#nanisiniq arviat history project

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Nicole Garbutt Northern News Services Published Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012

ARVIAT Jordan Konek has found himself all over the globe in the past few years, film camera in hand. 

Jordan Konek, a 23-year-old filmmaker in Arviat, lines up a shot on one of his many ongoing projects. - photo courtesy of Jordan Konek

After graduating from a theatre production program in Toronto, Konek returned to his home community of Arviat, only to be pulled almost immediately into a project by his cousin, Curtis Kuunuaq Konek. What Jordan did not know is that the Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project would open many doors for him, both personally and professionally. Read the full article on Northern News Services Online.

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Filming for our Future: Socio-Historical, Cross-Generational & Multi-media Approaches to Inuit Youth Mental Health & Well-being

Presented at the 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health in Fairbanks Alaska, the following outlines the importance of history, inter-generational connectedness & participatory filmmaking as an approach to Inuit youth mental health and wellbeing, using the case study of the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project.

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Our First Day at COP17

Hello to our friends in Durban, Canada, and around the world!

We are having a great time in Durban, with our first day being especially busy. We were able to film a rally, set-up our "Past, Present, Future" exhibit (we're at stall #197 in the Durban Exhibition Centre, were interviewed by Geoffrey York, the African correspondent for the Globe and Mail, and filmed by Bernice Mclean and team from DLIST Benguela.

On Sunday we are going on the Green Media tour to St.Lucia for a boat tour and hopefully to see the 'Big Five'- elephants, lions- oh my! 

Thanks for following us an stay tuned- pictures to follow.

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The Beginning of "OUR ELDERS" Picture Series

Elder Timothy Taleriktok

We enjoyed interviewing Timothy on his experiences working at the Rankin Inlet Nickel Mine. To read the blog on the interview with Timothy, click here.

Mutna to our Elders!

Mutna to our Arviat coordinator, Tamar Mukyunik, for the idea of the Elder picture series :)

Mutna to Curtis Konek for taking the pics!

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Nanisiniq on CBC News

Check out Nanisiniq on CBC North News: Iqalaaq

We are at the 11 minute mark. Click here for the link.  

Mutna Pauline Pemik!

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A Journey to Discover

by Jordan Konek September 6, 2011 There are some times when I really don’t feel like doing anything and want to stay away from certain things going on. During the long weekend there was Maguse Reunion going on and during the night before I was staying up all night doing editing. I went home around 10AM after doing some editing for the September 27, 2011 Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Film Festival. But anyways I got up at 3PM after I went home and got to sleep, I was still feeling that I don’t want to go. But I decided to go to my grandparents to see if they got anyone to bring them to Maguse and they had my uncles but there was one ATV that still needed to get there and I was the only person to be driving it for grandma. It takes approximately 1hour 30minutes to get there one way which made the day even longer. When we got to Maguse, my grandmother found out that she got the wrong tent, so I had to take the trip back to Arviat and get the right tent. Instead of being angry and lazy all day, I decided that I wanted to learn from this trip. My grandparents had to survive the Arctic by keeping active and working hard, I wonder if they ever got tired and felt they wanted to just stop working. There hard work obviously keeps them alive and I’m here alive because of their hard work. Anyways, on my way back to Arviat to go get the tent, I started looking at how our group can learn from this Maguse project. I started thinking about how our team needs to stick together to make sure we’re all in the same page and that we are safe. We also need to look at the people driving behind us to make sure they’re not stuck of their ATV stopped working for some reason, Inuit are constantly looking back to make sure the person behind is ok. The other thing that I thought about is that sometimes we need to take our own routes sometimes for the team and maybe even split for a while. Like the time I had to return to go get the tent by myself and my grandma trusted me to be able to cross the mud that could get me stuck. On my way home I reached the mud and I started thinking about how sometimes we have to make quick decisions so that we don’t get stuck on the mud, if I choose the wrong path, I can get stuck so making a quick decision also needs to be a wise one, too. I accidentally chose the wrong path of the mud and half the ATV was stuck in the mud. I was thinking of going back to my uncles by walking about 2 miles to ask them to help me, but I also remembered my grandpa told me “don’t think or say it’s impossible if you haven’t tried…”, so I tried to pull the ATV off the mud, then I lifted the ATV on the front and back then pulled it out by myself and I felt good for being able to do that. The team has been doing some great things and I’d like to thank the team and April for being awesome and hardworking. We have gone a long way, and still have some things to do, but because we’re a team, we’ll reach the destination we’re trying to reach.

