The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) is pleased to announce the winners of our 2020 Inuktitut song/poem contest. The contest was part of our Inuktitut Language month activities and solicited entries from all over the Qikiqtani Region.

Here are your 2021 song & poem winners.

$2500 First Place Winner, Amanda Isullutaq

Isullutaq Lives in Pangnirtung she submitted a song called Ulirnaisivut. She began singing at seven years old, attended choirs and events, and has always had the passion for singing. Isullutaq was inspired by Looee Arreak an artist that was influential to her which is why she started creating her own music. Here is a link to her song:

https://www.facebook.com/aishulutak/videos/10157848225500980

Lyrics:

Inussu aakuni urruusimajuq inungit naluliqtut naukkunirmangami Qanuqtu makilli kiinguvaat utiqtiilit sivulitta pinginni ulirniaqsailuti ** Uqausi piqqusi nalliniq tungaasunniq atulituaraimma piujuq saqqisuuq Asuillaa makippuq niqatut nirliqttut silatuniq atuliqttu inuqatimmini ippigusuttialiqtuu ulirniaqsailiqtuut.

Congratulations Amanda!

$1750 Second Place Winner, Judy Joanas

Joanas Lives in Clyde River, she submitted a poem called “Precious Fish” was the first time she’s written poetry since junior and high school. “Inuktitut is my thing,” Joanas said. “I love writing and reading in Inuktitut.”

Here is Judy’s poem.

ᐃᖃᓗᑯᓗᐃᑦ

ᐅᐱᕐᖓᒃᓵᒃᑯᑦ  ᖃᐅᒪᑎᓪᓗᒍ  ᐃᖃᓪᓕᐊᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᑕ, ᐃᓚᑯᓗᒃᐳᑦ  ᐱᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ  ᐃᓱᒫᓗᓇᖅᑐᖃᙳᐊᕐᓇᓂ.

ᐃᖃᓗᑯᓗᐃ, ᐃᖃᓗᑯᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᒃᑑᑎᐊᓗᐃᑦ  ᖃᐃᑲᑕᒃᑐᑎᒃ, ᐃᖃᓗᑯᓗᐃᑦ, ᐃᖃᓗᑯᓗᐃᑦ  ᑮᓯᑲᐅᑦᑐᕋᖅᑐᑯᓘᓪᓗᑏᒃ.

ᐊᐅᓚᓴᐃᓐᓇᕈᒪᑎᓪᓗᖓ  ᐸᕐᓇᖕᓇᖅᓯᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᒋᕗᖅ, ᐅᓯᒃᓴᖃᓗᐊᓕᕋᑦᑕᒎᖅ  ᐊᒧᔪᐊᓗᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓕᕐᓂᕋᒪ.

ᐅᑎᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᕆᕗᒍᑦ  ᐊᐅᒃᐹᓪᓕᖅᑐᐊᓘᓐᓂᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᔪᖅᓯᒃᑐᖃᑲᑕᒃᑐᓂ  ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒌᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᐊᓘᓗᑎᒃ.

Precious Fish

On a bright spring day

our family went fishing

with no worries in our minds.

Precious fish, precious fish

some are so huge that comes by,

Precious fish, precious fish

some comes by to bite so fast.

 

So wonderful I want to stay fishing

when it is announced it is time to go

I hadn’t realized I was catching too many fish

the sled will now be too full.

The snow has melted so much more

as we headed back.

Some were even getting stuck

but we helped each other so well

Congratulations Judy!

 

 

 

$700 Third Place Winner, Irene Qajaaq Willie

Irene lives in Arctic Bay she submitted a poem called “My father” she was thinking a long time about what to write and her biological father came to mind. “From there I just started writing, and I enjoyed writing it,” she said.

“It just came out of my mind and I started writing,” Qajaaq Willie said.

Here is Irene’s poem:

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᑭᓇᐅᖕᒪᖔ ᓇᓗᓚᐅᕐᑕᕋ ᓄᑕᕋᐅᑎᓪᓗᖓ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖑᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᓅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᑭᓇᐅᖕᒪᖔᓐ ᖃᐅᔨᓚᐅᕐᓯᒪᔭᕋ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᓯᑎᓪᓗᖓ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᐃᓕᕋᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᕋ ᓂᓪᓕᖅᕕᒋᔭᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᐅᕙᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᐃᕐᑳᓚᐅᕐᓯᒪᔪᖅ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᑐᙵᓇᓚᐅᕐᓯᒪᔪᖅ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᖃᐅᔨᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᓚᐅᕐᓯᒪᔭᕋ  ᐃᓐᓇᕈᖅᑎᓪᓗᖓ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᓅᔪᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᖁᔭᒋᔭᕋ

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᓇᓪᓕᒋᔭᕋ

 

My Father

I did not have the privilige of

knowing who my father was

when I was a child.

Some say he was a white man, and

to me he was just an Inuk a human.

I found out who my father was when

I became an adolescent.

I felt intimidated to say anything to him

the first time I met him.

My father approached me first.

My father was kind to me.

I was starting to get to know my father

as I was becoming an adult.

But my father passed away.

I am grateful for my father.

I love my father.

Congratulations Irene!

We want to thank all the participants who submitted their song and poems for this year’s contest. It brings us such joy to see our language incorporated into the art of music and poetry. Thanks to our judges Syola Ikkidluak and Evie Eegeesiak. Ikkidluak works as QIA’s Qimmit Revitalization Program Coordinator and Eegeesiak works as NTI’s Inuit firm registry coordinator

QIA understands the importance of our language and culture, and as a representative for this region we will do our part to consolidate our language and culture with the best practices as possible for now and future generations