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THE INUIT
Did you know that several anthropologist consider the Inuit as one of the most inventive people of the earth? Among other things, they developed protection glasses made out of bones, deer antlers and ivory, in order to protect themselves from the blinding rays of the sun reflecting on the snow.
DÉLICE BORÉALE
Délice Boréal Inuit teas are an initiative of the Avataq Cultural Institute. Created in 1980, the Institute was inspired by the Inuit Elders of Nunavik, who wanted to preserve their language, culture and heritage. The Institute is now seen as an international resource on Inuit culture.
This project is a national first in economic development. "This is the first time the Inuit have used their native flora to create a commercial product," notes Bruno Pilozzi, who manages the project. "Since only a few elderly people still know and use plants in the traditional way, it was important to preserve their knowledge before it disappeared along with them."
A pilot project for the teas has been under way in Inuit communities for the past two years. "We wanted to be sure that the Nunavimmiut, the inhabitants of Nunavik, actually liked the flavour of the teas and that they were proud to see this product on the market. It will be an effective way to promote our culture," Watt says. So far, the teas have been very well received. Many Inuit said drinking the teas took them back to their childhood.
The Delice Boreal teas will be officially launched in the marketplace at SIAL, the International Exhibition of Food, Beverages, Wines and Spirits in Montreal in March 2001. For more information, visit the Web site of the Avataq Cultural Institute at www.avataq.qc.ca. Photos : Avataq Cultural Institute. TAQRAMIUT PRODUCTIONS INC. Taqramiut Productions Inc. (TPI) is one of the only entirely Inuit-owned film production houses in Quebec. It is also one of the only companies in the province to produce documentaries on Aboriginal subjects. Founded in 1996, it already has an impressive video library. TPI is the commercial subsidiary of Taqramiut Nipingat Inc. (TNI), an Inuit community radio and television station that has operated in Nunavik (Northern Quebec) for the past 26 years. Both companies' mission is to promote Inuit culture. TPI, however, puts more emphasis on documentaries for national and international markets.
"To make sure our work has an Aboriginal feel, we train Inuit to write scenarios, do research, operate cameras, edit films and even produce," says Bernard Beaupré, one of TPI's founders. "They are the best placed to talk about their history and culture, and I want them to feel as capable of doing the job as non-Aboriginal people." TPI helps give them the tools they need. "The creation of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) in 1999 gave us a great running start," Beaupré adds. The firm earns a big percentage of its revenue from films produced specifically for the new channel. The rest comes from corporate productions and other television channels. "In addition to post-synchronization and translation into English, French and various Aboriginal languages, we offer our expertise in northern logistics to production firms from the South, and especially from Europe. We prepare foreign film crews for work in Aboriginal environments, and keep an eye on them during the process," explains Beaupré. Although his roots are Montagnais, Beaupré has worked in Nunavik for more than 30 years. His knowledge of Inuit culture is extremely useful in planning northern production work. "Film planning requires a good knowledge of Inuit lifestyles," he stresses. For example, entire villages can empty out during the time of the goose and caribou migrations, as well as during walrus and whale hunting. "We always plan for two components in our scenarios, one modern and the other traditional," he notes. "If everyone has gone hunting, we can always go and find them and film them anyway." TPI employs Aboriginal people both at its administrative centre in Montréal, and in the villages of Nunavik. "We work a lot with people from these regions because TNI has offices in Salluit, Puvirnituk and Kuujjuaq," Beaupré says. TPI makes an important economic contribution to the Inuit communities. "We spend a huge amount of money on air tickets with Air Inuit and First Air, not to mention hotels, restaurants and guides, and snowmobile or canoe rental. In fact, around 80 percent of our funds are spent in the North, compared with 20 percent in the South." Taqramiut Productions' goal is to provide Inuit with the training they need to produce films independently themselves on site, and meet the demands of commercial production. Telephone Taqramiut Productions at (514) 637-8284. The Abenakis
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| Last Updated: 2004-04-23 | 
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Important Notices | ||||||||||||||||||||
The
Inuit are part of the Eskimo-Aleutian linguistic family. They account for more
than 9,500, of which more than 8,700 are living in northern villages. They are
part of the signatories of the 1978 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
From the 16 Inuit communities, 14 of them are located on the Nunavik Terrotiry
and two in the James Bay bassin. Their names are: Akulivik, Aupaluk, Chisasibi,
Inukjuak, Ivujivik, Kangiqsuallujjuaq, Kangiqsujuaq, Kangirsuk, Kuujjuaq, Kuujjuarapik,
Puvirnituq, Quatqaq, Salluit, Taqpangajul, Tasiujaq and Umiujaq. Prior to European
arrival, the Nunavik Inuit were nomadic and survived thanks to land and sea
resources. They found what they needed to survive according to the cycle of
seasons.
In
1998, the Institute's president, Robert Watt, had the idea of creating a commercial
enterprise based on products that Inuit used. The goal was to find new sources
of financing for the Institute, as well as to promote Inuit culture internationally.
Given the Inuit fondness for drinking tea, and the Institute's research on medicinal
plants, the Institute decided to undertake a marketing project for teas based
on five plants originating in the tundra.
"Tea
bags are easier to handle than plants in their natural state," Pilozzi
explains. Thanks to the Delice Boreal initiative, Inuit will at last be able
to fully savour their natural heritage.
The
plants used to make the teas are hand-collected by Inuit in the vast wild territory
of Nunavik between July and September. "The plants are harvested without
ever being uprooted. This actually promotes their growth, and it makes them
an unlimited renewable resource," Watt explains. After the plants have
been harvested and dried, they are shipped to Montreal where they are processed
and packaged in individual teabags.
"This
project could have a significant economic impact on the Avataq Cultural Institute,
and by the same token, on the region," says Suzanne Beaubien, the Institute's
Financial Director. For now, the plants are being collected in the Kuujjuaq
region. By next summer, four other Inuit communities are expected to participate
in the project. "The profits from the business will be reinvested in other
projects, in order to pursue the goals of the Avataq Cultural Institute and
offer cultural services to the whole population of Nunavik," Beaubien emphasizes.
