Spoken Language

CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION
Spoken Language			A Visit to Nunavut
Present Day	History	Preservation	Work	Should and Shouldn't	Family

Spoken Language

(from Nunavut Handbook site, by Ann Meekitjuk Hanson and Joe Otokiak)

Susan Aglu-kark

Present Day: Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit, is alive and growing. It is widely used throughout the North, and Inuit from across the Arctic can understand one another. Dialects and accents vary from region to region, but Inuktitut is a single language.

One of the first things a newcomer might notice is that a single word may be spelled many different ways. A white person is qallunaaq, kabloona - words that are spelled differently but sound roughly the same. The differences have come about because of the language's oral history. When a writing system was introduced for the first time more than 100 years ago, the words were written phonetically, and those phonetic versions varied from region to region.

Today, Inuktitut is written in syllabics in the Baffin and Kivalliq regions, and in the eastern part of the Kitikmeot Region. In the western part of the Kitikmeot, it's written in roman orthography. Since the mid-1970s, Inuit have made efforts to standardize Inuktitut so that the language becomes consistent throughout the circumpolar world. The "new orthography," the result of the standardization process, is gradually being used more, but efforts to standardize Inuktitut are ongoing.

In the Kitikmeot, the name given to the language of Inuit is "Inuinnaqtun." Some phrases used in the Baffin and Kivalliq regions of Nunavut are fairly similar in sound and are recognizable to people living in western Nunavut. There are some similarities among words spoken in Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Pelly Bay and those spoken in the Baffin and Kivalliq regions, but the language structures are quite different.

A large portion of the population in the far western reaches of Nunavut speak English and are attempting to strengthen their Inuinnaqtun in all areas, from schools to workplaces. As you move eastward, the Inuit language becomes more commonly used by Inuit. One difference visitors will notice in western Nunavut is that where Inuit from the eastern part of Nunavut use the "s" and "sh" sound, it is usually an "h" sound in the west. "Siksik," the ground squirrel, becomes "hikhik" in the western part of the Kitikmeot.

Recent Inuit film

History and Cross-Cultural Influences:

The Canadian Inuit have 5,000 years of cultural heritage that has sustained itself within a vast Arctic territory stretching from the eastern coast of present day Russia, across Alaska, and Canada to the east coast of Greenland. In the middle 1800s Inuktitut was pure, without a trace of any other tongue. Language had evolved out of nature and daily living.

When the whalers came, they brought with them many things that would alter this way of life, including a new language. Words like tea, sugar, flour, waistcoat and paper became everyday Inuktitut words, but their pronunciation was distinctly Inuk: "tea" became tii, "sugar" was pronounced sukaq, palaugaaq meant "flour," "waistcoat" became uasikuaq, and "paper" was pronounced paipaaq.

When the clergy came, more new words and phrases were added to the language. The people were taught a new way to communicate, called syllabics, which was the first "written Inuktitut." The syllabics system was developed by Rev. James Evans for the Cree and was introduced to the Inuit by Anglican missionary Edmund Peck. Its symbols are fashioned after secretarial shorthand. The Inuit learned to read and write syllabics, but had to do it mostly from memory because there was no paper!

When the Hudson's Bay Co. came, more terms and phrases were invented, all in Inuktitut. At the same time, the Inuit were teaching the ministers and clerks Inuktitut, which secured the language. When the RCMP came, they too brought new words and expressions that broadened the language. They also had to learn Inuktitut.

The Inuit are distinct in physical appearance, language and customs from all the Indian tribes of North America. For subsistence during the summer months, they relied on fishing and caribou hunting in the interior, and on whaling, and seal and walrus hunting along the coast. Seal hunting and ice fishing provided the major food sources in the winter in most regions, with some caribou hunting in the interior.

Linguistic and Cultural Preservation:

Inuktitut is a language that is unique to its culture and although there are some differences in the way it is spoken from one region to the next, it is possible for individuals to understand each other from the east coast of Russia to Greenland. This fact now provides a strong binding force that Canadian Inuit are using to develop a multinational and circumpolar Inuit voice.

The Inuit are concerned with the need to maintain their language, and not just as an expression of cultural heritage. Their language can be adapted to the work place and used as a powerful tool for helping to build new political, economic and social systems through self-government. It has been said that their language “is powerful and it must be used to give many great thoughts to the world.”

