International Inuit Day (2022)

International Inuit Day (IID), aka International Circumpolar Inuit Day, “was created to celebrate Inuit and amplify their voices.”  November 7 was chosen to be the day and as luck would have it, it occurred on a Monday this year. 

Inuujaq School’s Events Committee organized an afternoon assembly to commemorate IID.  A program was put together with the input of staff.  I was made the English emcee and another staff member was made the Inuktitut emcee.  The committee advertised the program and upcoming activities in the days leading up to IID.  Parents, guardians, Elders, and community members were also invited to the assembly.

Students & staff were encouraged to wear traditional Inuit clothing.  I wore a tie, vest, and poppy, all made from sealskin.  (I also wore pants, socks, a dress shirt, and shoes).  Southern teachers who didn’t have Inuit clothing wore borrowed outfits.  Elders visited middle & high school classes in the morning to speak to the students about several Inuit topics.

I set up a sound system in the gym and taped a large Nunavut flag to the wall for added decoration.  Everyone was called down at 1:30pm and the celebration began at 1:45pm. 

Grade 1 Teacher.

The emcees welcomed everyone and invited the Grade 1 teacher to light the ceremonial quilliq lamp.  This was followed by short drum dance performance by two teachers.  Two community members volunteered to perform a throat singing duet to the delight of everyone in attendance.  The women did an excellent job showcasing their talents.

A Student Support Assistant (SSA) & teacher led a group of middle & high school students in a square dance performance for everyone.  They danced very well.   

The assembly moved on to the clothing fashion show.  It followed the same routine as the Halloween costume contest except this time students & staff modelled their traditional Inuit clothing.  Four judges selected a winner from each class & group.  The lucky winners received Co-op gift cards.  The judges were a teacher, custodian, community member, and a District Education Authority (DEA) member.

The next part of the assembly was Inuit Games.  During the planning process, four teachers volunteered to organize and play Inuit games with groups of students during the assembly.  The groups were divided by classes: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and High School.  Participating students would compete for prizes while the audience would observe and learn how to play the games.

Sittuqtaq

The Grade 1 teacher led the first game played by K-3 students called Sittuqtaq.  It’s a jumping game that reminds me of the Ukrainian hopak dance.  Hopak means “to hop”.  Participants first bend their knees so they’re low to the ground and then continuously kick their feet forward without falling.  The winner is the last person who didn’t fall or fell. 

Pigliqtaq

Students in grades 4-6 played Pigliqtaq and this was led by the Grade 4 teacher.  It’s similar to Sittuqtaq, except the students hop between feet & knees touching the ground.  Watching the students play made me think it would be easier for them to wear kneepads, but I think not wearing them is deliberate.  Pigliqtaq is an endurance game and the winner is the last person who can withstand the pain.

The next game was Iglukisaaq, a juggling game, and it was played by students in Grade 7-9.  The Grade 2 teacher led this game.  Students had to juggle three balls without dropping them.  The last student still juggling was the winner.

The high school students played Pakikuut, an arm pulling/wrestling game, led by the Inuit Culture teacher.

The Grade 2 class sang a few songs in Inuktitut.  One of the students played an Inuit drum while their classmates sang.

The assembly finished with one final short dance organized by a community member.  The woman sang while three girls danced in the middle of the gym.

The emcees thanked everyone for attending and wished everyone a happy International Inuit Day.  Students & teachers returned to their classes to get ready for dismissal.  Parents & guardians waited until the bell rang at 3:35pm to take their children home.