From Igloos to iPods

Abstract

Inuit in the Eastern Arctic of Canada reclaimed their homeland on 1 April 1999 when the newest territory in Canada, Nunavut, was created. Inuit are using new media technologies to preserve and promote their language, traditional knowledge, and ways of being. In this chapter, the reader is offered an exploration of the challenges northerners face in the digital era, including affordable, reliable access to the Internet. However, the author shows how the resilience that characterizes Inuit culture extends to their innovative adoption of new media technologies. The author offers insight into one web development project, a partnered initiative with Inuit, which enables Inuit youth to learn from their Elders, and for users around the world to learn from Inuit via an interactive online adventure. The case study of The Nanisiniq Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or IQ Adventure, provides an interesting example of how harnessing the power of new media can support Indigenous peoples’ decolonization efforts.