INUIT
PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM
A Docent Guide
Fall 2006
The Enchanted Owl, Kenojuak Ashevak, Stonecut, Cape Dorset 1960
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction to the Inuit Partnership Program
a. Goals
b. Guiding Principles
2. Inuit Partnership Overview
a. Museum Visit Description
b. Classroom Visit Description
c. Teacher Contact Checklist
d. Teacher Materials
e. Recommended Research Materials
3. History of the Collection
4. History of the Inuit People
5. History of Inuit Printmaking
6. Climate Change
Left: Docent Folly Michael leads a group of students through an Inuit game.
Right: Docent Mary Keenan shows off student artwork.
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HISTORY OF THE INUIT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
The Inuit Partnership Program is an extremely strong educational program of the Dennos
Museum Center. Each winter we invite 6th grade classes to participate in this program
which exposes them to Inuit culture through our world-class collection of Inuit Art.
The program began in 1995 in response to a desire by the Museum to use the Inuit
collection in a way that would alert the community to this artistic and cultural treasure in
their midst. An advisory committee of docents, educators, art specialists, and community
members spent hours creating a program that would answer the school’s need for
materials and information to support their 6th grade Canadian studies, and the Museum’s
hope for the active use of the Inuit collection. The original program took a semester to
complete; now it is condensed into several weeks of exposure to Inuit culture.
This program, a point of pride for the Education Department, and the Museum as a
whole, continues to evolve to meet the needs of local teachers, while meeting the
Museum’s mission to engage, entertain, and enlighten the community.
Docent Ted Kidd explains the Sedna myth to students in the Power Family Inuit Gallery.
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PROGRAM GOALS
Students will:
• Recognize the importance and educational value of the Dennos Museum Center’s
Inuit Art Collection.
• Use the Inuit Art Collection to help address the Michigan Department of
Education Social Studies and Visual Arts curriculum standards and benchmarks.
• Become acquainted with the last hunting culture of Canadian North America.
• Compare Canadian Inuit with Michigan Woodland tribes.
• Internalize and apply the concept that art reflects culture.
• Understand the ramifications of Inuit transition from life on the land to life in the
settlement.
• Connect culture and change in Inuit culture with that in our own.
• Create a piece of artwork in the Inuit tradition.
Concepts for the Surprise Visit:
• The art of any culture is filled with information about its people.
• We are more alike than we are different.
• We are open-minded when we study other cultures.
Concepts for the Museum Experience:
• The Museum’s collection of Inuit art is unique, accessible, exciting, and inspiring.
• What you learn in the museum can be used in looking at and creating art
throughout your life.
• Art mirrors life and conveys dreams, legends, and myth.
• There are many approaches to understanding another culture.
• Art can be well-planned and thought out or very spontaneous.
• The physical demands on a typical Inuit 6th grader are far greater than the physical
demands on a typical local 6th grader.
Docent guiding principles:
• The museum is fun, creatively stimulating, and educational.
• All children deserve our kindest, keenest, most encouraging support to reach their
potential.
• Children of different cultures share common problems, fears, and joys.
• We must model what we want children to emulate.
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INUIT PARTNERSHIP PROCESS
1. The Curator of Education reserves the dates for the Inuit Partnership program.
2. Each fall letters are sent to 6th grade teachers with dates available for the Inuit
Partnership Museum Visits.
3. After receiving their letter, teachers call or email the Curator of Education in the
fall to book a date for their museum visit.
4. Docent teams pick their schools at the first Inuit Partnership Training Meeting.
5. The team leader or team representative contacts the teacher to set up details for
the classroom visit, museum visit, and additional resources (books, movies, etc.).
Docents should use the Teacher Contact Checklist to facilitate this
communication (see forms section).
6. The team leader or team representative sends out the Inuit Partnership Teacher
Packet and Teacher Forms.
7. A docent from the team visits the school for an in-class orientation to Inuit
culture.
8. The classes visit the museum to experience printmaking, Inuit games, and an
interactive tour of the Power Family Inuit Gallery.
9. Docent Teams send out thank-you notes to teachers.
A student enjoys Inuit Games in the
Milliken Auditorium.
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MUSEUM VISIT DESCRIPTION
The Museum visit is usually two hours and thirty minutes in length. Suggested timings
are 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 A.m. or 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. That being said, due to the great
number of late start schools and limited bus availability, the Dennos Museum Center
Docents are flexible to teacher needs regarding scheduling tours.
Tour Introduction (15 minutes)
Assemble students in the auditorium for a brief introduction including:
• Introduce docents
• Dennos Museum Center Inuit Art collection (2nd largest in continental United
States)
• Museum Rules
• Identify restroom locations
• Break into three groups
Tour Rotations (45 minutes each)
• Auditorium: Inuit Games and Drumming
• Janice Room: Printmaking
• Inuit Gallery: Interactive, hands-on tour
In the case that a room in unavailable, the Discovery Gallery or Sculpture Court will be
used for the games and drumming or printmaking.
Tour Wrap-Up (5-10 minutes)
Assemble students in the auditorium. Lead docent will:
• Ask a few students what they learned.
• What was their favorite activity?
After the organized tour, the students may visit the restroom, explore the Discovery
Gallery or current exhibits, and go in the Museum Store at the teacher’s discretion.
STUDENTS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A CHAPERONE AT ALL TIMES.
DOCENTS: Be sure that the fee is paid or arrangements have been made to pay before
the school group leaves the building. The teacher and one chaperone for each 10 students
are admitted free. All other adults are required to pay the usual admission. Give each
teacher an evaluation form with a stamped envelope, a glossy photo and a free pass for
each student.
BE FLEXIBLE, WEAR YOUR NAMETAG, AND GIVE THEM A BIG SMILE!!!
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CLASSROOM VISIT DESCRIPTION
The classroom visit is 40-60 minutes in length.
1. Introduce yourselves to the class.
2. Show the film, Kenojuak (22 minutes). Make sure to reserve the film for the date
ahead of time and bring back to the museum that day.
