Happening to Us - Using Video to Support Youth Voices
Darryl Tedjuk practicing his new skills on the camera during the Participatory Video Film Workshop in June 2019. Photo: Maeva Gauthier
For my PhD in geography, I use participatory video to engage youth in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories on global changes affecting them. Community-based research is awesome, because my research project quickly became our project (with partners), and is now becoming THEIR project (the youth are part of the Tuk TV collective).
Group photo by the Arctic ocean after the youth interviewed Randal "Boogie" Pokiak. Row 1 (l to r): Jaro Malanowski from Avatar Media, Eriel Lugt, Brian Kikoak workshop assistant, Michele Tomasino from Mangilaluk School, Maeva Gauthier from the University of Victoria. Row 2 (l to r): Darryl Tedjuk, Carmen Kuptana, Randal "Boogie" Pokiak, and Nathan "Muk" Kuptana. Sadly, Randal Pokiak recently passed away. Photo: Johan Stroman
The Nuna Tariuq Silalu film project (Land, Sea and Air) is a community-based research project that provides opportunities for youth in Tuktoyaktuk to learn filmmaking skills to share stories on topics that matter to them. The youth involved chose to create two movies, HAPPENING TO US a film on how climate change is affecting people in Tuk and the second, LIVING IN TWO WORLDS, is a film about youth navigating life in the modern and traditional worlds. The Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation partnered with Maeva Gauthier from the University of Victoria, Michèle Tomasino from Mangilaluk School and Jaro Malanowski from Avatar Media to make this project possible. Seventy people attended the community film screening in Tuk on June 19 and more film screenings will be planned in the region including international film festivals. In total, seven youth participants completed the 2.5 week film training. The youth also had the opportunity to meet with Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna.
Recent Developments
Four youth from this project (Carmen, Eriel, Darryl, and Nathan) with filmmaker Jaro Malanowski and myself were a part of the Inuit Circumpolar Council at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain this last December 2019 (COP25). Their video is also officially on the UN Youth Climate Report. Youth are also providing film services in Tuktoyaktuk under the Tuk TV Collective (see Facebook Page for updates).
COVID-19 has certainly caused delays in finalizing the youth film (adding solutions to the documentary). A summer film workshop happened in July 2021 with the support of the Inuvialuit Communications Society. We also did more filming activities in April and October 2022 and are happy to report there are now 13 budding filmmakers in Tuktoyaktuk! Thanks to the Aurora College for providing a space for the youth to edit their film.
Reach out to inquire about film screenings or presentations, as the youth have been participating to different events in the past years.
Post above: Eriel Lugt was featured with other Inuit climate action leaders, Siila Watt Cloutier, Brian Pottle, and Piita Irniq, at the Canada House in London, UK. The exhibit was launched for COP26 (Nov. 2021) and continues into 2022.
Thanks to our project and research supporters and partners! We are thrilled that people believe in this project and in supporting the youth. Funding partners for the project and the research are listed below.
Special thanks to the community of Tuktoyaktuk, Mangilaluk School, Tamara Voudrach and David Stewart from the Inuvialuit Communications Society, Dustin Whalen and Angus Robertson from NRCAN, and Kendyce Cockney (and Shaun Cormier, Jocelyn Noksana) from Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation for believing in this project.
Carmen Kuptana and Eriel Lugt interviewing former Minister Catherine McKenna during her visit in Tuk for the Inuit strategy launch on climate change. Photo: Maeva Gauthier.
