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A demonstration in traditional Inuit hand-poke tattoos was held in Inuvik over the weekend.
Participants asked questions about origins of the tattoos and got to see a live demonstration of a person getting their markings during the three sessions that were held from Thursday to Saturday.
The workshop was organized by the Western Arctic Youth Collective.
Sarah Whalen-Lunn of Alaska led the gatherings and demonstration. She has been specializing in Inuit tattoos for the past decade, learning how to give tattoos and teaching others about the history of tattoos in the north.
“There has been a whole lot of openness around the conversations,” Whalen-Lunn said.
Alyssa Carpenter, executive director of Western Arctic Youth Collective, said these workshops and demonstrations are important in passing on the traditions.
“We’re learning and regaining a piece of ourselves that is respectful and intentional,” Carpenter said.
The practice of giving hand-poke tattoos varies from region to region. Artists like Whalen-Lunn are teaching the history of the art and the reasons behind some of the earlier markings and what they meant.
Monica Loreen-Dillon, one of the participants who was at the event in Inuvik, said learning the history of the markings, and how they have adapted, was important to her in finding out more about her own heritage.
“I feel like Sarah describes it very well. Traditions are meant to change and grow with us over time,” Loreen-Dillon said. “We make meanings for our own markings but also carry forward a lot of our own traditions and history.”
Carpenter said the events are informal.
“We aren’t pushing beliefs or anything,” she said.
“We are trying to do it in the most gentle way we can. I think it’s so important that these are offered. We get requests to come to the communities.”
Whalen-Lunn said she enjoys sharing the knowledge because she didn’t learn it when she was growing up.
“I didn’t see photos of family members who had markings and I had questions,” Whalen-Lunn said. “So when I found out about it, it was like a revelation to me. This is what I have been working toward my whole life.”
Whalen-Lunn said being able to help others learn more about their culture and represent their tattoos is what makes her journey so special. She plans to continue the demonstrations and workshops in Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk in the spring. Dates are to be announced soon.
“For me, it’s been life changing,” she said. “The conversations, and the honour and the trust that people give me to be a part of that journey for them, is one of the most beautiful things I get to experience.”