The debate over how to preserve and expand the use of Inuktitut in Nunavut is ongoing. It's also often heated, as there are wide-ranging opinions on what the best way is to make sure the younger generation is speaking Inuktitut. In January 2001, the Nunavut Government held it's first annual Language Week, which was intended to promote the use of Inuktitut and encourage debate over how best to preserve and enhance it. During that week, CBC Radio and Television brought a group of Iqaluit high school students together to ask them what they think about the state of the language, and where it's headed. Some students on the panel think the language is in serious danger of declining and even disappearing, as they are bombarded with English language television, newspapers and southern pop culture. This fear is shared by many, including Eva Arreak, Nunavut's Languages Commissioner.

You can listen to the panel discussion in English or in Inuktitut here.

Inuit have relied on the spoken word and story telling to transfer information and knowledge about their history and culture from generation to generation. This way of passing along information is known as the "Oral Tradition." Like any other system of knowledge, the oral tradition is dynamic, and each generation adds new information and contributes to the continuing knowledge base expansion.

When non-Inuit such as explorers, whalers, fur traders and missionaries began coming to our land, they started to record their own impressions about the Inuit way of life. Some of these descriptions can be useful for understanding the culture, but the Inuit caution people that much of what is written them may not be true or is at least incomplete.

As a result, many have come to know the Inuit not by who they really are but instead through many exaggerated stereotypes created about them by others. This situation is no longer acceptable to the Inuit and they are starting to play a much more active role in explaining both who they were and who they are.

The Inuit culture has always had great capacity to adapt new materials, technology and even ways of using resources into the Inuit way of life. This same capacity to adapt can be applied to the use of information technology. Today, the oral tradition remains important and in fact is being enhanced by the use of new technology which now includes an expanding range of possibilities including local community FM radio, a satellite based Inuit television network and utilization of Internet connections to the World Wide Web.

A Visit to Nunavut

Inuit "culture" and Inuit "ways" are difficult to distinguish because we don't have different words for them in our language. We use the word iliqqusiq to mean "ways and habits." Iliqqusiq includes all aspects of the Inuit way of life: survival skills, games, clothing, arts, medicine, the language, weather, the land, the sea, the way people are brought up — in short, life itself.

Modern Work Environment (from The Nunavut Handbook site, Tracy Wallace)

For southern professionals, working in Nunavut can be a unique, enlightening, and profitable experience. But reaping the rewards of working here means understanding that things are sometimes done differently in a land where polar bears outnumber conference rooms and sealskin vests are more fashionable than Hugo Boss.

At the very least, southern professionals should begin a dialogue with their northern partners long before they arrive in Nunavut. These interactions will help southerners get a feel for the unique working environment into which they are venturing. Many individuals have said they would have saved a considerable amount of time and effort had they been aware of these differences beforehand.

Traditionally, the Government of the NWT played a very significant role in the economy of the territory. While many programs are being privatized, government — and that includes the new Nunavut government — will continue to remain the single largest employer in many communities.

Nunavut is not short on bureaucracy. In fact, there seems to be a board, department or agency for virtually everything. Often, these groups need to approve new initiatives, which can slow transactions to a snail's pace. For a hunting society that maintained a subsistence lifestyle throughout its history, the addition of a wage economy is still relatively new to Inuit in Nunavut.

Shoulds and Should Nots

Many professionals tend to live in a cultural vacuum, thinking that business is business, no matter where on Earth you go. This kind of attitude won't win you any friends in Nunavut, though, where your interests will be much better served if you take some time to learn about the people and the land with which you are interacting.

Check your "yesterday is too late" attitude at the door. Things in the North take time, and you must respect this above everything else. In addition to the various bureaucratic obstacles mentioned earlier, you'll find that northern businesspeople just don't have the same frenzied attitude as many southerners. The river runs the show, as they say; northerners understand that blizzards don't care about the importance of your objectives. Remember: very rarely do things run like clockwork here. (Don't forget, too, that you will be dealing with three different time zones in one territory.) Accept this, and you'll save yourself a lot of stress. Remember, too, that with the exception of the construction and tourism sectors, the North virtually shuts down in the summer. Your local counterparts will likely be more interested in fishing, hunting, or camping on the land than dealing with you.

You'll also find in Nunavut that sometimes agreements are still sealed with a handshake as opposed to legal paperwork.

English is not the first language of Nunavut, so provide translation services for all meetings and correspondence. Most Inuit speak English, but unilingual elders are often asked for their opinions in these matters. Inuktitut is an official language of the new Nunavut government; failure to recognize the importance of Inuktitut, whether in written correspondence or verbal transactions, could spell program failure. The larger communities should have seasoned translators available; you may have to ask around in the smaller hamlets.

