Frozen in Place: European American Ideologies and the Inuit

It has been claimed by Hugh Brody that European Americans maintain strong ideological connections between Inuit people and the Arctic environments they inhabit. I expand upon this claim, giving three primary ideological connections that tie the Inuit directly to their environments. These are termed the natural, temporal, and material connections. Textual examples are given to illustrate each type of connection. I also show how each ideological connection serves to disempower the Inuit by situating them within the confines of nature while empowering European American patriarchs who conceive themselves as existing outside of or beyond nature. These three connections, working together with other ideological tools, serve to subordinate the Inuit and other Arctic peoples to larger political and economic powers. In the conclusion, I suggest that these ideological connections must be examined, understood, and abandoned in order to improve the quality of life of the Inuit

A mission for grammar writing : early approaches to Inuit (Eskimo) languages

The Inuit inhabit a vast area of--from a European point of view--most inhospitable land, stretching from the northeastern tip of Asia to the east coast of Greenland. Inuit peoples have never been numerous, their settlements being scattered over enormous distances. But nevertheless, from an ethnological point of view, all Inuit peoples shared a distinct culture, featuring sea mammal and caribou hunting, sophisticated survival skills, technical and social devices, including the sharing of essential goods and strategies for minimizing and controlling aggression

The Dynamics of Intra-jurisdictional Relations in the Inuit Regions of the Canadian Arctic: An Institutionalist Perspective

One of the most exciting developments in Canadian federalism has been the emergence of Aboriginal self-governing regions. This paper constructs a theoretical framework for exploring the evolution of intra-jurisdictional relations in the self-governing Inuit regions of the Canadian Arctic. Intra-jurisdictional relations in these regions are characterized by a unique set of relationships between elected governments and organizations that represent the beneficiaries of land-claims agreements. Using the literature on historical institutionalism, we argue that the nature of Inuit intra-jurisdictional relations following the establishment of self-government can be explained by the institutional choices made prior to the signing of land-claims agreements and/or self-government agreements. To illustrate the potential of our framework for analysing Inuit intra-jurisdictional relations, we briefly examine the experiences of Nunavut, an Inuit-dominated region and the newest territory in the Canadian federation

Traditional vs. Tagaq: Exploring the First Nations Relations in Canada Through Punk Inuk Throat Singer, Tanya Tagaq

This research essay will be situated within the throat singing traditions of the Inuit First Nations people of Canada. As both Paula Conlon’s entry in the Grove Music Refernce and Elaine Keillor’s book describe, Inuit throat singing began as a tradition for women and children to play as a game for when the men are away hunting. This tradition has evolved into quite a complex art form as Claude Charron describes in “Toward Transcription and Analysis of Inuit Throat-Games: Microstructure”. In 2005, Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq released her first album which began her career of a solo throat singer with immense success. This research aims to explore and unpack the Canadian First Nations relations through Tagaq’s music. Stephanie Stèvance discusses how Tagaq’s virtuosic solo technique has advanced Inuit throat singing into higher regard in the art spheres of popular Canadian culture. Using recent album reviews and newspaper articles, this essay will explore the first nations relations in Canada through the Inuk “superstar” Tanya Tagaq

Stories in a New Skin: Approaches to Inuit Literature by Keavy Martin

Review of Stories in a New Skin: Approaches to Inuit Literature by Keavy Martin

Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel by Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk, translated by Bernard Saladin d’Anglure

Review of Sanaaq: An Inuit Novel by Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk and translated by Bernard Saladin d’Anglure

