Inuit Perspectives

CD-ROMS

Arctic Journeys

Montreal: On/Q Corporation, 1997.

Inuit Legends

CDs of Inuit Legends produced by CBC North broadcasters and featuring stories such as Qallupalik - The Sea Creature and The Man from the Moon. Suitable for High School students.

Film and Video

Between Two Worlds

National Film Board of Canada, 1990. (57 mins)

From the website: “Unknown to most Canadians today, Joseph Idlout was once the world's most famous Inuk. The subject of films and books, Idlout was one of the Inuit hunters pictured for many years on the back of Canada's $2 bill. Idlout became a symbol of his people, the heroic myth that fascinated the white imagination. In this film Idlout's son, Peter Paniloo, takes us on a journey through his father's life. Idlout, the great hunter, becomes a fox-fur trapper and guide. He gets caught up in the white world, trying to improve his family's fortunes. Finally, Joseph Idlout does not know who he is or where he belongs. He is "between two worlds." Joseph Idlout could never have imagined the changes that would overwhelm his North. But he was one of its first casualties.”

The Experimental Eskimos

From the website: "In the early 1960s the Canadian government conducted an experiment in social engineering. Three 12-year-old Inuit boys, Peter Ittinuar, Zebedee Nungak and Eric Tagoona, were sent to live with White families in Ottawa, to be educated in White schools. The consequences for the boys, their families, their identity, and their culture were brushed aside.

The bureaucrats who brought the boys South did not anticipate the outcome of their experiment. The boys grew up to become leaders of their people, and lifelong thorns in the side of the government. The battles they fought and won were instrumental in the establishment of aboriginal rights in Canada, and led to the creation of Nunavut, the world’s largest self-governing aboriginal territory. But it all came at enormous personal cost.

The Experimental Eskimos is the untold story of how an experiment in assimilation, not only changed three boys, but changed a nation".

The trailer for The Experimental Eskimos can be found here.

Inuit Identity: A Documentary

Radio, March 8th, 2012.

From the website: "The Inuit lay claim to one of Canada's oldest cultures in the country's newest territory Nunavut, home to Canada's youngest population. And the Inuit youth of Nunavut are on exciting new territory, uncharted landscape. Theirs is an ice-age cultura that has swung into the digital age within a matter of decades. The 8th Fire Project takes us to Nunavut."

Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change

2012 (54 mins)

From the website: "Nunavut-based director Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat The Fast Runner) and researcher and filmmaker Dr. Ian Mauro (Seeds of Change) have teamed up with Inuit communities to document their knowledge and experience regarding climate change. This new documentary, the world’s first Inuktitut language film on the topic, takes the viewer “on the land” with elders and hunters to explore the social and ecological impacts of a warming Arctic. This unforgettable film helps us to appreciate Inuit culture and expertise regarding environmental change and indigenous ways of adapting to it."

Inuit Piqqusingit

From the webite: "Inuit Piqqusingit is part documentary, part how-to, part real-life adventure. Each episode draws on the knowledge and experience of elders as they lead trips on the land, retell stories and give demonstrations to young people."

The Living Stone

National Film Board, 1958. (32:35 mins)

From the NFB website: “This documentary shows the inspiration behind Inuit sculpture. The Inuit approach to the work is to release the image the artist sees imprisoned in the rough stone. The film centers on an old legend about the carving of the image of a sea spirit to bring food to a hungry camp.” The documentary is free to download.

Mary Simon-Interview

Youtube, 2012. (4:11 mins)

Prominent Inuit figure Mary Simon discusses Inuit issues on the George Strombolopolous show.

Nunavut: New Partners in a New Territory

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1999. (14 mins) Available in libraries.

Takuginai (pronounced Tah-kew-gee-nye - Look Here)

This website is an extension of the popular children's program produced by IBC- the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation featuring puppets such as Johnny the Lemming, Malaiya, Isaaci, Puuki and Meesee. The Inuit version of Sesame Street. A great way of learning about Inuit life today. Suitable for Elementary and Junior levels.

Uqausiit Sanngijut - The Nunaut Elder's Series - Les Aînés du Nunavut

Association: Inuit Description: This video contains interviews with elders in the Inuit community.

Organizations

ITK-Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

From the website: "Founded in 1971 ITK represents and promotes the interests of Inuit on a wide variety of environmental, social, cultural, and political, issues and challenges facing Inuit on the national level."