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The Tyee: UBC Inuit youth research project garners international attention

By Ainslie Cruickshank July 25, 2011 04:51 pm http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Aboriginal-Affairs/2011/07/25/InuitYouth/ A University of British Columbia research project aimed at helping Inuit youth learn more about their history and culture captured international interest at a student conference in China last week. Fourth year sociology student April Dutheil presented on the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project at the Universitas 21 undergraduate conference held at Fudan University in Shanghai. Universitas 21 is an international network of 23 research-intensive universities. Now back in Canada, Dutheil says a lot of students at the conference were interested in how they could adapt the project in their own countries. "They definitely saw there was value in this project for places like Australia," she says. The Nanisiniq project jump started after Frank Tester, a professor from UBC's School of Social Work, was approached by Inuit elders from Arviat, Nunavut. "They had a lot of things that they wanted to pass on to young people, but didn't know how to do it," says Tester. "They were of the opinion that young people were not aware of their experiences and what they might have to offer them." Out of that sentiment grew a plan to produce a documentary exploring the history of colonization from an Inuit point of view. "There is no group in the history of the world that had to change as fast as the Inuit," says Paule McNicoll, also a professor from UBC's School of Social Work and a project collaborator. "The people who are the elders now, are people who were born in igloos and on the land and now they're dealing with negotiating with the government, with computers. However, what you find is there is a lot of disconnect between the generations where the elders don't feel completely comfortable in being elders anymore, because they have difficulty recognizing their world. The youth in some ways often do not recognize the wisdom and the knowledge of the experts." McNicoll says the intent of the project was always to train young Inuit researchers. "When we finish with our work, it's important that there are people who own that work who are Inuit and that it's not always researchers from the south doing the research," she says. There are currently three youth researchers working on the project, Curtis Kuunuaq Konek, Jordan Konek and Amy Owingayak. They've all learned how to conduct, shoot and edit video interviews for the documentary and post research updates frequently on the Nanisiniq website. Owingayak, 19, says a lot of what she's learned interviewing the elders wasn't covered in her schooling. "None of relocation, anything to do with religion, the Rankin Inlet nickel mine that most Inuit went to," was covered she says. "All of the things that we were taught in school were like: Inuit lived in tents and something about shelter and food, not deeper information." Most of the curriculum currently covered in Inuit schools is imported from Alberta, says McNicoll. In particular, she said that the effects of climate change in Nunavut should be addressed. "They're learning... not to water their lawn too often, when there's no lawn there, there's no grass, so in some ways it's very useless," she says. "For example, the fact that there will be more southerners, that there might be some ports opening there, how it's going to change their society, so we hope that by learning more about their history and getting engaged with their history will make them more engaged in the present and that they will be involved in the decision to be made in their future." McNicoll is hopeful though that the Nanisiniq project will help propel some new curriculum development. The Nanisiniq team is aiming to complete the documentary by early summer next year. "My hope is that it will help Inuit youth appreciate the relevance of understanding their own history and culture to their well-being, sense of who they are and their future," says Tester. Ainslie Cruickshank is completing a practicum at The Tyee.

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Curtis: Why research? June 30, 2011 Curtis Konek, young Inuit researcher on the Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project, discusses the importance of the Nanisiniq project.

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Amy: Why research? June 30, 2011 Amy Owingayak, young Inuit researcher on the Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project, discusses the importance of the Nanisiniq project.

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Jordan: Why research? June 30, 2011 Jordan Konek, young Inuit researcher on the Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project, discusses the importance of the Nanisiniq project. (English version) Inuktitut version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujXoiv7ccA8

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Tamar: Why research? - Inuktitut June 30, 2011 Tamar Mukyunik, Arviat coordinator of the Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project, discusses the importance of the Nanisiniq project. (Inuktitut version) English version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn1gu7AYC04

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Trip to Ottawa, ON with Nanisiniq

