(Online presentation for Oceans Collaborative, May 13th, 2024)
A language provides a lens into a worldview, perspective, values and a way of being. It does not mean a person cannot have a window into that world without the language. Like our pre-contact clothing that provided perfect protection from our weather, our language serves the same purpose for providing a means to communicate that describes laws, systems and values for us. Other clothing can serve the purpose, but it is not nearly well suited for our weather and conditions.
Inuit systems put heavy emphasis on Inunnguiniq (child rearing practices), so that individuals grow up to be responsible, independent and interdependent. Inunnguiniq tries to prevent the need for intervention of wrong-doing in adulthood. It is believed if people are well socialised, able to provide for themselves and their community then there will be minimal requirement to apply intervention. The responsibility (of stewardship) and relationships of reciprocity (to people, animals and our environment) are instilled so that communities can thrive. Relationality, and how we see our relationality (through our language) is integral to our well-being.
There is provision for dealing with wrong-doing, and interventions are dependent on severity or repetition of wrong doing. There is also strong belief in cosmic consequences if people do not behave, especially towards our environment. It is believed what you do to the land you are doing to yourself. Our knowledge systems and science is in our language! Even saying ‘nuna’ versus ‘land’ which mean the same thing, hit a totally different note to the feels.
Inuit laws and systems have been heavily compromised by the impact of colonialism. The practice or policy of control by one people to have power over other people or their land with the aim of economic dominance. With the imposition of religion, language, economics and cultural practices. Doctrines such as “terra nullius”, the Colonizers justification for occupying our lands stating lands were uninhabited (no Christians live there), and “doctrine of discovery” that lands were discovered therefore acquired because it was terra nullius continue to be the basis applying imposed ideals. These ideals can then be internalized with views of inferiority, less than, and believing in white systems prevails and generally believe in white superiority.
Colonialists targeted three key areas: land acquisition; family and kinship; and spirituality and knowledge systems. The land acquisition is described above in the doctrines applied by Euro-North American systems. Family and kinship ties were undermined through residential schools and schooling systems. Once you sever families, it is very difficult to secure unity in a society. As the adage goes ‘divide and conquer’. The introduction of Christianity, not only upholds doctrines of terra nullius and doctrine of discovery, it also perpetuates the myth that we are to ‘civilise’ buy into their modes of what they define as productive, science and business. The destructive consumerist capitalist end goal of Colonialism redefines what our relationships and knowledge base should be to be considered ‘productive’. What this means is that stolen languages means severed relationships! Strength of languages means strength of relationships (of responsibility and reciprocity)!
I will now illustrate in three ways that language is connected to our knowledge systems: our personal names; knowledge systems; and land names. And of course, these are interconnected.
When we are born, we are given names of either people that have passed on or people still living (more commonly, people that have passed on). We normally have more than one name passed on to us. It is believed the personal qualities and traits of our namesakes are passed on to us.
But first, it is important to acknowledge that because we were considered not people because we were not Christians. With introduction of Christianity baptism and giving Christian names became normalised so that we were recognized as people. Today, no matter how much we practice Christianity or not we still practice giving Christian names. So some passed on names are actually now Christian names.
I carry several names, mostly people that passed on before I was born. My dominant name is Kunuk, who was my great grandmother. Kunuk was known to be fun, loving person, but tended to hoard food (due to having experienced hunger in her past). So when I was growing up, food sharing was emphasized (not to hoard) as a personality trait. This way, the less than favorable qualities are attempted to be corrected and the good qualities are celebrated and encouraged. Because I was named after my great grandmother, my kinship relationships were continued through my namesake. My great uncle Qillaq, who loved berries and was given berries by my namesake, his mother ensured I had berries when I visited.
My grandson also has more than one name. Mikijuq who was my uncle’s best friend. His dominant name is Maluk. My daughter’s name is Silu, who was her paternal grandfather’s brother. So her grandfather adored her, as he loved his brother. Maluk was my daughter’s grandfather’s grandfather, who adored her grandfather in the same way. In this way the naming recognizes the love of family that is to be continued.
