Inuktitut Language
The goal of the Inuktitut Language Programme is to preserve and protect the language of the Inuit and promote its use within the territory of Nunavik.
In an autonomous government, an Inuktitut Language Commission would supervise the protection and development of Inuktitut. Language protection (language in the workplace and of signs) must be a priority of Nunavingmi Aquvvinga.
Avataq’s language programme develops terminology for contemporary domains such as legal, medical and communications terminology. The Institute also organizes workshops that seek to meet the needs of translators and interpreters and ensure the quality of translation services.
Avataq’s ongoing work includes the development of the following tools: a language dictionary, a recovery database (for words at risk of disappearing) a grammar, and materials for teaching Inuktitut as a second language. In addition, the programme includes the development of a reference library and the development of approaches for learning the language via concrete experience – observation and action, as it was learned traditionally.
At the local level, Avataq encourages language workshops and inter-generational interactions within all the 14 communities of Nunavik.
EXPLORE
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.
A small glossary
Test pits:
They are typically 50 x 50 cm or 1 x 1 m holes dug in order to identify signs of occupation and survey the site’s stratigraphy.