Avataq Institute

A site offering historical, contemporary, past and current information on Inuit of Canada.

ICO-Inuit Circumpolar Council

From the website:

The International Inuit Council which seeks to:

strengthen unity amoung Inuit of the circumpolar region;
promote Inuit rights and interests on an international level;
develop and encourage long-term policies that safeguard the Arctic environment; and seek full and active partnership in the political, economic, and social development of circumpolar regions.

Government of Nunavut

General information on Nunavut, Inuit of Nunavut and life in Nunavut today.

NTI-Nunavut Tunngavik

From the website: "Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) ensures that promises made under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) are carried out. Inuit exchanged Aboriginal title to all their traditional land in the Nunavut Settlement Area for the rights and benefits set out in the NLCA. The management of land, water and wildlife is very important to Inuit. NTI coordinates and manages Inuit responsibilities set out in the NLCA and ensures that the federal and territorial governments fulfill their obligations."

NIYC-National Inuit Youth Council

An organization that represents the interests of Inuit Youth of Canada.

Nunavut Tourism

Site of the Nunavut Tourism Assocation sharing information on Nunavut today.

Nunavik Tourism

The site of the Nunavik (Northern Quebec) Tourism Association containing general information on life in Nunavik today.

Pirurvik Center

The website of the Pirurvik Center - from the website - "Pirurvik, meaning "a place of growth" is a unique, non-government centre of learning dedicated to Inuit Language, Culture and Wellbeing."

Periodicals - Journals & Magazines

Inuktitut Magazine

Magazine of the national Inuit organization -ITK-Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami which contains general information on Inuit of Canada; life past, present and future

Naniiliqpita

Magazine published by Nunavut Tunngavik, the Inuit land claims organization, which contains general information on Inuit of Canada (Inuit knowledge, life, etc.)

Nipiit

A very popular magazine produced by the National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC), aimed at Inuit youth.

Websites

IBC - Inuit Broadcasting Corporation

Video clips of IBC programs on Inuit life today. Suitable for elementary to High School.

Inuit Cultural Online Resource

From the website: “This site was created to provide a central location online to learn about Canadian Inuit culture. This site is designed to serve as a resource for Canadian school age children and their teachers. It's purpose is to offer new a different ways of learning about Inuit culture and what it means to be Inuit.”

Includes information about contemporary and traditional Inuit culture, history, and teaching resources. (All grades)

Inuit Knowledge Centre

From the Website: "The goal of the newly established Inuit Qaujisarvingat (kow-yee-sar-ving-at), Inuit Knowledge Centre, is to bridge the gap between Inuit knowledge and western science and build capacity among Inuit to respond to global interests in Arctic issues." Suitable for Junior High and High School levels.

Learning Inuktitut

The website of the Pirurvik Center - from the website - "Pirurvik, meaning "a place of growth" is a unique, non-government centre of learning dedicated to Inuit Language, Culture and Wellbeing."

Ottawa Children's Centre

A great website for learning about Inuit cultural, the Inuktitut language (language of Inuit) and about Inuit life. A project of the Ottawa Children's Center and funded by Heritage Canada.

Museum of Inuit Art (MIA)

From the MIA's website: " The Museum of Inuit Art, serves as a non-profit, permanent museum whose primary function is to ethically acquire, conserve, research, communicate and exhibit for the purpose of studym, educationm and enjoyment, material evidence of the history of Inuit art and culture in the Canadian Arctic."

The MIA is located in Toronto, southern Canada's only public museum devoted exclusively to the display of art made by Inuit, offers school visits and educational programs, and publishes a semi-annual magazine devoted to the museum, its collections and its visitors. (Grades 1 and up)

Takuginai (pronounced Tah-kew-gee-nye - Look Here)

"We Were So Far Away...": The Inuit Experience of Residential Schools

From the website: Seeing a need to portray the unique Inuit experience of residential schools, the Legacy of Hope Foundation developed the "We were so far away…”: The Inuit Experience of Residential Schools exhibition in 2007.

Eight Survivors, two from each of the Inuit geographic regions – Nunavik, Nunavut, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region – courageously and generously shared their stories with the LHF in May 2008. The curator then developed an exhibition that presents the individual recollections of these Survivors in their own words, illustrated with their personal photographs and objects, and is contextualized by historical images gathered from archives across Canada".