She, Inukan exhibition to be held at the

Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art

at SUNY New Paltz

curated by Rhiannon Radu

Table of Contents

Curatorial Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

“Edith” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

“Alethea Arnaquq-Baril” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

“Inuit Women and Seals: a Relationship Like No Other” . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 9

“Lissa (left) and Patricia Deveaux grew up in Kuujjuaq,

the largest town in Nunavik.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

“Young Eskimo Woman in Fur Parka, Nome, circa 1903-1908.” . . . . . 13

“Reinstilling Pride in the Inuit Seal Hunt” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

“Studio Portrait of Eskimo Woman with Chin Tattoo,

Nome, Alaska, 1903” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

“Inuit Women Bringing Back Traditional Tattooing” . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

“Eskimo Woman and Baby, Nome” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

“Tip of Her Tongue: Tanya Tagaq - Nanook of the North” . . . . . . . . 22

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Curator Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

It would seem that the world has long forgotten the Eskimo.

The Eskimos, who were said to have been “discovered” by arctic explorers in the early 20th century, would seem to be extinct, forever frozen in the abandoned regions of yesteryear. Perhaps the world should leave the Eskimo in the past. Why? Because they are not Eskimos.

The people native to this polar region of the world are called the Inuit. A self-given name, Inuit means, “the people.”

The Inuit would not refer to themselves as “eskimo.” “Eskimo” as we have come to know it, is an outdated term rooted in colonialism, possessing a history of having been used in a derogatory way. It was rumored to mean “eaters of raw flesh.” This allowed explorers with privilege and credibility in “civilized” Western society to use the term casually, with the assumption that the Inuit were uncultured and uncivilized. The assumption that the term “eskimo” would not harm the Inuit was largely wrong. By establishing the common belief that the Inuit were a race of undeveloped savages, a great disservice was done to them. In disregarding the significance of their culture, it became acceptable to tuck the Inuit away in the repositories of history museums, dioramas made to collect dust.

With this exhibition, we are given the opportunity to see the Inuit for who they are; people struggling to survive on scarce resources, while honoring their ancestors, traditions, and way of life in a contemporary context.

The Inuit may initially appear to be a group of people who are hard to relate to. They live in the coldest reaches of the earth and fight to stay alive on a day-to-day basis, a struggle which foils the life of convenience so many members of our society have. Their population is small and they rely on hunting to survive.

While they seem to exist on the fringes of the modern day, one particular group of Inuit have much in common with their lower-latitude counterparts.

Like so many women across the globe, the women in Inuit culture are disadvantaged, as they face the struggle to survive. To the systematic oppression that the Inuit face is added the expectations of women within their culture. The difficulty of locating information and images speaks to the fact that Inuit women have been underrepresented in a race that already lacks accurate representation.

This exhibition gives viewers the opportunity to empower these people in a very simple way. Inuit women are a part of today’s global community and deserve to be recognized as individual members with plenty to contribute to contemporary society. By simply giving them recognition, by truly seeing them, we can offer them solidarity and support.

This exhibition offers a collection of images that provide interesting juxtaposition between images of the “eskimo” woman and the Inuk of present day. In comparing the photos “Inuit Women and Seals: a Relationship like No Other” and “Lissa (left) and Patricia Deveaux grew up in Kuujjuaq, the largest town in Nunavik”, we can begin to understand the effect of time on Inuit culture and the impact it has on the Inuk woman.

She, Inuk invites viewers to consider the role of the female

Inuk within her culture, opening the dialogue regarding the

hardships the Inuit have faced, their significance, and

possible solutions.

RHIANNON RADUCURATOR

“Ester.”Gerhard Sisters.

1 Jan. 1970.Library of Congress.

5

“Alethea Arnaquq-Baril” n.d.

As featured in "ALETHEA ARNAQUQ-BARIL",INuit Blanche, inuitblanche.com,

6

“Edith”

“Alethea Arnaquq-Baril”

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, the woman pictured in the self-titled image, is a contemporary Inuit filmmaker. Her most recent project is Angry Inuk, a film directed from an Inuit perspective. The film explores the impact of the ban on commercial sealing and the seal-skin trade on the Inuit livelihood.

