Iqaluit, Nunavut – February 28, 2019 – The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) is excited to announce the winners of our 2019 Inuktitut song/poem contest. The contest, which was part of our Inuktitut Language month activities, solicited entries from all over Qikiqtani.

“It’s fantastic to see the creativity and ingenuity of Inuit in our Qikiqtani communities,” says QIA president P.J. Akeeagok, “these songs and poems are affirmations of the connection young Inuit have to our language, culture and history.”

The contest winners are:

• First Prize, $400 winner – Miali Coley-Sudlovenick from Iqaluit
  • Miali is a teacher at Joamie School
  • She shared her poem on a podcast she created to promote Inuktitut which she shared on Facebook
  • Her poem “Uvva Aijaijaaliuqtuq” (Making of an Aijaijaa) describes traveling by dogsled and taking-in the sights and sounds of the land – an experience that connects the poet to her ancestors

• Second prize, $300 winner – Jesse Tuluraqjuk from Igloolik
  • He graduated from Ataguttaaluk High School and Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa
  • He is a substitute teacher at Ataguttaaluk High School
  • Jesse submitted a song via email titled “Majurainnari” (Keep Climbing) about following your dreams, being positive and achieving your goals

• Third prize, $200 winner – Becky Han, originally from Arctic Bay
  • She is a musician who has established a huge online following with her videos and posts featuring Inuktitut songs
  • Becky was the winner of the 2018 QIA song and Poem contest and the 2016 winner of the Government of Nunavut’s Qilaut children’s song contest
  • Becky submitted a video of a love song titled “Kiligalaaksimajut” (Small Cuts) via Facebook

Copies of the winning submissions are available on the QIA website and social media accounts.

For more information, please contact:

Sima Sahar Zerehi, Director of Communications, Qikiqtani Inuit Association

szerehi@qia.cam

867.975.8413

1.800.667.2742