29.2 SUMMER 2016 $19.95 PERFORMANCE

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1 29.2 SUMMER 2016 $19.95 PERFORMANCE

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3 CONTENTS 29.2 SUMMER 2016 FEATURES 18 The Life of a Drum The deep, resonant beat of an Inuit drum carries with it the history, stories and pulse of its culture. This essay, presented in both English and Inuktitut, traces the life of a drum, from the careful formation of its curvature to the thrill of its full booming sound. Camille Usher Tanya Lukin Linklater An accumulation - A relief 2016 Courtesy Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery PUBLISHER Inuit Art Foundation The Inuit Art Quarterly is published by the Inuit Art Foundation, a not-for-profit registered charitable organization. Inuit Art Quarterly c/o Inuit Art Foundation 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 400 Toronto, ON, M5T 2C7 1 (855) toll free info@inuitartfoundation.org Subscription inquiries subscribe@inuitartfoundation.org Advertising inquiries advertise@inuitartfoundation.org All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior consent of the publisher or a license from the Canadian copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). The Inuit Art Quarterly is not responsible for unsolicited material. The views expressed in the Inuit Art Quarterly are not necessarily those of the Inuit Art Foundation. The Inuit Art Quarterly graciously acknowledges the ongoing support of Dorset Fine Arts in granting the Inuit Art Foundation permission to reproduce works of art which are under license or copyright of Dorset Fine Arts. Inuit Art Quarterly is a member of Magazines Canada. Publication date of this issue: June 30, 2016 ISSN The Inuit Art Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada through contributions from the Inuit Relations Directorate, Northern Governance Branch, Northern Affairs Organization, at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. inuitartfoundation.org Front 03 President s Message Chairman s Message 05 From the IAF 07 From the Editor 08 Contributors 10 Northern Highlights: In the Field: Qaggiq Arctic Performing Arts Summit This past March, Qaggiavuut! held its most ambitious arts summit yet. The result was Kiviuq Returns, a collaborative production that did not disappoint. Taqralik Partridge 12 Curator s Choice Papiara Tukiki and Saimaiyu Akesuk at the Brooklyn Museum Susan Kennedy Zeller 14 Artist s Choice Tanya Innaarulik Beatrice Deer 16 Profile Padloo Samayualie Reviews 42 Change Makers John Geoghegan 44 Going Home Star Ellyn Walker 46 Akunnittinni Michelle McGeough Back 48 Tribute Heather Igloliorte remembers Marybelle Mitchell 50 Calendar of Events 52 News 54 Comment: Artists, The Modern Nomads Playwright, actor and producer Reneltta Arluk reflects on the journey and distance required to bring the story of Tookoolito, a dynamic and modern Inuk woman, to life. Reneltta Arluk 56 Last Look Samantha Metcalfe & Cailyn Degrandpre Tanya Lukin Linklater s Choreography of Space The work of poet, choreographer and composer Tanya Lukin Linklater slips, twists and dances beyond definition. Curator Kari Cwynar explores the collaborative nature of the artist s work, where objects, spaces, performers and publics are gathered and arranged to produce thoughtful new compositions. Kari Cwynar 36 United with the Instrument: Photography, Performance and the Legacy of Pia Arke Despite her status as a pioneering figure in Nordic art history, the late Inuit-Danish artist and innovator Pia Arke is largely unknown in North America. Tracing the landmark works of her career, this feature outlines the complex ways the artist reconfigured the language of ethnography to produce a visual vernacular all her own. The IAQ is delighted to introduce this important artist. Charissa von Harringa 36 inuit art quarterly summer

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5 INUIT ART FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Jimmy Manning Cape Dorset, Nunavut CHAIR Sammy Kudluk Kuujjuaq, Nunavik SECRETARY- TREASURER Mathew Nuqingaq Iqaluit, Nunavut Billy Gauthier Northwest River, Nunatsiavut Helen Kaloon Gjoa Haven, Nunavut Message from the President Once again, the long winter season finally comes to its end. For those who worked outside on their wonderful pieces of art, this is especially welcome. I know that, for artists, showing their work to the outside world is so special. Artists, you make this magazine so special. Keep up the good work, and I wish many more years ahead for each of you. It is now time for longer days as more light approaches and brings with it tundra flowers, many migrating birds and bumble bees. This winter brought lots of snow, and now we wait for a better summer so we can eat vegetation from the tundra. Artists and art collectors of all regions, I wish you all the safest summer and fall seasons. Have a wonderful summer and fall! Jimmy Manning President, Inuit Art Foundation Okpik Pitseolak Iqaluit, Nunavut Patricia Feheley Toronto, Ontario Jamie Cameron Toronto, Ontario INUIT ART FOUNDATION Established in 1987, the Inuit Art Foundation provides support to Canada s Inuit arts communities and is the sole national body mandated to promote Inuit artists and art within Canada and internationally. The Foundation is deeply invested in the rich history and tradition of Canada s Inuit artistic expressions while actively contributing to the growth and development of these unique and diverse contemporary art practices. The Foundation undertakes advocacy on behalf of Inuit artists and realises a number of strategies aimed at enhancing the appreciation and interpretation of Inuit art. One of the most significant contributions of the Foundation is the publication of the Inuit Art Quarterly, now in its twenty-ninth year of publication. The Inuit Art Foundation is governed by a volunteer Inuit artist majority Board of Directors and is supported by the private sector along with contributions from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Chairman s Message This new issue of the Inuit Art Quarterly shows a broader view of Inuit arts visual arts, performing arts, literature and more. Inuit art is broadening to other media to express the changes Inuit face throughout their lives and it is the IAQ s responsibility to reflect this in its pages. Showcasing Inuit performing artists over the length of the magazine is a first for the IAQ and one I am pleased to see. I am also happy to see the scope of the magazine continue to expand to include artists from outside of Canada. The IAQ offers the opportunity for culturally-similar artists and performers from around the world to learn from each other; we have already featured the important work of Tanya Tagaq in the Fall 2014 issue of our magazine, and showcasing Alutiiq artist Tankya Lukin Linklater and Pia Arke of Greenland helps to expand our own understanding of Inuit performance art within Canada. The achievements in this issue of the IAQ are only possible because of the hard work of its founding Editor, Marybelle Mitchell. Marybelle dedicated her life to helping Inuit artists, primarily through the Inuit Art Foundation and the IAQ. The work we are able to do now at the Foundation is only possible because of her efforts, so it is fitting that this issue s Tribute section was reserved to honour her achievements. On behalf of the Foundation s board, I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I do. Sammy Kudluk Chair, Inuit Art Foundation inuit art quarterly summer

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7 News FROM THE INUIT ART FOUNDATION Event Highlights Ottawa, Ontario Northern Lights Conference 2016 has been an exciting year for the IAF. In January, the Foundation participated in the Northern Lights Conference in Ottawa to connect with the participating artists. Our Executive Director, Alysa Procida, spoke at the Nunavut Arts and Craft s Association s Northern Art: Help & Assistance Panel to explain how the IAF works to support artists in all media across Inuit Nunangat. St. John s, Newfoundland Inuit Studies Conference The IAF will be participating in the Inuit Studies Conference in St. John s, Newfoundland this October, and we look forward to seeing the attendees. Samonie (Sam) Toonoo (b Cape Dorset) Break Dancers 2007 Marbled green stone, caribou antler and hair 26.7 x 9.5 x 7.6 and 22.2 x 14.6 x 8.3 cm Courtesy Walker s Fine Art Supporting the Foundation: How You Can Help The Inuit Art Foundation has worked for almost three decades in an effort to promote and celebrate Inuit art and artists. Private donations and sponsorships are essential to sustaining and enhancing the Foundation s activities. Our supporters help us to better engage Inuit artists and their work while helping to expand audiences throughout Canada and internationally. As a registered charitable organization in Canada (# RR0001) and the United States (# ), the IAF welcomes donations, sponsorships, legacy gifts and in-kind contributions. The Inuit Art Foundation wants to hear from you! Contact us at info@inuitartfoundation.org and toll free Like us on Facebook: Inuit Art Foundation Follow us on Follow us on inuitartfoundation.org inuit art quarterly summer

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9 BY CAMILLE USHER 18 inuit art quarterly summer 2016 inuit art quarterly summer This Issue EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Inuit Art Foundation EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Alysa Procida EDITOR Britt Gallpen From the forests of Nunatsiavut to festivals and galleries around the world, THE LIFE of a DRUM is a complex and interwoven story of tradition, culture and performance. DESIGN Berlin Studio Inc. IMAGE COORDINATOR John Geoghegan COPY EDITOR Kael Deverell ADVERTISING Travis Vakenti PRINTING Sonic Print COLOUR Gas Company ADVISORY EDITORIAL BOARD CHAIR Christine Lalonde Mary Dailey Desmarais Heather Igloliorte Sarah Milroy This magazine relies on donations made to the Inuit Art Foundation. Inuit Art Foundation 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 400 Toronto, ON, M5T 2C7 1 (855) toll free info@inuitartfoundation.org The Inuit Art Foundation is a registered charitable organization in Canada (# RR0001) and the United States (# ). BN Registration number RT0001. Turn to page 18 to read the dynamic journey of a drum. ᓇᐹᖅᑐᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᓯ ᑕᒡᕗᖓ ᐱᖕᖑᐊᕐᑎᑦᑎᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓯᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒥᐅᑕᓂᒃ, ᐃᓅᓯᖏᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑑᑎᓂᑦ ᓇᑭᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑲᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᑦ, ᐱᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖕᖑᐊᕈᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᒥᐅ ᐊᔅᓱ We are excited to use this issue to continue to highlight the depth and breadth of Inuit creative practices. Dancers, storytellers, actors, singers and others have seen their work enthusiastically embraced, both across the Canadian North and around the world, as evidenced in honours such as Susan Aglukark s recent and very deserving Governor General s Award. Building on the magazine s earlier coverage of these themes, including a thoughtful and comprehensive piece on Tanya Tagaq in Fall 2014, this issue looks to showcase a range of performing practices across the North. In addition, we are proud to include not only the stories of these important contemporary Indigenous artists, but also their voices as contributing writers. Spoken word artist and writer Taqralik Partridge reports on the recent Qaggiq Arctic Performing Arts Summit in Iqaluit, while Reneltta Arluk, a writer, producer and actor, discusses the journey she s taken to bring the life of early Inuk guide and translator Tookoolito into vivid relief. Our feature articles begin in Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, with a piece by Camille Usher that follows the life of an Inuit drum from its initial stages of construction in the living room of artist Ross Flowers to galleries, festivals and performances around the globe. This international scope is furthered by articles on Pia Arke and Tanya Lukin Linklater. United with the Instrument: Photography, Performance and the Legacy of Pia Arke by Charissa von Harringa traces the artistic career of the late Inuit artist from Greenland, who is highly celebrated in her country but little known beyond. Arke was included in the landmark exhibition Sakahàn: International Indigenous Art at the National Gallery of Canada in 2013, and it is our hope that this piece will contribute to a growing awareness of her work. Curator Kari Cwynar reflects on the work of Tanya Lukin Linklater and the complexity and nuance of her practice. Lukin Linklater continues to push the boundaries of authorship and materiality in relationship to art-making; her work has been recognized with her inclusion in the 2016 Montreal Biennale, among numerous other exhibitions this year. This issue also marks the return of Profile, a section that will be used to highlight emerging talent. Padloo Samayualie is our first featured artist; her detailed drawings are filled with the stuff of everyday life while capturing the remarkableness of individual moments and pauses. Finally, over the coming weeks we are excited to launch a new online space to better share the remarkable content we feature in print and we look forward to supplementing what you see here with additional interviews, features, reviews and other content. Britt Gallpen Editor inuit art quarterly summer