3. Discussion (15 minutes). Please choose any of the following to structure your
discussion of Inuit Culture.
a. Differences between life today in Nunavut and life in the early 1950s.
b. Survival skills.
c. Housing.
d. Transportation.
e. Importance of animals for clothing, transportation, food, shelter, etc.
f. Education (then and now).
g. Health issues (then and now).
h. Art (do they still draw? Carve?).
i. What has not changed in Nunavut since the early 1950s?
4. What to expect when you visit the Dennos Museum Center
a. Art Project: bring your drawings!
b. Demonstration and participation in Inuit games, dancing, and throat
singing: bring your poems!
c. Interactive Gallery Tour.
d. Bring your poems.
DOCENTS: Be sure to call the teacher
in the school you will be visiting to
arrange the date and time you will be
arriving. Call him/her the day before to
again confirm you arrival time. Always
leave your name and phone number
where you can be reached.
You will also need to work with the
teacher to arrange a TV and VCR for the
showing of the film. If it is a large
group they may be able to arrange for a
screen set up in library or similar room
for the hour.
Docent Ginny Fiegel dressed as an Inuit woman
for a classroom visit.
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INUIT PARTNERSHIP TEACHER CONTACT CHECKLIST
Verify the following information regarding the tour reservation:
Teacher:
School:
Number of Students:
Number of Chaperones:
Date of Museum Visit:
Time of Museum Visit:
Date of Classroom Visit:
Time of Classroom Visit:
Questions for the Teacher:
Are there any special needs?
On the date of their museum visit, what Inuit-related topics will they have studied?
Do you want to use the museum’s Frozen Fire books?
Pick Up Date:
Return Date:
(Inform/Check with the Curator of Education)
Do you want to watch the Kenojuak film?
During classroom visit? (encouraged)
Make sure they arrange for TV/VCR and appropriately sized room.
Another date:
(If the film needs to be sent, inform the Curator of Education)
Lunch plans:
(If they need to eat lunch at the museum, let the Curator of Education know ASAP to
reserve space)
Reminders for Museum Visit
• Come in Auditorium doors
• Bring Poems
• Bring Sketches
• Divide the group into 3 groups before arrival (unless the group is very small).
• Cost is $3/student
• One Chaperone per 10 students is free, any additional is $4/adult.
• Students wear large first-name tags.
• Leave backpacks, water bottles, coats, etc. on bus.
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TEACHER MATERIALS
These forms and worksheets should be sent to the teacher along with the teacher packet
after the docent teams contact the teacher to set up the classroom visit. Master copies
will be available in the docent forms folders.
1. Agenda
a. Make sure that you fill out the top of this sheet before sending it to the
teacher
2. Chaperone Responsibilities
3. Art Project Worksheets
4. Resources Available from Dennos Museum Center
A student works on a stencil project during an Inuit Partnership tour.
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DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER
INUIT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Cost for the visit is $3 per student
Date:
Time:
School:
Teacher:
Number of Students:
Number of Chaperones:
Suggested Agenda:
Pre-Boarding
Gym shoes recommended for Inuit Games.
Distribute large print name tags (first names only)
Divide students into three groups
Introduce chaperones
Give chaperones a copy of the agenda, review their responsibilities and
ask them to turn off cell phones or pagers.
Review manners, Museum rules, and expectations
Review Agenda
Board buses or cars
Arrive at the Dennos Museum Center
Cars may park in the Museum Gated Parking Lot, the arm rises as you
enter the parking lot and the receptionist in the museum lobby will
give you the code for exiting the parking lot.
School buses drop off students and park in the Cherry parking lot, which is
the first lot on the left as they proceed down College Drive.
Enter the Museum using the Milliken Auditorium entrance
Sit down in the first row center seats
Coats, bags, boots, water bottles, etc. will be left in the auditorium if it is
not possible to leave them in vehicles
PLEASE INFORM DOCENTS OF ANY SPECIAL NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS.
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CHAPERONE RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Help move the students from one session to the next.
2. Monitor the use of lavatories between sessions.
3. Monitor the Gift Shop. Please stay with students until everyone from
the group is finished.
4. Monitor the students while touring the exhibits.
5. Stay with their assigned group of students and assist as needed.
6. Any other duties assigned by the teacher.
(Note: Teachers and chaperones are responsible for disciplining students.
If a student’s behavior is distracting or disruptive, the docent may ask the
chaperone to remove the student from the group.)
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING YOUR TIME!
We hope that you have as much fun as the students do!
The students in your group are:
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ART PROJECT PREPARATION
On the day of your class visit to the Dennos Museum Center, the art project will be
making a block print. The Inuit create stone cut prints by carving into rocks and then
pulling prints from them. You will carve into a piece of rubber-like material and do some
printing. Because of limited time during your visit, it is important that you come
prepared with a design ready to be carved. You design should be simple. Please avoid
detail, numbers and letters. Remember that the printed image will be in the opposite
direction of what you draw!
We suggest drawing something related to Inuit life, like an animal that lives in the Arctic,
an igloo, or an Inuit, but this is your project. Be creative and have fun! These rectangles
are the size you will be working with the day of your visit. Make sure to bring your
sketches with you to the Museum!
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RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR LOAN
DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER: INUIT ART AND CULTURE
VIDEOS
Videos may be on loan for three days only. Please call (231) 995-1029 to reserve a
video. TBA mailing service may be used for schools in outlying areas, Traverse City
teachers are encouraged to pick up all materials from the Museum directly.
Inuit Arts, Volume 1, National Film Board of Canada, 1987, VHS
A collection of four videos featuring Inuit artists working in a variety of media. Eskimo
Artist: Kenojuak is a film essay showing one printmaker’s sources of inspiration and
stone-printing technique. The Living Stone is a look at the art of carving stone, ivory and
bone. Sanandguagat: Inuit Masterworks shows scence from an exhibition of carvings,
juxtaposed with images of the artists and the lands where they live. Pictures Out of My
Life presents the work of Pitseolak, one of the most famous Cape Dorset artists. Total
running time: 91 minutes.
