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Qaummagiaq – Spring Equinox Celebration in Ottawa

Hello everyone,

Just getting around to process the photos I took on March 20 at Qaummagiaq,  the Inuit community’s spring celebration organized by Tungasuvvingat Inuit in Ottawa.  I was so sorry I couldn’t stay till the end but here are a few photos I brought back.

Inuit elder lighting the qulliq to mark the beginning of the celebrations.

Inuit elder lighting the qulliq to mark the beginning of the celebrations.

Students from Nunavut Sivuniksavut.

Students from Nunavut Sivuniksavut.

Performance by students from Nunavut Sivuniksavut.

Performance by students from Nunavut Sivuniksavut.

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Throat singing by Eva, from Nain (Nunatsiavut) and Charlotte, the event’s organizer.

Throat signing by Rita Claire and Kristen, both from Iqaluit.

Throat signing by Rita Claire and Kristen, both from Iqaluit.

Dancing performance by the Nunavut Sivuniksavut students.

Dancing performance by the Nunavut Sivuniksavut students.

Western dances by the Nunavut Sivuniksavut students.

Western dances by the Nunavut Sivuniksavut students.

Rapper Brian Tagalik who performed his song "The Struggle", a very moving song about suicide. He got a well deserved standing ovation.

Rapper Brian Tagalik who performed his song The Struggle, a very moving song about suicide. He got a well deserved standing ovation.

Brian’s song The Struggle was written through his, his father’s and grand-father’s eyes. It can be heard on Soundclound.

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Performance by Saali and the Ravenhearts

Performance by Saali and the Ravenhearts

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Saali Keelan, lead singer

To get a feel for Saali and the Ravenhearts‘s music, check the following on Soundcloud. I can’t remember if they were all played that evening, but they’re definitely on my list of favorites:
Qannilirtuq
Innumarik
In so many ways,
A million voices.

I had to leave as The Jerry Cans, a group from Iqaluit, was starting its performance. I was stunned by the mixture of what sounded like country music with throat-singing. Most interesting! Looking forward to next year’s celebration.

Thank you Charlotte and TI for a great evening and for allowing me and a colleague from Pix3 Films to do some recruiting for the upcoming documentary film, Trapped in a human zoo. Later this year, you should definitely see on screen some of the people who were either sitting in the crowd or performing up on stage 😉
France Rivet

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