Makivik Magazine Issue 91

Nunavik Students in Montreal
We wish all Nunavik post-secondary students plenty manageable
challenges and much enjoyment during your upcoming semester.
One of the positive things offered by KSB Student Services are group
activities such as when last year’s Marie-Victorin College first-year students
were required to do a semester project. This project gave them
an opportunity to research an aspect of Inuit culture and communi-
cate their results. The four
students decided to work
as a group, having in mind
Inuit clothing and specialized
tools. They made a
mannequin and dressed it in
the necessary clothing. One
student made a snow knife
and an ulu. They had a stunning
visit at Makivik’s Nunavik Creations and got some
pieces of material for their project.
Also last winter, they had “Citizen Week” at Marie-
Victorin College, where the theme was "games of the
world". Two videos of the Arctic winter games were presented
throughout the week for all to see. Aisa Pirti and
Josie Amamatuak presented different Inuit games to
the student population, while Lisa-Louie Ittukalak and
Cynthia Gaudreault did some throat singing.
Qimutsiutiliurniq
Adamie Inupuk’s Inuktittut/English book entitled “Qimutsiutiliurniq:
How to Raise a Dog Team” includes good general things to know about
caring for and training huskies and the appropriate dog teaming equipment.
“It is good to have a team made up of dogs that are siblings. These
dogs are called qatanngutigiit and generally train and work well together.
If, however, there are many siblings together, they can become dangerous,
as they may gang up on an unrelated dog.
“If you are going to race your dogs, you should not feed them too
much. Dogs can take almost 24 hours to digest their food, so don’t feed
them too much before a race.
“If the dogs are not tied down, they are called in by name, one at a
time, to be fed in the snow house, with the lead dog being fed first. Lead
dogs are given meat with bones.” In summer for instance, Makivik lawyer
Mylene Larivière, whose family has also raised a dog team in Kuujjuaq,
approaches each dog individually, instructs it to sit obediently, places
the food on the ground in front of the dog, and only when the dog is
given the ‘okay’ is it allowed to begin eating.
In the foreword to this book, Elsie Nowkawalk of the KLDC recognizes
Tommy Palliser of KRG Research and Economic Development who
spearheaded the project. It was initially funded by Pituvik Landholding
and assisted by Makivik, Avataq and Saputiit. Several others were also
involved in the production including Isabelle Dubois, Billy Brian Kasudluak,
Charlie Kowcharlie, Moses Nowkawalk, Peggy Large, Dominic Lareau,
Nunga Echalook, and Darlene Aculiak. Thanks to Adamie Inukpuk for
sharing his passion.
bob mesher x2
MAKIVIK mag a zine
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