Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iglulik (Feb 18/02) - Something as simple as a calendar can go a long way toward promoting Inuit culture.

Louis Tapardjuk of the Nunavut Social Development Council knew as much when he set out last October to develop a calendar based on Inuit lunar months rather than the European concept of time.

"Inuit have names for each moon and they were not being used. The names of the moons are not consistent with the ordinary calendar so I decided to do something about that," said Tapardjuk.

He began to talk with Iglulingmiut from the Inullariit Elders Society and came up with the product now for sale at community co-ops around the territory. In Iqaluit, where there's no co-op, the calendars can be purchased at the NSDC office.

The $6 fee covers the production cost of the calendar. While Tapardjuk would have preferred to give them away to beneficiaries, a total lack of financial support meant costs needed to be recovered through sales.

The project honours the crucial role the moon played in Inuit culture and survival.

For example, the current month of Qangattaarsi which runs from Feb. 12 to Mar. 13, indicated it was the time when seals formed dens, when walrus began to migrate and when bearded seals moved onto the sea ice.

"At this time, Inuit used to go to the sea ice to set up camps to access those animals," explained Tapardjuk. "They were secure the time of hardship was over and a lack of food was no longer haunting them," he explained.

Inuit also used lunar phases to judge the strength of tides when hunting at the floe edge and for navigating when travelling at night.

Tapardjuk said the calendar will take a little getting used to, particularly when a year has 13 moons.

Furthermore, to reflect the diversity of Inuit culture within the territory, the calendar will change annually as different sections of Nunavut are asked to participate.

Next year's calendar will be based on the seasonal cycles of Uqqurmiut of the south-central section of Baffin Island. Photographs taken by Inuit adorn each page.