10 Contributors Reneltta Arluk is an Inuvialuit/Dene writer, producer and actor originally from the Northwest Territories. Raised by her grandparents on the trap-line until school age, being nomadic provided Arluk with the skills to become the multi-disciplined artist she is now. For over ten years she has been part of or initiated the creation of Indigenous theatre across various regions of Canada and overseas. Her next adventure is soon to be momma: one of the best adventures yet! Kari Cwynar is a curator and editor living in Toronto. She is currently Director, with Kara Hamilton, of Kunstverein Toronto, as well as Curator of the Don River Valley Park Art Program. Cwynar studied Art History at Queen s University and Carleton University and later in the de Appel Curatorial Programme in Amsterdam. She writes for publications including Artforum, Frieze and C Magazine and is Assistant Editor of C Magazine. Taqralik Partridge is a spoken word performer, throat singer, voice actor and writer originally from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. She has performed on stages from Toronto to Iqaluit to the UK to Norway. She teaches poetry and story-telling workshops for children and adults, and she loves to sew KM TO NUNAVUT, 10 STEPS TO YOUR MAILBOX. Camille Usher is an emerging Coast Salish/Dene/Scottish scholar from Vancouver, BC. She is currently pursuing an MA in Art History at Concordia University with research focusing on community based art projects that deal with a range of socially-based issues, primarily the alarming rates of suicide among Indigenous youth. Her research and artistic practice works through ideas of urban Indigenous identity. Charissa von Harringa is an early career scholar and writer based in Montreal. Her research focuses on the visual and material culture that emerge from cross-cultural histories in contemporary art. With a B.A. in Anthropology from New York University, she is currently completing her Masters in Art History at Concordia University. She will begin her PhD studies at Concordia this Fall with a focus on performance in contemporary circumpolar arts. Siassie Kenneally BAG OF ICE 2014 Stonecut and stencil paper 61 x 66.3 cm Printed by Cee Pootoogook Courtesy of Dorset Fine Arts VISIT US ONLINE AT INUITARTFOUNDATION.ORG TODAY TO SUBSCRIBE. Turn to page 54 to read Reneltta Arluk s Comment on her experience participating in an artist residency aboard a boat in the Arctic ocean off the coast of Svalbard. 8 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

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12 front portfolio Northern Highlights 1 In the Field: Qaggiq Arctic Performing Arts Summit Taqralik Partridge You can t have one without the other, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory says over the long-distance delay. You need a place for performances to take place, and you need performances in order to justify the place. I am calling from Ottawa to go over the highlights of the previous week s Inuit performing artists summit in Iqaluit. Buoyed by their recent Arctic Inspiration Prize win this past March, Qaggiavuut! held its most ambitious arts summit yet. Some fifty Inuit performance artists from across Canada gathered at Iqaluit s Frobisher Inn to participate in workshops and consultations, culminating in a collaborative performance that drew a full house despite a three-day blizzard that shut down most of the city. The performance began with a bare-bones script called Kiviuq Returns. Qaggiavuut! s Ellen Hamilton and Looee Nowdlak Arreak provided the outlines of the plot, and what followed was five long evenings of character composition, choreography, stories, discussions on Inuit culture, loss and renewal and a growing camaraderie between participants that later spilled over onto social media and the start of other collaborative works. The group included high school students, educators, professional 10 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

13 As with any Inuit gathering, the treasures to be found were in the stories. 2 3 actors, musicians, filmmakers, traditional Inuit performers and esteemed elders from Igloolik, Panniqtuq (Pangnirtung) and Iqaluit. For the first time, three throat singers from Nunatsiavut were in attendance; Tama Ball of Saint John s called it the best trip of her life. The artists worked with collaborators from the National Arts Centre, the National Theatre School and York University, as well as professional lighting and sound engineers. As with any Inuit gathering, the treasures to be found were in the stories both those that were told over breaks between sessions and those that unfolded during the week. Laasaloosie Ishulutak, a gregarious elder and storyteller from Panniqtuq, embodied the spirit of the gathering through his staunch commitment to attend all of the activities. Laasaloosie played a camp boss in Kiviuq Returns, and, when many Iqaluit roads and all the taxis were shut down due to blizzard conditions, he walked from where he was staying to the hotel. He arrived with a smile on his face, confirmed that it was windy, and got back to work. Kiviuq Returns played at the Frobisher Inn on March 19th, Over fifty-five minutes, the crowd was treated to a multidisciplined, multilingual story that rose above words to portray the depth of the loss of Inuit culture and the power of renewal in our communities. Throat-singers and dancers portrayed dueling good and bad spirits, elders recounted traditional stories, an Arviat youth performed a monologue about the strength of his family s love and everyone danced to the rousing music of the band that had assembled five days before. After the show, people wanted to continue the momentum of the week s events. At a small gathering at Lena Evic s bed and breakfast, some artists put on impromptu performances that lasted well into the night. There were certainly enough songs and stories to fill up any concert hall. 1 Natar Ungalaq (Igloolik) as Kiviuq builds a metaphorical qaggiq (a large iglu for celebration). All photos Shawn Innuksuk 2 From left: Miali Buscemi (Kimmirut/Iqaluit), Pakak Innuksuk (Igloolik), Taqralik Partridge (Kuujuaq/Ottawa) 3 From left: Buscemi, Innuksuk, Innosar Issakiark (Arviat), Ruth Kaviok (Arviat), Partridge and Laasaloosie Ishulutak (Pangnirtung) perform in front of a projected backdrop. inuit art quarterly summer

14 Curator s Choice PAPIARA TUKIKI and SAIMAIYU AKESUK Susan Kennedy Zeller In October 2015, Dorset Fine Arts partnered with the Brooklyn Museum to present the Cape Dorset Legacy Project. As the only partnering venue in the United States, this unique collaboration underscored the Museum s commitment to the Indigenous arts of the Americas, while highlighting Inuit art on the New York City stage. A panel discussion was held in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, bringing together Saimaiyu Akesuk and Papiara Tukiki, alongside Torontobased curator and writer Nancy Campbell, New York collector Edward J. Guarino, and myself. The discussion highlighted the richness, creativity and importance of Inuit graphic arts today. The artists, both native Inuktitut speakers, shared stories of their artistic life and inspiration for their individual works, with Akesuk translating for Tukiki, who does not speak English. Tukiki s work, Polar Bear in Camp (2015) depicts an event from her childhood when a hungry polar bear came into her family s hunting camp. The resulting piece, printed by Qavavau Manumie, captures the ensuing action as her family s sled dogs chased the bear away. Discussing Reflection (2013), printed by Qiatsuq Niviaqsi, Akesuk spoke of receiving inspiration from her imagination and the joy of the entire process: expressing through paper drawings what she could see inside her head, bringing the drawing to the print centre and the surprise and thrill of having it selected for printing. Dorset 12 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

15 The artists shared stories of their artistic life and inspiration for their individual works. Fine Arts has generously donated both Polar Bear in Camp and Reflection to the Brooklyn Museum s permanent collection. The Brooklyn Museum began collecting Inuit prints with the purchase of some of the first work produced by Kinngait (Cape Dorset) artists in The museum has an enormous print division, with works from all over the world from Rembrandts to the very first prints by Lukta Qiatsuq, Eegyvudluk Pootoogook, Niviaksiak and Osuitok Ipeelee, RCA. Over the years, primarily through important gifts, the Museum has acquired additional prints such as The Enchanted Owl (1960) by Kenojuak Ashevak, CC, RCA, as well as works by Irene Avaalaaqiaq, Peter Aliknak, Ohotaq Mikkigak, Janet Kigusiuq and Pitaloosie Saila, RCA. We consistently show Inuit works on paper in two areas of the museum: in the Arts of the Americas gallery and in Luce Visible Storage, with works in the latter area being displayed next to prehistoric and contemporary Inuit sculptures in ivory and stone. The vibrancy of works being created on paper today has added important insights for our visitors into the enduring creativity of the Indigenous people of the far northern hemisphere, while the uniqueness of each work has helped eliminate stereotypes by allowing museum visitors to see a diversity of artistic ingenuity and subject matter. In the future, we are excited to continue to acquire and showcase this important work through an ongoing relationship with the Cape Dorset Legacy Project. Saimaiyu Akesuk (b Cape Dorset) Reflection 2013 Stonecut & Stencil 55.8 x 51 cm Both courtesy Dorset Fine Arts Opposite: Papiara Tukiki (b Cape Dorset) Polar Bear in Camp 2015 Stonecut & Stencil 62 x 99.5 cm inuit art quarterly summer

16 Artist s Choice TANYA INNAARULIK Beatrice Deer Montreal-based painter and textile artist Tanya Innaarulik hails from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. We have been friends since the summer of 2004, when I met her in Quaqtaq. I recognized immediately how talented she is, and I continue to see how immensely gifted she is and how dedicated she is to her work. Innaarulik, who also goes by Tanya Mesher Jones, began with acrylic on canvas paintings in With works influenced by the Kuujjuaq landscape and its culture, from pine trees to fish to the aurora borealis, her vibrant paintings are full of colour. And, although she has attended the Nunavik Arts Workshops in the past, Innaarulik is a self-taught artist. Limited access to artistic materials combined with the high costs of shipping in the Arctic makes realizing projects a challenge for artists living and working in the North. This can also restrict individual artistic development. When Innaarulik relocated to Montreal in 2010, it significantly changed the course of her work. With access to the materials to match her eager imagination, her art began to evolve and she hasn t stopped progressing since. She has successfully experimented with canvas, clothing, footwear and custom cutout sheets of plywood, and has painted over 6,000 pieces in her twelve years as an artist. I was especially proud when she was selected to paint a 6-foot tall Coca-Cola bottle that was showcased during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, alongside fourteen other Canadian Indigenous artists. Her resulting piece, featuring rainbow coloured narwhals, was also made into a collectible pin. In 2015, Innaarulik founded OKA, fulfilling a lifelong dream to become a clothing designer. The brand, whose name stands for Original Killer Apparel, is fitting for Inuit to wear, since we hunt to live and live to hunt. Her clothing for both men and women is a beautiful graphic clash of urban and Inuit culture and is always in demand. She also designs accessories, including beaded earrings, iphone cases, baseball caps and Christmas ornaments, among many other items. It is safe to say that hers is a household name across the Canadian North. Tanya Innaarulik is an inspiration with her artwork, her capacity to grow as a businesswoman and her sober lifestyle. She has donated OKA pieces to the Projets Autochtones du Québec and the Montreal Native Friendship Centre. To date, she s been included in a handful of gallery exhibitions and will undoubtedly have a solo exhibition in the future. And, as her dynamic and colorful work has spread across the North, it s also begun to take its rightful place in the South. A continuously evolving talent, Tanya Innaarulik is an artist to watch. Left: Tanya Innaarulik (Kuujjuaq/Montreal) Old colours 2015 Digitally enhanced watercolour 30.4 x 30.4 cm Both images courtesy the artist Opposite: Tanya Innaarulik stands next to sculpture she was commissioned to decorate at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. 14 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

17 It is safe to say that Tanya Innaarulik is a household name across the Canadian North. inuit art quarterly summer

18 front portfolio Profile Padloo Samayualie 1 Born in 1977, Kinngait-based Padloo Samauyalie began drawing in high school, and was actively encouraged by her father, Johnny Tunnillie. She comes from a strong lineage in the arts, including sister Nicotye Samauyalie, mother Kudluajuk Ashoona and grandmother Keeleemeeomee Tunnillie. Previously featured as part of the 2012 Cape Dorset print collection, has only recently devoted herself full-time time to drawing. The result is a prolific output of spare and angular architectural images reminiscent of Itee Pootoogook s work alongside landscape studies, portraiture and stills of food and candy packaging. Samauyalie favours a flattened approach, collapsing birds-eye and frontal views to produce dynamic composite images with exceptional structure and detail. This technique is visible in Grandfather (2015), where features such as eyes, nose, ears and hair are shifted, layered and sutured together. Individual elements, rendered in crosshatch, brick and scale patterns, are connected with small appliqued patches attaching hair to skin. All are punctuated with deep black marks and flat grey cutouts. Similarly striking uses of colour, saturation and texture are employed in Throat Singers: Qaunak Mikkigak & Timangia Petaulassie (2015). Here, two performers between songs, look out beyond either side of the frame. Our position as a member of a larger audience is signaled, cleverly collapsing the landscape beyond and the implied space of the image itself. The artist has taken part in group exhibitions, most recently, a two-person show at Feheley Fine Arts in January of Padloo Samauyalie is distrivuted through Dorset Fine Arts and currently available at Inuit Gallery of Vancouver and Feheley Fine Arts. 2 1 Samayualie examines some drawings at the Dorset Fine Arts showroom in Toronto, All courtesy Dorset Fine Arts 2 Padloo Samayualie (Cape Dorset b. 1977) Throat Singers: Qaunak Mikkigak & Timangia Petaulassie 2015 Coloured pencil and ink 38 x 58.5 cm 3 Padloo Samayualie Grandfather 2015 Coloured pencil and ink 37.9 x 26.9 cm 16 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

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21 From the forests of Nunatsiavut to festivals and galleries around the world, THE LIFE of a DRUM is a complex and interwoven story of tradition, culture and performance. BY CAMILLE USHER ᓇᐹᖅᑐᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᓯ ᑕᒡᕗᖓ ᐱᖕᖑᐊᕐᑎᑦᑎᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓯᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒥᐅᑕᓂᒃ, ᐃᓅᓯᖏᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑑᑎᓂᑦ ᓇᑭᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑲᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᑦ, ᐱᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖕᖑᐊᕈᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᒥᐅ ᐊᔅᓱ inuit art quarterly summer

