Teams within the Beaufort Delta have collaborated to create putting new units of taking part in playing cards – Piannat Inuvialuktun – for Inuvialuit Settlement Area members.
Tamara Voudrach, supervisor of the Inuvialuit Communications Society, stated creating the deck of playing cards helped to fulfill the society’s mandate of preserving and selling language and tradition.
The 52-card deck can be utilized as a daily deck of playing cards and in addition doubles as an identical recreation, pairing up illustrations of animals with their names in three Inuvialuktun dialects.
Half of the playing cards characteristic animal illustrations by artist Natkusiak (Kyle) Aleekuk, whereas the opposite half present the phrases for these animals in Uummarmiutun, spoken in Aklavik and Inuvik; Sallirmiutun, spoken in Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, and Sachs Harbour; and Kangiryuarmiutun, the dialect in Ulukhaktok.
“It’s enjoyable, it’s helpful, and it’s informative too,” stated Voudrach of the playing cards, that are being distributed to Inuvialuktun language courses, residents within the six Inuvialuit communities, and beneficiaries dwelling exterior the settlement area.
Aleekuk, the Edmonton-based Inuvialuit artist who drew the animals for the playing cards, described the illustrations as “tattoo flash fashion” with daring black strains, black shading, vibrant colors, and simplified pictures.
“I didn’t develop up talking any Inuvialuktun,” he stated. “This was an incredible alternative for me to do every thing I really like: study my tradition and draw.”
The challenge was led by Tusaayaksat journal’s editor-in-chief, Jason Lau, who labored with a staff of cultural and language consultants: Ethel-Jean Gruben, supervisor of the Inuvialuit Cultural Useful resource Centre; Mataya Gillis, editor-in-chief of Nipatur̂uq; Beverly Amos, an professional in all dialects; Dwayne Drescher, who speaks Uummarmiutun; Alice Kimiksana, who speaks Kangiryuarmiutun; and Alice J Thrasher, who is aware of Sallirmiutun.
Extra playing cards coming
Voudrach stated the primary run of playing cards received’t be sufficient for each Inuvialuit family to have a deck, which is the challenge’s final objective. She added the teams are “engaged on securing funding for extra decks of this version after which printing extra editions.”
The primary spherical of funding got here from Canadian Roots Change and Northern Youth Overseas.
“We simply hope that everyone has enjoyable with them and enjoys them with their households: educate your youngsters, attempt to memorize all of them,” Voudrach stated.
Inuvialuit Settlement Area beneficiares desirous to be added to the ready record for a deck of playing cards can email Voudrach or name (867) 777-2320.
An extended-term objective of the Inuvialuit Communications Society is to promote the playing cards to non-beneficiaries, as soon as the society has a web site with a store.
“We’re planning on ordering a batch simply to have available for these sorts of orders … so decks pays for themselves,” Voudrach stated.
Extra iterations of the playing cards are deliberate. Editions of playing cards with phrases and greetings are subsequent on the record, adopted by a attainable math deck for faculties.
Stickers are additionally being produced exhibiting the six communities’ authentic Inuvialuktun spellings of their most related dialect.
Aleekuk designed the stickers, which have been funded by Northern Youth Overseas.