Museology
In order to protect and transmit the language, culture and heritage of the Nunavummiut, the Avataq Cultural Institute contributes to the establishment and operation of a network of museums and cultural transmission centresthroughout Nunavik.
Jointly administered by Nunavik’s northern municipalities and the Institute, the network is steadily expanding its efforts to preserve and promote local culture, offering an increasingly diverse range of activities and events. As public places, the museums provide a space for person-to-person interaction that emphasizes cultural and communal enrichment through active participation in the preservation of local heritage. Thus, our network serves as a catalyst, providing an indispensable platform for the dissemination of Inuit culture and art, both historical and contemporary.
In prioritizing the in situ preservation of local heritage, this network of museums and transmission centres has several goals, including: generating and maintaining strong venues for cultural expression in Nunavik; developing local skills in northern museum sciences; and bolstering regional pride among Nunavik’s youth.
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Terminology workshops
These workshops are primarily intended to develop new terminology and revive old words through discussions among resource people (elders from the three coasts) and a group of translators and interpreters. The most recent terminology workshop was held in Kangirsualujjuaq in April 2006.
History
Because Inuit tradition is largely oral, in 1987 the Avataq Cultural Institute launched a major research program aimed at reconstructing the genealogy of Nunavik’s Inuit families.