IQALUIT
When Stephanie Bernard explains the origin of Black History Month, it might sound a lot like the Inuit story.

"It was first started as a way to motivate those who came out of a colonial system, to refocus on the old cultures of Africa, and to build on the culture and get back in touch with it," said Bernard, who works with the Nunavut Black History Society.

This February marks the 20th Black History Month celebration in Canada, but just the third in Nunavut.

"Black History Month is really a month set aside to explore black history, black history from the point of view of Africa, the homeland of black people but also history from the perspective of the new world," said Bernard.

Her group booked February up with several events, starting off with a play at Inuksuk high school that delves into race relations.

The majority of the celebrations are taking place from Feb. 21 until the end of the month, highlighted with an art presentation by Nigerian-born artist Shola Egbuna at the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Hall and a presentation of Binti's Journey, a play about a young orphan girl in Africa, at the cadet hall Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.

In Iqaluit, black people and white people often share a common name from the Inuit: qallunaat.

"Anyone from down south is referred to as qallunaat," said Bernard. "I also think sometimes that's not so race specific, more outsider specific."

But a word that has offended some black people, she said, is "Portugee."

It is thought to hearken back to Portuguese whalers coming through Nunavut.

Bernard estimated there are about 350 black people in Iqaluit currently. The first celebration for Black History Month in Iqaluit in 2014 was held at the Francophone Centre and saw more than 100 attendees.

Discrimination against blacks in today's world comes from a very small portion of the population, said Bernard.

"The fact is in any society there are always people who discriminate. but I would say the majority of people, approximately 99.5 per cent. do not discriminate and are very open and welcoming," she said.

"Black History Month is the opportunity to come together and experience another culture, to explore similarities that you may have or to get revelations of things you didn't know about another culture. That will help with integration, that will help to broaden the minds, even to that 0.5 per cent who may be discriminatory."

The final celebration of the month will be Feb. 28 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the cadet hall.