Abstract
The term Inuinnaqtun is often used in reference to a dialect of Inuktut spoken by Inuinnait (Copper Inuit) of the Central Canadian Arctic. The broader meaning of Inuinnaqtun, however, is to speak, to create, to practice, to do, to think, to be, like an Inuinnaq (a human being). Inuinnaqtun was once its own robust ecosystem, with Inuinnait physically immersed in a landscape and way of life that nourished a fluent and full language, supported human relationships, and maintained a sophisticated body of cultural knowledge. The Inuinnait journey into the 21st century has challenged the practice of Inuinnaqtun, along with the connectivity of its ecosystem. How can an integrated Inuinnaqtun ecosystem be restored in contemporary Inuinnait society? In this paper, we outline the decade-long development of a digital mapping program to document traditional forms of engagement between Inuinnait people, language and land, and facilitate the continued circulation of knowledge that underlies these relationships. In reviewing its various successes and challenges, we critically question digital technology’s ability to digitally represent Inuinnaqtun ontology, in addition to the role that digital technologies can play in facilitating the local relocation of knowledge, objects and relationships dispersed into global contexts.
Highlights
The transition of Inuit into the 21st century has tested the fabric of a lifeway that has long been honed through geographic isolation and cultural insularity
Inuit throughout the North American Arctic lived according to seasonal migration within a defined, regional landscape (see [1], [2] for the specifics of migration and land-use among Inuinnait), and developed a high level of cultural synchronicity with a specific environment
While impactful crosscultural encounters occurred at different times and to varying degrees depending on geographic location, almost all Inuit had relocated to urban settlements by the mid-1960s as a direct result of this change
Summary
The transition of Inuit into the 21st century has tested the fabric of a lifeway that has long been honed through geographic isolation and cultural insularity. Inuit throughout the North American Arctic lived according to seasonal migration within a defined, regional landscape Inuit were part of a larger ecosystem, relying on their immediate surroundings for the tools they made, the clothes they wore, and the food they ate. This close relationship went beyond physical engagement, with language, beliefs and spirituality being finely attuned to the natural world. The rapid transition from land to town has made it more difficult to sustain the culture, language and beliefs that are so deeply interwoven with daily engagement with the natural environment. This article will consider how one regional group of Inuit, called Inuinnait, were impacted by these changes to their lifestyle
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