Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq isn't just a tradition; it's a responsibility. Inuit youth and artists are leading the way in environmental stewardship, protecting the land for future generations. Our connection to the land inspires action and drives positive change.
Photo: Tony Eetak
Values

ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅ – Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq

By Tony Eetak
Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq isn't just a tradition; it's a responsibility. Inuit youth and artists are leading the way in environmental stewardship, protecting the land for future generations. Our connection to the land inspires action and drives positive change. I captured this beautiful moment on the shores of my hometown in Arviat, Nunavut, last summer—a reminder of the land’s enduring power and the role we all play in preserving it.

Creating with Care for the Land That Shapes Us

Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq is a living promise—a commitment to honour and protect the land, animals, and all that sustains us. It’s not just about being on the land, but being of it—connected through story, memory, and responsibility. This Inuit value runs deep, shaping how we see the world and our place within it.

In the arts, Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq becomes a powerful form of resistance and reverence. From delicate carvings that honour the spirit of animals to bold installations that confront environmental destruction, artists channel this value to awaken hearts and spark change. It’s a creative force that urges us to listen—to the ice, the wind, the voices of ancestors and animals alike.

For Inuit youth, this value is a rallying cry. With both traditional knowledge and new tools, they are creating art that bridges generations and speaks to the urgency of now. Through murals, music, digital media, and performance, they are defending the land with brushstrokes and beats, with reverence and rebellion.

Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq calls us to care deeply, to create intentionally, and to remember that the earth isn’t just a backdrop to our lives—it’s part of who we are. In every artistic expression, it asks us to protect what is sacred, and to never forget where we come from.

Filed Under: 2024-5782, Manitoba, SDG 13, Winnipeg
Picture of Tony Eetak

Tony Eetak

Tony Eetak is an emerging artist, musician and culture connector from Arviat, Nunavut, now exploring the arts in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A founding member of the Art Borups Corners, Tony has a demonstrated passion for photography, music, composition, and visual arts. With over five years of experience as a dedicated volunteer, collaborator and co-funder of several arts projects, Tony has been involved in various participatory arts events through organizations like the Arviat Film Society, Global Dignity Canada, Inclusion in Northern Research, and Our People, Our Climate. His contributions earned him recognition as a National Role Model by Global Dignity Canada in 2023. His work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council and the OpenAI Researcher Access Program.

This project was supported by:

Values

Traditional values are the quiet architecture behind our lives—the steady lines that shape how we see, speak, and care for one another. They hold the weight of generations, carried not in grand declarations, but in small, intentional acts: the way we greet our elders, the stories we pass down at the table, the silence we keep in moments of reverence. In a world that moves fast and forgets easily, traditional values ask us to pause, to remember what matters. They are not rules, but rhythms—a kind of cultural heartbeat that reminds us who we are, and who we’re responsible to. Holding onto them isn’t about staying still; it’s about moving forward with depth, connection, and meaning.