22 Drum-making and playing are important aspects of Inuit culture, part of a complex history of storytelling and ceremonial traditions. When I was a child, someone once told me that the striking of a drum, and the dance that moves with it, tell a story, connecting past, present and future through the moment in which the drum is being played. There is a powerful force that pulses each time the drum is hit; it is a deep, rhythmic tone that commands attention. Every fold of a drum s life contributes to its story, from the maker who carefully crafts each curve to the eventual owner who performs it in celebration or in healing. Previous page: Inuit drum by Ross Flowers 2015 Courtesy Feheley Fine Arts Above: Inuit drum maker Ross Flowers 2015 Unless otherwise noted photos Ryan Winters. ᕿᓚᐅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᑕᔪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕆᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᖓ ᖃᓄᕆᑦᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᓂᑕᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ. ᓄᑕᕋᐅᓪᓗᖓ, ᐅᖃᐅᑎᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖓ ᐅᓇ ᑲᐅᒃᓯᓂᖅ ᕿᓚᐆᑎᒥᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒧᒥᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᒃᑕᕈᓯᖏᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔾᔪᓯᖏᑦ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖑᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐊᑕᔪᑦ ᑭᖑᓂᕐᒥᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᒐᒥᒃ, ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᑦᑎᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᑕᔪᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᓕᒫᖓᓄᑦ. ᐅᓇ ᓴᖕᖏᔪᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᒃᐱᖕᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᓇᓗ ᑎᒡᓕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᒪᓕᒃᑐᖅ ᑲᓱᖕᓂᓕᒫᖓ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᐅᑉ; ᐃᑎᔪᖅ ᐃᓪᓗᓂ, ᑐᓴᕐᓂᖅᓯᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᓯᐊᒎᕐᕕᖃᕋᓂ ᓂᐱᖁᖅᑐᒐᒥ ᑐᓵᓪᓗᒍ. ᖃᓄᐃᓕᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᓕᒫᓂ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᐅᑉ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᓯᒪᓪᓗᒍ, ᕿᓚᐅᓯᐅᕐᑎᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓴᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᒡᖢᒋᑦ ᐊᑐᓂ ᐊᖕᒪᓗᖅᓯᑎᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᒡᖢᒋᑦ ᓴᓇᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᖁᑎᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᑖᑉᓱᒥᖓ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᖁᕕᓱᐊᓱᒍᑎᒋᓗᒍ ᐅᒡᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᒪᒥᓴᐅᑎᒋᓗᒍ. 20 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

23 Clockwise: A view of Hopedale and Hopedale Harbour 2016 Making tea on the land while collecting birch and juniper 2016 A view of the forest outside of Hopedale where Flowers collects his raw materials 2016 inuit art quarterly summer

24 Drum-making has also evolved over the years. One example of its modernization has been replacing caribou hide with Oxford cloth for the drum s smooth surface. One of but a handful of established drum makers, Ross Flowers of Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, has humbly perfected the art. Flowers explains the feeling of hearing the sound of a drum being played. I find that drum dancing is a very powerful thing to watch and the sound of it is very intense; my favorite part about making drums is the sound of the drum when people are using it. Some have different, varying sounds; I like the ones that are deep because they resonate. You can feel it. Flowers first encounter with drum dancing was as a teenager, when a performer traveling through Labrador from Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) was introducing it to the various communities along the coast of Nunatsiavut. The drums he brought had been made in Nunavut. Curious about their construction, Flowers, by this time an accomplished carver, decided to teach himself how to make them and has has continued to make drums ever since. Inuit drums are comprised of a large circular hoop covered with tautly stretched material interrupted by a wooden handle. A wooden katuutik (baton), generally wrapped with foam or fabric at the base, is used to hit the outer rim of the drum s frame, causing the fabric to vibrate the sound throughout. Despite the simplicity of this design, the process of drum-making spans at least several days when taking into account the collection of the raw materials required. To make a drum, Flowers goes out on the land, venturing up to thirty-five kilometers from Hopedale in order to find the wood generally birch or juniper needed for the supporting frame. Once back in his studio, he strips the wood and cuts it to size. He then soaks the strips in boiling water to slowly create the drum s shape, curve by curve. The wood must sit for three or four days in order to completely dry, and then fabric is stretched across the formed wood. In order for drums to make the proper vibration, the material needs to be pulled incredibly tautly, and having a second set of hands facilitates this task. The artist and his wife, Lise Flowers, work as a team. Since their marriage, she has become an integral part of the drum-making practice. Stretching the fabric across is very difficult, Ross Flowers explains. It would be a lot harder if I had to do it by myself. Each qilaut (drum), forged first through this collaborative exchange between husband and wife, accumulates its story through the many hands that it passes through, producing its own narrative as it travels. When a drum is commissioned, it is sent in a beautifully handcrafted box to protect it as it travels to its destination. Flowers drums have found permanent homes in private residences, numerous galleries and with performers and groups, traveling as far as Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven). The careful detail in each is evident even before opening the box. ᕿᓚᐅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᖏᓐᓇᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ. ᐅᓇ ᐆᒃᑑᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᒫᓐᓇᓕᓴᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓇᖐᔪᖅ ᑐᒃᑐ ᐊᒥᐊᓂᒃ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᒫᓐᓇ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓂᒃ ᐊᑎᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐋᒃᓯᕗᑦ [Oxford] ᐋᕿᑦᑎᐊᓲᖑᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᒪᓂᕋᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᓯᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᖄᕆᓪᓗᒍ. ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᒥᓲᔪᓐᓃᕐᒪᑕ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓕᐅᕐᑎᑦ, ᐅᓛᔅ ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᕼᐅᑉᑎᐅᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᓛᐸᑐᐊᒥ, ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᓴᓇᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᓕᖅᖢᒍ. ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᑐᓵᔭᓂ ᓂᐱᖓ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᐅᑉ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᕋ ᐅᓇ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᕐᓂᖅ ᒧᒥᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᖕᖏᔪᐋᓗᒃ ᑕᐅᑦᑐᒡᖢᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᐱᖓ ᓂᐱᖁᖅᑐᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᑦ; ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓂᖅᐸᐅᔭᕋ ᓴᓇᓪᓗᒍ ᕿᓚᐅᓯᐅᖅᖢᖓ ᓂᐱᖓ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᐅᑉ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑖᑉᓱᒥᖓ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ, ᖃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᓂᐱᖃᕐᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ; ᑐᓴᕐᓂᕋᔭᒃᑲᓕ ᖃᑎᑐᔪᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓗᓐᓂᖔᖂᔨᖕᒪᑕ. ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᒃᑲ. ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᑕᑯᔭᕆᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᒧᒥᖅᖢᓂ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᒥᒃ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᓛᐸᑐᐊᒧᑦ ᑕᐅᕙᖔᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᓛᓪᖠ ᓄᓇᖓᓂ (ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᖅ) ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᓯᒡᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᒻᒥ. ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᔭᖏᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓂᑰᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ. ᖃᐅᔨᔪᒪᓕᓚᐅᖅᑕᕋ ᖃᓄᖅ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᓂᖓ, ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ, ᓴᓇᖑᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᑦᑎᐊᕋᒥ, ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᑎᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᑦᑐᓕᐅᕋᓱᖃᑦᑕᓕᖅᖢᓂ, ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᔪᖅ ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᑎᑭᓪᖢᒍ. ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᖏ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᓲᑦ ᐊᖕᒪᓗᖅᓯᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓵᑦᑑᓪᓗᓂ ᖄᓕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᓱᑲᑦᑎᐋᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᕿᔪᖕᒥᒃ ᐃᐳᖃᖅᖢᓂ. ᕿᔪᖅ ᑲᑐᒃ, ᐃᒧᓯᒪᕕᒋᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᓂᕈᒥᒃᑐᔭᖕᒥᒃ ᐅᒡᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᒥᒃ ᖄᓕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ, ᑲᐅᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᒪᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᐅᑉ ᐊᕙᓗᐊᓄᑦ, ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᑎᒃᑐᓚᐅᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᓂᐹᕿᓗᓂᓗ. ᐱᔭᕐᓂᖅᑐᑯᓘᔮᕋᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᓂᖓ, ᐱᑦᑎᐊᓕᓇᓱᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓ ᓴᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᓂᐊᖅᖢᖑ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᓲᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᒐᓴᖕᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᕿᓚᐅᓯᐊᖑᔪᖅ ᕿᔪᓪᓚᑖᖑᓂᖓᓄᑦ. ᕿᓚᐅᓯᐅᖅᖢᓂ, ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᓄᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᒦᓪᖢᓂ, ᐅᖓᑖᓂ 35 ᑭᓚᒦᑕᔅ ᓯᓚᑖᓂ ᕼᐅᑉᑎᐅ ᕿᔪᑦᑎᐊᕙᖕᒥᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᕐᒪᑦ - ᓇᐸᖅᑐᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ [birch] ᐅᒡᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ [juniper] - ᓯᓂᒃᓴᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᓛᑦ ᐊᕙᓗᒋᓗᒋᑦ. ᐅᑎᕋᒥ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᓄᑦ, ᖄᖏᔭᖅᖢᒍ ᕿᔪᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᑲᖅᖢᒍ ᓈᒻᒪᒃᓯᖠᖅᖢᒍ. ᐃᒡᓴᒃᑎᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᒍ ᐃᒥᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓛᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᐱᕆᑎᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓗᒍ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᒃᓴᖑᕐᐸᓪᓕᐊᓗᓂ, ᐱᕆᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᒧᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᒍ. ᕿᔪᒃ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᖓᓗᓂ ᐊᑦᑐᖏᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᓪᓗᓄᑦ ᐱᖓᓱᓄᑦ (3) ᐅᒡᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑎᓴᒪᒧᑦ (4) ᐸᓂᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑦ,ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᑕᓯᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᕿᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᐊᕙᓗᐊᓄᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᑕᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᓂ. ᕿᓚᐅᑎ ᓂᐱᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐊᕈᓂ ᑲᐅᒡᖢᒍ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖅ ᑕᓯᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᒍ ᑎᓯᒃᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓗᑎᑦ ᑕᓯᑦᑎᑦᑎᖃᑎᒋᓗᒍ ᑕᒪᑐᒥᖓ. ᐅᓇ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᕐᑎ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓕᐊᖓ, ᓖᔅ ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ, ᓴᓇᖃᑎᒋᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᖓ. ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂ ᓄᓕᐊᖅᑖᕆᒐᒥᐅᒃ, ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᓐᓇᖅᑕᖓ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓕᐅᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ. ᑕᓯᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᒍ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᓂᒃ ᐱᔭᕐᓂᓐᖏᑦᑑᓪᓗᓂᓗ, ᐅᓛᔅ ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ. ᐱᔭᕐᓂᓐᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᒐᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᑑᓗᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᓇᓱᒡᓗᒍ. ᐊᑐᓂ ᕿᓚᐅᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᓯᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᒪᐅᓐᓇ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᖕᓄᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑕᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᕙᑖᓂᑦ ᓄᓕᐊᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐃᒥᓄᒃ, ᓴᕿᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᑦ ᑕᒪᐅᓐᓇ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᑦ ᐊᒡᒐᓂᑦ ᑎᒍᓯᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᕿᒪᐃᓯᒪᒋᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᓴᕿᑦᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒡᖢᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᕈᑎᖃᖅᑕᖅᖢᒍ. ᕿᓚᐅᑦ ᐱᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᒐᒥ, ᑎᑭᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐴᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓱᕋᑦᑎᓂᐊᓐᖏᒪᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᕈᔾᔭᐅᑲᑕᒡᓗᓂ. ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᕿᓚᐅᑖ ᐃᓂᖃᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᖕᖏᕋᒥᓂ, ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᓂ ᓴᕿᔮᕐᑎᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᖃᑎᒌᑦ, ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑑᖅᒧᖓᐆᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ. ᐱᑦᑎᐊᓕᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑐᖅ ᒪᒃᐱᓚᐅᕐᓇᖑᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐴᖓᓂᑦ. ᐅᑯᐊ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓂᐅᕕᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔪᕐᔪᐊᑦ ᒧᒥᖅᑎᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᐊᑦᑎᔨᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᓂ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑐᑦ 22 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

