Piita Irniq: Making Peace

Between 1955 and the mid‐1960’s, the Inuit of Canada underwent one of the fastest cultural transitions of any population in recorded history. Taken from their lands where life was lived in hunting camps using dog teams for transportation, they were forcibly relocated by the government into wood framed “settlements”. Now required to pay rent, use snowmobiles to reach distant hunting lands their lives required the adoption of southern practices. Piita Irniq will share his personal journey addressing change as well as the policies and practices needed he sees are needed to heal the damage resulting from this colonial experience. Thursday November 19th, 2015 beginning at 5:00 pm in the Student Council Executive Chamber MacEwan Student Centre (MSC room 280) For more information- visit http://arctic.ucalgary.ca/piita-irniq-making-peace Supported by: The Native Centre, The First Nations Student Association, The Schulich School of Engineering, The Faculty of Social Work, The Faculty of Arts and the Arctic Institute of North America

Location:

280 MacEwan Student Centre

Speaker:

Piita IrniqPiita Irniq is an Inuk politician, elder and mentor. Currently living in Ottawa, his early years in residential school helped to inform him throughout his career. He helped to establish the territory of Nunavut and served as its second Commissioner. Today he visits with Inuit who are serving time in prison to help them connect to their traditional ways. He also undertakes speaking engagements about the impact of colonization on the people of the north.

More information at http://www.ucalgary.ca/events/calendar/piita-irniq-making-peace