The Qikiqtani Inuit Association held it’s first interpreter translator conference February 3-6, 2025 in Iqaluit.
This conference was a year in the planning with 55 participants from all over the Qikiqtani region. Robert Watt, a well-respected Inuk from Nunavik, facilitated the week-long conference. Robert is with the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages in Ottawa and has long worked in different fields of language preservation.
QIA wanted to host the gathering with goals to see where more resources and support is needed for Interpreter Translators to thrive in their profession. Also, to give interpreter translators a chance to share their experiences and knowledge with the younger generation striving to get into the field.
The gathering consisted of Interpreter Translators with varying degrees of experience, media at CBC who take care of Inuktitut news, and students taking the Interpreter Translator course at the Nunavut Arctic College.
The gathering allowed space and encouraged open discussions around the creation of Inuktitut terminology, resources gathering and sharing and providing input on the gaps that are evident between organizations, governments and freelancers for the creation terminology.
Presenters from Inuit Uqausiit Taiguusiliuqtiit, The Nunavut Language Commission, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Pirurvik were invited to speak at the gathering, and they spoke of the work they do around language preservation and promotion. This gave a better understanding of language authorities in the region and where individuals may go for questions or supports.
During the 4-day gathering, the participants shared how grateful they were to have this as a means of sharing experiences, creating terminology and the ways they take care of each other and themselves during difficult meetings and difficult topics. Mental and emotional support is very important in this line of work – we found that difficult discussion do not just filter through in their interpretation work but also has affected them and their personal lives. How they have overcome these challenges and experiences were shared, hoping to benefit the students as well as others in the field that often work alone.
This gathering was also beneficial to the students taking the NAC course, to ask questions or just learn lived experiences from seasoned interpreter translators.
Interpreter Translators play a pivotal role in communications and have helped shape the creation of National Inuit Organizations and Governments in all levels. They play an important and key role for decision makers and leaders, health care workers and many others that rely on them to interpret information that unilingual Inuit may not have understood otherwise.
Although this was the first QIA interpreter translator conference, it was clear that more of these gatherings are important and are much needed. The more we support Interpreter translators that we have now, the more we learn and support the interpreter translators of the future.