Songs in Stone: An Arctic Journey Home, A Triad Films Production, directed by John
Houston, 1999
Shot primarily on Baffin Island in the wilds of the Canadian Arctic, this film pays tribute
to the scuptors and printmakers of Cape Dorset, and to James Houston and the late Alma
Houston, whose historic collaboration launched Inuit art onto the world stage. Running
Time: 45 minutes.
Easter in Igloolik: Peter’s Story, Bullfrog Films, 1987
After eight months of darkness, the Inuit celebrate the coming of light in the Northwest
Territories, gloriously captured on camera at dawn. During preparations for and
celebration of the Easter service at the local church, the Inuit approach to the Christian
faith and the incorporation of some of their traditional spiritual beliefs are described. The
festivities pleasantly culminate with an igloo building contest. Running time: 25 minutes.
How to Build an Igloo, National Film Board of Canada, 1950.
A demonstration of igloo-building in Canada’s far north, showing how the site is selected
and how blocks of snow are used to make a snug shelter in only an hour and a half. As
the camera follows each stage, the commentary explains the process. Running time: 10
minutes.
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BOOKS
Books need to be reserved ahead of time to ensure that there are enough for every
student. Teachers must pick up books from the Museum and drop them off on the
arranged date. Call (231) 995-1029 to reserve books.
Frozen Fire, James Houston, 1984
James Houston's book, Frozen Fire not only tells an exciting story of two teenage boys
struggling for survival in the Canadian Arctic, it also sheds an insight into the lives,
beliefs, and customs of the Inuit people.
Show Me: A Young Inuk Learns How to Carve in Canada’s Arctic, Ann Meekitjuk
Hanson, 1991.
Naulaq is a young boy in the Canadian Arctic who is curious and eager to learn important
skills. This story explores hi learning about stone carving and his culture. This story is
presented both in English and in Inuktitut.
OTHER RESOURCES
The Dennos Museum Center Educational Library has a large collection of books and
videos which are available for a teacher’s individual research needs. These will soon be
available through the Osterlin Library at Northwestern Michigan College. Teachers
interested in these materials should contact the Museum for more information at (231)
995-1029.
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THE DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER INUIT ART COLLECTION
In 1960, Wilbur C. Munnecke, a Chicago publishing executive who summered in Leland,
Michigan, donated a rare collection of Inuit carvings to the Mark and Helen Osterlin
Library on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College. Under the auspices of the then
Library Director, Bernard C. Rink, an exhibition and sale of the carvings were organized.
Enough Inuit art was sold to support a year round exhibition program and to invest in
more carvings, as well as the newly developed stonecut and sealskin prints. By 1964, the
Inuit Art Exhibit and Sale was noted as an annual event, and the NMC Library was made
one of the few Inuit art outlets in the United Stated authorized by the Canadian
government to sell Inuit art.
From that rather inauspicious beginning, the collection grew to hold over 1,000 objects,
equally divided between original stonecut, stencil, and lithograph prints, whalebone and
stone sculptures, drawings, textiles, and artifacts. It has achieved prominence as one of
the most historically complete collections of Contemporary Inuit Art in the United States.
For almost 30 years the collection was housed in the Osterlin Library before accession
into the Dennos Museum Center’s permanent collection. The cornerstone of the
collection is now on permanent exhibition in the Power Family Inuit Gallery, where
objects are rotated on a regular basis.
The collection is comprised of the works of over eighty Inuit artists from various
communities across the Canadian Arctic. Instrumental in bringing Inuit Art to the United
States was Ann Arbor businessman Eugene Power, who, along with James Houston,
facilitated an exhibition of Inuit Art at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in 1953. Power
went on to found Eskimo Art Incorporated, a non-profit organization created to promote
an appreciation for Inuit Art and become the first in the United States to import Inuit Art.
In 1995 his son donated a major part of his father’s private collection to the Museum.
Woman of the Sea, Soroseelutu Ashoona, Stonecut, Cape Dorset, 1976
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HISTORY OF THE INUIT PEOPLE
Prehistoric Period
Inuit origins date back approximately 4000-5000 years. Anthropologists believe that from
Asia, ancestors of present day Inuit crossed the Bering Land Bridge to Alaska, and
traversed the Canadian Artic to the eastern most point of Greenland. Originally inland
caribou hunters, these Paleo-Eskimos adapted to coastal environments, hunting seals and
walruses as they migrated across the tundra. It is this adaptation to marine hunting which
occurred sometime after 900 AD that marks the beginning of the Inuit culture.
Historic Period
Three cultures pre-date the Inuit; the Pre-Dorset (2000-800 BCE), the Dorset (c.1000
BCE - 1300 CE) and the Thule (c.900 -1800 CE). During the Thule period a major
change in whale hunting technology occurred allowing men to become more proficient at
hunting, and thus, more dependent upon whales as primary food source. The present day
Inuit are direct descendants of the Thule people, with the transition occurring around
1800.
Period of Contact
The 19th century ushered in one of the most profound changes in Inuit culture. While
French and English explorers reached the Arctic as early as the 16th century, continued
contact with the Europeans did not occur until the second half of the 19th century. Sparse
interaction during the early part of the century created insignificant impact, but, by the
1860, whale products and meat became a valuable commodity in Europe. Substantial
contact occurred when the European industry moved its company to Hudson Bay. It is at
this point that the real threat to Inuit culture began.
To take advantage of early spring whaling, Europeans found a way to “winter over” in
Hudson Bay. “Wintering over” created an immediate dependency upon the Inuit for meat,
supplies and clothing; consequently, the whalers traded guns, whaleboats, tobacco,
sweets and other supplies to the Inuit. Not only did the Europeans bring commodities to
this foreign land, but also diseases that the Inuit’s immune system was unable to handle.
By 1915 the whaling industry was replaced by the fur trading industry, when the fur of
the arctic fox became popular in Europe.
Contemporary Period
For the Inuit, a semi-nomadic way of life prevailed until approximately 1950, when the
Canadian government took responsibility for their health, education and welfare, and
encouraged them to relocate to permanent settlements where food, clothing and shelter
would be provided. Once relocation was achieved, the complex task before the Canadian
government was acculturation; allowing for the continuation of cultural evolution, while
adapting to a life of western world values. For the Inuit, adapting to this newly imposed
social structure was perhaps more challenging than understanding the rhythms of the
land.
