Like a caribou skin tent offering shelter and warmth, Tunnganarniq creates a welcoming space where everyone feels safe and included. May our community be a haven of openness, fostering creativity and connection.
Photo: Jamie Bell
Values

ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᖅ – Tunnganarniq

By Tony Eetak
The traditional value of Tunnganarniq emphasizes fostering good spirit by being open, welcoming, and inclusive. It is about creating spaces where people feel safe, valued, and encouraged to be their authentic selves. This value is rooted in Inuit culture, reflecting the importance of strong social bonds and mutual respect. By embracing Tunnganarniq, we recognize the strength in diversity and the power of collective connection, ensuring that everyone feels a sense of belonging and is empowered to contribute their unique gifts to the community.
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The Spirit of Belonging: Embracing Tunnganarniq in the Arts

By Tony Eetak

In a world where we are constantly searching for our place, tunnganarniq is the quiet invitation to belong, to feel like we are not just seen, but welcomed. It’s the heartbeat of a community that opens its arms wide, offering space for every soul to bring their gifts.

Tunnganarniq is about weaving a tapestry of connection, where the threads of different experiences, ideas, and stories all belong together. It’s that magical moment when a new artist steps into the circle, and you can see the spark of their voice being heard for the first time. When we are open, truly open, creativity becomes a shared experience, not a solitary journey.

This value is the bridge between cultures, where backgrounds fade away and what matters most is the art—the voice—the story that wants to be told. It’s about breaking barriers and embracing differences, because when we do, we all rise together. It’s the kind of openness that makes a community feel like home, no matter where you come from.

For artists, tunnganarniq is the invitation to belong to something bigger than themselves—a space where their voices are valued, and their contributions matter. Arts organizations that live this value become more than just spaces; they become living, breathing communities where every artist, every voice, every idea has room to flourish.

When we embrace tunnganarniq, we open the door to a world of infinite possibilities. It’s a world where the spirit of inclusivity doesn’t just exist; it thrives, radiating out in every brushstroke, every song, every performance. And in that space, we are all better for it—stronger, connected, and more alive.

Filed Under: Nunavut, SDG 14
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.