The developers of the new Inuinnaqtun Dictionary app hope that using the app will make the Nunavummiut people feel more comfortable speaking the language.
The Cambridge Bay-based Kitikmeot Heritage Society, also known as Pitquhirnikkut Ilihautiniq or PI, released the free mobile app late last month.
In the 2021 census, only 495 people in Canada reported Inuinnaqtun as their first language. Most speakers live in communities in the Western Arctic.
Emily Angulalik, CEO of PI, wants to change this statistic.
“Inuinnaqtun should be spoken and understood by everyone. We are a sister dialect of Inuktitut, but we are such a small part of the Inuit world,” she said.
“The majority of our young people are mute and may not be able to pronounce the words or hold a conversation.”
The app includes thousands of words and phrases in Inuinnaqtun, both written and audio, which Angulalik says could help people improve their speaking skills.
Lyndsey Friesen, PI’s philanthropy and communications manager, said they chose an app rather than a print dictionary because of accessibility.
“They are updated automatically … so instead of having to buy a new dictionary every time a new one comes out, we can provide updates to people,” she said.
The development of the app took three years. Older people and language experts contributed their knowledge in a series of workshops.
The project received a $600,000 grant from Polar Knowledge Canada, ArcticNet’s Inuit Nunangat Research Program, the Government of Nunavut, and the federal government’s First Nations and Inuit Cultural Education Centres Program.
Safe places to learn Inuinnaqtun
Like many young Inuinnaqtun learners, Sarah Oolayuk Jancke finds trying to become fluent in the language daunting.
As the social and cultural development director for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, she wants to create safe spaces where people feel encouraged to learn and speak the language. She sees the app as a promising development.
“Many of us are passive language users. Many of us understand a lot (Inuinnaqtun), but to gain the confidence to speak, a little more support is needed,” she said.
The Kitikmeot Inuit Association has set a goal for communities in the region to be predominantly bilingual within the next two generations, or 30 to 40 years. Jancke is optimistic that this vision can become a reality.
“I think the pride that Inuit people have in themselves, their culture and their language today is really changing,” Jancke said.
Growing up with parents who did not speak English, it was always important to Angulalik to be able to speak and pass on the Inuinnaqtun language.
“I am convinced that language and culture go hand in hand,” she said.
“It takes time … but if you want to learn it, if (that drive) is in you, then you will be able to grasp it and fly with it. That’s my dream.”