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The person largely responsible for guiding the Inuit toward adjustment and economic
stability was the artist, James Houston, who first visited the Arctic in 1948. While there,
Houston received some small carvings in return for his sketches. Struck by the nature of
these simply carved forms, Houston requested from the Canadian Handicrafts Guild,
assistance in purchasing carvings for the purpose of planning an exhibition in Montreal.
So successful was the exhibition that Houston returned to the Arctic a year later as a
representative of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild stationed in Cape Dorset on Baffin
Island. By 1956, the Canadian government appointed Houston the Northern Service
Officer for the Cape Dorset area and charged him with the task of helping the Inuit move
toward financial stability by developing and promoting their existing art forms of stone
carving and needlework. While men carved and women appliquéd and created stencils
with the guidance of Alma Houston, James’wife, a sense of creativity and personal
expression through drawing and needlework was fostered. It is against this backdrop that
the Contemporary Period of Inuit Art emerged.
It was not until 1957, however, that Houston introduced the concept of printmaking to the
Inuit. This often told historic moment began one night while he sat with Osuitok, an Inuit
stone carver. Osuitok began to carefully examine several packages of cigarettes that lay
on the table. As he pondered, he commented on how difficult it must be for the artist to
make each design the same from pack to pack. Astounded, Houston suddenly realized
that the Inuit artist had no concept of how images are mechanically reproduced. To
demonstrate the art of printing, Houston picked up a walrus tusk incised by Osuitok,
rubbed ink over it, put paper over the inked tusk, and rubbed until the incised lines left an
impression. Houston then repeated this process over and over. Astonished at the magic of
what he saw, Osuitok realized that his people could reproduce their own images. As a
result, Houston requested ink, rollers, and paper from the Canadian government, and
experiments in printmaking began. Houston soon applied his knowledge of Japanese
woodcut techniques to the indigenous materials of the Arctic; namely stone, and began
teaching Inuit carvers the art of stonecut printmaking. In early 1958, experimentation
with sealskin stencil prints began. Large patterns were cut from stretched sealskins and
paint-soaked brushes make of polar bear hair here used to apply color. Today, a waxed
paper technique is used for stencil prints.
In 1959, Cape Dorset artists produced their first edition of prints. Early prints
incorporated the techniques of stonecut and sealskin stencils, and in 1972, lithography
was introduced. Each year up to fifty original drawings are selected to become prints.
Once an edition is created, only fifty sets of hand-pulled prints are published to be sold
throughout the world.
Looking toward the eventual goal of economic solvency, cooperatives formed to produce,
promote, and sell Inuit art. By 1970, the new government of the Northwest Territories
took responsibility for the development of Inuit arts and crafts. Today, the cooperative’s
responsibilities extend beyond the development of economic stability. They offer an
exchange of goods and services from art to commercial fisheries and act as a proving
ground for new businesses by providing retail, accounting, managing, and marketing
support.
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Survival
Inherent in every aspect of Inuit life is the nature of survival. Living on the land and by
the fruits of the land required strength, stamina, ingenuity, and a spiritual connection with
nature that allowed one to co-exist harmoniously within the Arctic environment. Survival
was dependent not upon conquest, but upon understanding the seasonal changes and
cycles, observing the migratory patterns of birds and caribou, taking only what was
necessary and returning what was not. Consequently, a legacy of respect and
comprehension of the natural world’s rhythms have shaped the value system by which
Inuit live.
Crucial to survival was the land “offering up” its bounty to provide food, clothing,
weapons, and shelter for the Inuit. Thus, a successful hunt became the essence of
survival. It was the responsibility of every hunter to kill an animal and accept its gifts. By
the same token, it was an act of greed to take an animal that was not needed. Nature’s
powerful elements have, by necessity, produced honesty, integrity, sharing and cooperation amongst the Inuit.
Arctic Wildlife
Until the 1950s, the Inuit were dependent upon Arctic wildlife for survival. Respectful of
this condition, hunters came to understand the very nature of each animal. When the sea
was frozen over in the winter months, the primary hunting activity was catching walrus at
the edge of the ice and seals at their breathing holes. As the weather warmed and the sea
opened, seals could be taken as they basked in the sun on ice floes. Finally, when spring
arrived, hunting activity shifted to caribou and camps were set up inland.
The short summer months were busy with catching fish from inland lakes, which were
then dried and stored. Hunting walrus from kayaks in the open waters, one of the most
dangerous Inuit activities, involved tying kayaks together for greater stability. Caribou,
hunted in the fall, provided the Inuit with long dense fur needed to make warm, windproof parkas.
Nomadic Life: Skin Tents and Snow Houses
Traditionally, the Inuit are perceived as nomadic, yet, their movement was systematically
organized, following seasonal cycles and natural migratory patterns of animals. Winter
months were spent living on or near sea ice. Spring warmth brought movement inland to
hunt caribou and birds and to fish the inland lakes. Whether on land in skin tents, or in
snow houses on frozen water, camp was the nucleus of family life. Life on the land
necessitated clearly defined roles for both men and women and resulted in an
interdependent community structure. Men were considered the primary providers. They
hunted for food and fashioned tools and implements, built kayaks and sleds, and
constructed shelters for their families. Women held the role of nurturer to both children
and husband. After cleaning and preparing skins for sewing, a woman provided a
complete set of clothes for her family every year. Critical was her ability to construct
waterproof sealskin boots.
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Meeting the challenge of the Arctic environment fostered cultural values that paid
homage to a sharing ethic. Hunting expeditions were organized in groups and a
successful hunt meant dividing the catch among group members. Children gradually took
on the responsibilities of their respective role models. Girls carried young children on
their backs and sewed mittens, and boys traveled with their fathers on hunting trips.
Intricately woven into the fabric of daily life were communal taboos. Respect for each
other, as well as the land, governed behavior. The fear of reprisal was far greater than the
temptation to act inappropriately, and it consequently shaped a culture respectful of the
natural world.
