Following a hiatus forced by Covid-19, Elders in Kinngait have been able to resume gatherings at the Kenojuak Cultural Centre.
photos courtesy of Maata Jaw/Kenojuak Cultural Centre
The Elders Circle, held each Wednesday afternoon, brings together participants for a variety of country food, beef stew, bannock, cookies and tea. In addition to conversation, they play games and a lucky few take home a prize, said Maata Jaw, who manages the facility.
“The Elders Circle is so much fun – lots of talking, enjoying food and lots of laughter during games... (it) seems to me that they enjoy the whole event,” said Jaw, who added that arranging Elders activities is her favourite part of her job.
While the Elders Circle restarted on Aug. 19 after being suspended for several months, a more recent addition to programming has been a Saturday afternoon Elders Storytelling and Digital Archive, which kicked off on Sept. 5.
Three Elders talk discuss original ways of Inuit life and compare it to modern times, according to Jaw. She said this month's theme is roles, duties and development of a child, which includes obedience and traditional expectations. There's a plan to record these events and post the footage on the cultural centre's website in the future, Jaw said.
