Spring 2026
March
In March, our book club read “What I Remember, What I Know” by Larry Audlaluk.
Larry Audlaluk was born in Uugaqsiuvik, a traditional settlement west of Inujjuak in northern Quebec, or Nunavik. He was almost three years old when his family was chosen by the government to be one of seven Inuit families relocated from Nunavik to the High Arctic in the early 1950s.They were promised a land of plenty. They were given an inhospitable polar desert.
Larry tells of loss, illness, and his family’s struggle to survive, juxtaposed with excerpts from official reports that conveyed the relocatees’ plight as a successful experiment. With refreshing candour and an unbreakable sense of humour, Larry leads the reader through his life as a High Arctic Exile—through broken promises, a decades-long fight to return home, and a life between two worlds as southern culture begins to encroach on Inuit traditions.
We also began the expansion of our board in March by advertising our new positions. We had a lot of interest in our board and were able to get representation for all 5 Nunatsiavut Communities, youth, elders, and beneficiaries living in the Canadian Constituency (announcement will be made on our Facebook Page soon!)
In March we also built and illuvigak near our centre and invited the community to come watch and help. Due to mild and stormy weather, the illuvigak did not stay in usable condition for long, but we did welcome people inside for Kullik lighting and some card games!
We welcomed the Nunatsiavut Government’s Child & Youth Mental Health Team for an afternoon of Kullik lighting and sewing in our program space. It was wonderful to connect with these important staff members of our regional Government.
April
In April, we welcomed community members to our shed for tea, snacks, and pitsik making
We continued our Piusivut Series with our Upingasâk Lesson. Participants learned about activities, animals, and weather terminology relevant to spring.
In April our team member Rosie Piercy completed sewing her own kamek! kamiliulluanguvutit!
Throughout the spring we continued to have our regular MitsuKatigevik Sewing Circle. Wonderful creations by all participants.
In April, our book club read Life in the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Muller:
For much of his life, Clayton Thomas-Muller's very existence has been scrutinized and vilified. As a child, he endured the intergenerational trauma that resulted from his family attending residential school. Growing up Cree in downtown Winnipeg, Canada, Clayton faced systemic racism and violence in school and on the streets, which led him to use his fists to defend himself and earn his livelihood. He escaped the hold that drugs and alcohol had on his life by reconnecting with his Cree heritage. For twenty years, he has been a campaigner with organizations including the Indigenous Environmental Network and 350.org, on the front lines of stopping the assault of industry on Indigenous peoples' lands. Using a nonlinear, oral storytelling style, Life in the City of Dirty Water offers the reflections of a man in midlife, telling his inner child, "I'm here now and I'm going to keep you safe."
May
In May, participants gathered online from across Canada to sew their mini sealskin Uppik! We love hosting this online workshop.
Augusta participated in our Ulu Making Apprenticeship workshops. Wonderful job!
In May, our book club read Gathering Moss by Robin Wall-Kimmerer.
Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer's book is not an identification guide, nor is it a scientific treatise. Rather, it is a series of linked personal essays that will lead general readers and scientists alike to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings, from salmon and hummingbirds to redwoods and rednecks. Kimmerer clearly and artfully explains the biology of mosses, while at the same time reflecting on what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.
In May we also had a visit from the ACMS Kindergarten Class who came to learn about sealskin. They even did a great job helping us to soften one!