The Spirit World
Responding to the human need to understand forces greater than the mind can
comprehend and to make sense of catastrophic natural events, Inuit turned to the unseen;
the spirit world. Life was as intimately bound to the spirit world as the natural world.
Governed by these forces, the Inuit believed that all elements of existence, animate and
inanimate, human or animal, were imbued with spirits.
Inuit belief recounts a time when human and animal lived as one, when souls were
interchangeable. Integral to this belief was the shaman, the most powerful person in the
community. The shaman could communicate with spirits and acted as intercessor
between the physical realm and the spiritual realm. His or her responsibilities were to
cure the sick and counteract evil forces, as well as communicate with the spirits who
controlled a hunt’s success or failure.
Missionaries attempted to suppress this belief system, but it has become the cornerstone
of legends handed down from generation to generation and is commonly depicted in their
imagery.
Present Day
Present day Inuit life no longer necessitates hunting and fishing and travel from summer
to winter camps as a means of survival. Although the Inuit have been relocated to
settlements where they live in wood houses, many men still continue to hunt and many
women adhere to the traditional roles of preparing the meat for food and skins for
clothing.
On April 1, 1999, the map of Canada changed for the first time in fifty years with the
creation of Nunavut Territory. The Northwest Territories was split, and approximately
two million square kilometers of the central and eastern Arctic, (one-fifth of Canada’s
landmass), became Nunavut, which translates to “Our Land” in their native language,
Inuktitut.
The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is one of the most innovative of the “modern day
treaties” accomplished in Canada. Some of the more outstanding of its 41 articles include
the following:
• Title to approximately 808,185 square miles (2,093,190 km) of land
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•
•
•
Equal Inuit representation on various governmental boards; including wildlife
management, resource management, and environmental boards
The right to harvest wildlife on lands and waters throughout the Nunavut
Settlement Area
A share of federal government royalties for Nunavut Inuit from oil, gas, and
mineral development on Crown lands
Inuit life is very different in the Canadian Arctic today. The advent of satellite technology
has had a profound effect on isolated Inuit Arctic communities. While strong traditional
values and ethics are woven into the fabric of many Nunavut communities, Inuit are now
adapting and using home computers, telephones, cable TV, and the Internet. Dog teams,
once the only mode of transportation, have been replaced by snowmobiles, all-terrain
vehicles, and airplanes in order to travel across the frozen north more quickly and
efficiently. Maintaining the codes and rituals of this nomadic, tribal society governed by
complex ideas of honor and loyalty remains a challenge. Their art serves as a reflection of
the Inuit’s desire to document their history and preserve a treasured heritage.
A note on the word Eskimo
The term Eskimo was given to the Inuit by the Algonquin, an Indian tribe who inhabited
North America long before the Inuit. In Algonquin, Eskimo means “eaters of raw meat.”
The Inuit prefer the word Inuit, because that means “the people” in their language. The
term Eskimo is sometimes used in a derogatory fashion. The Museum prefers to use the
work Inuit out of respect for the Inuit people.
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INUKTITUT LANGUAGE
Inukyitut is the language spoken by Inuit living in Northwestern Canada. Inuktitut words
are sometimes very long. They are built up by putting small pieces in the middle (infix)
or at the end (suffix) of a simple word.
Simple Words:
Tuttu = caribou (pronounced took-too)
Nanuq = polar bear (pronounced na-nook)
Arlu = killer whale (pronounced ar-loo)
Malik = follow (pronounced mah-lick)
Infixes:
-siuq- = hunt (pronounced see-ok)
-guma- = want (pronounced gooma)
-ngi- = not (pronounced like the ‘ngi’ in longing)
Suffixes:
-titut = just like a (pronounced tea-toot)
-punga = I (pronounced poonga)
-putit = you (pronounced put-it)
-puq = he or she (pronounced pok)
You can use these words to make up sentences. If you use the affix –mik, it shows that a
word is the object of a sentence. For example:
Marcusi arlu-mik malik-puq. (Marcusi follows a killer whale)
Marcusi-mik arlu malik-puq. (A killer whale follows Marcusi)
Or you can make one long word. For example:
Arlu-siuq-guma-gni-punga. (I don’t want to hunt killer whale)
You can put the words in any order you like. Just remember that affixes always come
after infixes, and that infixes always come after single words. For example:
Amag = to carry
Amuat = carrying pouch
Amautik = parka with carrying pouch
Amariik = mother carrying child in the amautik
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Vocabulary List
Agloo
Seal’s breathing hole in the ice
Amautik
parka with carrying pouch for child
Arnaviaq
Female snow bunting
Ataata
Father
Arlu
killer whale
Ayayut
Inuit Drum
Bannock
Inuit bread
Eskimo
eaters of raw meat
Igdlo
house
Igloo
dome-shaped house made of snow blocks
Inuit
the people
Inuk
one Inuit person
Inukshuk
pile of stones, a marker
Inuktitut
the Inuit language
Iqaluk
fish
Isumatag
one who thinks
Kabloona
white people
Kamiks
inner boots of felt or duffel
Kayak
long, narrow hide boat for one person, used for hunting
Komalik
sled
Komatiq
sledge
Kudliq
soapstone lamp
Malik
follow
Mukluk
boots
Nanuq
polar bear
Nauttiaq
wildflower
Nuglutang
game
Oogruk
bearded seal
Oopik
owl
Parka
hooded jacket
Qupanuavik male snow bunting
Tupik
summer tent
Tuttu
Caribou
Ulu
large, crescent-shaped bone knife used for scraping hides
Umiak
large boat able to hold 10-12 people
Words for Snow
Igluksaq
snow for making an igloo
Aput
snow on the ground
Aquilluqqaqa firm, but not quite firm enough for a snow house
Ganik
falling snow
Masak
wet snow, typical of spring
Mauya
soft, deep snow
Pigtug
snow being blown in a blizzard
Pukak
snow of granular consistency, not good for building a snow house
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Inuktitut Phrases
Good morning
Good afternoon
Good evening
How are you?
I’m fine
Thank you
You’re welcome
It’s cold
When?
Is it open?
Do you understand?
