A three-legged race capped off an afternoon of arctic games played in a grassy field in Duntroon as part of the local Nunavut Day celebrations led by Blue Mountains resident and Inuk Muckpaloo Ipeelie.
The afternoon events were part of the Collingwood Music Festival schedule, which featured a full-day of events for youth and families in the Duntroon highlands.
Ipeelie was joined by two fellow Inuit, Tauni Sheldon and her son Aalpi Kumarluk. All three took turns sharing Inuit principles and tradition with a crowd of families.
Sheldon explained the guiding Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles, also called IQ.
"We need these values to live on the land," explained Sheldon. "Inuit means all living people."
The IQ principles, set out by the government of Nunavut are:
- ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅ Inuuqatigiitsiarniq
- respecting others, relationships and caring for people
- ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᖅ - Tunnganarniq
- Fostering good spirit by being open, welcoming and inclusive.
- ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕐᓂᖅ - Pijitsirniq
- Serving and providing for family and/or community.
- ᐋᔩᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᖅ - Aajiiqatigiinniq
- Decision-making through discussion and consensus.
- ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᕐᓂᖅ - Pilimmaksarniq
- Development of skills through observation, mentoring, practice, and effort.
- ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᓐᓂᖅ - Ikajuqtigiinniq
- Working together for a common cause.
- ᖃᓄᖅᑑᕐᓂᖅ - Qanuqtuurniq
- Being innovative and resourceful.
- ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅ - Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq
- Respect and care for the land, animals and the environment.
Nunavut Day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of the Canadian parliament passing the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Nunavut Act to declare Nunavut a distinct region separate from the Northwest Territories.
"Inuit is a distinct group of people," said Ipeelie. "The arctic has shaped us ... when you think about the arctic climate, you'll better understand us."
In her teaching, Ipeelie shared the diet of Inuit, which includes a lot of raw seal meat, is nutrient dense and high in fat, which helps keep them warm in arctic temperatures. The liver of a seal is also high in vitamin C.
Aalpi brought his quilautik (drum) and an Inuk hunter's tupiq (tent) to show the families who came to celebrate Nunavut Day.
The quilautik, he explained is played in a dancing motion and by striking the rim of the drum. He said drums are played in happy times, but they can also be used for conflict resolution.
If two people cannot agree, they can have a "drum off" which can include insults hurled at the other family and many jokes made at each other's expense in an effort to make the other side laugh.
Tauni Sheldon said humour is an important part of Inuit culture
"You need it in harsh conditions," she said.
Sheldon was a victim of the 60s scoop. She was taken from her mother at birth and only reunited with her in her 20s. She has been making her way back to her Inuk heritage.
She wore an amautik (a traditional women's parka for carrying babies) in honour of her mother, who could not carry the baby that was taken from her.
For more resources on Inuit and Nunavut, visit the websites for the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national representational organization representing and advancing the rights an interests of Inuit in Canada, and also the website for the government of Nunavut.
