Inuktitut

Traditionally, Inuit do not call each other by their given names. Instead, they refer to each other using a system of kinship and family terms, known as tuqurausiit (turk-thlo-raw-seet). Calling each other by kinship terms is a way to show respect and foster closeness within families. Children were named after their elders and ancestors, ensuring a long and healthy life.

As more and more Inuit refer to each other by their English first names, rather than their traditional kinship terms, the tradition of tuqurausiit is slowly disappearing. This book presents interviews with four Inuit elders from Baffin Region, Nunavut, about how names were chosen, the importance of using kinship terms, and how the practice of tuqurausiit has changed over the years. Inuit Kinship and Naming Customs helps to preserve the knowledge of this tradition for younger generations, both Inuit and non-Inuit.

Additional Information

Inuit have been hunting polar bear for centuries and have built up a rich knowledge about their habitat and behaviour-a knowledge expressed in the oral history, Inuktitut vocabulary and cultural traditions- in Inuit Qaujimaningit, or IQ. The Hunters' and Trappers' Organization of Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, Kugaaruk and Cambridge Bay share concerns over the future viability of the polar bear population in the McClintock Channel Polar Bear Management Area and about the future integrity of the related IQ. The objective was to record and communicate, as accurately as possible, the IQ of Gjoa Haven residents related to polar bears. The lessons learned from this study will enable application as a model for studies of a similar nature elsewhere.

Mark Kalluak was a respected community leader and Inuktitut specialist who was passionate about sharing Inuit culture. This book is a compilation of Kalluak’s works on traditional Inuit stories and beliefs from his home community of Arviat, Nunavut. These tales and cultural outlooks were thoughtfully collected, written in Inuktitut and English, and illustrated by Kalluak. From the origins of darkness and light, to cautionary tales of how to treat others, to explanations of taboos, this book is a noteworthy collection of traditional Inuit stories and beliefs.

Additional Information
216 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Hardcover

Umingmak likes to move slowly, taking in her beautiful surroundings. But her friends like to move quickly. She can’t keep up with them! See how Umingmak and her friends work together to solve their problem. Will they be able to come up with a solution that everyone is happy with?

Educator & Series Information
Hurry Up, Umingmak! tells the story of a group of friends who solve a problem through consensus decision-making.

Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Dual-language: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
44 pages | 8.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

Joanasie loves to live in Kinngait, Nunavut. His community may be small, but it is never boring!

Kinngait is a small community with lots to do throughout the year. Joanasie rides his bike in the summer and has snowball fights under the northern lights in the winter. And don't forget about Kinngait Studios, home of the talented artists that make Kinngait the "Capital of Inuit Art." Join Joanasie as he explains why Kinngait is a great place to live in this bilingual picture book.

Reviews
"Written by Inuit author and actress Maika Harper—best known for her role on the television series Mohawk Girls—the story reflects Inuit identity with warmth and respectful representation. Though Harper was born in Iqaluit and does not write from her lived experience in Kinngait, her cultural connection lends authenticity to the broader Inuit perspective depicted. Recommended for readers interested in northern communities, Indigenous identity, and contemporary Inuit storytelling." - Anika L., Middle School Teacher, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Dual-language: English and Inuktitut

This book is part of the Community Connections series.

I Love to Live in Kinngait teaches readers about the community dubbed the “Capital of Inuit Art.” 

Additional Information
21 pages | 8.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

What can you see? Practise your Inuktut sounds and find the hidden syllabics in the illustrations. Each page features an illustration of a word that begins with the hidden syllabic.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Dual-language: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
16 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Board Book

Lucy loves living in Arctic Bay. There are so many things to do in each season! In the winter during "the great darkness," Lucy likes watching the northern lights. She is always excited to welcome the sun back in the spring. In the summer, Lucy can't wait to go blueberry picking, camping, and eat pissi. Follow along with Lucy as she takes readers through the seasons and shares all her favourite things about living in beautiful Arctic Bay.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Dual-Language: English and Inuktitut. 

This book is part of the Community Connections series.

Additional Information
29 pages | 9.00" x 8.00" | Paperback 

Jon loves his life in the North. But when he feels a pain that won’t go away, he must go to a children’s hospital in the south to find out what is wrong. A doctor there tells Jon he has cancer and will have to stay at the hospital for a while.

Suddenly Jon’s life is upside down! But with a handful of tricks from the doctors and nurses, and new friends, Jon discovers ways to cope with some of the tricky parts of having cancer.

Accompanied by a resource guide for parents and caregivers, including hospital and support information, Jon’s Tricky Journey opens a conversation between Inuit children facing a cancer diagnosis and their families to help make a difficult and confusing time more manageable.

Educator Information
Ages 5-7.

Bilingual: Inuktitut and English.

Additional Information
70 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

The northern lights shine, women gather to eat raw caribou meat and everyone could be family in this ode to small-town life in Nunavut, written in English and Inuktitut.

