LAC Forum on Canadian Democracy

Aboriginal Issues

Nunavut 10^th Anniversary Celebration

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Nunavut, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) held a one-day celebratory event to promote informed dialogue on the past, present and future of Nunavut. The afternoon sessions featured LAC collections of photography, maps and film, presented by LAC experts and by members of the Inuit community. An evening panel took place entitled "Nunavut at 10: What's working, what's not and what's next."

An exhibition of photographs from Project Naming were exhibited in the Auditorium Foyer along with display cases of books, and computer terminals featuring web-exhibitions related to Inuit and Northern culture.

The event was presented by the Library and Archives Canada Forum on Canadian Democracy, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (www.rcgs.org) and the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs (www.carleton.ca/akcollege), the event took place January 29, 2009, at Library and Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa.

The event on-line

This event has been recorded and is available on-line. The video recording and transcriptions have been arranged according to the presentations given throughout the day. The complete audio is available in MP3 in French, English, and Inuktitut.

• Video recording of the event
• Complete Audio MP3 of the event
• Featured LAC websites and collections
• Additional Links
• Further Research

Video recording of the event

Below are the videos and transcriptions of each presentation given throughout the day, along with a brief description of each presentation:

• Opening Ceremony
• Storytelling and the Land
• Photographs and Film
• Nunavut at 10: What's working, what's not and what's next?

Opening Ceremony
The ceremony starts with welcoming remarks from Gisèle Jacob, president of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Ian E. Wilson, Librarian and Archivist of Canada and the Honourable Paul Okalik, former premier of Nunavut. A traditional lamp-lighting ceremony performed by Elder Suzanne Singuuri is followed by a traditional drum dance performed by Elder Peter Irniq.

Transcript and video

Storytelling and the Land
Elder Peter Irniq shares a traditional story, followed by a presentation from Dale Blake and Donna-Lyn Kent on the collection of Inuit stories at Library and Archives Canada.

Part 1: Transcript and video

A presentation of historical maps of Nunavut by map archivist Isabelle Charron, followed by a discussion by Kowesa Etitiq on the tradition way of naming the land.

Part 2: Transcript and video

Photographs and Film
Film Archivist Caroline Forcier-Holloway presents historical films on Nunavut including segments taken by Graham Rowley in Igloolik in 1937. Writer, actress and co-director Madeline Ivalu (www.arnaitvideo.ca/about/biographies) speaks about filmmaking in Nunavut and her current film Before Tomorrow.

Part 1: Transcript and video

Beth Greenhorn presents Project Naming, an on-going program at Library and Archives Canada which works with the Inuit community to identify relatives who are pictured in the photograph collections at Library and Archives Canada. A presentation by an Elder and youth from Nunavut who use Project Naming to identify their relatives follows.

Part 2: Transcript and video

Nunavut at 10: What's working, what's not and what's next?
A panel discussion with Jim Bell, editor of Nunatsiaq News (www.nunatsiaq.com); Ed Picco, former Minister of Education and of Health and Social Services, Government of Nunavut; (www.gov.nu.ca); Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Member of Parliament for Nunavut from 1997 to 2008; Jose Kusugak, president of the Kivalliq Inuit Association (www.kivalliqinuitassociation.com) and former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (www.itk.ca). Moderated by Rick Boychuk, editor of Canadian Geographic.

Transcript and video

Complete Audio MP3 of the event

Disclaimer: The recordings have not been edited; therefore noises, pauses or overlapping sound tracks can be heard. For clearer content please consult the video recording of the event.

The complete MP3 audio recording of the event is available in Inuktitut, English and French.

Inuktitut
Part 1 [MP3 90,914 KB]
Part 2 [MP3 84,360 KB]
Part 3 [MP3 121,139 KB]

English
Opening ceremony [MP3 28,810 KB]
Storytelling and the Land [MP3 90,907 KB]
Photographs and Film [MP3 84,379 KB]
Nunavut at 10: What's working, what's not and what's next? [MP3 121,133 KB]

Also at 395 Wellington, from January 27th 2009 to September 15th 2009:
Please visit the exhibition We Were So Far Away: The Inuit Experience of Residential Schools.

Featured LAC Websites and Collections

Aboriginal Resources and Services

Project Naming

Our Voices, Our Stories
Coming soon

Aboriginal Sound Recordings: Music and Song
Coming soon

Additional Links

Partners
Library and Archives Canada gratefully acknowledges the cooperation and partnership of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs.

Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs
www.carleton.ca/akcollege/

Royal Canadian Geographical Society
www.rcgs.org/

Further research

Government of Nunavut
www.gov.nu.ca/

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
www.itk.ca/

Kivalliq Inuit Association
www.kivalliqinuitassociation.com

Madeline Ivalu
www.arnaitvideo.ca/about/biographies

Nunatsiaq News
www.nunatsiaq.com/