25 Ross and Lise Flowers with a stack of newly finished drums 2016 Each drum accumulates its story through the many hands it passes as it travels. The drums are forged first through this collaborative exchange between husband and wife and are subsequently shaped through a procession of people that produce the drum s narrative. When a drum is commissioned, it is sent in a beautifully handcrafted box to protect it as it travels to its destination. inuit art quarterly summer

26 The artists patrons include professional dancers and collectors, as well as gallery owners who have acquired drums as a special way of creating interactive and sometimes ceremonial spaces. Recently, Patricia Feheley, Director of Feheley Fine Arts, noted that drums have allowed her gallery space to be used in a different way. She explained that having the drums available to be played and danced has been important for many visiting artists who use music as a tool. Drums have been used here in a number of different ways [as] more of a celebratory and emotional addition to the gallery. I did not buy them for resale, I bought them specifically because I wanted to have them here for occasions like that. I ve always thought of it as a ceremonial thing, kind of like the lighting of a qulliq [oil lamp]. Over the past few years, several performances have been held at the gallery, acting as a method of healing for some and as a celebration for others, but always as a catalyst to bring varied groups together. Feheley has also observed that the use of drums has evolved as Southerners become increasingly intrigued with the both the practice and the object. Historically, qilaut were used for the purpose of telling stories. As men were the primary hunters in their communities, they would compose songs while on the land that they would then bring to their homes for the women to learn and pass along to others. However, the practice of drum dancing has evolved as a result of southern influences, as the emotional impact of the ceremony was realized and brought into many alternate public and private spaces to change the meaning of space. Although they still persist as a way to express stories, a fascination with both the preservation of artifacts as well as the practice is becoming evident in many institutions. Inuit drum dancing is a swaying movement that engages the whole body. The rhythm is created through the rotation back and forth of the drum; the katuutik is hit simultaneously on the wooden edge as the qilaut flips from side to side. The relaxed swaying of the drummer s arm and the rotating wrist allows for continuous movement. All the while, the legs are bent and shift with the rhythm. This is done both alone and in groups, often with the dancers voices joining their audience in song while playing. Drum dancing, and the performance and enjoyment of these songs, were events that brought the community together and functioned as opportunities to pass on crucial stories, as well as knowledge of hunting, myths, traditional practices and beliefs. 1 Southerners are still, perhaps unwittingly, affecting the tradition of drum-making despite their involvement historically in the near destruction of the practice through forced assimilation. The desire to bring back the practice as it was traditionally has become a central goal for many communities as it reinstates traditional practices and ceremonies that bring people together. Iqaluit-based Mathew Nuqingaq is one of the artists at the centre of this conversation as a jeweler, sculptor, dancer and ᐱᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᕋᒥᒋᑦ ᐱᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᕋᒥᔾᔪᒃ. ᖃᖓᑦᑎᐊᓵᖅ, ᐸᑐᓯᐊ ᕕᕼᐃᓕ [Patricia Feheley] ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒃᑎᖓ ᕕᕼᐃᓕ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖓ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᑯᐊ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᐃᓂᖃᕐᑎᑦᑎᒐᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᒃᓴᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᒋᓐᖏᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ. ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑕᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒧᒥᐅᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐳᓛᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᖓ ᑖᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᕐᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍᓗ. ᕿᓚᐅᑎ ᐅᕙᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓛᖑᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᓗᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑕᔪᖅ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ. ᓂᐅᕕᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑕᕋ ᓂᐅᕐᕈᑎᒋᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐊᕋᒃᑯ, ᓂᐅᕕᖅᓯᒪᔭᕋ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᒫᓃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ. ᓂᐅᕕᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᒃᑲ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᒋᔪᒪᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᕈᑕᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ. ᐃᓱᒪᒋᓲᕋᓗᐊᒃᑲ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᕈᑕᐅᓇᓱᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᑯᒻᒪᖕᓂᖅ ᖁᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑐᑦ, ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᕐᑏᑦ ᑕᒫᓂ ᐱᖕᖑᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ, ᐊᑐᖅᖢᒍ ᒪᒥᓴᐅᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓂᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᖃᐃᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᐃᓚᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᖃᓄᕆᑦᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᖓᓕᕐᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᑐᖅ. ᕕᕼᐃᓕ ᑕᑯᓯᒪᔪᖅᑕᐅᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓂᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐅᓄᖅᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᓱᖁᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ. ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᖕᓂᑦ, ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᐊᖕᖑᑎᑦ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᒃᑎᑐᐊᐸᓘᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᓄᓇᒥᖕᓂ, ᐱᓯᖅᑖᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᒦᓪᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᐊᖕᖏᕋᕈᑎᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᓯᖕᓂᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᒐᓗᐊᕐᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᖅ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ, ᐃᓅᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓄᑦ ᐃᒃᐱᖕᓇᕐᓂᖓ ᐊᑕᔪᖅ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒻᒥᖕᓄᑐᐊᖅ ᐱᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᑐᒧᖓ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓗᒍ ᑐᑭᖓ ᐃᓂᖃᕐᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒍᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᒐᓗᐊᕐᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓱᓕ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᓯᐅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᕋᒥ ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᓂᑕᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᓇᓗᓇᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᒎᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᑎᒥᐅᔪᓂᑦ. ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕈᓯᐊᑦ ᐅᕕᖅᑕᕐᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑎᒥᓂᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᒧᒥᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᕕᖅᑖᕐᓂᓂ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓗ; ᑖᓐᓇ ᑲᑐᒃ ᐊᓇᐅᓕᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᕿᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᕿᓚᐅᑖ ᒥᓗᕆᐅᑎᕙᒡᖢᒍ ᐅᕕᖅᑖᖅᖢᑎᑦ ᓴᓂᒧᑦ. ᓴᐃᓕᔪᒥᒃ ᐅᕕᖅᑖᖑᔭᖅᑎᓪᖢᖑ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓂ ᑕᓕᓂᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᒡᒍᐊᓂ ᐱᕆᑦᑕᖅᑎᓪᖢᒍ ᓄᒃᑕᐅᔭᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᑎᖅᑕᖅᖢᓂ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᓪᓚᕋᒥ ᖄᖓᒍᑦᑕᐅᖅ, ᓂᐅᖏᒃ ᓰᖁᓕᒑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᑯᕕᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᒡᖢᓂ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᒥᒃ ᒪᓕᒡᖢᑎᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐃᓄᑑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑕᐅᑦᑎᒃᑯᑦ, ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᔮᔮᖅᑎᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᓗ ᖁᖏᐊᕆᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᓴᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᔮᔮᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒧᒥᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᓴᕐᓂᕆᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓂᐱᖏᑦ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᓕᕌᖓᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᕕᖃᕐᑎᑦᑎᕕᐅᔪᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᖕᓂᖅ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᒃᓴᓂᒃ, ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᓯᑐᖃᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᖏᑦ. 1 ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᓱᓕ ᒫᓐᓇ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓗᐊᕋᑎᒃ, ᐊᒃᑐᐃᔪᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᓯᐅᕈᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᑐᖃᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᒫᓐᓇ ᓄᖑᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓕᐅᕈᓯᖓ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᖃᓪᓗᓇᐃᖓᓕᕐᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓗᐊᓕᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ. ᐅᑎᖅᑎᓐᓇᓱᖕᓂᐊᕐᓗᒍ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᓕᐅᕈᓯᑐᖃᖅ ᐅᓇ ᑐᕌᕆᔭᑐᐊᕇᓐᓇᖅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᓪᖢᒍ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᒃᑎᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᕈᓯᑐᖃᑎᒃ ᐅᑯᐊ ᐃᓄᖁᑎᒥᖕᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᑦᑎᑎᓲᖑᖕᒪᑕ. ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᒫᑎᐅ ᓄᕿᖕᖓᖅ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᑎ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓪᓗᑎᒍᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᓇᓗ ᓇᒡᒍᐊᕐᒥᓕᐅᖅᑎ ᐅᔭᒥᓕᐅᖅᑎ, ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑎ, ᒧᒥᕐᑎ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᕐᑎ. ᑕᑯᒥᓇᖅᑐᒻᒪᕇᐋᓗᒃ ᒧᒥᖅᖢᓂ ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᖕᖏᔫᓂᖓ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᕿᓚᐅᑎ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᐅᑎᓯᒪᖕᒪᒍ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᓂ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᕐᕕᒋᔭᓂ ᐃᒡᓗ. ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᐃᖃᐅᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᓇ ᓄᕿᖕᖓᖅ ᑎᑭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᕼᐅᑉᑎᐅᒧᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐳᓛᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᐃᒡᓗᖓᓄᑦ, ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 24 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

27 Inuit drum dancing is a swaying movement that engages the whole body. The rhythm is created through the rotation back and forth of the drum, the stick is hit simultaneously on the wooden edge as the drum flips from side to side. Mathew Nuqingaq performs using a drum made by Flowers at Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto, Photo Sophie Tremblay Morissette inuit art quarterly summer