Our naming systems creates kinship and responsibility. It teaches familial lineage, as the names continue through family lines. The system also creates intergenerational bonds. It also encourages positive personal traits and tries to correct those that are not so positive.
Our stories such as the one about Sanna (or the Anglicized version of Sedna), also known as Nuliajuq or Takannaaluk is our sea goddess or the mother of the ocean as all the sea mammals came from her. Sanna is the root word for ‘to make’ or ‘to create’. So just the name reveals the significance of her role, as the provider of the sea mammals we Inuit depend on and hunt. We are to take care of the Ocean, take only what we need. This way, she will continue to provide for us.
The stories that are long can be remembered via songs through the story and chorus like structure. These are more sophisticated stories. Many of our stories are for children about our wildlife, their characters and how they were created. Our stories keep ancient and old language and terminology, they teach us history and lessons. Every time we hear a story, even if we have heard it before, we learn a new lesson.
We are an arctic people, so much of our knowledge systems are around snow and ice. Our terminology and knowledge are dense around wintery conditions. There are great resources such as the book “Meaning of Ice” that describe knowledge around snow and ice. We have terminology for every stage of sea ice formation: from shore line ice forming, to slushy shore line, thin ice that polar bears can crawl on (that humans cannot walk on yet) to safe ice for people to travel on. It is the same for when sea ice starts to break up. There are stages involved. Inuit are most mobile when there is safe sea ice to travel on.
Since Inuit travel in often precarious situations with snow, ice and weather conditions, there is depth of understanding and quick judgement that is required. Inuit have understood there is multi dimensions and variables to our environment and our relationships.
One way the way we think has been compromised is through the introduction of Christian values. Hugh Brody in his book “The Other Side of Eden” describes this well. He says “… the Genesis story of creation does not imply moral ambiguity. Instead, it can be seen as succession of binary pairs. Nothingness: something. Water: earth. Sea: land. Day: night. Male: female. Adam: Eve. Clean: unclean. Cain: Abel. The binary nature of God’s project in Genesis is symbolised in the two trees, embodiments of dichotomies that, in the divide scheme, are at the centre of human destiny… The myth of Genesis reinforces this logical point by establishing a story in which religion itself is binary: Jews, Christians and Muslims believe in two ultimate powers, God and the Devil, with one standing for all that is good, the other all that is evil”.
This binary way of seeing the world simplifies and interrupts complexity of nature and our relationships with it. It becomes very simple then to commodify our natural environment, if the terms of relationship are seen through binary lens. And not as living and complex beings.
Place names too embody whole knowledge system. Rather than naming places by white guys who thought they discovered a place, like “Frobisher’s furthest” or “Qikiqtarjuaq” (big island) our place names tell you something. Our place names tell you generations and generations of Inuit learning their environment. The names tell you where there are wildlife (even seasonally) such as Qairuliktuuq (place of many harp seals); calving or birthing grounds such as Illauliktuuq (sea fetus area); land or sea features or descriptions such as Naqsaq, a dead end valley; safe camping, wintering and living areas such as Upirngivik, history of events such as Qajauvik a place people kept their qajait/kayaks; or hazardous or dangerous areas or conditions such as Sarvaaluk, a big polynya which indicates high currents. Just hearing a name, even if you have never seen it, can an automatic image in your head what the place might look like such as Ikirasakutaaq (a long channel).
Recognizing that language holds Indigenous knowledge system, and we know Indigenous systems are based on relationships of responsibility (of stewardship) and reciprocity, how do ensure we protect languages? So that our oceans and environment may be protected. A good tool I have found is Arthur Manuals 6 step program to reconciliations:
- Denounce racist doctrine of discovery and terra nullius
- Right to self-determination – Indigenous/Inuit as decision makers and thinkers
- Use Inuit knowledge systems, through our language
- Reclaim land
- Create clear jurisdictional lines (I assume this is allowing Indigenous People to practice sovereignty over their lives and environment, and non Indigenous People work as allies. And the terms of the relationship are clear).
- Pursue our economic, social, & cultural development
This is a good start to unpacking colonialism and allowing Indigenous People to reclaim themselves!