Inuit art, knowledge and “staying power”: perspectives from Pangnirtung

Abstract

This thesis explores the relationship between Inuit art making, knowledge, and the process of cultural continuity or resilience, beginning with a review of relevant theory and literature focusing on concepts of voice, location and representation, and ending with an analysis based on interviews with art makers in Pangnirtung. I argue that through their creative practices, Panniqtuumiut and other Inuit artists are actively involved in the production and transmission of Inuit knowledge, an action that supports the process of cultural resilience. Specifically, this occurs as knowledge is materialized in works of art, circulated, and transmitted/interpreted. This project explores a critical approach to the interpretation of works of Inuit art, and the place of Inuit voice in that process.