Susan Avingaq

This project of inuuja is a great teaching tool for a workshop that involves our culture and to show the last three generations of the life we have lived and how it has changed, when there was little wood and metal available in inuit settlements, when most of the inuit still lived in sod houses and when only a few house where made.

From my experience , I wanted to see and imagine what they where talking about , I have been working in films as a art director and it was challenging for me because I thought I knew my culture when I was growing up , but when I had to decide on a set ,it was hard to remember and I have forgotten a lot that are important and I needed to see in order to remember how it was made and how it was u… Uqalimakkanirit

It was hard to get a new inujja because there was hardly any wood , when my father was making sled ( kamutti ) their would be small peaces and the wood was so breakable, my father made me one after he made the sled .

I did not like small animals , my inujjaa would have fur from a caribou skin firom an antler ,that is why I never use any small animal fur . when my mother first made me a sheet for a caribou skin from an alter I was soo happy . but after words I was able to use leman fur because other girls had it … Uqalimakkanirit

in the sand area we would build our houses with rocks and sand , it seemed so real , with qulliq ( oil lamp ) ,and buttons for a cup also a bucket from a lied , I didn t know where the lied came from ,we would also use matches box and gun cases for toys , we would use the small boxes for a case to play with , with the gun cases they would cut in half and make them to a small cups, a women alli… Uqalimakkanirit

we use to play with inujjaa a lot , one day I visited a relative to play inujja with her and I was using my mothers kammiks ( boots ) , as usual my litter sister found me visiting, she took the kamiks with out telling me ( she starts to laugh ) because she know I was using my mother kammiks she brough them home .… Uqalimakkanirit

Oh yes I can tell you what I remember. My mother's step sister Terase Kupaq had lots of inujja and they were properly dressed. I would cry because I wanted  one. The step mother of Paula made me one and it was tall and thin.

Rebeca starts to laugh .