#igloolik

[this-great-world]

Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada

[science70]

Igloolik Research Centre, Igloolik, Northwest Territories, c. 1970s.

[thearchaeologiststeacup]

A controversial topic for today’s feature post, but after all that’s a big part of what raising awareness is all about. . How many of you have heard of the #sealfie movement? It started back in 2014 in response to protests about seal hunting, which has been a central part of Inuit life for as long as people can remember. Most historic clothing is made either from caribou skin or sealskin (see the 16th century mittens in the second picture, which I had access to thanks to the @museumvolkenkunde ), and modern hunters also often wear sealskin clothing. It’s warm and waterproof, as I can attest after purchasing these gloves during my stay in Igloolik last year (third picture) and using them on my scooter. . For Inuit, seal hunting is not just a traditional part of their cultural heritage, it is also an ethical way to get fresh meat (as to opposed to frozen packages that are shipped out to northern supermarkets from southern Canada), and warm and waterproof clothing. . I’ve already mentioned @alethea_aggiuq in my feature on the @grizzliesmovie , but she needs another mention here (first picture) as one of the biggest advocates for Inuit seal-hunting rights. There are other big names in the Inuit community who are trying to raise awareness of this topic, but for those who want to find out more, check out her twitter (and search for #sealfie) for a place to start. . It’s one of those difficult topics that can cause such different and strong opinions in different cultural contexts. Even if you may not agree with something personally, it is important to understand why someone from a different background might have a contrasting opinion. . #igloolik #Inuit #culturalheritage #culture #Tradition #sealhunting #seal #inuk #awareness #raisingawareness #culturaltraditions https://www.instagram.com/p/CDvl7C0H6Tv/?igshid=1fep2td1jb53m

[natural-selections]

Check out this beautiful photo of a mother polar bear and her two cubs going for a swim!

This photo was snapped by (and shared with permission from) my Inuk friend Isaac Irngaut in Igloolik, Nunavut!

[akumik]

Kingummungaaq by Joshua Haulli

[tlatollotl]

Meet Snowguard: Marvel Comics' new Inuk teen superhero | CBC Books

Amka Aliyak is investigating a suspicious new factory in her hometown of Pangnirtung, Nunavut when she meets a team of teenage superheroes.

Amka Aliyak comes into her powers while investigating a mysterious factory near her hometown in Nunavut. (Submitted by Jim Zub/Line Art by Sean Izaakse/Colours by Marcio Manyz/Marvel)

The Marvel Comics universe is heading to Canada's north where the Champions — a diverse group of superheroes that includes teen versions of Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel and the Hulk — will meet the newest member of their group: Amka Aliyak, a.k.a. Snowguard.

Amka is an Inuit teenager from Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Described as an "independent, courageous and headstrong" young woman, Amka decides to investigate a mysterious factory that has sprung up overnight near her community.

"What she discovers there is a villain using the spiritual energy of the land to fuel his plans for conquest," said Marvel writer Jim Zub in an email interview with CBC Books.

"Amka tries to release the spirits that have been captured and in the course of that ends up becoming empowered with their energy."

Snowguard, also known as Amka Aliyak, will become a frontline member of the Champions team. (Submitted by Jim Zub/Line Art by Sean Izaakse/Colours by Marcio Manyz/Marvel)

Amka's superhero identity, Snowguard, will be introduced in Champions #21 in late June. Her new abilities, powered by an Inuit spirit/force called "Sila," allow her to shapeshift and take on animal traits.

"Depending on how she changes her shape, she can gain strength, stamina, and speed along with fur, claws, a powerful bite, antlers, or even feathered wings," said Zub, who is based in Toronto.

"She changes shape and form to suit her needs, and sometimes even her moods."

To develop the character, Zub sought out the advice of Nyla Innuksuk, founder of the Toronto-based virtual reality production company Mixtape VR, who is Inuit and grew up in Igloolik and Iqaluit.

"I was really excited to hear that there would be an Inuk superhero in the Marvel Universe... Inuit are oral storytellers and our myths and legends are full of spirits and characters that take both human and animal forms, so I was excited to see how those elements could be interpreted within the structure of a graphic novel," said Innuksuk.

