Benoit Aquin
By Nancianne Grey
Ulluriaq Centre is a group-home based in Montreal for Inuit youth at risk from Nunavik. The youth range from 11 to 17 years of age. Last October, a small group of youth went to visit the CDCM and observe the artifacts stored at the museum reserve. The goal of the visit was to expose the youth to their culture, and potentially promote self-awareness of their Inuit identity by showing hands-on artifacts that connect them to their ancestors. The youth were also impressed with Andy Papigatuk, who’s rather a role model for these young boys. Andy appeared to make an impression on them, so much so, that Museums Program staff considered him as a “live” artifact. It was a positive occasion for the youth to see a young urban Inuk man working in a museum reserve, learning the ways of preservation for Inuit cultural artifacts.
The next visit from Ulluriaq Centre is set for the young girls at the beginning of December.
