Inuit Discourse and Identity after the Advent of Nunavut

• Main Authors: Dorais, Louis-Jacques, Vincent, Colette
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Aboriginal Languages > Canada; Inuit; Ethno linguistic Identity; Minority Language Identity; Arctic; Canada; Nunavut; Qallunaat; inuit; inuktitut; Iqaluit
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10315/1274

This report outlines the principal findings of a research project on Inuit discourse and identity since the advent of Nunavut, undertaken conjointly by Université Laval’s CIÉRA and Nunavut Arctic College’s (Nunatta Campus) Inuit Language and Culture Programs, thanks to Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) funds. The project was under the direction of Prof. Louis-Jacques Dorais (Université Laval) and Dr. Susan Sammons (Nunavut Arctic College). The present report is based for a large part on an analysis of interview data undertaken in 2004-05 by Vincent Collette. These 35 interviews with Inuit residents aged between 18 and 85 had been conducted in 2003-04 in Iqaluit by Nunavut Arctic College students and staff. May all researchers, interviewers and interviewees be sincerely thanked here. Our interview respondents answer in two ways. They are sometimes realistic, trying to describe the language situation as they perceive it. In such cases, they generally tell about English being increasingly used in Iqaluit homes and workplaces, because people find it more practical than Inuktitut for expressing current activities and interests within a modern Inuit community, and this even if the native language is valued as a tool for uniting all Aboriginal community members. On the other hand, respondents may answer in a more idealistic way, stating what they would wish to see in the future: Inuktitut being transmitted to younger generations and continuing to thrive in the North. This second type of response reveals a lot about Inuit identity. Inuit are proud of being Inuit, proud of having been able to establish their own government in Nunavut, and Inuktitut acts as a powerful symbol of that pride, even if its use may be declining. The research outlines the predominance of English in Iqaluit, which is due to the fact that: 1) English is most often required when one is searching for a job; 2) it is the principal vehicle of popular culture (television, music, etc.); 3) contacts with Qallunaat occur in ...