Benoit Aquin
In Kangiqsujuaq, on November 30, 2007, as part of the official opening of Pingualuit National Park, a permanent exhibition housed in the new park’s Interpretation Centre and designed by Avataq Cultural Institute was inaugurated. Premier Jean Charest cut the ceremonial sealskin ribbon in the presence of elders Amaamak Jaaka and Naalak Nappaaluk. Also in attendance were Maggie Emudluk, Pita Aatami, Mary A. Pilurtuut and Charlie Arngaq.
Avataq Cultural Institue's new Board members had their first in-person meeting sice Board elections at the 17th Nunavik Inuit Elders' Conference in Kangiqsujuaq this past September.
Louis Gagnon, curator at Avataq, and I were finally able to visit to the Qajartalik petroglyph site near Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik at the end of September 2007 to verify its condition.
A new anthology of articles on Nunavik archaeology has just been released by Avataq Cultural Institute and Laval University’s CÉLAT (Centre interuniversitaire d’études sur les lettres, les arts et les traditions). The 300-page publication is titled “Des Tuniit aux Inuits. Patrimoines archéologique et historique au Nunavik,” and was produced under the direction of Daniel Arsenault (UQAM) and Daniel Gendron (Avataq Cultural Institute).
This summer, the Pukik Cultural Committee of Inukjuak started making a traditional umiaq (skin boat). They would have loved to make a large one, but due to budget constraints, they had to make the umiaq a little smaller than originally planned.
