Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project

Nunatsiaq News - Nanisiniq film premier at 18th Inuit Studies Conference

A research team of Inuit youth from Arviat screen their film “Nanisiniq” to an audience of conference-goers at the 18th Inuit Studies Conference, which took place this past week in Washington D.C. Hosted by Curtis Konek, Amy Owingayak and Jordan Konek from Arviat, the première of the film drew a large crowd to the Smithsonian Institute. The film documents two years of travel and work by the research team of the Arviat Nanisiniq history project as they interviewed elders in Arviat and traveled to the U.N. climate change conference in Durbanm South Africa to talk about climate change and its impacts on Inuit and Inuit culture. Asked how she felt about the film, a member of the audience said “it moved me to tears to understand how much these young people overcame to do this work and to see what a great job they have done of representing their history and culture.” The conference, which drew researchers from Greenland, Russia, Alaska and Canada, wraps up this weekend. (PHOTO BY FRANK TESTER)