#inuk

[uwmspeccoll]

The author, Angela Hovak Johnston.

Johnston and Marjorie Tungwenuk Tahbone, traditional tattoo artist.

Catherine Niptanatiak: "I designed my own, something that represents me and who I am, something that I would be proud to wear and show off, and something that would make me feel confident and beautiful. . . . I have daughters and I would like to teach them what I know. I would like for them to want to practice our traditions and keep our culture alive."

Cecile Nelvana Lyall: "On my hand tattoos, from the top down, the triangles represent the mountains. . . . The Ys are the tools used in seal hunting. . . . The dots are my ancestors. . . . I am so excited to be able to truly call myself and Inuk woman."

Colleen Nivingalok: "The tattoos on my face represent my family and me. The lines on my chin are my four children -- my two older boys on the outside protecting my daughters. The lines on my cheeks represent the two boys and the two girls on either side. The one on my forehead represents their father and me. Together, we live for our children."

Doreen Ayalikyoak Evyagotailak: "I have thought about getting traditional tattoos since I was a teenager. . . . When I asked the elders if I could have my own meaning for my tattoos, they said it wouldn't matter. My tattoos symbolize my kids."

Mary Angele Takletok: "I always wanted traditional tattoos like the women in the old days. I wanted them on my wrists and my fingers so I could show I'm Inuk."

Melissa MacDonald Hinanik: "As a part of celebrating my heritage and revitalizing important traditional customs that form my identity, I believe I have earned my tattoos. I am a beautiful, strong young woman. I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend, and an active community member. I reclaim the traditional customs as mine, I re-own them as a part of who I am."

Star Westwood: "We still have some of our culture, but some things are slowly dying. Having tattoos helps us keep our culture alive. . . . . My tattoos represent my dad and my dad's dad. The ones closest to my wrists represent my sisters."

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National Tattoo Day

July 17 is National Tattoo Day. To celebrate, we present some images from Reawakening Our Ancestors' Lines: Revitalizing Inuit Traditional Tattooing, compiled by Angela Hovak Johnston, co-founder with Marjorie Tahbone of the Inuit Tattoo Revitalization Project, with photographs by Inuit photographer Cora DeVos, and published in Iqaluit, Nunavut by Inhabit Media Inc. in 2017.

For thousands of years, Inuit have practiced the traditional art of tattooing. Created the ancient way, with bone needles and caribou sinew soaked in seal oil, sod, or soot, these tattoos were an important tradition for many Inuit women, symbols etched on their skin that connected them to their families and communities. But with the rise of missionaries and residential schools in the North, the tradition of tattooing was almost lost. In 2005, when Angela Hovak Johnston heard that the last Inuk woman tattooed in the old way had died, she set out to tattoo herself in tribute to this ancient custom and learn how to tattoo others. What was at first a personal quest became a project to bring the art of traditional tattooing back to Inuit women across Nunavut.

Collected in this book are photos and stories from more than two dozen women who participated in Johnston's project. Together, these women have united to bring to life an ancient tradition, reawakening their ancestors' lines and sharing this knowledge with future generations. Hovak Johnston writes: "Never again will these Inuit traditions be close to extinction, or only a part of history you read about in books. This is my mission."

Reawakening Our Ancestors' Lines forms part of our Indigenous America Literature Collection.

Angela Hovak Johnston (right) with her cousin Janelle Angulalik and her aunt Millie Navalik Angulalik.

View other posts from our Indigenous America Literature Collection.

[notdayle]

Katara having muktu (beluga whale)

[doesephs]

laila and cat with matching miffy pjs 😽

[forever70s]

[zoetheneko]

My legendary cookie and her past self

(Inspired from Sedna, Inuk Goddess of the sea)

[thewatcher0nthewall]

Man

[inuklessons]

What Is An Ulu?

Script: ᐅᓗ ; Plural: Uluit, ᐅᓗᐃᑦ

"an ulu is a cultural knife that can be found in many arctic native communities: more specifically the inuit, aleut, yupik, and iñupiat"

What does 'ulu' mean?

