Sharing Our Living History
As Inuvialuit, we have always shared our culture through stories and songs, family and community gatherings, and harvesting the bounty of our lands and waters. Our values of sharing, kinship and unity ensure that we continue to carry our culture forward. We express our pride in being Inuvialuit by practicing and continuing to innovate within our age-old traditions of drum dancing, storytelling, hide working, sewing, beading, tattooing, hunting, fishing and other land-based activities. We now share our culture and creativity through our writings, artwork, photography, and film-making as well.
In this section, you can explore some of the many ways Inuvialuit express our culture and pass it down through the generations. Our stories and oral histories live on in our knowledge holders. Since the arrival of outsiders, many Inuvialuit have also written important texts. We share some of those texts below. We also showcase videos from the Inuvialuit Communications Society, link to the Inuvialuit Cultural Centre’s Digital Library and share other resources related to the living history of Inuvialuit. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
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Inuniarutikput aipaapak aumatchugikput
Uvagut Inupiat, atramik aumatchugikput quliaqtuatikun aturaurarqhuta, nutarariiit ilanallu inaurani katimamata, anguniaqhapta hutailirarariikput nunakput immaqput. Avanmun ikayuqtigiingniq, Ilaggit attauchikuurnim una piigumapkalaitka inuuniaruhiqput. Kamahugaqtugut inupiaguniqput uuturaqhimavluta piiguqhailivlugi utuqhanaat inuuhingit aritingit, quliaqtuangit, tutquqtat iriqtat, havakhuta, kilaiyaqhuta, hungauriqivluta, pinguliqtaqluta, anguniaqhuta, iqalungniaqhuta, atlaniklu piguitchailivluta.
Inuuniaruhiqput ilitchuripkarikput hurarautivutlu quliaqtuaqhuta aglakhuta, minguliuraapitigun, pikchqliuqhuta, Taraliuqhuta, UUmani quliami, ilitchurilarutin ilianginnik iliramun inupiat quliangkangananin inuuniarnikput aipaapak inuuhiqput inuuniarnimik ilihimaqpaktuanin tigumirinin. Inuit qainagutimata takpavanga atlanin nunanin tavranga Inupiat aglanmingnik iliqihimarut. Uvani ilangit ilihimagivut aglaani. Ukunaniptauq taralialiuqhimagaatigut Inuvialuit Communications Society, attautchikun havaqatigiiktuk ukuak Cultural Centre’s Digital Library aumitkaak inuit inuuniaruhingit. Nakuarufiungqaa uvaptiktun.
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Pitqusiit Inunniarutaitigun
Inuvialuit quliaguuvagait Pitqusivut quliaktuatigun atuutitigunlu, katitigamiklu anguniartlutik sunikliqaa nunamin, imarminlu. Avakuuktlugit ilavut puiruqunngilugit pitqusivut. Marlagiblugit Inuvialuit miquuyuaqtun, sungauyatigun inuusik, qilausigaktluta, unipkaatigun, amminik savaktlu miquuyakkun, sungauyatigun, pauktlugit kiinavut atjgavutlu, anguniarnikun, iqalungniaqtluta ami sunigliqaa. Qangma pitqusivut maaniupakkavut qanurliqaa.
Uvanni kinnigupgupsi qanuq pitqusiruaqpakpat qanuqlu tukkuktutiblugik tapquat inuguukniattuat sivuniptingni. Quliaqtuavut uqarivaqtavut. Uvagut tapkunuuna inuit ilitchuriyualuit tanaaluit qailgaramik inugiaktut Inuvialuit aglaakiqtlugit piqpagigait. Ilait takuniarisi aatani uuma. Piksaliurtlutik Inuvialuit Communications Society kun qanuqilungniaramik ingilraan ami takunnaguptigik quviasuunmik uvaptiktun.
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Avaqatigiikpaklugu Inuuniarutikput
Inuvialuugapta taimaa, avvariiqatitainnaqtaqqut pitquhiqput unipkaarnikkunlu atuutikkutlu, ilavutlu inuuqativutlu katimagaangamik, taimaalu angugaangamik nunaptingnitlu imaptingnillu. Pitquhipta nakuuqutaitigut avvariiqattarniq, inuuqatigiiqattarnikkullu taimaalu atauttimingnikkut piuniarmat hivumuutikhanut pitquhikkut hivumut. Anangaitjaarutikput takumapkaqtaqqhut Inuvialuugapta aturaanginnaqhugu hivumut nutaavalungnut nauvaktunut utuqqanut pitquhiptingnut tahapkunuuna qilautjarnikkut, unipkaarnikkut amirniklu havakaangapta miqhurnikkunlu hunautjaliqinikkullu, kakinikkullu, anguniarnikkullu, iqalungniarnikkullu taimaalu allanik nunamin hulilukaaraangapta. Tatja ilihimapkaqpaktugut pitquhiqput hunavalungniglu nuipkairaangapta titirarnikkut pingualiurnikkut, aatjiliurnikkut qunngianik, nutqangayuniklu ingutaaqtuniglu.
