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Reclaiming cultural knowledge
with Navalik Tologanak
Guest columnist
e-mail: helent@qiniq.com
Monday, September 24, 2007

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HALU INUIT. IQALUNNIT TITIRAKTUGA. INUIT HAMANI NAMAINAKTUT. NIGLAKTUK NUNA HAMNA ILA. IPAKHAK KANNINAKPAKTUKLU MINNINAKHUNILU. ANGATAK HAMNA INUGIAHIYUK. IKLULIUKTUT AMIGAITUT. ILIHAGIAHIMAYUT NUNAVUNMIT. ALIANAKHIVAKTUK INUNGNIK TAUTUGIAMI. UMIATLU TIKIKATAKTUT AYAKHUNIK UKHUKYUAMIKLU TAMAYANIKLU IKLULIUHUTIKHANIKLU. AKHALUTIT AMIGAIKHUTIK HAMNA. NIUVIKVIT ALIANAKTUT IQALUNNI. TINGMIAKAYUKTUT UBLUK TAMAT AMIGAITUNIK. INUIT NATTIQHIUYUKTUT HAMANI. ILIHAGIAHIMAYUGA MIKHUYAKTUNIK NATTINIT. HALUKHIVAKTUGUTLU. HANAKIYUGUT AMINIK NATTIKMIT. HILAMILU PANIKHIVAKTAVUT AMMIN. UVAGA HAOMIUGAMA ILANI ILIHAIYI IHUIYIYAVAKTA ILIHALIGAGAMA. AYUKHAKPAKTUGA KIHIMI AKHUKPAKTUGA TAIMAGUMAGITUGA. ULUGIAHUKPAKTUT ALGAATKA ILANI. AYUIGUMA MIKHUYAGUMAYUGA ANILGAGUMA INIKGUMA MAIMI. ILINIAKATITKA PITIAYUKTUT ILANI IKLALIKPAKTUGUT. TEETUKATAKHUTA ILANI. MAMAIKPAKTUK NATTIKHUNITPAKTUK. ALIAGIYAGA. ILINIAKATITKA IKAYUYUKTUT QUYAVAKTUGA. ILIHAIYIILU SARAH PHILIPS PITIAYUKTUK. AYUITPIAKTUK. ILANI UMINGMANIK HANAKIYUMAYUK. UKTUGUMAYUK AMIAT UMINGMAIT. ILA NAMAINAKTUGUT HAMANI. ILANI INUIT TAVANIKMIUTAT TAKUVAKTATKA. HOKAYAKLU, AKOKLU, OTOAYOKLU, NIPISHALU PANNIALU HAMANITUT. MALIGALIUKTIVUT KEITH PETERSON TAKUGITAGA HULI. TIKIKATAKNIAKMIYUK QUANA. NAKUVAKLUHI. NAMAKTUGA. AYUILIKTUGA HANAKIGAMA NATTINIK. ILANITAUK. INUTIAKPAKLUHI. PITIAKPAKLUHI.

Hello from Baffin Island, home of the capital of Nunavut! Yes, Iqaluit is the busiest place in Nunavut, and the biggest!

I am here attending a course at the Nunatta campus of Nunavut Arctic College. The weather is the same as Cambridge Bay: rain, wind and snow. The harbour here is busy with barges, ships and many peterheads. They have to anchor their boats away from shore as they get very low tides here.

It looks very picturesque with the beautiful snow covered mountains. The hills are beautiful and filled with berries. Right now it is time to finish picking berries till next year as the frost has set in. People are still boating in and out of Frobisher Bay to their cabins or out fishing or seal hunting. I couldn't believe all the buildings that have been built, along with many, many new housing units going up. There's lots of government people and offices. Once you land in Iqaluit, you hear Inuktitut everywhere, which is so good to hear, even from the little wee ones.

I am staying at the Ukkivik residence, the old residence. There we have a cafeteria, classrooms and long hallways. This old building was built in the 1940s as a military barracks. Yes, it is old but life is still happening here.

There are so many classes and courses going on. Today they started registering for Inuktitut lessons, Spanish, English, pottery, print making and scrapbooking. These are all evening classes so that those in the daytime workforce can take time to learn conversational Inuktitut and other lessons. It is so nice to be able to understand the first language of Nunavut and, in case of an emergency, you may be able to help an elder or someone in need who don't understand English. It is so cool when you hear a non-Inuit speaking Inuktitut. It shows respect and interest, no matter where you are from.

We have one lady from Finland in the school! Her name is Kaisa Verho, and she's an international exchange student. She is presently attending the jewelry and metalwork program.

The course I am attending is the fur design and production course. We have been learning to develop knowledge, skills and confidence to be successful in the fur garment industry. This is the first course of this type that focuses on traditional Inuit methods to prepare seal skins, design and sew garments, as well as commercial aspects. There will also be a business course.

In the spring there will be a fashion show with students presenting their collection and showing their creative products. We have full and part-time courses. So far I have learned how (to the best of my ability) to remove the blubber and the mummy of the seal, prepare the seal skin for drying, tanning and make it ready to use for making patterns and sewing products such as kamiit, pualuit, etc.

Our instructor, Sarah Philip, shows us skills she learned from her mother, which some of us never had the opportunity to do yet, especially those who attended residential school, who lost their traditional and cultural knowledge.

As you walk into the Ukkivik Residence you can sense the seal (qisiq), but you will have to get used to it for a few more weeks. A young Inuk gentleman who is attending a course said the other day it reminds him of back home. Please feel welcome to pop into our classroom at #142 at the old residence. We would love to show you what we are doing. It gives me a good feeling that I am now finally learning some of the traditional skills that I never had with the tragic loss of my dear mother and grandmothers. My aunt OTOTAK still carries this on in AKOLAILGOK at her spring and summer camp. I have always been very nervous and shy to do this but now I am gaining a little more confidence in myself to practise my ancestors' knowledge and heritage. I thank my classmates for their assistance and patience, and especially to Sarah Philip my instructor: I am very grateful for your teachings and will never forget this. Take care.

A big hello to family back home. I hope the weather is good. Take care everyone. Please e-mail me news as I will continue to do my column from here. ILANITAUK.