Me, too
Come here
Ullaakut
Unnusaakut
Unnukut
Qanuippit
Qanuingi(tunga)
Nakuqmiik
Ilali
Ikkinaqtuq
Qaanga
Maatuingava
Tuukisiviit
Uvangetaau
Qaigiit
ood-laa-koot
oon-noo-saa-koot
oon-noo-koot
ka-noo-ee-peet?
ka-noo-ee-ngee-(too-nga)
na-ko-meek
ee-laa-lee
ee-kee-nak-took
kaa-nga?
maa-to-ee-nga-va?
too-kee-see-veet?
oo-va-nga-ta-oo
kae-ee-geet
Field of Verse, Anirnik Ragee, Lithograph, Cape Dorset, 2004
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INUIT TIME LINE
Prehistoric Period
2000 – 800 BCE
Pre-Dorset People
• Inland caribou hunters cross the Bering Land Bridge from Asia to what is
now Alaska
• Inuit ancestors migrated from Alaska to Nunavut
• Adapting to marine hunting, making spears, bows, and arrows
1000 BCE – 1300 CE
Dorset People
• Soapstone lamp
• First igloo, kayaks, and sleds
• Masks made of bone and ivory
900 – 1800 CE
Thule Culture
• Assimilation with Dorset people
• Advances in whale hunting led to dependency on whales as primary food
source
• Made incised hair combs, needle cases, and harpoons
1250-1500 CE
• Contact with Vikings in Greenland
• By 1400 the Norse colonies fade
1800 – 1860 CE
Inuit Culture
• Shamans at intercessor
• Small carving approach to animal spirits
Period of Contact
1860 – 1915
Whaling
• Whale products become popular in Europe (baleen, bones)
• Whaling industry moves to Hudson Bay
• European settlers trade guns, tobacco, sweets and disease
1915-1930
Fur Trading
• Replaces whaling as primary means of trade
• Community hunting style replaced by independent trapping until fur
market collapses
• Nomadic life prevails again after fur trade collapses
• Missionaries develop written Inuktitut
• Impoverished existence leads to housing initiatives by Canadian
government
Contemporary Period
1948 Jim Houston first comes to Hudson Bay
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1953
1953
1960
1963
1991
Canadian Government establishes the Department of Northern Affairs
(Houston is named Administrator)
Eugene Power meets J. Houston and forms Eskimo Art Incorporated
First Arctic Cooperative incorporated at George River
Wilbur Munnecke, Board member of Power Eskimo Art Inc. donates his
collection of Inuit Art to Northwestern Michigan College. Bernie Rink,
NMC’s librarian, holds the first NMC Inuit Art exhibit and Sale
Dennos Museum Center is built to house NMC collection of 545 pieces
Cape Dorset today, Photo from www.gov.nu.ca
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GENERAL INFORMATION ON NUNAVUT
Size
Area of Nunavut: 1,900,000 sq. km
Area of Canada: 9,970,610 sq km
A few comparisons
Greenland: 2,175,600 sq km
Germany: 357,047 sq km
China 9,596,961 sq km
Sweden: 449,964 sq km
United States: 9,631,418 sq km
Traverse City: 22.5 sq km
How far north?
Arctic Circle 67º
Grise Fjord 77º
Coppermine 68º
Iqaluit 64º
Rankin Inlet 63º
A few comparisons
Ottawa 45º
Stockholm 59º
Moscow 56º
Berlin 52º
Rome 42º
Beijin 40º
Traverse City 45º
Population
Total Population of Nunavut: approximately 22,000
Total Inuit Population of Nunavut: Approximately 17,500
Iqaluit is the largest community in Nunavut. It has a population of 4,000 and is located
approximately 2,000 kilometers from Ottawa. The mean temperature in January is -30ºC
and in July is 10ºC.
The Economy
Nunavut’s economy is characterized by a traditional subsistence economy and a
relatively young wage economy. The subsistence economy includes the hunting of
caribou, seals, whales, walrus, and fish for food and clothing. The main sectors of the
wage economy are government (~40% of all wage-jobs), mining (85% of mining jobs are
held by non-residents of Nunavut), construction and services sector, tourism (contributes
$30 million annually), fur industry, and arts and crafts (2,500 earn some or all of their
income from the arts).
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Nunavut – A Chronology (from the Government of Canada)
4500 BCE to 1000 CE: Successive waves of Inuit enter and move throughout what is
now the Canadian arctic.
1670: King Charles II of England grants the Hudson’s Bay Charter, giving the Hudson’s
Bay Company a trading monopoly over much of what is now the Canadian North.
This area is named Rupert’s Land
1676-1678: English navigator Martin Frobisher explores the east coast of Baffin Island.
Over the next three centuries, many navigators follow, seeking a Northwest
Passage to Asia.
1845: English explorer Sir John Franklin sets out with two vessels in search of the
Northwest Passage. On the brink of success, he and his crew disappear after their
ships become icebound. Franklin’s disappearance spurs search missions that
continue into the 20th century.
1870: The Government of Canada acquires Rupert’s Land.
1880: The British government transfers the Arctic Islands to the Government of Canada.
1926: The Arctic Islands Game Preserve is established as an exclusive Inuit hunting
preserve. The Preserve is subsequently expanded in 1929 and 1942 to cover most
of the remaining islands and parts of the mainland.
1939: The outbreak of World War II leads to the establishment of military bases in the
eastern arctic.
1963: The Government of Canada introduces the first legislation to divide the Northwest
Territories (NWT), but it dies on the order paper.
1966:The Carrothers Commission advises against division within the next 10 years, but
recognizes it is inevitable, given the sheer size of the NWT.
1973: The Government of Canada establishes its first Comprehensive Land Claims
Policy. The aim of the policy is to exchange undefined Aboriginal rights which
had never been dealt with, for a clearly defined package of rights and benefits set
out in a land claim settlement agreement.
1973: Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC), the national political organization representing the
Inuit, begins a study of Inuit land use and occupancy, which shows the extent of
Inuit Aboriginal title in the Arctic.
1975: The first fully elected Government in NWT takes office.