If your work takes you to Nunavut's smaller settlements, you must recognize the importance of the community and try to get involved. Don't be a hermit! Start networking by contacting the hamlet office before you arrive. Once there, become a participant in the community, and you will be that much closer to gaining your community’s respect and admiration. It'll also help you understand why things grind to a standstill when there's a big sale at the Northern store or Co-op. Also respect community bylaws, especially those prohibiting alcohol consumption.

Staying With an Inuit Family (from The Nunavut Handbook site, Ann Meekitjuk Hanson)

When we have a guest in our home it is a great honour because it means we are accepted as we are. We feel needed and humble that our home is good enough for other people. This includes parents, relatives, friends, visitors, or anyone who needs a place to rest. There are just a few guidelines you should know before staying with an Inuit family because sometimes we take it for granted people already know what to expect.

First of all, you are very welcome even if no one tells you so. You must feel at home at all times. Do not knock at the door before entering. Make normal noise. We don't like it when people try to be too quiet; it seems like they are sneaking behind our back.

In earlier times we never needed to lock any doors or secure any personal belongings because everything was shared. Our elders told us stealing was a very bad thing to do. As children, we were told that if we took something we were not supposed to have when no one was at home, a big hand would appear and grab us. Communities had different superstitions to discourage stealing. Today, it is still like that in some communities. When we enter a house where no one is home, we simply make tea and wait. This is considered one of the ways to become part of the family. The host feels esteemed and valued for her or his generosity. In bigger communities, locking doors has become a new custom, but this doesn't mean you are not welcome when your hosts are not at home.

It is important to take part in the household. This does not mean you have to do chores or take over. When guests are willing to try our country food, the host feels pride. At first, the host might be shy to offer any country food for fear of rejection. Sometimes we think our food will not be accepted by our guests because it has blood in it or it does not look clean enough. When we are feasting on a seal, caribou, ptarmigan or any other country food, we hate to be stared at and we don't like it when people take pictures of us eating. We would rather have you eat with us, or try a small piece and swallow fast. Please don't express any "yucks" or other words of ridicule. When our guests take interest in our food fare, we feel we are sharing our culture. If you don't like the meat raw, just ask your host to cook it for you.

Your hosts may take you for a trip on the land in any season. Do what they do and say; they know best. When we are getting ready to go on the land, it is often hot and it is very tempting to leave dressed as we are, but we know it will be a lot colder out there on the sea or land. Help with the grub, camping equipment, and children as much as possible. Everyone is expected to help as much as they can, no matter how big or little. Your hosts are doing their best to make you feel welcome and important.

There are three age groups of hosts that you will probably meet. First, there are the more mature Inuit who speak only Inuktitut. They were born on the land and lived the "real" nomadic Inuit way of life that existed before today's community-based wage economy. We look to them as experts on hunting, weather, directions, astronomy, plants, beliefs, ethics and anything else that has to do with the Inuit world. Please respect them as we do.

Then there is the 35 to 45 age group, the first bilingual generation. These people were born when transitions to a new wage economy were taking place. People in this group know both the Inuit and white worlds and are comfortable with both. The memories of those who grew up on the land are held dearly because this generation is the link between life on the land and life in a settlement. They are called the "in the middle" crowd.

Thirdly, there are the younger people who are in their 20s and early 30s. Most of them were born in a hospital. They are modern in just about everything they do, yet the elders have taught them ancient values such as respect for the land, the sea, the animals, and the weather. They have been taught to be good to other people, to share what they can, and to expect less.

Our young people, who have been in school most of their lives, have spent much less time on the land and sea than their parents and grandparents had by their age. To save our language, they had to be taught Inuktitut in school. They have gone through a lot of public scrutiny because they have been told over and over that they are our future and that they must carry on our "Inukness." This has been discussed on radio and television, in newspapers, and even in land claim negotiations. Sometimes this age group has heard unpleasant comments such as: our young people are not Inuk enough anymore, they are forgetting our language, they don't know the land well enough, or they are breaking the law too often. But in reality we know that our young people are still as Inuk as we are. They can be your most interesting hosts because they have gone through a lot of history in a short time and still maintain their Inukness.

No matter what age they are, Inuit hosts are family-oriented. We like to show our family and relatives to our visitors. If you stay with a family, there might be grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and adopted children in the household. Some older children and young people might be sent to stay with other relatives to make room for you. This is very normal and readily accepted because a guest is so important and everything must be done to make him or her feel at home. No one feels rejected or unwanted. The guest need not feel that she or he is separating the family.

We welcome visitors in our homes for several reasons: you are visiting because you are interested, you are sharing our lives, you are receiving knowledge and spreading knowledge, you are gathering memorable times, and above all, we enjoy your company.