Tarqitamaat

Project Spotlight: An ongoing project promotes Nunavik artists using Inuktitut in their work.

Souveraineté autochtone Création Représentation
A photograph depicting yellow wildflowers growing from a rocky ground. The yellow flowers have been drawn over with black outlines and brilliant yellow markings.

ᑕᕐᕿᑕᒫᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᑎᓯᒍᑎᒥᒃ ᓄᐃᑕᐅᓚᐅᔪᕗᖅ 2019 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖓᓂ UNESCO-ᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᕐᖄᓯᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖁᑎᖃᕐᑎᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᐅᒫᒡᒋᕕᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖃᑎᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᕙᑕᖅ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥ ᑕᑯᒥᓇᕐᑐᓕᐅᕐᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓯᕕᖓ, ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᓱᑎᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᐸᑐᓂᒃ. ᑕᕐᕿᑕᒫᑦ, ᓇᐅᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓈᕐᑎᓱᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᑑᓈᕐᑎᑐᐃᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᐃᒍᑦᓱᑎᒃ ᑕᑯᒥᓇᕐᑐᓕᐅᕐᑏᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖃᓚᐅᔪᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓱᓇᓱᐊᕐᑎᓯᓂᖃᕐᑐᖃᓕᕐᒪᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᑦᓯᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓱᑎᒃ ᑕᕐᕿᒥ. ᐊᕐᕌᒍ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᔪᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐊᕐᕌᒍ ᐃᓱᓕᒻᒪᑦ, ᐱᐅᒋᔭᐅᒻᒪᕆᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᔪᒻᒪᑕ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᑎᖃᕐᓂᕗᑦ ᐊᐅᒫᒡᒋᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᒪᑦᓱᒥᖓ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕈᒪᓕᕐᓱᑎᒃ ᑐᑭᑖᕐᓯᒪᔪᑦ. ᑕᕐᕿᑕᒫᑦ, ᑕᑯᒥᓇᕐᑐᓕᐅᕐᑎᐅᑉ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᖃᑦᑕᕈᒪᓕᕐᓱᑎᒃ ᑎᓕᔭᐅᒪᐅᑎᖃᓕᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᖏᓂᕐᓴᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᐃᑕᑎᑦᓯᓕᐅᒥᔮᕋᓱᐊᕐᓂᑯᑦ ᖁᕝᕙᑎᑦᓯᒐᓱᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ.

A photograph depicting yellow wildflowers growing from a rocky ground. The yellow flowers have been drawn over with black outlines and brilliant yellow markings.
Nalukturuk Weetaluktuk. COURTESY THE ARTIST AND AVATAQ.

Tarqitamaat est une initiative née en 2019 de l’Année internationale des langues autochtones de l’UNESCO par Aumaaggiivik, le Secrétariat des arts du Nunavik de l’Institut culturel Avataq, afin de promouvoir des artistes utilisant la langue inuite dans leurs créations. Chaque mois, une personne ou un groupe d’artiste était mis de l’avant pour leur travail, simultanément avec un évènement qui a lieu durant le mois. Lorsque l’année fut terminée, la réception du projet ayant été tellement positive, Aumaaggiivik a décidé de poursuivre l’aventure. Nous faisons la promotion d’un artiste chaque mois, avec le mandat plus vaste de valoriser et faire connaître la culture du Nunavik.

Tarqitamaat is an initiative created for the 2019 UNESCO’S Year of indigenous languages with Aumaaggiivik, the Nunavik Art Secretariat of Avataq Cultural Institute to promote Nunavik artists using Inuktitut in their work. Every month, an individual or a group of artists were showcased for their work simultaneously with an event taking place during the month. After the year ended, the response to the project was so positive that Aumaaggiivik decided to pursue this adventure. Each month, we will showcase an artist with a broader mandate of promoting Nunavimmiut culture.

A screenshot of the Tarqitamaat website with a header image in close-up of a muskox skull, with hand with painted black fingernails touching one horn.
Tarqitamaat website featuring artwork by Charleen Watt.

Featured artists have included Vickie Okpik, Eva Saunders, Charleen Watt, Robbie Watt and Nalukturuk Weetaluktuk

This story is part of the Nunavik Spotlight. View more content from the Spotlight here.