'Ulu' is derived from the language Inuktitut, located and based from the Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, Canada. Ulu means "woman's knife" in Inuktitut.

The Reasoning Behind Such Name...

The name, meaning "woman's knife", obviously shows the reasoning. Uluit are used by Inuit, Iñupiat, Yupik, and Aleut women exclusively due to cultural reasonings. Uluit are passed down generationally, from woman to woman. Grandmother to granddaughter, sometimes auntie to niece.

Uses of the Ulu

The ulu has several different uses, infamous ones include: food prep, skinning, snow trimming.

An ulu is also used for hair cutting and sewing.

Significance, Cultural Value

The ulu is a huge part of Arctic Native culture, especially for women. To be gifted an ulu from an older inuk woman, it's considered an honour.

What do uluit look like?

^ traditional uluit

Stances on Ben owning Uluit

Based off of his unboxing videos where he says he owns several uluit, and even states he uses them as props—I as an Inuk am completely fine with it. As I can safely assume he has been gifted them by other Inuit.

Since he doesn't actually use them, it's not really bad. And with him using the correct plural term (Uluit), I give him kudos—as he must be aware of the cultural significance behind them as it even takes a small Google search to find out what it means.

Thank you for giving me your time, ᑕᕝᕙᐅᕗᓯ! (Tavvauvusi!)

[blondebrainpowered]

Seventeen-year-old Inuk Helen Konek walking into her igloo in Arviat, Nunavut, in 1949.

Photographer: Richard Harrington

[pickledpascal]

thinking about uploading my logan fic here 😋

[skylessknights]

NORTH OF NORTH ▸ 1.06

If I tell you something do you promise not to laugh. Mm-hmm. I've never been on a date before. How is that even possible?

[eywaseclipse]

Spent some time working on this. Got inspired by @thewarmblanket snow clan post and watching informational videos on Greenland lol. I love learning. And this snow na’vi is based off Inuit culture. Including the traditional tattoos called Tunniit. Did I mention this is a free draw with my non dominant hand? 🤗

“The process and method of making Tunniit is called kakiorneq in West Greenland and kagierneq in the east (both can be translated as "sewn with a needle").

The tradition of making and wearing Tunniit has mainly been passed on by Inuit women, as a sign of their spiritual responsibility and sewing skills. The kakiorneq and kagierneq techniques traditionally involve the use of a needle and sinew thread (thread made from the muscle of the reindeer's hind legs) dipped in a mixture of soot, oil and urine to create a line under the top layer of the skin. An alternative method involves the use of a sharp tool to make a small hole in the skin, followed by the application of a sooty substance to create a distinctive dot.”

[doesephs]

what if hatsune miku was inuk, but instead of changing her character design she just became really short

[zukkaart]

I just want to say that as someone who is Native Hawaiian on my moms side and Inuk/Italian on my dads Sokka, Katara, and both of the water tribes meant so much to me as a child and even now

If there are native characters in media (ESPECIALLY INUK) usually they’re marked as token characters and not given a whole lot of depth, much less made a main character

It’s gotta be one of the largest reasons I will watch A:tLA and LoK for the rest of my life, the cultural accuracy (for the most part) and representation is unmatched in any other media

[abwwia]

Photo: National Film Board of Canada

Inuk artist Kenojuak Ashevak (1927-2013)

[polymorphousculturevulture]

Helen Konek was 17 when photographer Richard Harrington asked to take images of her family near Arviat, Nunavut.

source: g-raynard

[inuklessons]

Info about this blog

This blog is ran by @evilnevyork

I am multiracial—native asian polynesian and I've made this blog to teach my top fandom about my culture that I grew up with (inuk)

I go by K'ûik

Im twospirit + sipiniq

I know Inuktitut, as I've been taught by family

I'm disabled so I don't blog everyday. Only rarely as I need to focus on life stuff

You are allowed to claim emojis on this blog! <3

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