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Tagaq named to Order of Canada
Inuk recognized for contribution to Canadian culture through avant-garde throatsinging

Beth Brown
Northern News Services
Monday, January 16, 2017

NUNAVUT
Inuit throatsinger Tanya Tagaq, originally of Cambridge Bay, was named a member of the Order of Canada on Dec. 30.

NNSL photo/graphic

Inuk throatsinger and contemporary musician Tanya Tagaq was awarded the Order of Canada in December. She will be performing in Iqaluit in September as part of the Alianait Arts Festival concert series. - photo courtesy of Emily Smart

Governor General David Johnston named the Polaris Prize and Juno winning artist and activist to the Order on account of her contributions to Canadian culture through her avant-garde music.

"The Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System, and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation," stated a Dec. 30 release.

Tagaq was named a member along with Inuit artist Mathew Nuqingaq. The two mark the 29th and 30th Nunavummiut appointed to the Order. One hundred new appointees were announced for the Canada 150 year and the 50th anniversary of the Order.

Tanya was not available to be interviewed about the honour, but she told Nunavut News/North at the time of her album release in October that she has seen a rise in Canadian social and political dialogue regarding indigenous culture.

"There are a bunch of us that got a little taste of Canadians having more open ears to the idea of respecting indigenous cultures. Things are shifting in society, there's uprisings happening. It seems like a very good time to address a revolution that is going on."

She chose to address this revolution with her album, titled Retribution, which she referred to as "a cleansing or a call to arms."

Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), recently published a commentary in Above and Beyond magazine on how Tagaq's throat-singing is helping to create new spaces for Inuit tradition and expression.

"Tanya is building upon a foundation of incredible artistry," Obed said. "She has found an audience not only within our community but within the global society. And, like anything that is exported out of a society, people are not going to understand the entirety of our (Inuit) society when they listen to her work.

"But that's OK, the fact that we are known more widely, the fact that she's an Inuk and her albums are being reviewed by Rolling Stone, these are things to be celebrated."

The American music magazine ranked Retribution eighth among its top 20 avant albums released in 2016.

Tagaq will be performing in Iqaluit on Sept. 30 as part of the Alianait Arts Festival concert series.

Heather Daley, executive director of the festival, said she has never started to sell tickets for a concert so far in advance.

"People are very excited. A lot have been buying tickets just (to see) Tanya. My sense is they are worried it will sell out, and they might be right."

The artist recently did a concert at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa where she worked and performed with students of Nunavut Sivuniksavut, said Daley. In Iqaluit, Tagaq will be performing with a high school group, the Inuksuk Drum Dancers.

The upcoming show will be the first performance by Tagaq in Nunavut's capital in many years, but Daley said the artist was eager for the opportunity when festival organizers reached out.

"She definitely wanted to come."

Daley said the last time Tagaq was scheduled to play at Alianait she had to cancel on account of being invited to do a European tour.

"It's been a long time," said Daley.

"We are ready."

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