Inotsiavik, meaning “a place to live well” in Nunatsiavummiutut, is a project that aims to help revitalize Inuttitut and culture by providing an accessible means to education and programming for Nunatsiavummiut. Our goal is to open a not-for-profit cultural centre in Hopedale that serves as a welcoming, safe space to host a range of vital cultural programming for health and wellbeing. Based out of
Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, we aspire to offer year-round, in-person educational workshops, and eventually hold in-person workshops in other Nunatsiavut communities. We also will be holding online lessons that will be offered to Nunatsiavummiut living within and outside of Nunatsiavut. We intend to begin by focusing mainly on Inuttitut language lessons and workshops that teach skills such as sewing, harvesting, and cleaning sealskins. Examples of future cultural workshops include (but are not limited to): kamik making, beading, sewing, printmaking, tattooing, snowshoe making, Kamutik making, iglu building, preparing meat, and cooking. Nunatsiavut has a growing population of people who are eager to regain at risk or lost skills. This project would support cultural well-being and ensure future generations have access to their ancestral skills. We at Inotsiavik strive to increase proficiency in cultural skills and Inuttitut fluency in our region. We believe that being able to offer a safe environment is the key to learning, healing, and fostering positive relationships across generations. Our dream is to eventually explore and promote all aspects of Inuit identity through lessons, workshops, and land-based learning.
