Keeping our Language and Heritage

Lizzie Iblauk ᐊᐅᒪᐅᒃ

Arviat, NU

Abstract

Inuktitut remains one of the strongest Aboriginal languages in Canada, a status reinforced by legislation and policy of the Government of Nunavut. Nevertheless, its long-term viability is not without challenges. To understand how they have remained strong in Arviat, a small Inuit community on the western coast of Hudson Bay, the author traces the histories of the people, institutions, and initiatives that have promoted and strengthened Inuit language and heritage from the 1920s to the present. As well being valuable as a community history in its own right, the research may serve as an inspiration for similar successes in other Nunavut communities.

Key Words: Arviat, Inuit language, Inuktitut, Inuit heritage, history.

ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᖓᐅᑎᕗᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᑦᑕᓗ ᑐᙵᕕᖏᑦ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖏᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕗᑦ

ᓕᓯ ᐊᐅᒪᐅᒃ ᐃᑉᓚᐅᖅ

ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ

ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ

ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᖓᐅᑦ ᓱᓕ ᓴᙱᓂᖅᐹᖑᖃᑕᐅᒻᒪᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᖓᐅᑎᖏᓐᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓂᖓᒍᑦ ᓴᙵᑎᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒪᓕᒐᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᑐᐊᒐᖅᑎᒍᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖓᒍᑦ.  ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓯᕕᑐᔪᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᒪᑭᒪᑏᓐᓇᕋᓱᐊᕐᓂᐊᕈᑦᑎᒍ ᓱᓕ ᐊᐳᖅᑕᕈᑏᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔪᒥᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᖃᑦᑕᓚᖓᒻᒪᑕ.   ᑐᑭᓯᓇᓱᐊᕈᒪᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂ ᐃᓄᑦᑎᑑᖏᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᑕ, ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᕋᓛᖑᓂᖅᓴᖅ ᕼᐊᑦᓴᓐ ᐸᐃ ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖓᑕ ᓯᓈᖓᓂᕐᒥᐅᑦ, ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑐᔾᔭᐃᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᒻᒪᓂᓴᑐᖄᓗᓐᓂᑦ, ᐊᑕᐅᑦᓯᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᕖᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓴᙵᑎᕈᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᒃᑲᓐᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᓪᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᐃᒻᒪᓂᓴᑐᖃᕐᓂᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑐᒍ 1920ᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ.  ᐊᒻᒪᓗᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᓂᐊᓕᕐᒪᒋᑦ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐃᒻᒪᓴᕐᓂᑦ ᓇᒻᓂᕆᔭᐅᓕᕐᓗᓂ, ᐃᒻᒪᖃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐅᕈᒪᔪᖃᕋᔭᕆᐊᖓ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᓯᐊᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᒥᓐᓂ ᐱᒋᓂᐊᓕᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐅᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ.

ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ ᓇᓂᓯᔾᔪᑏᑦ: ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᖓᐅᑎᖓᑦ, ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᑦ, ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᓐᓂᙶᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ ᐃᒻᒪᓂᓴᑐᖃᑦ

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