28 Through the life of a drum and those who dance it, celebration, narrative and the strength of cultural survivance are made audible, echoed in the sound of the drum s rhythmic pulse. performer. His captivating presence as a dancer is reflected in the powerful way his drum commands the spaces he occupies. Flowers recalled when Nuqingaq came to Hopedale a few years ago and visited the Flowers home, performing one of Flowers drums right in the living room. Flowers remarked how powerful this moment was for him and how, with the striking of the drum, the space, his home, was transformed. Nuqingaq has also danced Flowers drums for events at Feheley Fine Arts. Over the years, there have been initiatives to reintegrate drum dancing in many communities in which it had previously been lost. In Nunatsiavut, for example, the Moravian missionaries had a direct and lasting impact on the culture of Labrador Inuit; during the colonial period, the beliefs and practices of Indigenous peoples were profoundly suppressed in favour of Moravian values and customs. As a result, drum dancing, seen as a spiritual practice, ceased to exist for many years. 2 In the early 1990s, however, members of the Nunatsiavut government set up several programs for the revival of drum practices in the region; it was through this initiative that Flowers encountered the performer traveling from Kalaallit Nunaat. Since then, drum dancing has grown to become an integral part of festivals and celebrations throughout the region. The activities supported by the Nunatsiavut government, including youth programming, are in keeping with a variety of culturally-focused training and workshops currently being offered in numerous communities across the North. When a drum is struck, its sound vibrates through the air, filling space and extending invaluable connections that bring together generations and diverse collections of knowledge, history and life, all created within a circulation of sound. The stories and songs and movements collapse time, reaching through history into the present while outlining the ways forward. Survivance, as defined by Anishinaabe writer and scholar Gerald Vizenor, is a fusion of the words survival and resistance, and has become an important tool within Indigenous thought and practice, asserting the persistence, rather than a perceived absence, of Indigenous presence. 3 Through the life of a drum and those who dance it, celebration, narrative and the strength of cultural survivance are made audible, echoed in the sound of the drum s rhythmic pulse. What the drum announces is this continuous, thriving presence, declaring that we are still here, decolonizing, taking up space and making noise. NOTES 1 Maureen Flynn-Burhoe and Christine Lalonde. Dance to the Drum: In Celebration. Inuit Art Quarterly Vol 13, No. 3. (Fall 1998): Heritage Newfloundland and Labrador. Music. 3 Gerald Robert Vizenor. Manifest Manners: Postindian Warriors of Survivance. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press, Opposite: Luke Anguhadluq ( Baker Lake) Drum Dance 1970 Coloured pencil, graphite on paper 102 x 65.8 cm Collection Winnipeg Art Gallery ᕙᓚᐅᕙᔅ ᕿᓚᐅᑖᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᒡᕙᓂ ᐃᒡᓗᖓᓂ ᓴᐃᓕᕕᖓᓂ. ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂ ᐳᐃᒍᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑕᖓ ᐃᒻᒥᓄᑦ ᐊᖕᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᓄᖅ, ᐊᓇᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᖑ ᕿᓚᐅᑖ, ᐃᓂᖓᑦ, ᐊᖕᖏᕋᖓ, ᕿᓱᕈᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ. ᓄᕿᖕᖓᖅ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᕙᓇᐅᕗᔅ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᖃᓂ ᕕᕼᐃᓕ [Feheley] ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᒐᖃᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᐱᑕᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓯᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᑦᑎᒋᐊᑲᓐᓂᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐅᑯᐊᓗ ᐊᓯᐅᔨᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᑦ. ᓛᐸᑐᐊᒥ, ᐆᒃᑑᑎᒋᓗᒍ, ᒧᓕᕕᐊᓐ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓲᔨᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᑦᓴᐅᑎᒋᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓛᐸᑐᐊ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅ ᐊᓪᓚᐃᑦ; ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᖃᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᓯᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᖑᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᑎᑕᐅᖔᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕐᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᒧᓖᕕᐊᒃᑯᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᒪᓕᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᖅ, ᑕᕐᓂᒧᑦ ᐊᑕᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᖅ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒍᓃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ. 2 ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ 1990-ᓂ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᒐᓗᐊᕐᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐋᕿᒃᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᖓᓐᓂ; ᑕᒪᐅᓐᓇ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓯᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐅᓇ ᕙᓚᐅᕗᔅ ᑲᑎᖓᖃᑎᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᕐᑎᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂᑦ, ᕿᓚᐅᔭᕐᓂᖅ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᖕᖑᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᓪᓕᐊᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᓇᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᓄᓇᖓᓐᓂ. ᐅᑯᐊ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓂᑦ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐅᑯᐊ ᐱᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᓄᕆᑦᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓗᑎᔪᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᔭᕆᐅᖅᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᓕᕌᖓᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᓇᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ. ᕿᓚᐅᑦ ᑲᐅᒃᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᓂᐱᖓ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕗᖅ ᑕᒪᐅᓐᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ, ᖃᓂᒋᔭᒥᓂ ᓂᐱᑐᐊᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᖅᑕᐅᔮᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᖓᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐅᑯᐊᓗ ᑲᑎᖓᑎᑦᑎᔪᑦ ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᖕᓂᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᓄᐊᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᔪᑦ, ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᓂᑕᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᖅ, ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᓴᕿᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᓂᐱᐊᑕ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᐅᑉ. ᐅᑯᐊ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓰᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᒃᑕᕐᓂᖓ ᑎᒥᐊᑕ ᐅᓪᓗᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᓯᐅᔨᓇᖅᑐᑦ, ᐅᐸᒃᓯᓯᒪᓕᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓚᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᑦᑎᑯᑦ ᓴᕿᓪᖢᓂ ᖃᓄᖅ ᓯᕗᒻᒧᓯᐊᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ. ᐊᓐᓇᒃᑐᖅ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᓂᔅᓈᐱ ᐊᓪᓚ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᑎ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨ ᔪᓛᑦ ᕙᐃᔨᓄ [Gerald Vizenor] ᑲᑎᑦᑎᓪᖢᒋᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓰᒃ ᐊᓐᓇᐅᒪᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᕈᒪᓐᖏᓂᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᓴᓇᕐᕈᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᖏᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᓯᕐᒥᒍᑦ, ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓇᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᑎᒃ, ᑕᐅᑦᑐᑕᐅᓇᓂ ᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓐᓇᓕ ᐱᑕᖃᕈᓐᓃᖅᑑᖅᓯᒪᑎᒃ, ᓄᓇᖅᑲᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᒫᓃᒻᒪᑕ. 3 ᑕᒪᐅᓐᓇ ᐃᓅᓯᖓᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑯᐊ ᒧᒥᑎᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᔭᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑕᐅᔪᑦ, ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᑯᓂᒃ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᖕᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖓᑦ ᐊᓐᓇᐅᒪᔪᖅ ᐆᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᖓᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᓂᐱᖓᒍᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ, ᐊᑭᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᑎᒡᓕᕐᓂᖏᑦᑎᑐᑦ. ᕿᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᓂᖓᑕ ᓂᐱᖓᑕ, ᑕᒪᐅᖓᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᑎᐊᖅᑑᓪᓗᓂ, ᑐᓴᕐᑎᑦᑎᔪᖅ ᓱᓕ ᑕᒫᓃᒃᑲᑕ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖃᓐᖏᑐᕐᒥᐅᑕᑦ, ᐃᓂᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᐱᖁᖅᑐᓂᐊᑦᑐᑦ. ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᐊᖅᐳᓯ: 1 ᒧᐊᓖᓐ ᕕᓕᓐ-ᐳᕼᐅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑯᓕᔅᑏᓐ ᓚᓛᑦ. ᕿᓚᐅᔾᔭᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᒧᒥᕐᓂᖅ: ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓐᓂᖅᓯᐅᖅᑐᑦ. ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖅ ᐃᔾᔪᔪᖅ 13, ᓈᓴᐅᑖ 3 (ᐅᑭᐊᒃᓵᖅ 1998): ᒪᒃᐱᒐᖅ 49-ᒥᑦ 51-ᒧᑦ 2 ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᑕᖃᕐᕕᖓ ᓅᕙᐅᓛᓐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓛᐸᑐᐊ. ᑐᓴᕐᓈᕐᓗᒍ. articles/society/music.php 3 ᔨᐅᓗ ᐅᓛᐳᑦ ᕙᐃᔨᓄ. ᓴᕿᔮᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᖁᓯᕆᓪᓗᒋᑦ: ᐊᓪᓚ ᐅᓇᑕᖅᑎᖏᑦ ᓄᖑᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᓐᓇᐅᒪᔪᑦ, ᕼᐊᓐᐅᕙ ᔮᒪᓂ. ᒍᐃᔅᔭᓐ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃᔪᐊᖓᓂᑦ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᑦ, inuit art quarterly summer 2016

29 inuit art quarterly summer

30 28 inuit art quarterly spring 2016

31 Tanya Lukin Linklater s Choreography of Space With a two-person exhibition currently on view at the Art Gallery of Alberta, as well as recent projects in Vancouver, Montreal, Oakville and Saskatoon, perhaps more than any previous year, 2016 has been one of conversation and exchange for Alutiiq artist Tanya Lukin Linklater. BY KARI CWYNAR inuit art quarterly summer

32 Tanya Lukin Linklater begins our Skype conversation with a long description of her most recent performance,which took place the previous week at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. She carefully outlines the space, the dancers, the musician, the text, the backstory and the moment of performance. This isn t unusual; I ve observed that Lukin Linklater speaks of her projects by way of her working relationships and the process of creation. She does not make statements about any predetermined artistic objective, but instead allows meaning to unfold between the artist, her collaborators, the audience and the institution. From the first time we spoke, when I asked her last September to be part of an exhibition I was co-curating, Lukin Linklater communicated through the work of others, past and present. My co-curator Kendra Sullivan and I had introduced our exhibition, Accompaniment, to her as one about relationships the ways in which one s work exists through and with others, as an accompanist among other performers rather than as a solo endeavour. We knew Lukin Linklater seldom works alone; the role of the choreographer, one of her many hats, necessitates that. But she appeared on the computer back in September and began telling us about the objects that live on her coffee table in North Bay: four Yup ik dance fans purchased in Bethel, Alaska, fringed with caribou beard and a traditional wooden bowl she commissioned from fellow Alutiiq artist Doug Inga. These objects from her living room were then shipped to EFA Project Space in New York City and laid on a bench, which somehow seemed shocking when presented as an exhibition, despite the many artists who relish in such apparent subversion of artist creation; in fact, the actual shock was the ease with which Lukin Linklater presented the idea. For her, this was not a subversive gesture at all, or even a conceptual one, but simply as a project that could speak volumes to questions of distance, home, the dispossession of land and sacred object, and, perhaps, to the rules of contemporary art. Her re-presentation of objects by other artists was simple, unexpected and unsentimental. They were an opening to a set of universal questions. Lukin Linklater works in performance, video, installation and text, moving fluidly between different disciplines. Her process involves translating and re-presenting existing objects and stories with others translations and conversations that then lead to moments of public performance. For example, at the exhibition s opening reception, the living room objects and the bench became Previous pages: Documentation of the the 2014 featuring Stefan St. Laurent (left) and Tanya Lukin Linklater. Photo Christian Leduc Tanya Lukin Linklater Slow Scrape Documentation of performance with Ziyian Kwan at Western Front Gallery, Vancouver, inuit art quarterly summer 2016

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34 Neither the production nor the reception of art becomes a fixed exchange, but rather a dialogue without an imposed ending. Yup ik dancer Mary Ann Sundown at Cama-i Dance Festival, Bethel, Alaska, Photo James H. Barker Opposite: Tanya Lukin Linklater An accumulation - A relief 2016 performed by Mique l Dangeli, Peggy Lee and Ziyian Kwan. Courtesy Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery Tanya Lukin Linklater Accompaniment 2015 Courtesy the artist the score for an improvised performance by musician Laura Ortman. Lukin Linklater provided direction; she created a structure to the score and set Ortman s performance in relation to the objects and the bench. Lukin Linklater tells me that Western Front curator Pablo de Ocampo once posited text or language (rather than performance, choreography or image-making) as the true substrate of her work: text as a way of communicating with dancers; text as a vessel for concepts. She says her father encouraged her to write because language is portable; it is slippery, adaptable. The role of language is clear as Lukin Linklater tells the story of the Accompaniment objects travels from Alaska to North Bay to New York. In this story, as in the way that she communicates with Laura Ortman or with the dancers she choreographs, the structure and concept becomes the score from which her dancers improvise. They are in conversation throughout. Neither the production nor the reception of art becomes a fixed exchange, but rather a dialogue without an imposed ending. An earlier work called Slow Scrape ( ) took as its starting point a James Bay mitt, the type of moose hide mitt that Chief Theresa Spence wore during her hunger strike in 32 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

35 Ottawa. Lukin Linklater began by interviewing her relatives about the process of making the mitts. The oral histories were translated into poems, which were then used to structure a performance. Lukin Linklater worked with Ziyian Kwan for Slow Scrape, a dancer with whom the artist has worked on several occasions. Lukin Linklater s recent performance in Vancouver at UBC, part of a weekend of talks and performances titled Cutting Copper: Indigenous Resurgent Practice, was arranged to evoke two lines cutting across the country. Two dancers, Kwan and Mique l Dangeli, moved on either side of the space, while cellist Peggy Lee played at the end. The performance took place in the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery at UBC as part of an exhibition of sacred objects from across the continent organized by Beau Dick. The objects, some of which were described as sentient beings, were contributed by artists and communities, as Dick and twenty-one companions walked from UBC to Ottawa in 2014 to advocate for much needed negotiations between the federal government and Indigenous peoples. Lukin Linklater describes the work as partly a formal structure a line, a cutting and the manifestation of three concepts: accumulation, relief and refusal. In this structural simplicity, she makes room for the creative language of the women she works with the dancers movement and Lee s knowledge of how sound moves through a cello. Lukin Linklater negotiates each working relationship, modifying and directing as the performance develops. At UBC, the performance unfolded through this particular group of authors, the headiness of the charged exhibition space and the many onlookers. Kwan and Dangeli danced up and down the gallery to Lee s music, moving across the space, looking and moving without directly engaging the audience or the sacred objects. inuit art quarterly summer

36 Lukin Linklater s work is rarely presented as a final, discrete entity. Authorship is shared both conceptually and practically with dancers, musicians, writers, poets and visual artists. Tanya Lukin Linklater Horse Hair Question 1 (in three parts) 2016 Antler velvet and brass hardware Photo Blaine Campbell Opposite page: From left: Dancers Lupe Rodriguez, Crystal Sepúlveda, and Cydney Watson perform the the at the Culver Center in Riverside, California, Photo Jonathan Godoy At UBC, the gallery was packed, and the dancers had to move through the crowd. In Lukin Linklater s performances, one is meant to feel the heat of other bodies, though their performance is spare and silent. One must be present with others, listening to each other s heavy breathing and coughing; the affective response that is part of and reason for all performance. I asked Lukin Linklater if, rather than looking, other experiences of art might be more important to her moving, sensing and speaking, for instance. While Lukin Linklater s work operates within the institutional domain of the visual arts in museums and galleries, she rarely makes objects. I hesitate to say that the body becomes an object, as in many instances of performance art within the exhibition space, but this is the dialectic of looking that she addresses: the gaze directed at bodies. As a choreographer, the proximity of dancers bodies to audiences, objects and spaces complicates the gaze, and the one-way direction of looking at art. Lukin Linklater s performances interrupt the ease of looking when we are made to contend with other spatial relationships; for example, some of spaces such as the museum bear long, fraught histories. Based in northern Ontario, Lukin Linklater originates from two villages on Kodiak Island in southwestern Alaska. A history of anthropology in the region that began at least in the 1930s extends to the founding of the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, where, as a teenager, Lukin Linklater had her first encounter with the institutionalization of art her first experience of the tension between colonial and Indigenous interests in the museum context. She tells me that she keeps questioning why we make art, why we are artists. For her, it comes back to this early museum encounter and to work like James Luna s The Artifact Piece from 1987, in which the artist presented himself in a vitrine in the San Diego Museum of Man as a specimen of an extinct race. The reason she is an artist, she says, is because of the long history of archaeology in her area: My people have been in relation to museums, to craft, to objects for so long. And also to grief. As Lukin Linklater makes clear in the above story, she has long had a relationship with institutional space. As an Alutiiq artist, she maps non-alutiiq spaces through the body, working with and honouring the work of other women and Indigenous artists and raising questions whose answers might otherwise be taken for granted. What kind of space is being mapped, and by whom? What 34 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