1976: ITC calls for the creation of Nunavut territory as part of a comprehensive
settlement of Inuit land claims in the NWT.
1977: The NWT Inuit Lands Commission proposes to the Government of Canada that a
new territory and government be established in Nunavut, along the lines of Inuit
political institutions.
1979: A second seat for the NWT is created in Canada’s House of Commons. The new
parliamentary riding, called Nunatsiaq, encompasses approximately the same
territory as Nunavut.
1980: The NWT Legislative Assembly votes in favor of dividing the territory.
1982: A territory-wide public vote results in 56 percent of voters in favor of dividing the
NWT.
1984: The Inuvialiut, Inuit of the western Arctic’s Beaufort Sea region, finalize their land
claim settlement agreement.
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1990: Nunavut land claim agreement-in-principle affirms Inuit, territorial and federal
government support for the creation of the territory of Nunavut “as soon as
possible.”
1992: A majority of voters in the NWT approve the proposed boundary for dividing the
NWT.
1992: Inuit of Nunavut vote in favor of approving their land claim settlement.
1993: The Nunavut Final Land Claim Agreement is signed by Inuit, the Government of
Canada, and the Government of the NWT.
1993: The Nunavut Act to create Nunavut and the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement Act
are enacted by Parliament.
1994: The Nunavut Implementation Commission, a group established to advise the
federal government on aspects of creating Nunavut, holds its first meeting.
1995: The Nunavut Implementation Commission releases Footprints in New Snow, a
detailed plan for the design of the Nunavut government.
1995: In a public vote, 60 percent of Nunavut voters choose Iqualuit over Rankin Inlet for
the new capital.
1997: The federal government appoints former Member of Parliament Jack Anawak to
serve as Interim Commissioner of Nunavut. The Office of the Interim
Commissioner is to follow up on the work of the Nunavut Implementation
Commission, including recruitment of a public service for the new territory.
February 15, 1999: Residents of Nunavut hold their first election for members of their
Legislative Assembly
April 1, 1999: Nunavut and its new government are inaugurated; and the Nunavut coat of
arms and flag are unveiled.
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MAP OF NUNAVUT
29
PRINTMAKING
Inuit Prints are produced in five northern communities: Cape Corset, Baker Lake,
Holman, Pangnirtung, and Povungnituk. They encompass a wide variety of print media;
including, stonecut, stencil, lithography, etching, engraving, silkscreen, and linocut.
Prints are released in annual collections accompanied by a catalogue. They are generally
pulled in limited editions of 50 or less. Each print is signed and inscribed with the name
of the artist, printmaker, title, edition number, and year.
Printmaking among the Inuit began in the 1950s as one of the many arts and crafts
projects initiated by the Canadian government in an attempt to encourage economic
independence. Cape Dorset was the first community to experiment with printmaking,
where it was introduced by James Houston in 1957. Their first collection was released in
1959 to enthusiastic southern audiences, and, inspired by this success, other communities
soon followed suit.
Each community has developed independently, and differs in imagery and technique.
Cape Dorset
Cape Dorset was the first community to attempt printmaking under the enthusiastic
leadership of James Houston, an artist and employee of the Department of Northern
Affairs. The earliest experiments used sealskin stencils (later replaced by stencil paper),
woodcuts, and stonecuts. The sources for the earliest images were incised tusks and inlaid
sealskin designs. Houston encouraged people to draw, and purchased drawings as
resources for the printmakers. Copperplate engraving was introduced in 1961, and
lithography in 1962 by Terry Ryan, who followed Houston as the artists’ principal
advisor.
Cape Dorset prints are still released in annual catalogued collections and remain among
the most sought after by collectors.
Povungnituk
In 1961 the Povungnituk Cooperative Society, under the guidance of Father Andre
Steinman, hired instructors to introduce printmaking techniques to interested artists. The
first collection was published in 1962 in the same catalogue as the 1962 Cape Dorset
collection.
The imagery of these prints emphasizes realistic scenes of the traditional way of life.
Stonecut is the medium of choice, and original drawings are often dispensed with as the
artist carves directly on the stone. The stone block is then sold to the Co-op, much like an
original drawing would be, and its use dependent of the needs of the print shop. The stone
is often very evident in the final print, with surrounding uncut stone forming a border or
background around the bold images. Artists from other Arctic Quebec communities have
also participated in printmaking activities, and joint catalogues published.
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Holman
Beginning in 1960, Father Henry Tardy encouraged the making of drawings with a view
towards starting a print program. An artist was sent to Holman to offer instruction, and he
encouraged the use of local limestone to make stonecuts. The first exhibition of Holman
prints was held in 1965.
Stonecutting and printing techniques were initially kept very simple. The first prints were
made by tracing the original drawing onto the stone block with a cutting tool, destroying
the drawing in the process. Current collections are dominated by stencil techniques which
produce a soft-painterly effect.
The ability of Holman artists to change, develop, and adapt has allowed their production
to continue and remain vibrant for over forty years. Artists are now well-known for the
unique Holman graphic spirit – detailed, naturalistic depictions produced through delicate
tonal gradations and the depiction of spatial depth.
Baker Lake
Baker Lake is 320 km inland of the coast, and as a result, its people had very little contact
with outside influences. The Inuit in the Keewatin district lived traditionally on the land
until the 1950s, when starvation and disease forced the survivors into settlements where
services were available. A variety of advisors initiated a number of arts and crafts
programs over the years, but it was not until the arrival of artists Jack and Sheila Butler in
1969, that the printmaking program took off. The Butlers solicited drawings for images
and offered to teach printmaking to those Inuit who wanted to learn. By 1970 the first
collection was released.
Stonecut/Stencil is the most commonly used technique, and the prints are often
technically complex. Silkscreen is also used. Baker Lake imagery is generally bold and
colorful with an emphasis on shamanistic and supernatural subject matter.
Pangnirtung
Printmaking was introduced in Pangnirtung as a project sponsored by the Government of
the Northwest Territories, and its first collection was released in 1973. Prints from
Pangnirtung depict daily activities of traditional life on the land, with an emphasis on
whaling
In 1988 the print shop closed due to lack of government funding. In 1992 a new
collection was issued by the independent Uqqurmuit Inuit Artists Association, funded by
money raised in the community. Pangnirtung continues to release annual print
collections.
