Celebrating Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Ottawa-based Inuk guest artist Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, celebrates Canadian Inuk historian and writer Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk on National Indigenous Peoples Day. Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk championed Inuit culture throughout her life and authored the groundbreaking Inuktitut novel Sanaaq—which was later translated, and featured on bestseller lists around the world. 

Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk was born in 1931 in the small village of Kangiqsujuaq, in the northern Quebec region of Nunavik, in Canada. She spent her early years living a traditional Inuit lifestyle. As the oldest child, she was tasked with fishing and preserving skins for the village but became interested in storytelling. 

She didn’t receive a formal education until the age of twenty when local missionaries taught her to write Inuktitut in syllabics. In exchange, Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk helped them develop an Inuktitut dictionary of words, legends, and history. Impressed with her work, the missionaries asked her to write stories in her language. Despite having never read a novel, Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk began writing Sanaaq—one of the first books recorded in the Inuktitut language.

While writing Sanaaq and the Inkituit dictionary, Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk worked as a consultant for the Kativik School Commission and as a teacher in Nunavik schools. Later in her career, the Kativik School Board enlisted Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk to create the language curriculum and instruct teachers about cultural awareness. 

In 1984, Sanaaq was finally published in Inuktitut. The book detailed an authentic day-to-day life of an extended Inuit family and quickly became the most influential novel in her culture. It was later translated into other languages including French, which placed it on Montreal’s French bestseller list. 

Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk earned the Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1999 for her life's work and was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2004. Her curriculum, books, and essays are still widely used throughout Inuit schools in Northern Canada. Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk remains a cultural icon and her efforts have inspired current and future generations of Inuit storytellers. We honour her contributions towards education, preservation of language and culture, and as a role model for aspiring Inuit writers and historians - today, and every day. 

Thank you, Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk!

Inuktitut Translation

ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑕᐅᓂᖓ ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ

ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒍ, ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᐊᑐᐋᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᐃᓄᒃ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓇᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᖁᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᓐᖑᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᖅ Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona ᒐᐃᒍᓪ ᐅᔭᒐᕿ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᒃ ᑕᐃᑦᓱᒪᓂᓴᕐᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐅᖅᑎ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓂᒃ ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᕆᔭᖓᓂ. ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᒫᖓᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᑎᕋᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᔭᕆᐅᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖅ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᓴᓈᖅ - ᑖᓐᓇ ᑭᖑᕐᖓᒍᑦ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑕᐅᓂᖅᐹᖑᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᒪᕕᖓᓐᓂ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ.

ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᐃᓅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 1931-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᓇᓕᕋᓛᒥ ᑲᖏᓱᔪᐊᒥ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ ᑯᐃᐸᐃᒃ, ᑲᓇᑕ.  ᐱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᖢᓂ. ᕿᑐᕐᖓᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᖓᔪᒃᓯᖅᐹᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᔭᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᒥᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐱᔪᒪᓂᖃᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ.

ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᕙᑎᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᔪᕆᖅᑐᐃᔨᑦ ᑎᑭᒻᒪᑕ ᐃᓕᓴᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ. ᐃᓕᓴᖅᑕᐅᒐᒥ, ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᐅᓕᕐᓇᐃᖅᓯᒍᑎᓂᒃ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓄᐃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓕᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᕗᑦ. ᐱᓕᕆᔭᖓ ᐱᐅᒋᔭᐅᒐᒥ, ᐊᔪᕆᖅᑐᐃᔨᑦ ᐊᐱᕆᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᖁᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᓂ. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐊᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓴᓈᖅ - ᑖᓐᓇ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᑦᑎᐊᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ.

ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓴᓈᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᓕᕐᓇᐃᖅᓯᒍᑎᓂᒃ, ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔨᑕᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᑎᕕᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᕕᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᕐᕕᖏᓐᓂ. ᑭᖑᕐᒐᒍᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓲᔭᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑲᑎᕕᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑎᓕᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᓴᓇᖁᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᐅᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᖁᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᕚᓪᓕᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᖅᑕᐅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᖏᓐᓂᒃ.

ᐊᕐᕌᒍᐊᓂ 1984, ᓴᓈᖅ ᐅᓄᖅᓯᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐊᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ.  ᑖᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐱᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᓐ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓚᒌᖑᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑖᓐᓇ ᓴᓐᖏᔫᓂᖅᐹᖑᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᓂᑳᓕᐊᖏᓐᓂ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖓ ᐱᓪᓗᒍ.  ᑭᖑᕐᖓᒍᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᐃᕖᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᒪᓐᑐᕆᐊᒥ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑕᐅᓂᖅᐹᖑᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓄᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᐅᒪᕕᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᔭᐅᒪᔾᔪᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᖓ.

ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᐱᓪᓗᐊᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓯᕗᒧᐊᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᓂᑯᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᖅᑯᓯᐊᖓᓐᓂᒃ 1999-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᒫᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᐱᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᓂᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 2004-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐃᓕᓴᐅᑎᓕᐊᕕᓂᖏᑦ, ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐊᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓴᐅᑎᒃᓴᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᓱᓕ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕐᕕᖁᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᑉ.  ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᓱᓕ ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᖅᑎᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖓᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓕᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐊᔾᔪᒥᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᖑᕚᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ.  ᐅᐱᒋᕙᕗᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᔾᔪᑎᓕᐊᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᐅᑎᑎᒍᑦ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᐅᔨᑦᑕᐃᓕᒪᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᓯᐅᔨᑦᑕᐃᓕᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᔾᔪᒥᒋᔭᐅᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᒃᓴᓕᐅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᒻᒪᕐᓂᓴᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ - ᐅᓪᓗᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᓐ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ. 

ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ, ᒥᑎᐊᕐᔪᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ

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