Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: What Inuit Have Always Known to

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The Inuit have experienced colonization and the resulting disregard for the societal systems, beliefs and support structures foundational to Inuit culture for generations. While much research has articulated the impacts of colonization and recognized that Indigenous cultures and worldviews are central to the well-being of Indigenous peoples and communities, little work has been done to preserve Inuit culture. Unfortunately, most people have a very limited understanding of Inuit culture, and often apply only a few trappings of culture -- past practices, artifacts and catchwords --to projects to justify cultural relevance. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit -- meaning all the extensive knowledge and experience passed from generation to generation -- is a collection of contributions by well- known and respected Inuit Elders. The book functions as a way of preserving important knowledge and tradition, contextualizing that knowledge within Canada's colonial legacy and providing an Inuit perspective on how we relate to each other, to other living beings and the environment.

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It might be easy to make the mistake of viewing the process of settler colonialism as a part of a far and distant past. It is commonplace to see Aboriginal ‘traditional lifestyles’ portrayed in museums as artefacts of another time. Karetak, Tester, and Tagalik have produced a volume which not only is an insistent reminder of the resilience and continuity of Inuit culture, but also provides an intimate and nuanced view of the ongoing relationship between the Inuit and the rest of Canada – from an Inuit perspective....

Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), which could be rather incompletely described as ‘traditional knowledge’, is much more accurately described in this book as ‘an ethical framework and detailed plan for having a good life. It is a way of thinking, connecting all aspects of life in a coherent way’ (p. 3). The collection of stories, narratives and memories in this collection is a powerful way that this idea is not just communcated to the reader, but illustrated. This monograph is the impressive product of an ambitious project to collect knowledge from Inuit elders. ...

British Journal of Canadian Studies, vol. 33, no. 1