37 is the relationship of an artist to home and away, to the short-lived exploration of an exhibition space? How does one temporarily inhabit space amidst the legacy of dispossession and displacement? How does one inhabit space next to others and next to objects? This coming fall, Lukin Linklater will collaborate with poets Layli Long Soldier and Leanne Simpson, curator and writer cheyanne turions and poet/musician Tara Williamson at Artspace in Peterborough. Williamson will perform Simpson s poem Constellation, Lukin Linklater, turions and Long Soldier will respond and the outcome will remain as an exhibition. Again, the link is in language, in a group of Indigenous women writers and poets mapping a space. As Lukin Linklater says, these relationships already exist, but the project will attempt to conceptualize the space of Indigenous women in the gallery. Lukin Linklater s work is rarely presented as a final, consumable entity. Authorship is shared both conceptually and practically with dancers, musicians, writers, poets and visual artists. These are not the characteristics of her work per se one could speak instead about the spare formal qualities of her performance, video and poetry. Instead, the many-authored, improvised and ongoing nature of her work comprises an inherent ethic. She creates responsibility on the part of the viewer to establish meaning, and forgoes stability in favour of shifting lenses: choreography; the history of performance; the use of the score as a structuring device; dance; poetry; conceptualism; familial genealogy. This may seem simple, but it feels radical today. This work, and the politics embedded within it, reveals its vitality when set within the pervasive strictures of contemporary art; set against the laundry list of artistic practices that have been denied that label throughout the twentieth century and still now. When the status quo of art and the kinds of work and artists that are supported by dominant institutions have become so frustratingly restrictive, when the processes of valuation continue to honour the solo artist and the discrete object, Lukin Linklater makes her own rules, and in the process has created an opening: some room to breathe. inuit art quarterly summer

38 Pia Arke holding a photograph taken with her pinhole camera next to the life-sized apparatus. c All images courtesy Søren Arke and Kuratorisk Aktion Opposite page from top: Arke s pinhole camera installed in Nuugaarsuk Point, Greenland, 1990 Pia Arke Nuugaarsuk (I, II, II) 1990 gelatin silver prints (pinhole) 49.5 x 59.5 cm (each) Collection Brandts Museum of Photographic Art, Odense 36 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

39 To Be United with the Instrument: Photography, Performance and the Legacy of Pia Arke CHARISSA VON HARRINGA During the construction of the box, I have had many thoughts about the idea of building a whole little home for the taking of pictures. That I have chosen to do this is primarily due to a desire to be united with the instrument that creates my images. By having created the instrument myself, built it with my own hands, we have become attached to one another. inuit art quarterly summer

40 THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PRACTICE OF THE LATE PIA ARKE TRAVELS BETWEEN AND THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, PERFORMANCE AND THE RICHNESS OF ARCHIVES, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC. WE FOLLOW HER JOURNEY HERE FROM THE SHORES OF NORTHEAST GREENLAND TO DENMARK AND BACK AGAIN. demolished. This proximity of the body to the image to the land figured heavily in Arke s practice, as the artist herself explained in a speech at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts on May 29, 1990: Through performance, video, photography, text and installation, Pia Arke (Greenlandic-Inuit and Danish, ) was one of the first artists to explicitly address the postcolonial situation in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland). By subverting preexisting structures of representation, the artist reframed colonial histories and narratives, critically engaging with Danish imperialism and Denmark s colonial past, as well as Arctic Indigenous representations. The result is a rich body of work that integrates artistic research and performance narratives to reclaim identity. Pia Selskabit Arke (née Gant) was born on September 1, 1958 in Uunartaq (Cape Tobin) near Ittoqqortoormiitt (Scoresbysund), in Northeast Kalaallit Nunaat, to an Inuit mother and a Danish father. She spent her childhood traveling between South and West Greenland and Denmark as a result of her father s position as a telegraphist for the Danish government; because of her early travels, Arke was not able to speak the Greenlandic language. In 1987, when other Greenlandic artists were relocating to Denmark for arts education, she settled in Copenhagen to study painting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Arke s early paintings, which depicted traditional Inuit motifs and imagery including kayaks, seals, polar bears and ulus were meant to serve as an ironic commentary on what a Greenlandic artist was expected to produce. 1 This wry and critical approach remained a theme throughout her work when she began to experiment with pinhole photography. Photography allowed Arke to examine the layered nature of the visual arts and the process of image-making. She became interested in the development of the medium as an instrument of colonization as well as the larger processes of image-making and cultural adaptation. 2 Arke s early interest in photography developed into a deep engagement with representation the processes of knowing and seeing through images. The artist understood photography as a mongrel, 3 or hybrid, art form, one that oscillates between documentary archive and art object. Arke further aligned her conception of the mongrel with her own dual heritage, using it as a tool to reclaim self-identity. 4 For her, photography was a mechanism that goes beyond what is represented to speak to the duality of, or division between, subject and object. Arke s early experiments evolved into her use of photographic images as documentary and as conceptual ground for her performance work. This approach came to fruition in her early pinhole camera photographs of a South Greenlandic fjord, Nuugaarsuk (1) and Nuugaarsuk (2) (1990). Arke lay inside her humansized, hand-crafted wooden Camera Obscura to capture images of the site of her former childhood home, which had since been During the construction of the box, I have had many thoughts about the idea of building a whole little home for the taking of pictures. That I have chosen to do this is primarily due to a desire to be united with the instrument that creates my images. By having created the instrument myself, built it with my own hands, we have become attached to one another. 5 Her early images reappear consistently throughout her practice; in particular, Arctic Hysteria (1996) and The Three Graces series (1992) repurpose the Nuugaarsuk Point (2) photographs. In Arctic Hysteria, the artist appears in the nude, crawling across a large photostat of the black and white landscape. The sensual movements of her body are juxtaposed against her animal-like acts of sniffing, wandering and crawling on all fours. Arke then proceeds to rip the image apart until it is completely torn, before gathering the pieces into a comforting heap around her. Finally, she clears a space and exits to the right of the frame. The titular reference speaks to a mental illness that plagued Indigenous women living in the harsh environment of the Arctic called pibloktoq, or Arctic hysteria. Attributed to a lack of proper nutrition, victims appeared insensitive to the cold and were prone to running naked into the snow. Arke intentionally aligns her own body with a colonized and racialized female subject, and in so doing, forcefully recasts herself as a speaking subject. In the central image for The Three Graces, Arke stands beside her cousin Karola Arke Jørgensen and childhood friend Susanne Moretensen in front of the Nuugaarsuk Point photograph. They each hold Greenlandic objects, including masks, dog-whips, a drum and doll in traditional dress; the image evokes Arke s essay, Ethno-Aesthetics (1995), which challenges the romanticized, racialized, and essentialized constructions of Inuit in Kalaallit Nunaat. 3 The women, clothed in contemporary dress, appear solemn, staring out at the viewer. They are detached, unbounded figures staged against the Greenlandic landscape. Their directness dismantles the objectifying, taxonomic gaze of colonial photography and ethnographic display. Arke s critical engagement with the field sciences, including archaeology, anthropology, cartography and ethnography, involved frequent interventions in museum and colonial archival collections. In 1999, Arke created Tupilakosaurus: An Interesting Study about the Triassic Myth of Kap Stosch, a video performance and installation co-produced with Anders Jørgensen. The video is based on Arke s visit to the Geological Museum of Copenhagen, where she learned of the work of paleontologist Eigil Nielsen s 1930s discovery of a hybrid vertebrate excavated near where Arke grew up. The video shows geologist Svend Erik Bendix-Almgreen recounting the story of Nielsen and his transitional fossil, which 38 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

41 Pia Arke Arctic Hysteria (stills) 1996 video 5:55 running time Collection Louisiana Museum of Modern Art inuit art quarterly summer

42 had both reptilian and amphibian traits. As the geologist narrates, the camera cuts to the artist, who is seen assembling an interlocking stack of papers into the form of a column. Simultaneously, the viewer hears Arke reading the myth of the tupilaq. Long-standing in Inuit of Kalaallit Nunaat mythology and cosmology, the myth concerns a shaman who fashions a tupilaq a composite creature from various animal and human bones and other organic parts which he then imbues with either life-giving or destructive potential. Tupilait were generally placed into the sea and sent to destroy enemies of a shaman. Arke presents Inuit cultural mythology alongside Western scientific historical accounts, collapsing the supposed dualities between art and science or history and myth. The intersecting metaphors throughout the performance are clearest in the evocative description of a hybrid fossil with two vertebral centers, as viewers see the artist continue to build upon her (now precarious) spinous monument. History and narratives are a significant part of both Greenland s cultural history and Pia Arke s own autobiographical reconstructions. Her final work was an artistic-research and photographic project carried out between the years , which resulted in Stories from Scoresbysund: Photographs, Colonisation, and Mapping (2003), a hybrid photographic book project and family album. The extensive project revolved around the artist s travels to and from Denmark to her birthplace in the new Danish-colony of Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund), in North East Greenland. In 1925, Inuit residents of the southern town of Angmaggsalik, including members of the artist s family, were relocated to the northern site which in Greenlandic translates to where the big houses are in an attempt by the Danish government to claim land in the region from an encroaching Norwegian state. 6 Arke s artistic project aimed to return photographic documentation, sourced from scattered archives, scientific studies and personal collections across Europe to the living descendants of Scoresbysund in an effort to reclaim the personal oral narratives of Inuit. Arke s research included finding and recording the names of individuals depicted anonymously in the photographs, conducting interviews with locals and documenting the town s first living descendants. Arke situates her personal narratives within the larger history of Danish colonialism. Her work remaps the history of a lost town built up by the fragments of locally inscribed postcolonial experiences and stories. She repurposes the potential of photography as a medium of documentary to give individual voice and expression to personal impressions, memories and experiences that exist between global and national representations of collective history. Importantly, her handwritten interventions collapse the division between public and private, national and familial. Pia Arke s artistic legacy is an ongoing process of recovery entangled in histories, representations, and identities; her practice stands as a powerful testament to a global Inuit sense of relation, community, tradition and the sharing of knowledge. NOTES 1 Stefan Jonnson, The Paintings, in TUPILAKOSAURUS: An Incomplete (able) Survey of Pia Arke s Artistic Work and Research. Copenhagen: Kuratorisk Aktion, Erik Gant, Nuugaarsuk: The Arke-Typical Motif in TUPILAKOSAURUS, Ibid. 4 As expressed in an interview with Stefan Jonsson, Förbundna i tystnad. Pia Arke utforskar banden mellan Grönland och Danmark, in Dagens Nyheter, March 18, 1995, and Lars Kiel Bertelsen, The Alien Element that is at play is ourselves: Foreword to the 2 nd edition of Ethno-Aesthetics, in Pia Arke, Ethno-Aesthetics / Ethnoæstetik, Copehagen: ARK, Pia Arke Selskabet & Kuratorisk Aktion, 2010, p.8. 5 Pia Arke s original speech for the inauguration of her Camera Obscura, included in the section on Facsimile (selected documents from various archives), in TUPILAKOSAURUS, Pia S. Arke and Kuratorisk Aktion, Stories from Scoresbysund: Photographs, Colonisation and Mapping, Copenhagen: Kuratorisk Aktion, The Greenlandic translation of Ittoqqortoormiit was taken from a letter the artist wrote to Stefan Jonsson, contributor to her original Danish language edition of Stories from Scoresbysund: Photographs, Colonisation, and Mapping, on November 6, inuit art quarterly summer 2016

43 She repurposes the potential of photography as a medium of documentary to give individual voice and expression to personal impressions, memories and experiences. Above: A page from Arke s book, Stories from Scoresbysund: Photographs, Colonisation, Mapping, Opposite: Pia Arke The Three Graces (I, II, II, IV) 1993 gelatin silver prints 110 x 90.3 cm (each) Collection Brandts Museum of Photographic Art, Odense inuit art quarterly summer

