Makivik Magazine Issue 102

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North-to-North Exchange
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Our first large meeting was held with educators at the Tasiurvik
Childcare Centre. Laila showed photos of reindeer herding with her family
and then sung a yoik to the group. We asked the educators about their
memories of songs. That was when Elisapee Weetaluktuk performed
an aqausiq that she had made for a young boy. At this point the educators
began to discuss the possibilities of interviewing Inukjuak based
elders about songs they know and possibly making some recordings.
I wondered about the potential for creating an aqausiq for each of the
children at Tasiurvik.
The following day we
worked with staff at the
Inukjuak Family House to
develop a workshop with
the elders. This became collaboration
between the local
Pukik Cultural Committee,
the Inukjuak Family House
elders program, the Tasiurvik
Childcare Centre, Laila and
myself. The Inukjuak Family
House staff planned to serve a
meal, and we would meet the
elders before and after.
At the beginning of the
meeting Laila passed around
her rabbit skin hat and caribou
skin boots for the elders
to examine and try on. The
participants were fascinated
by Laila’s caribou skin boots,
called nuuttohat in Sámi.
The boots are designed with
pointy toes, curving upwards
— a necessary feature for footwear,
which historically was
used for skiing. The nuuttohat
were also lined with grass.
Many of us had never heard of
grass as an insulator, however,
the Inuit elders remembered.
And all of a sudden we realized
that North-to-North exchanging
could lead us to learn and
reconsider comparable technologies such as the grass insulators. Laila
again showed photos from her reindeer herding experience with her
family in Sweden, and she shared a yoik. After a lunch break with frozen
charr, caribou and bannock, we gathered back together in the meeting
part of the room. For me the most exciting moment came when Lizzie
Amagoalik announced that she had something to share and proceeded
to sing a song that sounded like an Inuktitut version of a yoik.
Many of us sparkled with joy as Lizzie shared her song, and we began
to consider the many possibilities for bringing songs to the children
and staff at the Tasiurvik Childcare Centre. A possibility that seemed to
open up, thanks to a visitor from a North-to-North exchange, and a great
deal of community interest, support, cooperation and involvement.
©/ wk2X6, wo8ixt5yp bys3[4 v4v˜2 ÑE/s[zi4 wk5Jxu,
s5gÇ3g6 äM xo4ñ8gn8 kts2 gg5Xd[is5ht4 wtZ5ystq8i4.
Dora Inukpuk, an educator at Tasiurvik Child Care Centre in Inukjuak,
trying on Laila Alexandersen Nutti’s reindeer skin footwear.
MAKIVIK mag a zine
47