Indigenous Education

International Inuit Day 2023

November 7, 2023

In 2006, the Inuit Circumpolar Council established November 7 as International Inuit Day. More than 70,000 Inuit people live in Canada, with 69 percent living within Inuit Nunangat, northern Canada, composed of four distinct regions, Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut and Inuvialuit.

On International Inuit Day, we invite you to celebrate the diversity of Inuit cultures and communities, and honour Inuit voices through listening and learning. Below are a few resources to support your learning:

Manitoba is home to the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq, which has one of the world’s largest collections of contemporary Inuit art, bringing close to 5,000 stone carvings to light in its visible vault. Explore the stunning collection of Inuit art in the heart of downtown Winnipeg – the first floor (includes the visible vault) is always FREE to visit. This Sunday, November 12 is free admission from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at WAG-Qaumajuq, so check out more exhibitions, including Inuit Sanaugangit: Art Across Time.

International Inuit Day is also a time to recognize how the way of life continues to change for Inuit peoples as the landscape literally and figuratively transforms. Read A balancing act between the two worlds: What it means to be Inuit, via Nunavut News.

Last year, RRC Polytech celebrated National Inuit Day with students, staff, faculty, and members of the Manitoba Inuit Association. College Transition students shared about their culture and life in Rankin Inlet with the College community. Read the full story here.

RRC Polytech campuses are located on the lands of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dené, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories which provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.

Learn more ›