by Jordan Konek May 24 2011 It’s been almost a week since the Nanisiniq group came home from Ottawa, Ontario. We enjoyed the trip and learned some things from the people we interviewed. I enjoyed the whole time we were in Ottawa and it was my first time to go there. I lived in Toronto, ON for 2 and a half years but never had the chance to visit Ottawa. One of the things I enjoyed the most is interviewing. The Nanisiniq youth researchers each interviewed some people who were involved in Rankin Inlet Nickel Mine and other things that we are researching. Each researcher has more detailed blogs that are posted on nanisiniq.tumblr.com. Feel free to check them out. I will also be posting one about the interview with David Serkoak who experienced some relocations during the late 1950’s and the early 1960’s. Like I said about how I liked the interviews, I enjoyed listening to the interviewees because they each had such strong stories about Inuit history. Listening to them was like a flashback in a movie. You never experienced it, but you can feel what they went through, how they felt and what they saw. I felt as if I was the one to have been through it. It makes you realize how important it really is, when you’re in the moment that they’re talking about. Like one of our coordinator said: “Interviewing is like eating a good meal of caribou meat and reading is like a tasting of a potato chip”. Other things that we did were also what made the trip fun. We practiced our friendship and teamwork being together for a whole week plus three days. There were some times when we had to just get away from each other, but really had no chance to. So sticking together also helped us to learn the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of being a team. I’m proud of the team personally and hope for the best because of our hard work. Our elder, Martha Okotak also made the trip worth while. She made us laugh everyday and gave us a good smile when most needed. We hope that she enjoyed the trip as much as we did. One thing I have to mention is that we went to a African restaurant and she stopped eating, looked at me with a serious face and said “make sure that we’re not eating a monkey”. She cracked us up, wether she was serious or not, she made it so funny. It was good to have her with us.