"There is a certain amount of hesitancy that I feel when I hear about a non-Indigenous organization interpreting Inuit culture for a commercial project. What I valued with Champions was that Jim and the team at Marvel had reached out early in the process to have input from an Inuk collaborator."

A seemingly autonomous factory has appeared suddenly near her hometown of Pangnirtung. Teenager Amka Aliyak breaks in to find out more. (Submitted by Jim Zub/Line Art by Sean Izaakse/Colours by Marcio Manyz/Marvel)

Innuksuk offered guidance on various aspects of Inuit life in northern Canada, down to the minutiae of everyday existence.

"I think there are just basic things about life in the Arctic that people in 'the south' don't realize. I gave Jim some insight into the belief system within traditional Inuit culture including the Sila, which is essentially a life force that exists within everything in the North," said Innuksuk.

"I provided information on traditional Inuit tattoos, contemporary and traditional style of dress, the look of houses and communities. We also just had a long conversation about daily life in the Arctic. Simple things that you might not normally think about; what do you do with sewage or garbage, how many hours of sunlight are there, how do you get groceries. These are the small details that help provide an authenticity that won't exist if you are writing about a place that you've never been to."

Setting the story in Pangnirtung, where Amka lives, was also Innuksuk's idea. It's where her young nephews live.

"[P]ersonally I was excited that they would be able to read a comic book that takes place in their home town. It is also one of the most beautiful places in the world in the middle of the Fjords and is still steeped in traditional culture, so it makes sense to have a character like Amka come from Pang," said Innuksuk.

Pangnirtung, where the Champions story is set, is located on Baffin Island in Nunavut. According to Statistics Canada, it is home to nearly 1,500 residents. (Submitted by Jim Zub/Line Art by Sean Izaakse/Colours by Marcio Manyz/Marvel)

Snowguard will join the Champions as its newest frontline member and Zub plans to keep writing about her adventures as long as he's writing the series. Innuksuk believes she will resonate with members of the Inuit community.

"Amka is an activist and cares about real issues. In the Arctic there are a lot of things to fight for; food security, environmental impact, social issues, lack of resources…et cetera. To see a young woman fighting for her community is the kind of story that needs to be told," said Innuksuk.

"Indigenous women are often represented in mainstream media as victims, and to see a powerful young person who is fighting back against what she sees as wrong has the potential to make a real difference."

Amka Aliyak, Marvel's new superhero, is described as "independent, courageous and headstrong." (Submitted by Jim Zub/Line Art by Sean Izaakse/Colours by Marcio Manyz/Marvel) 

[historical-nonfiction]

We fear the weather spirit of earth that we must fight against to wrest our food from land and sea. We fear Sila. We fear dearth and hunger in the cold snow huts. We fear Takanakapsaluk, the great woman down at the bottom of the sea, that rules over all the beasts of the sea. We fear the sickness that we meet with daily all around us; not death, but the suffering. We fear the evil spirits of life, those in the air, the sea, and the earth, that can help wicked shamans to harm their fellow man. We fear the souls of dead human beings and of the animals we have killed. Therefore it is that our fathers have inherited from their fathers all the old rules of life which are based on the experience and wisdom of generations. We do not know how, we cannot say why but we keep these rules in order that we may live untroubled. And so ignorant are we in spite of all our shamans, that we fear everything unfamiliar. We fear what we see about us, and we fear all the invisible things that are likewise about us, all that we have heard in our forefathers' stories and myths. Therefore we have our customs, which are no the same as those of the white men, the white men who live in another land and have need of other ways.

Aua, from a discussion recorded by Knud Rasmussen.

Born around 1870 in today's Greenland, the Igloolik shaman gave this summation of local Inuit religion to Danish explorer and anthropologist Rasmussen in 1921. Aua was converted to Christianity by missionaries around the time of Rasmussen’s visit; his description is often interpreted as Aua contrasting Igloolik religion with the Christian message of trust in God. Still, his account provides a perspective on Igloolik mythology at a time when it was being slowly subsumed by the introduction of Christianity.

In another narrative recorded by Rasmussen, Aua said he took his name from a type of “little spirit, a woman, that lives down by the seashore” and from whom Aua got his shamanic powers.

[tournevole]

Innuit Family, photographed by David Yarrow, Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada, 2013