Activist groups like PETA and Greenpeace campaign against sealing and influence the public to boycott sealskin products by insisting that the seal hunts are a gruesome slaughter. However, these activist groups often do more harm than good. The seal skin trade is the lifeblood of Inuit communities. With anti-sealer groups bombarding the public with negative messages, people no longer bought sealskin, and Inuit communities were devastated. For the Inuit, “The use of the seal is more than practical; it is a way to build relationships and transmit culture and represents an entire belief system and way of life” (Dobbin). In condemning the practice, these groups caused the Inuit to lose a large part of their culture.

The voices of well known anti-sealer groups with enormous campaign budgets use their power and

influence to dominate the impoverished Inuit.

The perspective of these anti-sealer groups make the Inuit out to be murderers. This only widens the gap between wealthy activist groups and the Inuit.

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril offers an previously unheard perspective, countering the claims made by anti-sealers. As the seal trade diminishes, the Inuit become entrenched in poverty, lacking the resources to survive, let alone fight for their rights. In making Angry Inuk, Arnaquq-Baril makes audible the cry of the Inuk, which had for so long only fallen on deaf ears.

In the past, the explorer has been the one aiming the lens, making visible their point of view and often ignoring the perspective of the subject. In staged portraits like “Ester,” the power of their representation has been in the hands of the explorers.

Arnaquq-Baril advocates for the contemporary Inuk by allowing the Inuit to be the ones representing themselves. She gives them the opportunity to fight for their own survival, by encouraging them to voice their struggles and seek solidarity by asking the public to acknowledge them.

The Inuit are not extinct.

“Inuit Women and Seals: a Relationship like No Other.”Dobbin, Julie. n.d.Library and Archives Canada Blog

9

10

“Lissa (left) and Patricia Deveaux grew up in Kuujjuaq, the largest town in Nunavik.”

Patricia Deveaux1 November 2017

nationalobserver.com

“Inuit Women and Seals: a Relationship

like No Other.”

“Lissa (left) and Patricia Deveaux grew

up in Kuujjuaq, the largest town in

Nunavik.”

Cultural identity crisis is a prevalent issueamong adolescent Inuit in contemporary society.Growing up in the face of constant adversity isincredibly discouraging, on top of the challengesalready present in the formative years of life.Among innumerable concerns, young Inuitwomen face climate change, rising suicide rates,and inadequate schooling that doesn’t suit theirneeds. The list seems unending and cannot offermuch encouragement for young people.Preoccupied with worry about the future oftheir families, communities, and culture, it is nowonder that people like Patricia and LissaDeveaux graduate high school having lost peersto suicide. These young women are often forcedto make the choice between cultures, as stayingin their hometowns would seem to offer themlittle formal education and by extension,rewarding careers.

In the article “For Young Inuit, Getting an Education Can Mean Choosing Between Cultures,” Selena Ross explains the story of Patricia Deveaux, a bright young Inuk woman who moved to Montreal to pursue a college education. After moving south to Montreal, she found herself feeling alienated and returned home to Nunavik shortly after. Deveaux managed to avoid the narrative of so many other “young Inuit, poorly prepared for the working world, who move south and spiral into poverty and violence” (Ross).

Her time away gave Deveaux the opportunity to see the value in the Inuit way of life. Like many other Inuit her age, she is motivated to stay in Nunavik due to the overwhelming concerns caused by climate change. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Inuit youths are motivated to take pride in their heritage and care for their land.

In embracing their Inuit identity, young Inuit revive their culture and find a way to navigate contemporary society.

The young Inuk is growing and learning.

“Young Eskimo Woman in Fur Parka, Nome, circa 1903-1908.”Dobbs, B. B.Digital Public Library of America

13

“Reinstilling Pride in the Inuit Seal Hunt.” Quinn, Eilís

7 October 2015Eye on the Arctic

Radio Canada International

14

“Young Eskimo Woman in Fur

Parka, Nome, circa 1903-1908.”

“Reinstilling Pride in the Inuit

Seal Hunt.”