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Interview with Peter Irniq

by Curtis Konek May 24 2011 On may 14, 2011 I interviewed Peter Irniq about Inuit living in the past and living the ''modern life" which is today, with new technology, and about the residential school. Peter said a lot of things about Inuit who used to live out on the land, and what they thought when their kids were taken away from their parents, when they had no choice to let them go. Peter Irniq was one of those kids who was sent to the residential school in Chesterfield Inlet. Inuit who were born on the land are stronger at living and surviving out on the land in the arctic because Inuit had more survival skills in the past, compared to now. Inuit had more hunting skills. Inuit used to travel frequently following the animals, such as caribou. In the past even a Inuk man knew how to sew his own clothing, such as caribou skins, seal skins, and fix his clothing if it had a cut anywhere in the clothing. Parents taught their children how to survive out on the land, little boys practiced how to make an igloo at the age of 8 years old. So one day they will be living in an igloo on his own, and with his future wife and kids. And they teach their children the way he was taught by his father and pass it to their children. Inuit learn how to make an igloo at an early age. In the past if an Inuk (boy/man) did not know how to make an igloo he would not find a wife. Igloos keep you warm and give you a place to stay during the winter, so if you wanted a wife back in the late 1920's to early1950's or even later, you had know how to make a igloo In order to get a wife. For a little Inuk girl she needs to know how to sew and scrape any animal skins, and little Inuk girls make small ''kamiks" (caribou or seal skin boots) for practice. Scraping animal skins makes it easier to sew and it gets warmer as you wear it. It was important to know how to sew being a woman because one day she will have to leave her parents and sew her own clothing and tent for her future husband and children. Then they'll pass on their knowledge to their children. When inuit used to live out on the land, the parents were like teachers, they taught their children how to survive and how to sew clothing. That is how Inuit survived in the arctic, by teaching their children and passing knowledge on to their children for many years. When a man goes out hunting to look for food, he travels far from home so he can feed his family. He always brings his sewing kit, ''panaa" (snow knife), tea, tea pot, rifle, bullets, a small coleman stove, and caribou skins to sleep on. Historically, some of this was bought at the Hudson Bay Company. So he can survive out on the land by himself for many days. Inuit were always prepared for anything. Inuit knew when the storm would hit them, so they stopped and camped until it cleared again. Inuit who were born on the land knew a lot about survival skills and their surroundings/areas. Another thing Peter said was about being patient. Patience is one thing that Inuit had when they used to live out on the land. Being patient is the most important thing to remember when you are out on the land. When you are going to the flow edge, you have to have patience because you never know if you will be stuck on the ice and float on to the ocean. If you are stuck on the ice and float have patience because the ice always goes back to the flow edge. When your stuck in the ice have a small piece of snow, not too big, just enough to get some water in your mouth, so you won't be thirsty. When Peter was explaining about the caribou skin clothing he said that caribou skin clothing was the best clothing that you could ever wear out on the land in the arctic because caribou skin clothing warm, and last longer than the material that we use today, like goose clothing. Here is the example: ''if you drown on the lake or flow edge and you got out of the water and you are wet you take your caribou skin clothing off and start stepping on the caribou skin clothing to the snow, the snow will absorb the water and the caribou skin will be warm again, and you could wear it for the rest of the day...When you drown on the lake or flow edge, and you are using the goose clothing. Like those camouflage clothing that we order on the cataloge and downfield clothing, if you get wet they start to get frozen right away, and you have to change your clothing right away. If you don't change your clothing you will freeze to death.'' Peter Irniq was born and grew up in Naujaat/Repulse Bay, Peter was going to grow up like his parents. Peter was 11 years old in 1958 when the kablunaat, (''white people'') came to their homeland in Naujaat/ Repulse Bay. The kablunaat, (white people) came to his homeland by boat. The kablunaat (white people) said to Peter's parents, ''I'm here to pick up Peter Irniq, he's going to 'Chesterfield Inlet for school (residential school).'' Peter went to school for the first time in Chesterfield Inlet. Peter knows a little bit of English that he learned from the Roman Catholic priest. These words he learn from the priest were ''seal, caribou, fish and box and what is your name.'' When they got to Chesterfield Inlet they took their traditional clothing off and gave them kablunaat (white people) clothing. For most of them it was their first time wearing shoes, jeans, and short sleeved shirts. That is what they gave them to wear, and took their traditional clothing away. Those children who went to Chesterfield Inlet for residential school were punished by grey nuns and by teachers. Inuit who went to residential school with Peter Irniq were not allowed to speak their own 'language (Inuktitut). If they spoke their own language their hands would be slapped with a yardstick. Peter and the other kids who went to school in Chesterfield Inlet were forced to speak English and were told to forget about their own language and were forced to learn European history and Saudi Arabian history, not Inuit history, their own traditional way of life. In residential school in Chesterfield Inlet they were learning ABCs, arithmetic, social studies, science, a few pictures of the world, and a map of the world. And if they did not learn they would be punished by their teachers. Peter and other kids who went to residential school also had to wash the walls and floors. Peter was also not used to the food that they served in residential school, such as frozen cow beef. They served arctic char, but Peter didn't like it because they boiled the arctic char with their guts on and they had no choice to eat it. Inuit take the guts off arctic char and eat it raw or boiled. One food that Peter got used to was corned beef and corn flakes and he still eats this today. Inuit didn't know about forestry in western Canada (British Columbia) and around the world until the kabulnaat (white people) came north to Inuit land. Inuit are very adaptable people. Those Inuit who went to residential school adapted overnight. Inuit were punished a lot by the grey nuns. The grey nuns even told Peter that they don't ever want to hear him speaking his own language in the class room because they are there to learn how to speak and write English and arithmetic. They told him to forget about his culture and his own language and Inuit spirituality. The grey nuns were so nice to the students before they were going back home to there homeland and they would tell the students that they had fun here in residential school to their parents. That is how they were mistreated in residential schools. I asked Peter a question about how he felt when he got back from the residential school in Chesterfield Inlet. He said it was so relaxing and exciting to go back to where he was raised as a child. Inuit lifestyle changed when kablunaat (white people) opened the residential school in the north. That is when the Inuit way of life started to change. Inuit used to wear caribou skin clothing and seal skin clothing. Now Inuit use jackets, sweaters, t-shits, jeans, shoes and socks, pretty much everything we use today are now store-bought. Inuit have changed the way they lived in a matter of years. From living in a igloos and tents to houses that have electricity. Inuit now have the opportunity to do anything. Inuit can go to college or university in a different province. Pretty much anywhere in the world now. Even though Inuit don't live on the land anymore, Inuit are still very adaptable to anything. Inuit still eat their traditional food, Inuit still go out hunting and most Inuit still speak their language. But Inuit are slowly loosing there culture and traditional way of life, we have to act faster and talk to our Elders who were born on the land. There are not many Elders who were born on the land anymore, they are the keys to our future and to keeping our culture and tradition alive.

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May 21/ 2011 Arviat Tonight is a busy for the Nanisiniq producers as we release the George Sewoee original Nanisiniq rap. George created this piece after meeting with the team and throwing around a few ideas during a brainstorming session. Music by George Sewoee, video by Jordan Konek, and filmed by Curtis Konek and April Dutheil.

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May 17/2011 "Behind-the-Scenes Vault Tour" at the Canadian Museum of Civilization

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Arviat project puts Inuit face on local history “We want to be there too”

May 20/2011 article by Sarah Rogers in the Nunatsiaq News: OTTAWA — When Curtis Konek, 20, recalls the social studies courses he took at school, he remembers learning about Napoleon Bonaparte, a military leader during the French Revolution. It’s not that the Arviat youth doesn’t appreciate history from other parts of the world — but where, he asks, is the history of the Inuit? Konek isn’t alone in thinking his own history should have a bigger presence in Nunavut and throughout Canada. “We want to be there too,” he said. Click here to read the full article