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Identification of Symbols on Inuit Prints
Out of the hundreds of drawings executed by Inuit artists, only a small percentage of
these drawings are selected by the cooperative to be represented in the annual print
collection produced by each community.
Each print is accompanied by a variety of syllabic symbols, common to the Inuit, but
uncommon to us. These symbols are the identifying signatures of the artist, printmaker,
cooperative, and the Inuit Arts Council. The general format has been standardized and is
used by all cooperatives in Arctic Canada. Sometimes artists may choose to organize the
symbols horizontally and all four syllabics may not be included. NOTE: This does not
mean that it isn’t an original or authentic print.
The first syllabic is the name of the artist
The second syllabic is the name of the stonecutter or printmaker (more
often that not, this is a different person than the artist)
The third syllabic represents the cooperative
The fourth syllabic is the seal of approval from the Inuit Arts Council
On the left: The symbols from Kenjuak’s Enchanted Owl. Note that it does not include the seal of approval
from the Inuit Arts Council.
On the right: The symbols from Napachie Pootoogook’s Inuit Family Playing Ball.
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INUIT DRAWINGS
In drawing, the hand of the artists is supremely evident. The pressure of pencil on paper,
the methodical gestures in the laying down of lines and the conjuring of an image with a
simple mark all serve to make drawing the artist’s most immediate form of self
expression.
In traditional Inuit culture, which is rich in oral history, drawing as it is known in the
Western sense did not exist. It was not until James Houston introduced paper and
graphite pencils that the Inuit began to make the type of drawings for which they are now
known. Terry Ryan, a colleague of Houston’s, and the manager of West Baffin Eskimo
Co-operative, introduced colored pencils. These drawings were made primarily as visual
resources for the printmaking programs and were not readily available to collectors.
Instead, the drawings were purchased by the Co-operatives, used as the basis for creating
a print image (a collective endeavor important for its economic goals) and rarely seen as
an end in themselves.
However, many artists, like Pitseolak Ashoona, were enchanted by this independent
medium and produced significant and perceptive autobiographical works of art. As Inuit
artists became more practiced and cognizant of the communicative powers of visual art, it
followed that their drawings developed into compelling documents for storytelling and
sharing the traditional values of their families and communities. Spiritual and
mythological themes, family, and nomadic life, scenes from the hunt, and living on the
land, are all recorded in Inuit drawings. Stylistic differences and influences can be seen in
comparing the images from the Cape Dorset area with that of Baker Lake and other art
communities in Nunavut.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Information Current as of Fall 2006
Over the past ten to fifteen years, there have been many warnings that human activity on
the earth has been hurrying a climate change, a part of the natural evolution of the earth’s
weather patterns. There has been much finger-pointing, many attempts to ignore what
was happening, and now we must deal with the climate change. The changes for us, here
in the Midwestern part of the United States of America, have actually been minimally
trying, but the effects on Inuit from Alaska to Finland have been tremendous.
The signs of warming in the Arctic are not merely anecdotal. Last month, NASA climate
experts reported that for the last two years, arctic sea ice has been melting in summer and
winter at rates far higher than anything seen before. Some of the Arctic villages that are
in danger from rising water levels due to the melting of the Ice Cap would take millions
of dollars to move. In the old days, the ancestors simply would have loaded their
dogsleds and moved inland across the winter ice, not today.
In Alaska, in some spots the winter temperatures have spiked 10 degrees since 1971. Sea
ice volume has declined 15% and thinned from 10 to 6 feet in places. With the ice go
staple foods – whale, walrus, seal and waterfowl, even polar bear. Glaciers are retreating
by 15% and lose half their thickness every decade. Disease and insects encouraged by
warmer weather are savaging millions of acres of evergreen trees in the lower part of the
state. Melting permafrost is buckling roadways.
There are those who are trying to find a positive outcome for this situation. An ice-free
Arctic would offer new fisheries and faster shipping. Oil exploration would be easier and
farmers could grow more crops.
There have been an increased number of stranded hunters, who must travel 30 miles or
more to find prey. This burns more fuel and puts them in more danger. One hunter
reported that his umiak, which should be seaworthy for a decade, will not last 5 years in
the warmer weather.
Conditions of climate change:
1. Temperatures are up more than 10 degrees since 1971.
1. The ice fishing season moved from January to October.
2. The berry picking moved from August to July.
3. The hunting season moved from June to May.
2. The shoreline is eroding at rate of 15-18 feet per year and threatens homes and
road.
3. Melting permafrost threatens foundations of houses, factories, pipelines, and
roads.
4. Finland and Norway Inuit report warmer temperatures in fall and spring melt top
layers of snow which refreezes as ice, making normal reindeer foods unavailable.
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5. Canadian Inuit report emaciated polar bears as a result of their curtailed
opportunity to stalk seals due to shrinking ice cover. The polar bear has been
moved into the threatened category after being reassessed as vulnerable for the
2006 Red List. Also other animals' pelts are thinning, fish flesh is becoming
mushy, slush and weak ice are making it impossible for travel.
6. As ice disappears, more ships come in and bring more chance for oil spills and
accidents due to uncharted waters.
7. Pangnurtung not prepared for 400 tourists arriving on a cruise ship unannounced.
8. Nunavut now tied to oil and gas revenues; however, when they are burned they
are a source of greenhouse gases, which affect climate change, which is changing
their lives.
What other repercussions will come from this climate change, we can only guess. Inuit
have adapted to one of the most challenging climates in the world, will they be able to
adapt to these changes? Is there a way to help?
35
Thank you to all of the docents who participate in the Inuit
Partnership Program! You are making a lasting impression on and
widening the knowledge of an entire community through your hard
work.
The 2006-2007 Inuit Partnership Committee
Mary Anne Rivers
Lynn Robison
Jim Laarman
Shirlee Davidson
Pat Coats
Dotty Stulen
&
Diana Bolander
Curator of Education and Interpretation
36