The Inuit and the land they inhabit face an uncertain future. Aaju Peter, the woman in the photo “Reinstilling Pride in the Inuit Seal Hunt,” is an Inuit activist and artist, who was featured in Alethea Arnaquq-Baril’s documentary Angry Inuk. In the film, Peter and several other Inuit traveled to a conference in Europe to make their case for the seal skin trade. Aaju Peter designs clothing using seal skin, blending Inuit tradition and contemporary fashion design. She is also a well-respected lawyer with skills that help her navigate the legal challenges the Inuit face.

She speaks often at conferences across the world, advocating for Inuit rights. She recognizes the importance of preserving her culture and has devoted her life’s work to defending the Inuit.

Looking at the history of the Inuit and the influence on them by people outside their culture, we can see that the oppression is long running. Colonialism brought with it the idea that the Inuit would have to assimilate into Western culture and abandon their traditions. Western values were imposed on the Inuit, stripping them of their identity, on their own turf.

The devastation continues today. With the ban on the trade of seal products, Inuit communities silently fall to the wayside.

Much like the woman in “Young Eskimo Woman in Fur Parka, Nome, circa 1903-1908,” Peter dons her seal skin, prepared to defend her people, despite an uncertain future.

Aaju Peter speaks on behalf of the Inuit, who for so long have been silenced by poverty, disease, and their own need to survive, making their quiet voices heard.

The Inuit must be heard.

“Studio Portrait of Eskimo Woman with Chin Tattoo, Nome, Alaska, 1903.”Dobbs, B. B.Alaska, Western Canada and United States,University of Washington Digital Library

17

“Inuit Women Bringing Back Traditional Tattooing”Zingel, Avery

2 June 2016 CKLB Radio 101.9

18

“Studio Portrait of Eskimo Woman

with Chin Tattoo, Nome, Alaska,

1903.”

“Inuit Women Bringing Back

Traditional Tattooing”

Angela Hovak Johnston, a seamstress featured in the article and photo titled “Inuit Women Bringing Back Traditional Tattooing,” sought out tattoo artists who knew traditional Inuit tattooing techniques.

Prior to the arrival of Christian missionaries, it was the norm in Inuit society for women to receive tattoos that marked significant life events. Upon their arrival to Inuit territory, the missionaries banned tattoos. Women with tattoos were shamed and their successors would not follow suit. A lasting impression was made and subsequent generations rejected the Inuit tradition of tattooing.

Searching high and low for female Inuit tattooers, Johnston found none at first.

Johnston stated, “It took me a long time cause there was nobody doing traditional tattoos anymore. In history it was the seamstress stitching the tattoos on. There was nobody who remembered seeing how it was done” (Zingel).

After some time, Johnston located a young Inuit tattooer and soon after learned the technique herself. She now offers traditional tattoos to Inuit women, utilizing the traditional method of threading a bone needle and sinew through the skin. Johnston argues that Inuit women “get the first choice of getting the tattoos that were taken away from us. It shouldn’t be a trend. It shouldn’t be so easy for other people to get it when it’s still so hard for Inuit women to get” (Zingel).

By offering traditional tattoos to Inuit women, Johnston is helping them to embrace and honor their Inuit heritage, restoring a part of them once diminished.

The Inuit are working to revive their culture.

“Eskimo Woman and Baby, Nome.” Alaska, Western Canada and United States,University of Washington Digital Library

21

“Tip of Her Tongue: Tanya Tagaq - Nanook of the North.”1 Oct. 2016

Williger, Jonathan.The Broad

22

“Eskimo Woman and Baby, Nome.”

“Tip of Her Tongue: Tanya Tagaq - Nanook of the

North.”

In Inuit culture, it was customary for the women to stay behind with the children when the men went hunting. As a means of entertainment, the women would throat sing. Throat singing functioned as a game. Two women would stand face to face and embrace each other, while creating rhythmic sounds with their respiratory system. The woman who lost her breath or laughed first lost the game. The sounds they made mimicked the sounds of their environment. This game of throat singing functioned as entertainment, a reason to gather, and an important Inuit tradition. When Christian missionaries arrived, they were disturbed by its unfamiliar sounds. This kind of singing sounded demonic to the missionaries, and without hesitation, they banned its practice.

Tanya Tagaq is a vocalist and performer from Cambridge Bay in the Canadian Provence of Nunavut. She uses traditional Inuit throat singing techniques in a contemporary way. Traditional throat singing was practiced by two women, while Tagaq sings solo. She is accompanied by instrumentalists who create soundscapes as vast and sweeping as the tundra.

