Description
Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut offers secondary school students, college students, and the general public with a glimpse into the cultural and traditional knowledge of the Inuit of Nunavut. The editors have compiled an extensive collection of quotes from three hundred Inuit Elders and organized these into major themes such as homes, food, clothing, naming, music and dance, leadership, justice, navigation, cosmology, shamanism, medicine, death and burial, childbirth, hunting, and gathering. The second part of the book covers the seasonal round of activities that the Inuit people followed before the introduction of Christianity. The selection of quotes was gathered from historical accounts of travellers, community oral history projects, and interviews with contemporary Inuit. The editors identify the person making the quotes and the original source. While the title may be misleading for those expecting a conventional, lineal history of Nunavut, those who read this book will find much that is new and fascinating. The editors include several colour plates of Inuit art as well as numerous black and white illustrations. The book includes a glossary of Inuit terms and phrases, a detailed index of informants, and maps. There are also helpful diagrams of the seasonal rounds of different regions of Nunavut. This is a unique resource detailing Inuit traditional knowledge.