Inuit people have been living in Alberta for decades, yet some say until recently there haven’t been enough opportunities to gather and take part in traditional meals and games.

So a group called the Inuit Albertamiut Association began to advocate for funds, and ask the community what they want.

They have launched a survey asking the roughly 3,000 Inuit living in the province — mostly in Edmonton and Calgary — what matters most.

“They’re lonesome for each other,” said Donna Kissoun, Ikajukti (helper), Inuit Albertamiut Association.

According to the 2016 census,  2,500 people identified as Inuit in Alberta. By 2021 that number grew to 2,945 — a 17.8 per cent increase — more than the growth experienced by First Nation or Metis people over that same time period.

But Kissoun believes the number is even higher now.

The founder of this organization, Jeanien Cooper, says others have tried to bring together the urban Inuit population in Alberta but have been unsuccessful for a number of reasons, such as volunteer fatigue, lack of resources and in-fighting.

“There’s 52 different communities of Inuit, and we’re representing all of them, so  our organization would be the same as representing First Nations from all across Canada, and each of them are diverse and unique, too,” said Cooper.

But she believes this time they will succeed because they have been able to secure funding from the Alberta government and different Indigenous organizations to hire staff, create an Elder advisory council, put together a board of directors and draft bylaws. 

The next step is for them to become incorporated as a not-for-profit group in Alberta. 

“I have to keep going. I have to persevere for up-and-coming generations of Inuit, because if I let this go we’re going to be set back another 10 years,” said Cooper.

Connections built on food, culture

Kissoun says the survey was key because they need to know where their people live, how they’re living, and what their priorities are in order to serve their needs.

So far about 370 people have responded.

Kissoun says based on those early responses it’s clear many Inuit miss their traditional foods.

“They’re hungry for food. Our food is really important to us, so when we get together we just feed them and let them visit,” said Kissoun.

The latest gathering was held at the Bridgland Riverside Community Association in Calgary at the end of March.

They served Tuktu (caribou) stew and soup, Arctic char chowder, frozen Arctic char and frozen Mataaq (whale blubber). 

“I come from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, and it’s a small community with a lot of culture. We have gatherings like this all the time,” said Andrea Ng, who now lives in Edmonton.

Ng organizes the gatherings and says she was pleased to have to do a last-minute venue change in Calgary because of the overwhelming number of responses they received.

She says they typically get around 40, but this time 80 people registered.

“But it’s good because it means we’re growing and people are finding out about us and they want to gather,” said Ng.

Tapisa Kilabuk is from Iqualuit, Nunavut, but has lived in Calgary for 18 years and says she’s never seen this type of community spirit.

“I feel like there’s a growing community here in Calgary, “ said Kilabuk.

Kilabuck says she’s grateful to have been invited into several Treaty 7 organizations in the past to attend powwows and take part in sweat lodges, but she says it’s not the same thing.

“That doesn’t authentically represent my culture and so being able to come into this space and hear our language and then eat our food, that’s very inviting, it’s fulfilling, it’s community.” 

More programs to come

Ng says the goal is to provide more events, services and programs to the community, such as throat singing, drum dancing, sewing classes and youth programs.

“This is all coming from the data from the survey, so we’re working on grants now to make it happen,” said Ng.

But most importantly, Ng says, they will also continue to host more events where people can visit and enjoy their traditional foods even if that means having to fly it in and prepare it.

“The people love it, my kids love it,  it’s a good feeling” said Ng.

The association hopes more people will respond to the survey, which is available through social media, in order to create an organization that is designed by and for Inuit people.

In many cases, Kissoun says, programs and services offered by the federal government and other agencies are designed for Indigenous people more broadly, and not specifically to urban Inuit people who are trying to navigate complex systems far from their home land.

“We need to represent our people. Our people are falling between the cracks,” said Kissoun.