Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories

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Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories is a 2011, two-volume DVD boxset, website and educational resource from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), bringing together films by and about the Inuit of Canada. The collection traces the development of filmmaking in Northern Canada, from the ethnographic films by NFB filmmakers in the 1940s, to contemporary work by Elisapie Isaac and other Inuit filmmakers. [1]

Contents

In November 2011, the Government of Nunavut and the NFB jointly announced the launch of the DVD and online collection, which will eventually comprise more than 100 NFB films by and about Inuit available in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and other Inuit languages, as well as English and French. The boxed set is being distributed to over 50 communities across Northern Canada, with Nunavut's Department of Education supplying Unikkausivut (ᐅᓂᒃᑲᓯᕗᑦ [u.nik.ka.u.si.vut] ) to every school and library in its territory. [2] [3] [4]

The film collection premiered in Ottawa on November 2, 2011, as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, followed by community events across Inuit territories (Inuit Nunangat) in Iqaluit, Nunavut on November 7; Kuujjuaq, Nunavik on November 8; Nain, Nunatsiavut on November 17; and Inuvik in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories on November 23. [5] [6]

In 2015, the collection was expanded with six films from Nunatsiavut, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Labrador Inuit Lands Claims Agreement. In 2016, the NFB launched a new educational initiative based on Unikkausivut. [7]

Conception

Unikkausivut was partly inspired by the then-federal Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq. An Inuk from the Inuvik Region, Aglukkaq had enjoyed watching the NFB's series of short films about the Netsilik, called The Netsilik Eskimos, in her youth and felt that it would be worthwhile to make these older films about Northern Canada widely available. The NFB, which was already working to make its archival films available on new platforms, reviewed its Inuit film archives and determined that it had over 100 works worth rereleasing. [8]

Production

It cost over $1 million and took two years for the NFB to get the first 24 films digitized and ready in all languages; getting all of the films translated for northern communities could cost an additional $2 million. [2] This work involves restoring original film prints where necessary, digitization, remixing sound and obtaining rights clearances for new digital formats. Each film must also be dubbed in Inuktitut, the language of one of Canada's four Inuit regions—a challenge in itself, since Inuktitut narrations often run longer than their French or English equivalents. The conversion of all these films is expected to be completed by 2015. [8]

Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories was created by the NFB in collaboration with the Inuit Relations Secretariat of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and the Government of Nunavut's Department of Education. [9] An advisory committee included Inuit elders such as Peter Irniq. [2] [10]

Related Research Articles

Inuit languages Language family

The Inuit languages are a closely related group of indigenous American languages traditionally spoken across the North American Arctic and adjacent subarctic, reaching farthest south in Labrador. The related Yupik languages are the two main branches of Eskaleut, a primary language family. The Inuit live primarily in three countries: Greenland, Canada, and the United States.

Inuit religion Spiritual beliefs and practices of the Inuit

Inuit religion is the shared spiritual beliefs and practices of the Inuit, an indigenous people from Alaska, Canada, parts of Siberia and Greenland. Their religion shares many similarities with some Alaska Native religions. Traditional Inuit religious practices include animism and shamanism, in which spiritual healers mediate with spirits. Today many Inuit follow Christianity, but traditional Inuit spirituality continues as part of a living, oral tradition and part of contemporary Inuit society. Inuit who balance indigenous and Christian theology practice religious syncretism.

Qikiqtaaluk Region Region of Nunavut, Canada

The Qikiqtaaluk Region, Qikiqtani Region or Baffin Region is the easternmost, northernmost, and southernmost administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. Qikiqtaaluk is the traditional Inuktitut name for Baffin Island. Although the Qikiqtaaluk Region is the most commonly used name in official contexts, several notable public organizations, including Statistics Canada prefer the older term Baffin Region.

Inuvialuktun comprises several Inuit language varieties spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by Canadian Inuit who call themselves Inuvialuit. Some dialects and sub-dialects are also spoken in Nunavut.

Inuktitut Name of several Inuit languages spoken in Canada

Inuktitut, also Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, is one of the principal Inuit languages of Canada. It is spoken in all areas north of the tree line, including parts of the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, to some extent in northeastern Manitoba as well as the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It is one of the aboriginal languages written with Canadian Aboriginal syllabics.

Kitikmeot Region Region in Nunavut, Canada

Kitikmeot Region is an administrative region of Nunavut, Canada. It consists of the southern and eastern parts of Victoria Island with the adjacent part of the mainland as far as the Boothia Peninsula, together with King William Island and the southern portion of Prince of Wales Island. The regional centre is Cambridge Bay.

Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada Department of the government of Canada

Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for Canada's northern lands and territories, and one of two departments with responsibility for policies relating to Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Canadian Inuit political organization

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, previously known as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, is a nonprofit organization in Canada that represents over 65,000 Inuit across Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. Their mission is to "serve as a national voice protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada."

Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut Hamlet in Nunavut, Canada

Chesterfield Inlet is a hamlet located on the western shore of Hudson Bay, Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut, Canada, at the mouth of Chesterfield Inlet. Igluligaarjuk is the Inuktitut word for "place with few houses", it is the oldest community in Nunavut. The community is served by air, Chesterfield Inlet Airport, and by an annual supply known as sealift.

Nunavut Territory of Canada

Nunavut is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, which provided this territory to the Inuit for independent government. The boundaries had been drawn in 1993. The creation of Nunavut resulted in the first major change to Canada's political map in half a century since the province of Newfoundland was admitted in 1949.

Netsilik Inuit in Nunavut, Canada

The Netsilik (Netsilingmiut) are Inuit who live predominantly in the communities of Kugaaruk and Gjoa Haven of the Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut and to a smaller extent in Taloyoak and the north Qikiqtaaluk Region, in Canada. They were, in the early 20th century, among the last northern indigenous peoples to encounter missionaries from the south.

The Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is a television production company based in Nunavut. Its programming is targeted at the Inuit population of Nunavut and almost all of its programs are broadcast in Inuktitut. Select programs are also broadcast in English. In contrast with traditional commercial television broadcasting companies, IBC shows centre on Inuit culture. The company has five production centres in various places in Nunavut, all staffed by Inuit. Founded in the early 1980s, the IBC was the first Native language television network in North America.

Inuit Group of peoples of Arctic North America

Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland (Denmark), Canada, and Alaska. The Inuit languages are part of the Eskimo–Aleut languages also known as Inuit-Yupik-Unangan and also as Eskaleut. Inuit Sign Language is a critically endangered language isolate used in Nunavut.

Elisapie Canadian recording artist and documentary filmmaker

Elisapie Isaac is a Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter, broadcaster, documentary filmmaker, and activist. She spent her childhood in Salluit, Nunavik, Quebec, and moved to Montreal in 1999 to pursue communication studies in order to become a journalist.

The High Arctic relocation took place during the Cold War in the 1950s, when 92 Inuit were moved by the Government of Canada under Liberal Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent to the High Arctic.

The Living Stone is a 1958 Canadian short documentary film directed by John Feeney about Inuit art. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Inuit Nunangat Inuit Regions of Canada

For Inuvialuit Nunangat, see Inuvialuit Settlement Region

The Arctic policy of Canada includes both the foreign policy of Canada in regard to the Arctic region and Canada's domestic policy towards its Arctic territories. This includes the devolution of powers to the territories. Canada's Arctic policy includes the plans and provisions of these regional governments. It encompasses the exercise of sovereignty, social and economic development, the protection of the environment, and the improving and devolving of governance.

Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny is a 2006 satirical documentary film directed by Mark Sandiford and Zebedee Nungak. The documentary-style film reverses the roles between White Canadians and the Inuit of Northern Canada, highlighting the nature of the treatment of the Inuit by White Canadian society.

References

  1. ↑ Dixon, Guy (30 December 2011). "Out in the cold: the struggle of Inuit film". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Inuit films move online and into northern communities". CBC News . 2 November 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "New NFB collection includes 24 films on or by Inuit". Nunatsiaq News . 4 November 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  4. ↑ "GN and NFB launch Unikkausivut: Sharing our Stories film collection". Nunavut Echo. Government of Nunavut News. 1 February 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  5. ↑ "NFB AND INUIT PARTNERS LAUNCH UNIKKAUSIVUT: SHARING OUR STORIES" (PDF). Press release. National Film Board of Canada . Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "23 November 2011" (Audio interview with Johannes Lampe, Minister of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Nunatsiavut Government). Weekend Arts Magazine. CBC Radio . Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Sevunts, Levon (19 September 2016). "National Film Board shares its treasure trove of Inuit stories". Radio Canada International . Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  8. 1 2 Lougheed, Tim (July–August 2011). "Restoring Cultural Treasures: NFB Project Resurrects Inuit Film Archive". Above&Beyond . Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  9. ↑ "The Project". National Film Board of Canada website. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Collaborators". National Film Board of Canada website. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
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