44 REVIEWS front portfolio ART GALLERY OF MISSISSAUGA MISSISSAUGA, ON Change Makers John Geoghegan What, or rather who, is a change maker? This is the central question that lingered for me after visiting Change Makers at the Art Gallery of Mississauga, which featured works by seven Indigenous artists working across North America and Europe. Given the gallery s newly-implemented mandate to incorporate diverse Indigenous perspectives within exhibitions and programming, the answer seems implied but was not fully articulated. Curator Amy Salter s introductory essay claims that 42 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

45 Samayualie s drawing is both a tribute to a family member as well as a poetic meditation on death and renewal. Change Makers draws on several very different yet compellingly complimentary heritages to re-evaluate the relationship between Aboriginal and Western cultures a tough order for any exhibition, let alone one occupying less than 1,000 square feet. I question the use of the word Western, rather than colonizer or settler. Mississauga is, after all, an Anishinaabe word, and despite having one of the most culturally diverse populations in the country, less than 0.5 percent of Mississauga s population is Indigenous. Upon entering the gallery, I encountered Saulteaux artist Wally Dion s Icosahedron (2016), a circuit board quilt suspended from the ceiling. This work is as equally fascinating for the intricate patterns created by the retired computer parts as it is for the light-speckled shadow it casts, which resembles the night sky. Scaling down from this galactic vantage point are Amy Malbeuf s Mealy Mountains (2013) and Three Artists Fly North (2013), topographic maps of Labrador punctuated with strands of glass beads and caribou hair tufts. The artist s additions disrupt any reading of the maps as static places, reconfiguring them as sites of constant growth and change, unbounded by the political entities that attempt to hold them. THE GRAVE (2013) by Kinngait-based Nicotye Samayualie is a denselypatterned composition of yellow and red flowers on a bed of pebbles within a precise wooden frame. The grave belongs to the artist s late father. Samayualie s drawing is both a tribute to a family member and a poetic meditation on death and renewal. Equally arresting is Outi Pieski s Crossing Paths (2014), a striking, immersive installation comprised of hundreds of coloured Sámi tassels tied to bare branches. The undulating lines of the work recall the mountainous Sápmi landscape, while the colours evoke an autumn sky. Pieski s work is rarely exhibited outside of Europe; it was a special treat for visitors to the exhibition. Unsurprisingly, this was the most Instagrammed work in Change Makers. The exhibition was rounded out by works from Shuvinai Ashoona, Melissa General and Wendy Red Star. Absent from any exhibition material, however, was the notable fact that six of the seven artists are women. Perhaps it is Indigenous women who are the change makers, creating important, provocative work and inspiring reconciliation and resilience. Nicotye Samayualie (b Cape Dorset) THE GRAVE 2013 Coloured pencil and ink Courtesy Feheley Fine Arts Copyright Dorset Fine Arts Opposite: Installation of exhibition Change Makers including works by (left to right) Outi Pieksi, Melissa General and Shuvinai Ashoona Courtesy Art Gallery of Mississauga Photo Toni Hafkensceid inuit art quarterly summer

46 Reviews ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET TOURING GOING HOME STAR: Truth and Reconciliation Ellyn Walker Company dancers in Going Home Star gather around a model of a residential school. Photo Samanta Katz Top: Lead dancers Liang Xing and Sophia Lee preform a pas de deux. Courtesy Royal Winnipeg Ballet 44 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

47 Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation, the recent production by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) company, takes its cue from the national project of truth-telling and reconciliation initiated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada s 2015 national report on the legacy of residential schools on Indigenous populations. The story is told through the eyes of Annie, a young urban woman who, over the course of the ballet, comes to learn her Indigenous heritage. Going Home Star follows personal narratives to convey shared histories of the colonial legacies of settlers in this country, most pointedly the residential school system. In this way, the ballet performs important memory work and, in doing so, gestures towards a different kind of future for Indigenous-settler relations across the land now known as Canada. Based on a story by acclaimed author Joseph Boyden (Anishnaabe/Irish/Scottish), Going Home Star recounts Annie s journey of cultural and self-discovery upon meeting Gordon, a residential school survivor. Together, the two work through their inherited intergenerational trauma, moving away from the temporary escapism of drugs, parties and street life towards a greater path of sustained personal and cultural healing. Here, the ballet s focus on Indigenous protagonists is significant, though fraught. The fact that both main characters are portrayed as troubled and precarious individuals who engage in criminal activities runs the risk of reinforcing negative stereotypes about Indigenous peoples rather than actually unsettling them. This is further problematized by the reality that not one of Going Home Star s dancers is Indigenous, a fact that is surprising and concerning given the legacy of Indigenous dancers in this country, such as the late René Highway (Cree). While it is common practice for the RWB to cast within its own company, more effort to include Indigenous dancers would have been welcome, allowing them to embody their own cultural histories. Though the RWB company did involve many behind-the-scenes Indigenous contributors, including Boyden, associate producer Tina Keeper (Cree) and set designer KC Adams (Métis), the absence of Indigenous dancers sparks larger questions of representational politics, Indigenous selfdetermination and cultural sovereignty, which remain unaddressed throughout the production. A poetic, historical and cross-cultural reference, the ballet s title refers to the North Star - the brightest star in the sky and a powerful orienting symbol across time and place. Some Indigenous cultures call this the Home Star, as it has served as an important navigational tool for thousands of years. In this way, Going Home Star draws on Indigenous cultural histories in order to counter the stories that underpin Canadian nationalism. In doing so, it demonstrates the interconnection that Indigenous and non-indigenous cultures have to each other and their shared and divergent histories. In thinking through the overarching meaning(s) of Going Home Star, it remains clear that a more socially just future for Indigenous peoples in this country is not possible without acknowledging Canada s settlement on Indigenous land, and, accordingly, the ways in which we are all implicated. inuit art quarterly summer

48 front portfolio Reviews IAIA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ARTS SANTA FE, NM Akunnittinni: A Kinngait Family Portrait Michelle McGeough Pitseolak Ashoona ( Cape Dorset) Dogs Eat the Seal 1981 Stonecut & stencil 42 x 48 cm All works collection Edward J. Guarino All courtesy Dorset Fine Arts Top: Annie Pootoogook (b Cape Dorset) Family Sleeping in a Tent Coloured pencil and ink 50.8 x 66 cm It is a rare opportunity for a museum audience this far south of the 49th parallel to experience the richness and narrative quality of Inuit art. Spanning three generations of artistic production and featuring the prints and drawings of Pitseolak Ashoona, Napachie Pootoogook and Annie Pootoogook, Akunnittinni addresses the genealogy of a family of artists while offering insight into contemporary and historical daily life in the Arctic. The exhibition, curated by Andrea Hanley, gives each artist space in the intimate gallery to present their unique visual depiction of Inuit history, positioning a life lived on the land prior to settlement living alongside stories of the contemporary realities of Northern life. This arrangement gives the viewer the opportunity to appreciate the individual artists articulation of northern life and oral traditions. Pitseolak Ashoona became an important figure in Inuit art after taking up drawing as means to support her family, producing over 9,000 drawings during her prolific twenty-year career. Here, a selection of the artist s prints brilliantly demonstrate her mastery of line and composition and her ability to eloquently render the movement of a body through space. In Games of My Youth (1978), Pitseolak captures Inuit girls at play, two of whom are depicted playing an Inuit ball game, while a third is suspended mid-tackle with her playmate. Unlike her mother, Napachie Pootoogook s narrative imagery depicts a much harsher reality for Inuit women. She does not shy away from uncomfortable topics, and in doing so, challenges any idealized notions one might have of northern life. Alcohol abuse, the sexual exploitation of women, male dominance and cannibalism all find expression in this body of Pootoogook s work. Rendered primarily in pen and coloured crayon on paper, these prints are 46 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

49 Akunnittinni addresses the genealogy of a family of artists while offering insight into contemporary and historical daily life in the Arctic. dramatic depictions of oral traditions and a collective history marked by change. This narrative quality is reinforced with the presence of descriptive syllabic text that describes the events unfolding in her drawings. However controversial the topic, Pootoogook manages to evoke both empathy and curiosity about the motivations behind the actions of the people and events we are witness to in her drawings. In contrast, Annie Pootoogook s artistic sensibility is shaped by the sweeping thrust of modernity in Canada s North. Infused with popular culture references, her depictions of contemporary life focus on the personal and intimate. The viewer instinctively knows she shares a very personal relationship with the subjects whom she depicts. The most pronounced of these is a portrait of her grandmother, Pitseolak Ashoona, alongside a print of the heavy dark-rimmed glasses worn by her grandmother. Both are an intimate homage to a woman who was an inspiration and a role model, as well as the matriarch of a strong artistic lineage. Akunnittinni, loosely translated as between us, highlights this passage of personal narrative and familial history from mother to daughter to granddaughter, while simultaneously welcoming viewers into the story. Napachie Pootoogook ( Cape Dorset) Untitled (Alcohol) 1994 Coloured pencil and ink 50.8 x 66 cm inuit art quarterly summer

50 TRIBUTE Marybelle Mitchell ( ) Marybelle Mitchell (right) with Kenojuak Ashevak, CC, RCA, at the Inuit Art Foundation headquarters in Ottawa Photo Clare Porteous-Safford Opposite: A selection of notable covers from Marybelle s tenure as editor. In February of 2016, the Inuit art world was deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Marybelle Mitchell, the Inuit art historian who worked tirelessly to foster and support Inuit art and artists. Marybelle, a graduate of University of Toronto (Trinity College), McGill University and Carleton University, has been long recognized for her outstanding contributions to Inuit arts and cultural history. Early in her career as Fine Arts and Crafts Director for La Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, Marybelle played a key role in the creation of an international market for Indigenous art from Nunavik; she made history again in 1980 when she curated Things Made By Inuit, the first exhibition to tour throughout Nunavik, and later internationally. Most notably, Marybelle founded both Inuit Art Quarterly and the Inuit Art Foundation, which she led in tandem for a quarter-century between 1986 and At the Foundation, she is further remembered for her establishment of many significant programs, productions and events that contributed greatly to the careers of many Inuit artists and cultural workers and the advancement of Inuit art as a whole. She arranged for artists to participate in international residencies; developed workshops in the north that led to significant knowledge exchanges across Inuit Nunangat; created professional development guidebooks for artists; and founded the Inuit Artist s College for artists and the Cultural Industries Certificate Program for Inuit cultural workers. As a writer, Marybelle is perhaps best known for her critically acclaimed book From Talking Chiefs to a Native Corporate Elite: The Birth of Class and Nationalism among Canadian Inuit (1996), but some of her most timely and influential writing took place in the pages of the IAQ. Through her thoughtful editorials, as well as her leadership on the magazine s content, Marybelle advocated for safer and healthier working conditions for artists, the professionalization of their careers and the advancement of the field of Inuit art studies. Marybelle also had a huge influence on me personally and professionally. I had the opportunity to work for her as a research and curatorial assistant at the Foundation, and she also mentored me as a member of both my Master s and Doctoral committees. Ever the source of encouragement and kind, but rigorous, critique Marybelle spent many hours reviewing my work and offering advice and insights. I know she was similarly supportive of the many other Inuit who passed through the doors of the Inuit Art Foundation. We will remember Marybelle for her dedication to, and lasting impact on, the cultural and artistic advancement of Inuit. Heather Igloliorte 48 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

51 We will remember Marybelle for her dedication to the cultural and artistic advancement of Inuit. inuit art quarterly summer

52 CALENDAR Events Performance Symposia Compiled by John Geoghegan Canada Nunavut Nunavut Arts Festival August 25 31, 2016 The 17th Annual NACA Festival brings together some of the best artists working across the territory to participate in workshops, network and sell their works. Cambridge Bay Northwest Territories Great Northern Arts Festival July 15 24, 2016 The 28th Annual Great Northern Arts Festival, the largest pan-territorial art festival in Canada, will feature an impressive array of Northern art and culture. Midnight Sun Complex, Inuvik British Columbia Elisapee Ishulutaq: Remembering a Future Too July 30 September 3, 2016 Featuring oil stick drawings, prints and works drawn and etched on sealskin by the renowned Pangnirtung elder. Marion Scott Gallery, Vancouver Alberta Reframing Canadian Art: Jessie Oonark March 5 December 2016 McMichael Canadian Art Collection Kleinburg, ON 1 A Parallel Excavation: Duane Linklater & Tanya Lukin Linklater April 30 September 18, 2016 This show explores notions of excavation in relation to intellectual, environmental and cultural resources. Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton 50 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