Uvani taiguqtarni takuniaqtutin ilanginnik atuqpaktainnik Inuvialuit takumapkarumayamingnik pitquhirmingnik taimaalu kingulliptingnut ilihautiblugit. Unipkaavutlu uqautivutlu pitquhiitigut uumapkarumablugit qauyimayakhainni pimayuni. Hamanirmiunngittut tikitpaliramik amigaittut Inuvialuit titiraqpaktut piuyunik titiqqanik. Taiguqtakhat titiqqat ilangit uuma ataani. Takunnangniaqtullu qunngiakhat talvannga Inuvialuit Communications Societymin, ilahimayunut talvunga Inuvialuit Cultural Centre’s Librarynganut taimaalu takunangniaqtut aallat tutquqhimayut ilagingmagit talvunga uumayunut pitquhiitigut Inuvialungni. Quviahuutigilugit uvagut quviagiyavut.
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The land is our classroom and our families and communities are our teachers. As children we listen to our Elders, whose memories and stories teach us important values like respect and patience. We spend time on the land with our families, learning by watching and helping. We learn where to harvest, to take only what we need, and to share with others. We learn pride in traditional skills, like sewing and jiggling, and learn to take our traditions forward in new ways. As we get older, we build our skills and our knowledge until we, too, can begin to teach others and share what it means to be Inuvialuit.
I, Nugilak
My school was the ocean and the steppe [tundra].
Nuligak (Bob Cockney), I, Nuligak, 1966 p. 80
For as long as we can remember, we have passed down our legends, stories and histories orally. We continue to do so today. But since the arrival of tan’ngit (white people) we also share them in written form. This section includes excerpts from some of the best-known texts by Inuvialuit authors. They will give you a taste of this incredible body of work, but there are many others to explore and more are being published all the time!
Many of the earlier texts in this section were translated into English from their original Inuvialuktun. These translations often use the word ‘Eskimo’ to refer to Inuit peoples, including Inuvialuit, Inupiaq and Inuit. This term is outdated and has negative connotations. It was imposed by southern neighbours of Inuit and adopted by outsiders. It doesn’t truly represent who Inuvialuit, Inupiaq and Inuit are as peoples. We have therefore replaced it with Inuvialuit, Inupiaq, or Inuit – the words the authors would have used to refer to themselves – as appropriate.
Kunuuksayuukka: The Spirit of Winter Storms
By Rose Nirliq Iriarr̂uk Tuuqłaq Kirby
©2024 Rose Nirliq Iriarr̂uk Tuuqłaq Kirby
Inuvialuit Communications Society
Mangilaluk
by Bernard Andreason
©2023 Inhabit Education Books Inc.
Umiaqpauyat Itgariyavut – Remembering Schooners
©2023, Inuvialuit Pitqusiit Cultural Centre.
Fatty Legs
by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
©2020 (6th printing: Jan 2024) Annick Press
Bessie’s Story of Survival
Story by Bessie Andreason
Illustrated by John Mantha
Siglitun Translation by Beverly Amos
Edited by Charles Arnold
©2017 Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre
Aluniq and Her Friend, Buster
Story told by Ann Christine Kasook
Written by Anna Pingo
Illustrated by Karleen Green
Edited by E.F. Dyck
Illustrated by John Mantha
©2016 Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre
Qattayana
Inuvialuit legend based on a recording by Johnny Ruben Qummana
Illustrated by John Mantha
English translation by Florence Nasogaluak
©2014 Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre
Not My Girl
by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
©2014 (8th printing: Jan 2022)
Geddes Auktalik Wolki Ataatattianilu: Ilunuuqtuq / Geddes Wolki and his Grandfather: A True Life Experience
Qulianga/Told by Jim Kakianaan Wolki
Kangiryuarmiutun Numiktijutingit/Translation by Annie Inuktalik
Titirauyaangit/Illustrations by Roberta Memogana
©2014 Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre
How Qiuraaq Turned Into Stone
An Inuvialuit legend told by Joe Nasogaluak
Adapted and illustrated by Zoe Ho
©2011 Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre
Proud to be Inuvialuit – Quviahuktunga Inuvialuugama
by James Pokiak & Mindy Willett
©2010 Fifth House Ltd.
The Delta is My Home
by Tom McLeod & Mindy Willett, photographs by Tessa Macintosh
©2008 Fifth House Ltd.
Inuk Irringmik Nangmakhuni Tariungmunngautiyaa / A Giant Who Packed a Mountain Out to Sea
A legend by Charlie Smith Anisaaluk
Illustrations by Donna Johns
Kangiryuarmiutun translation by Emily Kudlak and Alice Kaodloak
©2006, Reprint 2017, Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre.
Reindeer Days Remembered
by Elisa J. Hart
©2001 Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre.
Call Me Ishmael
By Ishmael Alunik
©1998 Kolausok Ublaaq Enterprises
More Tales from the Igloo
by Agnes Nanogak
©1986 Hurtig Publishers
Inuvialuit Final Agreement
The Inuvialuit Final Agreement – with the Government of Canada
1984
My Name is Masak
by Masak (Alice French)
©1976 Peguis Publishing
Thrasher: Skid Row Eskimo
By Anthony Apakark Thrasher
in collaboration with Gerard Deagle and Alan Mettrick
©1976 Anthony Apakark Thrasher, Gerard Deagle and Alan Mettrick
Griffin Press Limited
Tales from the Igloo
Stories told by Agnes Nanogak
Edited and translated by Father Maurice Metayer
Illustrated by Anges Nanogak
Hurtig Publishers, Edmonton, Alberta
©1972 Maurice Metayer
I, Nuligak
by Nugilak
©1966 Peter Martin Associates
Inuvialuit Communications Society Video Archive (Youtube)
Tusaayaksat Magazine Issues
Inuvialuit Digital Library
Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Documents and Resources
