International Inuit Day 2023

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, the day occurred on a Tuesday this year.  The school’s Events Committee began planning activities & an assembly in the middle of October.  We made sure to reserve time at meetings because our minds were mostly focused on Halloween.  We reviewed last year’s program, used it as a guide, and put together a similar program with several additions.

Students & staff came to school wearing traditional Inuit clothing.  I wore a sealskin vest & tie.  Several activities were planned for the morning involving Elders and young performers.  Elders demonstrated & taught seal skinning and Bannock making.  Two young throat singers visited classrooms and performed several songs.  Teachers also did Inuit-focused lessons in subjects such as social studies, science, health, math, and language.  I attended three workshops.

The first was the seal skinning workshop in the high school Inuit Language & Culture classroom.  The Elder was the lady who made my sealskin parka, vest, and mitts in 2017.  She brought several skins and her tools.  She was instructing middle & high school students.  She went over the history of seal skinning, the importance of seals to the Inuit, what tools are needed, which seals should be used for specific clothes, and how to properly skin.  Patience & dedication are a must.

The second workshop was Bannock Making in the Home Ec room.  The two Elders presiding over this workshop began making Bannock the day before for the afternoon assembly.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for students to make it themselves.  The workshop was primarily a demonstration presentation.  The three Bannock styles present in Arctic Bay are donut shape, scone shape, and large loaves.  All are delicious.

The third workshop was a throat singing performance.  Two ladies demonstrated their throat singing skills to high school students in the high school science room.  A high school student also sung a duet.  It’s a skill that requires much practice, focus, & dedication to master.

The afternoon assembly began at 1:45pm.  Attendance was extended to parents, guardians, Elders, and community members.  I & an Events Committee member were emcees.  I spoke in English & they spoke in Inuktitut.  (I’m still working on my Inuktitut language skills).  We began with a brief welcome address.  Then an Elder lit a ceremonial qulliq to signal the start of the assembly and to recognize the significance & importance of Inuit culture.

The assembly continued with the fashion show.  The show followed the same sequence as the Halloween costume contest.  Classes walked around in the middle of the gym, and the best dressed were selected by a panel of judges.  Parents & guardians also participated.  The lucky winners received Co-op gift cards.

The next portion of the assembly was devoted to several performances.  The invited throat singers performed first.  Then an Elder sang two Inuit songs while a staff member & adult took turns playing an Inuit drum.  The last performance was a square dance done by school students, led by the Grade 2 teacher.  All performances were applauded.

The last part of the assembly was Inuit games.  Several classes played a variety of games in the middle of the gym.  Those who didn’t play observed & cheered.  The winners also received Co-op gift cards.

Bannock was handed out at the end of the assembly.  Some contained raisins.  I enjoyed two pieces.

High school students helped with the cleanup of the gym after everyone left.  The fire in the qulliq was extinguished.  The qulliq was then cleaned and returned to the Main Office.     

Overall, everything turned out great.