Innavik

ᑰᒃ ᑰᑦᑐᖅ The Flowing River

In Inukjuak, Nunavik, an Arctic community moves from total diesel dependence to renewable energy, redefining Indigenous energy sovereignty.

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Who is behind this project?
This project is a collaboration between CTV News Montreal, Concordia University, Indigenous Clean Energy, and Journalists for Human Rights.
What inspired this project?
Concordia professor and Executive Producer Aphrodite Salas launched the project in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Call to Action 86, “to require education for all students on the history of Aboriginal peoples.”
Where will this be screened?
As well as being available to all on CTVNewsMontreal.ca, the world premieres of Innavik: Leading the way to a clean energy future, and Simeonie Nalukturuk: in his own words, took place at Uquutaq High School in Inukjuak on Nov. 2. It will also screen at the Canada Pavilion at COP27 in Egypt, taking place Nov 6-18, 2022
How can I find out more?
Click here for the project’s backstory, and to learn more about the people who put it together.

Where is Inukjuak?
Inukjuak is located in Nunavik, in northern Quebec, about 1,500 kilometres north of Montreal.
How many people live in Inukjuak?
There are approximately 1,800 people living in the municipality.
What is some of the local history?
The area was named Port Harrison at the beginning of the 20th century when a French fur trading company called Révillon Frères established a post there. Archeological evidence suggests Indigenous people have been living in the area for thousands of years, and many Inuit continued to live out on the land until the 1950s, when it became more common for Inuit to settle in the village.
What is Inuktitut?
Inuktitut is one of several common languages spoken in Inuit communities the Canadian arctic, Alaska, Russia’s Chukotka Peninsula, and Greenland. There are many regional dialects spoken across Inuit traditional territory. The INNAVIK documentary voiceover was recorded in Inukjuamiutitut – the dialect spoken in Inukjuak.

What do people in Inukjuak use diesel for?
Diesel fuel is the main source of energy in the community, and it’s common to see large tanks outside communal buildings like the hospital, school, and general store. Houses also rely on diesel for heating and electricity.
What are the risks of diesel in Inukjuak?
The diesel in Inukjuak is brought into town by ship, and large tankers can only bring in fuel when the water around Nunavik thaws. Fuel spills are a constant risk at all stages of delivery and usage, and can be catastrophic to the environment, as well as the problems posed by an energy shortage.
Are diesel spills common?
In 2015, more than 13,000 litres of diesel spilled in Inukjuak. The same year, 14,000 litres spilled in nearby Ivujivik, and there was another 3,000-litre spill in Salluit.
What is Innavik?
Innavik, which means "a pouch in which one would keep a stone flint and moss to start a fire" in Inuktitut, is a massive hydroelectric project being built in Inukjuak. It’s the first of its kind for the region. It will replace diesel as the community’s primary source of energy, and provide a surplus which Inukjuak will sell back to Hydro-Quebec.