What Saliqmiut Will Mean to Us
Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture is going to be an exciting and important piece of history for the people of the Western Arctic for generations to come. Saliqmiut means “people along the coast, at the edge” in Inuvialuktun, and it is the name of the centre because that’s who it is for - for the people in the past, the present and into the future.
March 31, 2022 - Meeting of Elders in Tuktuuyaqtuuq
It’s the young people of the present and the artists of the future that Eunice Nasogaluak is most hopeful for. For her, it is a place to inspire young people and let them know they have a future
“What our grandparents and parents did, we in our community should pass it on to the younger generation through the centre.”
The logo for Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture depicts the flame of a Qulliq - lit within each of us to nurture and share. The reference to the flame speaks to that inspiration in future artists. The centre is the opportunity to give that flame a place to grow with others and be proud.
Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture will provide a dedicated space for courses, a place to collect resources, and the tools required to develop an artist's skills. It will be a space for community gatherings, to teach Inuvialuktun, and to share the stories and history of the people of the Western Arctic.
Gathering and storytelling have always been tied to the arts for Inuvialuit. Betty Elias wants to create the same fond memories of sharing stories over art that she had in her youth:
“Making art is so beautiful because you’re passing down a lot of knowledge and the stories of the elders. When I was little my grandad would have visitors come around and they would tell stories - they’d be laughing and having tea and bannock, and there was always art everywhere.”
Taalrumiq - Inuvialuk Artist, Designer, & Educator
Artists in the community can see the potential for what this centre will mean for the future visibility of Inuvialuit culture. Taalrumiq, a fashion designer and cultural educator imagines the opportunities:
“It’s going to create permanent and seasonal jobs. It’s going to create opportunities for locals to share their skills and talents in workshops and courses. It’s going to draw in more visitors and tourists because we will have the opportunity to host them as guests. There are going to be opportunities for trade shows, conferences, artists in residencies - there are so many positive things that will come out of this”
Tuktuuyaqtuuq has had to respond quite quickly to growth and connection to the south. As a dedicated space, Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture will be the most prominent building in the region. The scope of the project will let people know how important the work that is being done here is.
The goal of these modern facilities will be to preserve culture and traditional knowledge. In Tuktuuyaqtuuq, life is a balance between the traditional ways of life and modern changes - staying connected to the present while keeping it based in traditional knowledge. For visual artist Maureen Gruben, it’s part of decolonizing and reclaiming stories:
Maureen Gruben, Artist
“I think it’s a space that we really need, to continue to pass on our knowledge and to celebrate who we are as Inuvialuit people. Right now we all know little bits of stories - when we have a space like that to gather and to share our stories or our artwork, it will empower us as Inuvialuit people.”
Already, the centre is creating waves of hope, excitement, empowerment and pride through the community. For many, Saliqmiut: Tuktuuyaqtuuq Centre for Arts and Culture is part of their responsibility to reclaim their stories and culture and to inspire pride in a younger generation of Inuvialuit artists. It is an important place for the past and the future. For Joe Nasogaluak, it’s a place where pride can live on:
“With this centre, we can show our people. Show who we are - where we come from. So in the end, we can all be proud of our people. Proud of who we are, and where we are going.”
Click below to watch the second episode of our Saliqmiut mini-documentary series, An Opportunity for Hope, where elders and artists from the community of Tuktuuyaqtuuq talk about the importance of building Saliqmiut. Be sure to follow our social channels to be the first to know when a new episode is released!