Tanya Tagaq revives and reinterprets the lost art of throat singing to speak about the dismantling of Inuit identity by outside forces.

Tagaq uses throat singing as a platform to speak about climate change and the injustices that Inuit have faced for decades.

In a recent times, Tagaq posted a picture of her infant child poised beside a dead seal on social media. Anti-sealers lunged at the opportunity to condemn her, labeling her as a murderer and criticizing her for comparing her own child to a dead animal.

Tagaq and her community saw this photo as a cute one, with no malice behind it. Tagaq and her community were excited to share this seal brought in by a hunter. What anti-sealer activists fail to understand is that the seal is a symbol of prosperity. Given the scarcity of resources, when a hunter is lucky enough to find and seal and kill it, the entire community benefits.

Each family takes home a portion of the meat, as every part of the seal is used. The hide can be sold, giving the hunter the ability to continue hunting by providing him with money for gas and food. Skin is also used for clothing and footwear, which provides work for local seamstresses and designers. No part of the seal goes to waste. The seal trade is the backbone of the Inuit community. Without the seal trade, the Inuit waste away in their northern reaches.

Condemned by outsiders for their hunting practices, Tanya Tagaq uses her music to defend the Inuit, their culture, and their rights, by giving them a voice.

The Inuit defend their culture.

The narratives of the Inuit women featured in this exhibition offer viewers a look into how the Inuit have been affected by exterior forces such as colonialism and climate change, both in the past and in the present. Heavily impacted by western influence, Inuit culture has been forced to shift, just as glaciers have melted and shifted following the change of the Earth’s climate. Despite being met with apathy and antipathy throughout history, the Inuit persevere and continue to defend their culture.If we choose to ignore the Inuit, we ignore problems that all of humanity faces.

In simply recognizing and being aware of the contemporary Inuk, we can begin to reshape our perception of the Inuit. The issues that the Inuit face are not entirely exclusive. Issues of poverty, education, and representation extend to all reaches of humanity. In giving recognition to the Inuit, we are given the opportunity to lend support and address issues that humanity faces, motivating us to contribute to finding solutions that we can all benefit from. It is imperative to hear the voice of the Inuk and give the Inuit the dignity they have long deserved.

The Inuit must no longer be silenced.

Sources:

o “2007-09-07 013 Palmer Visit” Ice types: Pancake Ice, University of Texas at San Antonio, SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic),http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/antarctica/simba/pictures/album/Ice%20Types/Pancake%20Ice/index.html Accessed 2 May 2018

o “200709090035” Ice types: Pancake Ice, University of Texas at San Antonio, SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic),http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/antarctica/simba/pictures/album/Ice%20Types/Pancake%20Ice/index.html Accessed 2 May 2018.

"ALETHEA ARNAQUQo -BARIL", INuit Blanche,www.inuitblanche.com/aletheaarnaquqbaril.html. Accessed 9 April 2018

Arnaquqo -Baril, Alethea, director. Angry Inuk. 2016.

Descho , Bruno. “Inuit Throat-Singing.” Inuit Throat-Singing,www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/inuit.htm. Accessed 9 April 2018.

Dobbin, Julie. “Inuit Women and Seals: a Relationship like No Other.” Library and Archiveso

Canada Blog, Library and Archives Canada Blog, 24 Jan. 2017,thediscoverblog.com/2017/01/20/inuit-women-and-seals-a-relationship-like-no-other/. Accessed 1May 2018.

Dobbs, B. B. “Studio Portrait of Eskimo Woman with Chin Tattoo, Nome, Alaska, o 1903.” Alaska,Western Canada and United States,cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/alaskawcanada/id/3291. Accessed 9 April 2018.

Dobbs, B. B. “Young Eskimo Woman in Fur Parka, Nome, circa o 1903-1908.” Digital Public Libraryof America, cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/alaskawcanada/id/6365. Accessed 9April 2018.

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“Eskimo Woman and Baby, Nome.” Alaska, Western Canada and United States, University of o

Washington Digital Library, cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/alaskawcanada/id/623. Accessed 9 April 2018.

