Akitiq Sanguya facts for kids

Akitiq Sanguya (born 1935) is an Inuit sculptor from Clyde River/Kangiqtugaapik, a community in Nunavut, Canada.

Her amazing artwork can be found in important places. These include the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Her pieces at the Winnipeg Art Gallery are on loan from the Government of Nunavut Fine Art Collection.

About Akitiq Sanguya

Akitiq Sanguya is an artist from Clyde River. This community is located on Baffin Island, a very large island in eastern Canada. Inuit artists like Akitiq play a key role. They help keep their culture and beliefs alive through their art. Art also helps Akitiq support herself. At the same time, she shares her Inuit culture with the world.

You might also see her name written in other ways. These include Sanguya Sanguya, Sangooyak Sanguya, Akitil Sanguya, and Akitik Sanguya.

Akitiq Sanguya's Art

Akitiq Sanguya creates art using many different materials. However, she is most famous for her sculptures made from soapstone. She uses traditional methods for her artwork. This means she uses tools like an axe and a file. She also polishes her sculptures by hand. These are the same techniques and materials that Inuit people have used for many generations.

Her sculptures often show people and animals. In Inuit culture, people and animals are believed to have a strong and balanced connection. By the 1960s, fine Inuit art began to be sold in southern markets. This helped Inuit artists become more self-sufficient. Most of this art was made using traditional methods. It also showed important parts of Inuit culture.

Dolls

Akitiq often makes dolls that show parts of Inuit culture. They also show the relationship between people and animals. Her dolls are usually made of stone. The human dolls are carefully dressed. Their clothing is made from animal fur, just like traditional Inuit clothes. Making these dolls not only provides her with money. It also allows her to share her culture through her art.

The Subsist Exhibition

One of Akitiq's works was part of an exhibition called Subsist. This show was at the Winnipeg Art Gallery from November 2019 to May 2020. Subsist featured art from many different Indigenous artists. The exhibition showed how global changes and past events have affected Indigenous cultures.

Other Important Activities

Akitiq Sanguya is involved in more than just art. She also shares her knowledge and helps her community.

Teaching Traditional Skills

In 2016, Akitiq taught a special three-week course. It focused on traditional Inuit sewing techniques. This class was made possible by the Ilisaqsivik Society elder committee. This is a local non-profit group. Students in the class learned how to make kamiks. These are traditional Inuit footwear. They are made from animal hides.

Speaking Out for Justice

Akitiq Sanguya has also helped with important efforts to uncover history. The Truth Commission is an organization set up by the Canadian government. Its goal is to find and record human rights problems from Canada's past. Each region often has its own Truth Commission. This allows them to look closely at their community's history. These commissions aim to prevent bad things from happening again. They do this by raising awareness and finding out what caused these problems. They also identify those responsible.

The Qikiqtani Truth Commission

In the early 2000s, Inuit people from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Makivik Corporation of Nunavik asked the Canadian government for help. They wanted to create the Qikiqtani Truth Commission. This commission would look into past government actions. These included forced moves, efforts to change Inuit culture, and the killing of RCMP dog killings.

Akitiq Sanguya shared her experiences with the Qikiqtani Truth Commission. She talked about times when Qimmiit (sled dogs) were harmed. A recording captures her interview. In it, she describes an event where a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer and an Inuk constable tried to harm a group of dogs at her family's spring camp. Their owner stopped them.

She also shared information about the experiences of Pauloosie Panalak. He was an acquaintance who has since passed away. Akitiq told the story of Pauloosie losing all 16 of his dogs. This happened because of the harm to Qimmiit carried out by the Canadian Government. After Pauloosie returned from getting supplies, he found all his dogs had been killed. They were still tied to his sled. This sad event meant Pauloosie could not return to his home camp.

Akitiq Sanguya Today

Today, Akitiq Sanguya continues to create her art. After the global pandemic, her art is once again being shown. In the summer of 2022, Akitiq was featured alongside other Inuit artists. This was at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The exhibition was called Kakiniit/Hivonighijotaa: Inuit Embodied Practices and Meanings. It explored traditional Inuit tattooing, called Kakiniit. It also looked at how these tattoos connect to old beliefs. The exhibition showed how Indigenous cultures are being reclaimed and how Inuit identity is celebrated. Kakiniit are very important to Inuit identity. Missionaries once banned them. However, in recent years, there has been a strong return of Kakiniit. People are once again recognizing their importance to the Inuit people.