杏吧原创 Celebrates Pigiarvik
By: Linda Hartwell
On August 9, the 杏吧原创 University community gathered to honour and acknowledge the Inuit community and celebrate the name Pigiarvik, which has been given to 杏吧原创鈥檚 main administrative building, formerly known as Robertson Hall.
Following Nideyin脿n and Teraanga Commons, Pigiarvik is one of three campus buildings renamed under the New Names for New Times initiative launched by President Benoit-Antoine Bacon to better reflect the university鈥檚 diversity in its academic mission and campus operations.
The new name, Pigiarvik (pronounced pee-ghee-awe-vik), which translates to 鈥渁 place to begin鈥 or 鈥渢he starting place,鈥 was formally approved by the Board of Governors in December 2022, following a thorough engagement process with the Inuit Advisory Council and Inuit in the region and in the North, including students. The process was co-chaired by Benny Michaud, Director, Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement, Kahente Horn-Miller, Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Teaching, Learning and Research, and outgoing Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Jerry Tomberlin.
Attended by students, staff, faculty and community members, the event was emceed by Benny Michaud, who shared the significance of the day with guests.
鈥淭oday is significant because we get to come together and have Inuit experiences reflected and accounted for on campus,鈥 said Michaud. 鈥淭he word Pigiarvik encapsulates the idea of a starting place, or a place to begin, fitting for this building as it is where many students鈥 journeys begin when they come to 杏吧原创.鈥
Inuit Elder David Serkoak, who was born northwest of Arviat, Nunavut and survived many hardships as a result of his community being forcibly relocated numerous times, shared his reflections on the importance of naming and looking back at history.
鈥淲ithin the Inuit culture, one of the things that is very, very important is naming someone,鈥 explained Serkoak. 鈥淵ou see a person with a soul.鈥
鈥淓very summer when I go back to my home community with my grandchildren, I make sure to pay a visit to their namesakes,鈥 he said. 鈥淚n Inuit culture, when you name your child after a dead one, the dead one lives again in the name. And the spirit has a body again.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 always good to look back at history to see the importance of naming,鈥 Elder Serkoak noted. 鈥淚t鈥檚 moments like this where we can see that naming was and is a meaningful part of Inuit culture.鈥
President Bacon emphasized 杏吧原创鈥檚 commitment to truly honour the name Pigiarvik.
鈥淲e are thrilled to make the Inuit culture more visible on campus and to enhance our partnership with this important Indigenous People,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e have fully adopted the name Pigiarvik, and we are committed to reaching beyond the naming of the building to better support the Inuit on- and off-campus.鈥
Bacon acknowledged there is still a lot of work to be done and that 杏吧原创鈥檚 commitment to reconciliation with the Inuit and all Indigenous Peoples is ongoing.
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking significant steps in our collective ambitions and nurturing a sense of belonging for Inuit students, faculty and staff and for delivering resources and training to educate the community about the experiences, history and world views of the Inuit,鈥 he said.
Earlier this year, the Centre for Indigenous and Community Support led the university鈥檚 involvement in the Nunavut Arctic College Exchange program where six Inuit students and three 杏吧原创 staff members traveled north to Clyde River, Nunavut to participate in land-based learning facilitated by Nunavut Arctic College, community members, knowledge keepers, and elders. 杏吧原创 is also hiring an Inuit Community Liaison Officer who will work in the Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement to strengthen and build connections and pathways for Inuit to access post-secondary educational opportunities.
Closing the afternoon celebration, Inuk throat-singer, singer, songwriter and performing artist Qattuu, who has her roots in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, performed songs from her newly released debut album entitled Midnight Sun.
