The Inuit Qaujimajatuqanginnik Adventure
We Inuit are very adaptive. We are innovative. I've been thinking a lot about "sustainable communities". For millennia, Inuit lived sustainably on the land. We lived "lightly on the land": It was not our custom to slaughter beyond our needs.
When we were forced off the land, we had to adapt in a big way. It was very, very difficult. We had to find new ways to sustain ourselves. In my own lifetime, I have seen us travel from the ancient Inuit tradition to the space age.
Only fifty years ago or so, for the first time in all of Inuit history, we had to earn money to survive. This has been difficult for many reasons. For example, a hunter never wanted to sell his catch - according to ancient custom. In a market-based world, hunters still give their food, and often go hungry because it is against our belief system for them to accept money. Things are changing, slowly. The demand for country food means that perhaps, we'll have markets where hunters can sell or trade.
We had to learn and obey new laws. We were told to forget our language, and the knowledge we learned from our parents, and ancestors. Again, we adapted - and we persevered.
Inuit have the highest number of artists, per capita, in Canada. As we have adapted, art has served us well. We have preserved our culture, including our legends, through our art.
We Inuit have traveled around the world through our art, and our art has been purchased worldwide. The Government of Canada gives our art as gifts to dignitaries.
We adapted, as best we can, to the market economy. Art has given us the money we need to try to provide for our families, and because we believe in sharing, for our communities.