Colouring Book Celebrating NunatuKavut Inuit Culture and Language Launched
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR, JUNE 18, 2021 – The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) today launched the “NunatuKavut Through the Seasons” colouring book with schools from Cartwright to Mary’s Harbour who will get their first look at the newly printed book through an online Zoom event.
The colouring book is a cultural learning tool that depicts traditional seasonal activities like harvesting, hunting, fishing and crafting while featuring other important elements of Inuit culture. Inuttitut words are incorporated throughout encouraging people of all ages to learn and connect with the ancestral language of NunatuKavut Inuit.
Many of the images in the colouring book were inspired by ideas from the Inuit Education Youth Advisory Group, with translation assistance provided by Selma Suarak. It was brought to life through the beautiful design and illustration work of Inuk visual artist Charlene Rumbolt.
The colouring book is part of NCC’s recently launched Ikupiatsik – a NunatuKavut Inuit Education Action Plan. It is being distributed to schools and family resource centres in NunatuKavut during the first phase of its roll-out. Plans are underway to make it more broadly available to members and other learning institutions in the coming months. An online version of NunatuKavut Through the Seasons is available for download, here.
Quick Facts
- NCC launched Ikupiatsik – a NunatuKavut Inuit Education Action Plan at the 2020-2021 Annual General Assembly on February 6, 2021. This action plan sets out some tangible initiatives within three categories: Redressing, Reclaiming and Revitalizing. Ikupiatsik is an Inuttitut word meaning ‘to share.’
- NCC is the representative governing body for approximately 6,000 Inuit who reside primarily in south and central Labrador.
- NunatuKavut means “Our Ancient Land” in Inuttitut and is the traditional territory of the Inuit who belong to this territory.
- In July 2018, NCC entered into talks with the Government of Canada on the Recognition of its Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination (RIRSD). In September 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed.
Quotes
“On behalf
of the NunatuKavut Community Council, I am proud to share ‘NunatuKavut Through
the Seasons’ with you. Visual artist Charlene Rumbolt did an exceptional job of
capturing the wildlife, traditions and culture of NunatuKavut Inuit. And we
thank the Inuit Education Youth Advisory Group for their contributions. It is
important that our youth see themselves and our ways of life in NunatuKavut
reflected in learning tools. I am especially pleased about the inclusion of Inuttitut
throughout the colouring book. This is part of our concerted effort to reclaim
our language where so much has lost after generations of colonization. I thank the
NCC staff involved in the development of this book and those helping us
implement Ikupiatsik, our NunatuKavut Inuit Education Action Plan. I know
that our people and others, of all ages, will enjoy learning about our culture
and language while colouring the beautiful artwork on each page.”
— Todd Russell, President of NCC
“I am honoured to have created the artwork that highlights our NunatuKavut culture while revitalizing our language.”
— Charlene Rumbolt, Inuk Artist and Illustrator of Colouring Book
Associated Links
- Further information on NCC and Ikupiatsik can be found at www.nunatukavut.ca. Please also join in the conversation at Facebook.com/nunatukavut, Twitter @nunatukavut and YouTube by searching NunatuKavut.
Media Contact
Kelly Broomfield
Director of Communications
T. 709-280-5965
E. communications@nunatukavut.ca