Frank, Priscilla. “The Inuit Punk Throat Singer Fighting To Protect Indigenous Women.”o The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2 Nov. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tanya-tagaq-throat-singer-inuit_us_58177a00e4b0390e69d190a7. Accessed 9 April 2018.

Gerhard Sisters. “Ester.” o Library of Congress, 1 Jan. 1970, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.31606. Accessed9 April 2018.

Giffeno , Naomi Musmaker. The ro ̂les of men and women in Eskimo culture. 1930. Retrieved from theDigital Public Library of America<http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000560841>. Accessed 9April 2018

Gregoireo , Lisa. “Manitoba Artist Makes ‘Royal Robe’ for Nunavut's Lady of the Seal.”NunatsiaqNews , 18 Sept. 2017,nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674manitoba_artist_makes_royal_robe_for_nunavuts_lady_of_the_seal/. Accessed 9 April 2018.

“OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA” Ice types: Pancake Ice, University of Texas at San Antonio,o

SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic),http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/antarctica/simba/pictures/album/Ice%20Types/Pancake%20Ice/index.html Accessed 2 May 2018.

Ostroffo , Joshua. “'Angry Inuk' Explores the Inuit Fight to Protect the Seal Hunt.” The Huffington Post,19 Nov. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/11/19/angry-inuk-film_n_12527482.html. Accessed 2May 2018.

“Po 9060480” Ice types: Pancake Ice, University of Texas at San Antonio, SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic),http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/antarctica/simba/pictures/album/Ice%20Types/Pancake%20Ice/index.html Accessed 2 May 2018

o “Pancake ice and frazil” Ice types: Pancake Ice, University of Texas at San Antonio, SIMBA (Sea IceMass Balance in the Antarctic),http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/antarctica/simba/pictures/album/Ice%20Types/Pancake%20Ice/index.html Accessed 2 May 2018.

o “Pancake ice incoming Palmer Station” Ice types: Pancake Ice, University of Texas at San Antonio,SIMBA (Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic),http://www.utsa.edu/lrsg/antarctica/simba/pictures/album/Ice%20Types/Pancake%20Ice/index.html Accessed 2 May 2018.

o Patricia Deveaux “Lissa (left) and Patricia Deveaux grew up in Kuujjuaq, the largest town inNunavik.” As featured in “For Young Inuit, Getting an Education Can Mean Choosing betweenCultures.” Ross, Selena. National Observer, 20 Nov. 2017,www.nationalobserver.com/2017/11/01/news/which-way-knowledge-young-inuit-getting-education-can-mean-choosing-between-cultures. Accessed 9 April 2018.

o Quinn, Eilís. “Reinstilling Pride in the Inuit Seal Hunt.” Eye on the Arctic, Radio CanadaInternational, 7 October 2015, www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2015/10/07/reinstilling-pride-in-the-inuit-seal-hunt/. Accessed 9 April 2018.

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o Williger, Jonathan. “Tip of Her Tongue: Tanya Tagaq - Nanook of the North.”The Broad, 1 Oct.2016, https://www.thebroad.org/programs/tip-her-tongue-tanya-tagaq nanook-north Accessed 9April 2018.

o Zingel, Avery. “Inuit Women Bringing Back Traditional Tattooing.” CKLB Radio 101.9, 2 June 2016,cklbradio.com/inuit-women-bringing-back-traditional-tattooing/. Accessed 9 April 2018.

My interest in the struggle of the Inuit developed out of discovering the music of Tanya Tagaq. Immediately, I was drawn in by her vocal style and physical performance. I quickly made a place for her and her music in my heart, as I adore her music and appreciate her message. Since discovering her, I have created several works surrounding the tradition of Inuit throat singing.

Tanya Tagaq champions Inuit issues through her music, making a compelling case for why we should respect the earth, and by extension, the Inuit and their culture.

Tanya Tagaq’s music opened doors for my understanding of the Inuit and their respect for the environment. Living in rural upstate New York, I love and appreciate our natural surroundings. Having lived in a rural community, I also have seen the impact of poverty on disadvantaged people’s survival. Informed by my own experience, I could begin to comprehend a fraction of what the Inuit go through. I believe that the Inuit deserve to be heard and seen and this is my opportunity to give them recognition.

RHIANNON RADU