The Carver: Toonoo Sharky
Carving is usually the first thing that comes to mind when people think about northern art. But just like other art forms in the Arctic, carving is evolving and changing. Toonoo Sharky is a longtime carver and has developed an instantly recognizable style that’s become a favourite of collectors. In fact, it’s hard to find an Inuit art gallery in Canada, that doesn’t have his work as part of their collection. When Eye on the Arctic travelled to Nunavut, Sharky talked to us about his craft and his hopes for the next generation of northern carvers. (Video: Interview with Toonoo Sharky) Images courtesy of Spirit Wrestler Gallery; Vancouver, B.C.

The New Raw
Art in the North is changing. While traditional art is still quite popular around the world, Inuit artists are increasingly interested in creating art that reflects today’s reality; visual reflections on social change and climate change. To date, the South has largely ignored THE NEW RAW coming from the North. Journalist Eilís Quinn explores what this means, and whether the South may be missing out on something truly historic, and important.

The Rebel: Jutai Toonoo
Artists often say they create art for themselves and don’t care what other people think. But when Eye on the Arctic tracked down Jutai Toonoo working in studio, we got the sense that he really, really meant it. Toonoo uses human imagery to explore identity issues and cultural conflict in the North. Many experts say he’s producing some of the most provocative contemporary artwork to ever come out of the Arctic. But as for all the rest, there’s no better person to tell you about it than Jutai Toonoo himself. Here he is in his own words. (Video: In the Studio with Jutai Toonoo). Images courtesy of Dorset Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario; Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, Vancouver, B.C.

The Printer – Niveaksie Quvianaqtuliaq
The Cape Dorset art story has been told thousands of times over. But no matter who tells it and how, the printers who actually produce the physical lithographs and stone cuts, often get left out of the narrative. But many art experts consider these printers the unsung heros of the Cape Dorset success story. So Eye on the Arctic wanted its visitors to meet one. Niveaksie Quvianaqtuliaq has been working at Kinngait Studios for almost two decades. Here, Quvianaqtuliaq explains how he, and his fellow printers, work to create the perfect image and what working on the Cape Dorset print collection has meant to him both professionally and personally. (Video: Interview with Niveaksie Quvianaqtuliaq)

The Pioneer: Kenojuak Ashevak
Canadian artist Kenojuak Ashevak has arguably become the symbol of Arctic art. Her work is found in prestigious museum and private collections around the world. Ashevak was gracious enough to sit down with Eye on the Arctic to discuss her work, her success and what she really thinks about the next generation of Northern artists. Image courtesy of Dorset Fine Arts, Toronto, Ontario.

The Up and Comer, Ningeokuluk Teevee
There is little consensus on what the future of Inuit art will or should look like. But there is one thing almost everyone can agree on Ningeokuluk Teevee will certainly be part of it. Her work has broad appeal. Collectors of traditional Inuit art snap up her work depicting ancient legends while those looking for edgier northern art gravitate to her drawings depicting contemporary life in the North.

Losing Their Words
Can a pan-Inuit dialect ensure the survival of the Inuit language across the Arctic? In this documentary, Eilís Quinn follws the unique linguistic journey of an aspiring MC from Nunavut. She also interviews Canadian, Alaskan and Greenland Inuit from the world of hip-hop, theatre, film, literature and linguistics, finding unique perspectives on the future of the Inuit language. She examines the truths, divisions and controversy behind this highly complex issue. Some think standardizing the Inuit language is the solution, others worry standardization would erode local Inuit cultures.

Interview with Aqqaluk Lynge
Aqqaluk Lynge is the current chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council and the president of the ICC– Greenland. In this in-depth interview, Lynge reads from his poem “The Sound of my Song” and discusses how standardizing the Inuit language writing system would increase Inuit political and cultural clout on the world stage and help heal the scars of colonialism across the Arctic

Sixteen Minutes With TuuMotz
Meet TuuMotz, one of the founders of Nuuk Posse, Greenland’s seminal hip-hop group and now a solo artist. Here he opens up about his life, why rapping in the Inuit language is so important to him and how hip-hop can build bridges between young people across the Arctic. Music courtesy of Atlantic Music ApS.

Aurore boreale
Experience the Northern Lights as seen from Nuuk, Greenland in March 2010

Arctic Mush - Joelie And His Dogs
Eilis Quinn interviews Joelie Sanguya, Inuit hunter and musher, as he prepares to go out on the land. He discusses how he communicates with the dogs on his sled team, training methods, the language he uses to train the dogs, and how the dogs on his team interact with each other. Joelie and his dogs are co-dependent to survive on the Arctic tundra, and he has a special relationship with each one of them.

Seal Ban – The Inuit Impact
The EU ban on seal products has profoundly affected Canada’s Inuit community. Despite the fact that the Inuit are exempt from the ban, they no longer have a market for sealskins; a by-product of their subsistence hunt. This short documentary brings together commentary from Inuit hunters, community leaders and an emotional testimonial from Lisa Eetuk Ishulutak, who is affected by the ban because she is learning Fur Design at the Arctic College, and her main design material is sealskin.

Canadian Rangers – The Watchers
Part traditional Inuit knowledge, part modern military technique, the Canadian Rangers are increasingly relied upon by the Canadian government to keep watch in the North. A volunteer force, they assert sovereignty, and are ready and able to engage in search and rescue missions. Story by Levon Sevunts.

Fitting A Fur
An interview with Diane Giroux, a fashion designer and a seamstress that came to the Arctic hoping to pass on her skills to help Inuit women escape poverty. She explains what is being taught at Iqaluit’s Arctic College, and how it relates to Inuit culture and modern-day fashion.

Arctic Rescue: Tom Smitheringale
The story of the dramatic Arctic rescue of Australian polar adventurer Tom Smitheringale made international headlines in mid-April in 2010. Smitheringale, who was trying to become the first Australian and only the third person to complete a solo unsupported trek to the North Pole, fell through the ice just a few days short of his objective. He was rescued by the Canadian military and brought to the Canadian Forces Station Alert, a closed signals intelligence facility on the northernmost tip of Canada, in the High Arctic. Radio Canada International’s Levon Sevunts was the only journalist to film Smitheringale’s arrival at Alert after he was plucked off the ice by his rescuers.

Changing sea Ice: The Ripple Effect
Greenlandic Scientiest Lene Kielsen Holm talks about the importance of sea ice in Inuit culture. Video by Radio Canada International journalist, Eilis Quinn.

Nunavut Ice Monitoring
Teema Qillaq gives a tour of one of Clyde River’s ice and snow monitoring stations.

Lavina’s Story
Starting in 1950s, the Arctic’s semi-nomadic Inuit were moved into permanent communities by the Canadian government. Children were often sent to Church-run schools far away from their families and communities. Funded by the federal government, these schools were set up to assimilate Inuit and First Nations children into Western culture. Many children at these schools were abused.Referred to by many Northerners as ’The Trauma’, these events continue to affect the physical and mental health of Inuit today. Sexual abuse and alcohol and drug dependency have skyrocketed. Suicide rates among Canada’s Inuit are now 11 times the national average, one of the highest rates in the world. Though many Canadians are aware of these shocking statistics, they may not be familiar with the human face behind the numbers. Lavinia Curley lives in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut and she wanted to change that. This is her story.