In honour of National Inuit Day on November 7, OISE Library has compiled a few of the resources available in the collection about Inuit stories, lives and culture. National Inuit Day falls within Indigenous Education Month, and this post is part of our celebration of this month.
Here in Toronto, there is a growing community of Inuit people. There are a number of organizations and community gatherings that bring Inuit people and their friends together. To learn more about Inuit people in the Toronto area, there is the Toronotomiutaugjugut (Toronto’s Inuit Youth) and the Toronto Inuit Association.
Fishing with Grandma follows a Grandma as she takes her two grandchildren on an adventure to fish. After preparing everything they need for fishing, they spend the day jigging in the ice for fish. This book shows traditional Inuit skills, but also highlights a tender and exciting day with family.
Sila and the Land is a book that was created by three Indigenous women to share perspectives on the Land that are common across First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures. This is a story about an Inuit girl, Sila, who travels around Turtle Island, learning about perspectives on respecting the Land in the Four Directions.
Ilagiinniq : interviews on Inuit family values from the Qikiqtani Region prominently features interviews with Elders from three regions of Nunavut. In these interviews, they speak of the family values held by Inuit peoples – relationships between siblings, Elders and grandchildren, uncles and aunts, husbands and wives, and in-laws are all covered. This is an invaluable resource on relations in Nunavut.
Inuit qaujimajatuqangit : what Inuit have always known to be true is a key resource on Inuit knowledge. While there has been much research done into colonizing forces that have tried to take away Inuit knowledge, there has not been many resources speaking to the strength and the value of that knowledge. This book, with its Inuktitut title meaning “all the extensive knowledge and experience passed from generation to generation”, provides perspectives on relating to human and non-human kin, as well as to the Land.
Qanuq pinngurnirmata : [Inuit unikkaangit qanuq pinngurnirmangaata] is a collection of Inuit Creation stories written in Inuktitut. In its nuanced prose, it introduces readers to the powerful teachings central to an Inuit worldview, coming from Inuit knowledge.