES)—This not-for-profit organization • Inuit Myths and Legends—This website has been working to promote the use developed by the Qikiqtani Inuit of Inuktut in Nunavut for many years. Association (QIA) and project partners The website has many Inuktitut books has pages about mythological beings, for free download. traditional stories, interviews, and www.nbes.ca teaching resources. www.inuitmyths.com • Nunavut Literacy Council—The Nunavut Literacy Council has been creating Inuktut resources and conducting important research for many years. The Council’s website has many Inuktut resources for free download. www.ilitaqsiniq.ca

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