Homeless Inuit in Montreal

La migration des Inuit depuis l’Arctique vers les villes du sud du Canada a augmenté sensiblement pendant les années 1980. Environ 10 000 Inuit sur un total approximatif de 50 000 vivaient à l’extérieur des régions arctiques du Canada en 2006. À mesure que le nombre d’Inuit vivant dans les villes augmente, celui d’Inuit sans-abri s’accroît dans des grandes villes du sud. On estime à plus de 90 personnes les Inuit sans-abri à Montréal, dont la population Inuit s’élève environ à 800 individus. La présente étude a pour objet de décrire la vie et les caractéristiques des Inuit sans abri à Montréal, ainsi que les activités de deux organisations essentielles à leur survie: le Centre d’amitié autochtone de Montréal et l’Association des Inuit de Montréal. Les Inuit de Montréal doivent dorénavant former des réseaux sociaux utiles pour faciliter leur adaptation en ville. Un centre communautaire inuit, où des informations et de la nourriture pourraient être partagées, devrait être mis en place à Montréal afin de changer la situation actuelle des Inuit sans-abri.Migration of the Inuit into southern Canadian cities from the Arctic increased substantially during the 1980s. Approximately 10,000 out of a total of 50,000 Inuit lived outside the Canadian Arctic regions in 2006. As the number of urban Inuit is increasing, so too is that of homeless Inuit in large southern cities. It is estimated that there are more than 90 homeless Inuit in Montreal, which has an Inuit population of about 800. This paper describes the life and characteristics of homeless urban Inuit in Montreal, and the activities of the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal and of the Association of Montreal Inuit, which are essential for their survival. The Inuit of Montreal have yet to form useful social networks to ease their urban adaptation. An Inuit community centre, where information and food can be shared, should be established in Montreal to change the present situation of homeless Inuit

Land, Language, and Learning: Inuit Share Experiences and Expectations of Schooling

For decades, many Inuit have expressed the need for schooling to reflect Inuit culture, language, values, and worldview. Significant strides have been made to create a school system responsive to Inuit culture and community needs, to increase opportunities for Inuit teachers, and promote Inuit knowledge and language. Despite considerable changes since the establishment of federal day schools across the Eastern Arctic, the imposed school system retains qualities of the southern Canadian model with Qallunaat (non-Inuit) comprising the majority of teaching staff. This critical ethnography focuses on the shared experiences of schooling in Arctic Bay, Nunavut. Interviews with 24 Inuit, all of whom attended or still attend Inuujaq School, form the basis of this work. Prior teaching experience in the community, and elsewhere in Nunavut, contextualizes the research. My goal has been to come to better understandings of Inuit experiences of schooling, and the meanings Inuit attach to their experiences in the hopes that the insights offered may inform teaching practices and pedagogies and contribute to better support for Inuit students. Drawing on Indigenous thought, more specifically Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, a holistic, diverse, and flexible theory of knowledge, grounded in Inuit culture and worldview, I explore some of the tensions and contradictions between Qallunaat teaching approaches and Inuit cultural values and educational practices through analysis of the narratives of Inuit students. I offer a historical overview of Inuit encounters with Qallunaat on Inuit lands, as well as an examination of the history of Inuit education and schooling in order to understand its influence on current schooling issues. Significantly, the interrelated themes of land, language, and learning emerged from Inuit narratives as critical pieces, central to Inuit experiences of schooling. Qallunaat teachers who choose to work in Nunavut have a responsibility to respond to the needs and desires of Inuit students. This research asks how Qallunaat teachers might come to understand and engage with the knowledge embedded in Inuit experiences and perspectives of schooling to work in respectful ways and contribute positively to schooling in Inuit communities

Our Ice Is Vanishing / Sikuvut Nunguliqtuq: A History of Inuit, Newcomers, and Climate Change by Shelley Wright

Review of Shelley Wright\u27s Our Ice Is Vanishing / Sikuvut Nunguliqtuq: A History of Inuit, Newcomers, and Climate Change

Cancer-related health behaviors and health service use among Inuit and other residents of Canada’s north

Objective – To identify the extent to which differences between Inuit and other residents of Canada’s North in a set of health behaviors and health service use related to cancer incidence and diagnosis can be accounted for by demographic, socio-economic and geographic factors. Study Design – Data on residents aged 21-65 who live in Canada’s North are drawn from the 2000-01 and 2004-05 Canadian Community Health Surveys and the 2001 Aboriginal People’s Survey. Methods – Multivariate Logistic regression analysis is applied to 1) a set of health behaviors including smoking, binge drinking and obesity, and 2) a set of basic health service use measures including consultations with a physician and with any medical professional, Pap smear testing and mammography. Results – Higher smoking and binge drinking rates and lower rates of female cancer screening among Inuit are not accounted for by differences in demographic characteristics, education, location of residence or distance from a hospital. Conclusions – Factors specific to Inuit individuals and communities may be contributing to negative health behaviors associated with increased cancer risk, and to a lower incidence of diagnostic cancer screening. Policy interventions to address these issues may need to be targeted specifically to Inuit Canadians.Inuit, aboriginal, cancer screening, smoking, health