53 Manitoba Oviloo Tunnillie: A Woman s Story in Stone May 21 September 11, 2016 This retrospective spans the artist s career, from early work to later explorations of social and personal themes. Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg The Artist in Residence: Paul Malliki September 26 30, 2016 Arctic Co-op, Winnipeg Art Gallery Shop and NACA launch a new artist in residency program. WAG@TheForks, Winnipeg Ontario From Realism to Whimsy: The Drawings of Meelia Kelly June 25 July 30, 2016 A survey of drawings by this first generation Kinngait artist, from her early to later works. Feheley Fine Arts, Toronto Rock, Paper, Scissors- Contemporary Inuit Sculptures, Drawings and Wall Hangings May 7 July 31, 2016 From the AGG s permanent collections, Rock, Paper, Scissors highlights works in a broad range of media by contemporary and historical Inuit artists. Art Gallery of Guelph, Guelph Keeping Record: The Documentary Impulse in Inuit Art May 2 August 28, 2016 Drawing largely from Carleton s collection, this left: Sculpture above (top), Ruben Komangapik and Koomuatuk (Kuzy) Curley Photograph: exhibition seeks to position depictions of traditional Inuit practices as acts of cultural resistance. Carleton University Art Gallery, Ottawa Reframing Canadian Art: Jessie Oonark March 5 December 2016 As part of their 50th anniversary year, the McMichael showcases an exhibition of textiles, prints and drawings by Jessie Oonark from their collection. McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg The Artist Herself: Self-Portraits by Canadian Historical Women Artists May 28 September 11, 2016 A rethinking of self portraiture by women artists including works by Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona, Martha Eetak and others. Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton Art and Innovation: Traditional Arctic Footwear February 10, 2016 Ongoing Highlights from the Bata collection that celebrate the diversity and beauty of traditional Arctic footwear and clothing. Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto Quebec Ilippunga: The Brousseau Inuit Art Collection June 24, 2016 Ongoing Over 100 works collected by Raymond Brousseau are presented alongside audio-visual installations. Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Québec City Tillutarnitt (Pulses) August 4 6, 2016 A film festival organized in response to the highly controversial film Of the North. FOFA Gallery, Montreal Newfoundland & Labrador Inuit Studies Conference October 7 10, 2016 This conference focuses on the ways traditions shape understanding, while registering social and cultural change. Memorial University, St. John s SakKijâjuk: Inuit Fine Art and Craft from Nunatsiavut October 7 January 15, 2016 The first- ever nationally touring exhibition of Nunatsiavut fine art and craft, curated by Dr. Heather Igloliorte. The Rooms, St. John s inuit Blanche October 8, 2016 The world s first all-night, multi-site, circumpolar Indigenous art fair. Various locations, St. John s United States Our Story November 20, 2015 September 11, 2016 Featuring art by Indigenous Alaskan artists from the museum collection. Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK Power of Flight: Visions of Birds in Inuit Art April 28, 2016 March 26, 2017 The works in this exhibit explore the enduring forms and varied approaches to birds in Inuit art. Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum & Arctic Studies Center, Brunswick, ME International Circum-Arctic Art Show October 6 10, 2016 Over 30 artists from Canada, Alaska, Russia, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Greenland will be in attendance at this dynamic series of events including an exhibition, performances, workshops and lectures. Gamla Bíó, Reykjavik, Iceland 2 Rock, Paper, Scissors: Contemporary Inuit Sculptures, Drawings and Wall Hangings May 7 July 31, 2016 Art Gallery of Guelph, Guelph, ON The Artist Herself: Self-Portraits by Canadian Historical Women Artists May 28 September 11, 2016 Art Gallery of Hamilton Hamilton, ON 1 Jessie Oonark ( Baker Lake) Untitled c Felt with embroidery thread 203 x 152 cm Collection McMichael Canadian Art Collection 2 Pudlo Pudlat ( Cape Dorset) Untitled (Airplane) 1973 Felt maker on paper 50.8 x 66 cm Collection Art Gallery of Guelph 3 Martha Eetak ( Arviat) Amauti c Caribou hide and teeth, wool, sinew, cotton and beads 178 x 72 cm Collection the Manitoba Museum 3 inuit art quarterly summer

54 NEWS George Arluk (b Arviat) Sednas 1999 Steatite 30.9 x 33.1 x 15.5 cm Collection Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec Photo Paul Dionne Inuit Art at the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec The Brousseau Collection of Inuit Art at the Musée National des Beaux- Arts du Québec, one of the largest in the world at 2,100 pieces, is getting a new home. As an inaugural exhibition in the newly constructed Pierre Lassonde pavilion, the permanent installation curated by Dr. Heather Igloliorte is located on the top floor and features a wall of windows that face north. We feel this is a very important statement, explains Daniel Drouin, Curator of Early Art at the MNBAQ. The exhibition Ilippunga (I have learned), whose title was given to Igloliorte by Nunavut elder Piita Irniq, boasts 104 sculptures by more than 60 artists, representing twenty different communities in Nunavik, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. It is organized into seven large themes including Nirjutinik Suusutsaniq, Nunami Suusutsaniq (Respect for Animals, Respect for the Land) and Pijitsirarniq and angiqatgiinniq (Caring for Each Other) among others. Translation into the Nunavik dialect was done by Harriet Keleutak with syllabics provided by Taqralik Partridge. We also added two categories, says Igloliorte, which speak to our recent history of colonization and our imminent cultural resurgence. The exhibition is rounded out with a series of short films featuring Alethea Arnaquq- Baril, Koomuatuk Curley, Beatrice Deer, Piita Irniq, Evie Mark, Victoria Okpik and David Ruben Piqtoukun. Susan Aglukark Wins Governor- General s Performing Arts Award On June 10, 2016 in a ceremony at Rideau Hall, Susan Aglukark was awarded a Governor General s Performing Arts Award in the Lifetime Artistic Achievement category. These past 24 years have so far been the most amazing years of my life, says Aglukark. It has been a privilege and an honour to create, to write and to sing through the lens of my Inuit culture. Algukark, who is the youngest of this year s Governor- General Award honorees in her category, is the first Inuk winner of the award which she earned for activism in addition to her artistic achievements. 52 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

55 Angry Inuk Wins Audience Award for Hot Docs Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril s feature documentary Angry Inuk is the winner of the 2016 Hot Docs Festival Vimeo On Demand Audience Award and a $25,000 cash prize. As the highest rated independently-produced feature-length Canadian documentary with a Canadian director, Angry Inuk was also the winner of the Canadian Documentary Promotion Award. The film, which was met with standing ovations at all three of its screenings at the festival, follows widely-respected Inuk activist Aaju Peter and the broader impacts of animal rights groups anti-sealing campaigns as well as the 2009 European Union sealskin ban. An eight-year endeavour for Arnaquq-Baril, the director commented on the films reception, noting, It s so rewarding to have rooms of hundreds of people standing up and thanking us and understanding how we see the world. Pitaloosie Saila (b Cape Dorset) Woman and Snow Bird 1973 Stonecut 62.2 x 42.5 cm Photo Waddington s Auction Courtesy Dorset Fine Arts Aaju Peter, speaking to a group about the seal hunt, is one of several people interviewed in Alethea Arnukuk- Baril s Angry Inuk Inuit Art Auction Report Recent live auctions indicate that the market for Inuit art is strong. Walker s Auctions held previews in Toronto and Montreal with a live sale in Ottawa on May 25th and works by John Tiktak, Johnny Inukpuk, RCA and Karoo Ashevak commanded record breaking prices. Works by Kenojuak Ashevak, CC, RCA; Jessie Oonark, OC and Luke Iksiktaaryuk also performed very well. Waddington s held its first-ever Art of Canada Auction on May 30th in Toronto, which combined Inuit art with works by historical and modern Canadian artists. Works by Pauta Saila, RCA; Joe Talirunili; Kiawak Ashoona and Pitaloosie Saila, RCA performed strongly and went well above estimate. Though works at both auctions commanded high prices, several works sold for or below their estimates, indicating that quality works are available for both emerging and well-established collectors. The Museum of Inuit Art Closes Its Doors After nine years, the Museum of Inuit Art (MIA) closed its doors to the public on May 30, As the only institution dedicated to showcasing Inuit art in Toronto, its loss will be deeply felt by urban Inuit living and working in the city as well as the thousands of visitors who visited annually. The museum boasted a significant collection from across Inuit Nunangat which included works in wide variety of media and periods, for which staff are now tasked with finding a suitable new home. The hope, understandably, is that these pieces will make their way to a cultural institution or an Inuit organization where they might continue to be accessible to the public. A view of the exhibition space at the recently closed Museum of Inuit Art Notable exhibitions at the MIA included Kanaginak Pootoogook: Celebrating Five Decades of Artistic Achievement (2010), The Art of Play (2013), Collaboratively Created Ceramics from Rankin (2015) and Beyond Aurora Borealis: Abraham Anghik Ruben (2015). In addition to an ambitious exhibition record, the museum foregrounded educational and public programming including a hands on learning collection that allowed guests to touch stone, sealskin, antler and ivory as well as artistic demonstrations Noah Maniapik, Jaco Ishulutaq and Sylvia Cloutier among others. inuit art quarterly summer

56 COMMENT Artists, The Modern Nomads Reneltta Arluk A playwright, actor and producer reflects on the journey and distance required to bring the story of Tookoolito, a dynamic and modern Inuk woman, to life. When I started working on a play about Tookoolito in 2011, I didn t realize the journey she would take me on. My most recent leg of this journey was as an artist aboard the tall ship Antigua, sailing the Arctic waters of Svalbard, Norway last July with the annual interdisciplinary residency program The Arctic Circle. Still, I know there are more places we need to go together. Like past and present nomads searching to tell a personal and vital story, I call this Searching for Tookoolito. Tookoolito, also known as Hannah, was an Inuk woman from Cumberland Sound, Nunavut. She gained notoriety at the age of fifteen when she worked as a guide for English whaling captain Thomas Bowlby in He brought her to England, where she was received by Queen Victoria. Bowlby then returned her to the Arctic, and seven years later she enlisted as a translator and guide to explorer Charles Francis Hall. She and her husband would become known for saving most of the crew that were part of the ill-fated Polaris expedition in Unsurprisingly, her story, like that of many other Indigenous guides of the time, is much bigger than that. These guides were the modern day nomads of their time, exploring new territories in non-traditional ways. Some returned to share their new world experiences, while others became causalities to viruses and illness brought over by the foreign explorers. Searching for Tookoolito has brought me around the globe and across our country. To date, I ve travelled to Nunavut, where I met with a living historian; the Yukon, where I exchanged research with a woman writing a biography about Tookoolito; Norway, where I connected the feeling of isolation on a tall ship to the expansiveness of the Arctic; England, where in their library archives remains a piece of music written about Tookoolito; and Ontario, where I began writing in search of her story. The next step is to drive down to Connecticut to visit Tookoolito s gravesite, which is situated next to her daughter s, a daughter she refused to leave. In every piece of my journey I m never sure of the outcome, but as I go more of Tookoolito is revealed. The land keeps its stories and artists like her are their conduit. We artists are the modern-day nomads. In our spaces of creativity, we hunker down in isolation to research and imagine new works. When born into art these new works need to be seen. To be witnessed. Through festivals, and gatherings, we travel great distances to be part of the world we inhabit. Like the mirrors carried by explorer Sir John Ross to delight and surprise Inuit, we are now the mirrors that reflect the new discoveries or reveal the illnesses of our present time. We transform imagination into the real, into new stories and histories, to bring them to the places that call for them or in my case, to begin to provide the answers. Above: Reneltta Arluk at the edge of the Acrtic Ocean in Svalbard, Photo Resa Blatman Opposite: Engraving of Tookoolito, C.F. Hall, and her husband Ebierping from Charles Francis Hall s Arctic Researches, and Life among the Esquimaux inuit art quarterly summer 2016

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58 LAST LOOK Ottawa November 4, 2015 Inuit throat singers Samantha Metcalfe (left) and Cailyn Degrandpre (right) preform at the swearingin ceremony of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Rideau Hall on November 4th, Photo MCpl Vincent Carbonneau Rideau Hall OSGG 2015 Giggles ring out in Rideau Hall. Samantha Metcalfe & Cailyn Degrandpre, both 11, have just drawn a tie, as Governor General David Johnston and then newly-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau look on. The girls, who both learned to throat sing in the Tukimut after school program at the Ottawa Inuit Children s Centre, were watched around the globe in one of the most anticipated political events in recent Canadian memory. The young performers were immediately celebrated online, signaling a growing appreciation for the artform. We at IAQ, along with their numerous fans, look forward to watching their trajectory in the years to come. 56 inuit art quarterly summer 2016

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