Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things Video Flashcards
In terms of colonization of the North (~8:00-13:30), what did the missionaries provide for the Inuit?
What they provided
1. healthcare and services
2. education
3. Document Inuit language as they lack a writing system
-(then used to teach the bible)
How did the missionaries aim to control sexual and familial relations?
-forced to be christen
-forces to not speak their language
-families were broken up
-plural marriages were no longer allowed.
—plural (2 women or 2 men, or more)
-plural marriages spilt up, man forced to choice between wives and the children they had.
How did this lead to the development of a sense of shame of Inuit identity?
-shame around Inuit practices
-parts/pieces of identity are missing = Shame
-loss of culture
-use of drugs and alcohol to cope with trauma
-not knowing your parents
-young people committing suicide more often and in violent relationships (such as sexual abuse)
-young people dropping out of school.
-traditional Inuit faith not talked about. Not shared but shamed and hidden
—which has come from the implementation of Christianity
In regards to being LGBTQ in Nunavut (~14:50-30:00), was being gay supported/safe for the young Inuit sharing their stories?
-it is not safe because of the history of colonialism.
-people not comfortable and open with it.
-were/are treated differently by whole community.
-able to frame it around concern.
—more concern for peers than LGBTQ+ person
—“what they might do to peers, what they might expose peers to, as a queer person”
-some beaten up for it
-LGBTQ+ people fall to the bottom of priority list of government.
-isolation and losing community + loss of culture identity makes it very painful and difficult for them.
-negatively effects mental health
Briefly describe the first “Pride space”
-it was a picnic
-group was kept small b/c not as safe to have many people + not a lot openly LGBTQ+
-members of LGBTQ+ and allies
-music, food
-called iqaluit pride and friends of pride picnic
-called this so that people who were closeted could attend as “allies”
-it was also used to help feed people as that was a struggle for some
What is meant by the phrase “It would be really naïve to think that they are just here for the food”
(They = 4-5 young men)
-It was a telling comment because fear is born of ignorance.
-fear simply because they don’t know who the LGBTQ+ people are
-gives way to education people
Briefly describe what is needed to end the “invisibility of LGBTQ” in the North and begin the process of “unshaming”.
-it is important today that we excavate written history that makes LGBTQ+ and their experiences invisible and hidden.
-To bring them back and write it down in history
In terms of traditional Inuit views of sexuality (~43:00-47:30), how do the words “lesbian” and “gay” translate in Inuktitut?
Lesbian = two soft things rubbing against each other
Gay = two hard things rubbing against each other
Briefly describe the challenges of being homosexual in terms of traditional family structure
-would have been very hard to have same sex relationship for traditional family structure
-b/c when they were semi-nomadic, you needed a hunter and seamstress in every family to survive, and you learned these skills from very young age, so it was very unlikely for homosexual people to have the skills to survive on their own and raise a family.
-just because people have heterosexual sexual relationship doesn’t mean they aren’t taking part in homosexual activities.
How did plural marriages factor in?
-they may have been a way to allow people to stay together.
-hunter can leave for weeks at a time, this either means 2 woman can be home alone or 2 men gone hunting together
-this could’ve been done in secret or dependent on situation.
-this is not the case for all plural relationships, sometimes a wives husband would die and a couple would take her in so she could survive.
In regards to the development of Iqaluit Pride (~47:30-62:00), how does the terms “pride” conflict with Inuit values?
-in Inuit culture there is idea to not be too prideful.
-Humility is encouraged
-“need to be comfortable and proud of who we are as a people without being too prideful”
How does the LGBTQ Pride Fair at the school reflect changes over the generations?
-shows progress of acceptance and people being more open to LGBTQ+
-it is part of healing process that needs to happen
-allows youth to be a part of that change and empowering them.
In terms of diversity in the North, briefly sum up what the Inuit say still needs to be done?
-attitude towards sexuality in North is changing but still needs work.
-as more visibility comes, there is more need for support and resources that are culturally sensitive
-still need more discussions on it
-Nunavut still doesn’t formally recognize gender identity, expression and sexual orientation in its human rights code.