Sisters Angnakuluk Friesen and Ippiksaut Friesen collaborate on this story about what it’s like to grow up in an Inuit community in Nunavut. Every line about the hometown in this book will have readers thinking about what makes their own hometowns unique. With strong social studies curriculum connections, Kisimi Taimaippaktut Angirrarijarani / ᑭᓯᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑉᐸᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕆᔭᕋᓂ / Only in My Hometown introduces young readers to life in the Canadian North, as well as the Inuit language and culture.

Angnakuluk’s simple text, translated into Inuktitut and written out in syllabics and transliterated roman characters, is complemented by Ippiksaut’s warm paintings of their shared hometown.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 3-7.

Recommended for Grades K-2.

Curriculum Connections: Health & Daily Living, Language Arts, Social Studies.

Additional Information
24 pages | 11.00" x 8.25"

Liitia can't wait to compete in the one-ski race, but she will need practice and a little help if she wants to win!

Liitia lives in Qausuittuq (Resolute Bay), Nunavut, where there is a one-ski race at the end of each spring. Liitia's grandma was always the fastest racer when she was a child, and Liitia wants to race too! She is determined to win the race at the end of the season, even with her old rusty one-ski. Join Liitia in this bilingual picture book as she prepares for the race with a little help from her Grandma.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Liitia’s One-Ski is about a young girl in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, who wants to race in a community one-ski competition. The story is inspired by a real championship that took place and the author’s memories of one-skiing while growing up in Resolute Bay.

In this story, Liitia learns the importance of trying your best and not giving up when faced with challenges as she works toward her dream. This story also demonstrates the value of good sportsmanship and supporting each other as the competition brings people together. 

This bilingual storybook is part of our Community Connections series, which is a collection of fun and engaging stories from Inuit authors that celebrate Nunavut communities.

Dual-language: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
27 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

One beautiful spring morning, a group of friends go seal hunting so they can make a delicious stew. Hungry and tired, they begin to think they’ll have to give up . . . until they finally spot a seal!

This fun book brings to life a popular song by the one-of-a-kind band The Jerry Cans.

The fast-rising Northern stars The Jerry Cans create music inspired by their hometown of Iqaluit, Nunavut. With their unique mix of Inuktitut alt-country, throat singing, and reggae, The Jerry Cans are a distinctly Northern, one-of-a-kind group. The band members perform many of their songs in Inuktitut and are passionate about preserving the language, even as the North and their home community of Iqaluit evolve. They are committed to representing Northerners and to challenging common misperceptions they have encountered about life in the Arctic; their music evokes the contemporary North and the spirited people who reside there. It is not only their political motives, but their rapidly developing reputation for getting elders and young people dancing, that has forced people to start noticing this high-energy group. This truly unique band will take you on a stroll through the streets of Iqaluit to share a glimpse of life in Arctic.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 5-7.

Delivered in a dual-language format of English and Inuktitut.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Authenticity Note: One of the members of The Jerry Cans is an Inuk accordion player and throat singer. This book has received the Authentic Indigenous Text label because of its content, the Inuktitut language, and the fact that it is written in part by an Indigenous person. It is up to readers to determine if this book is authentic for their purposes.

Mia and the monsters are looking for colours! Can you help them? In this interactive board book, children can join Mia and her monster friends as they look for different colours on the tundra.

Educator & Series Information
This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Recommended Ages: 3 - 5

Dual-Language: English and Inuktitut

Additional Information
16 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Boardbook

Featured on Anaana's Tent on APTN!

What do Mia and her monster friends wear to stay warm? Watch as Mia and the monsters get ready to play outside in the snow.

Educator & Series Information
Bilingual: English and Inuktitut

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills. 

Additional Information
16 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

"Oof! My hood is not big enough!" said Mother Fox. Who will help her?

Mother Fox loves all her babies so much. But when she tries to carry all eight of her babies on her back, her hood's not big enough! What will she do? See how her family offers to help as Mother Fox learns she does not need to carry all her babies alone.

Snuggle up and enjoy a sweet story about motherhood and family in this sweet bilingual picture book.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 - 5.

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

Includes activities for parents and teachers in a Let's Talk section.

Additional Information
24 pages | 11.00" x 14.00" | Hardcover

One rainy day, Solomon is playing inside with his sister. Their mom is cooking polar bear meat in a big pot of water. Suddenly, he trips and burns his arm in the pot of boiling water! The burn is so bad that he must travel to the health centre in the neighbouring community of Pond Inlet. Solomon has to stay in Pond Inlet until his arm heals. Even though Solomon misses his home, he likes playing with the other kids at the health centre and exploring the new and exciting community of Pond Inlet.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 7.

In My Trip to Pond Inlet children learn about the responsibility of being safe around hot water and taking care of themselves after an injury.

Dual-Language: English and Inuktitut 

This book is part of the Community Connections series.

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 10.00" | Paperback