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These rare recordings are more than music — they are a bridge between generations. As one teacher from Baker Lake, Nunavut shared on Aug 16, 2025:
“I am so grateful to you for making these recordings from Baker Lake available. These songs, because of you, are now going to become part of the children's education. Their language and culture is vital to their identity, and there is so much erosion of it from competing distractions. Most of the children speak English and don't know Inuktitut. These songs will connect the younger generations, and future generations, to their roots. These songs will reconnect the younger generations to their culture and their language. Thank you for making that possible. There are still some Elders in Baker Lake who lived a traditional, nomadic life before moving to Baker Lake.”
Sept 30, 2025 update: The recordings have already begun to spark moments of recognition. Just recently, Elder Jean Simailik, who sings on several tracks including Wildlife (#10), heard her own voice played back in a local Baker Lake restaurant. She smiled and shared her wish to write down the words to her songs while at her cabin — a powerful reminder that this project continues to live and grow through the Elders themselves.
While the exact location of the sessions remains to be confirmed, it is believed they were recorded in Baker Lake, likely at the now-condemned Inuit Heritage Centre, once a hub of cultural preservation before it was closed due to asbestos. What matters most is that these songs remain rooted in the community and are now being carried forward into classrooms and homes.
The Museum of Canadian Music helps to keep voices like these alive and within reach. Tuhaalruuqtut: Authentic Inuit Songs Volume 1 is a piece of life carried forward, making sure the throat songs, stories, and lullabies of the Inuit can still be heard, learned, and lived.
-Robert Williston
The following made this possible:
The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs
Calm Air
The Hamlet of Baker Lake
Produced by Sally Qimmiu'naaq Webster
Production Assistant: Winnie Owingayak
Front cover by Hans Blohm
Related recordings: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/326343-compilation-tuhaalruuqtut-authentic-inuit-songs
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CD-VA Tuhaalruuqtut Volume 2 BACK
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Tuhaalruuqtut Volume 2
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I am so grateful to you for making these recordings from Baker Lake available. These songs, because of you, are now going to become part of the children's education. Their language and culture is vital to their identity, and there is so much erosion of it from competing distractions. Most of the children speak English and don't know Inuktitut. These songs will connect the younger generations, and future generations, to their roots. These songs will reconnect the younger generations to their culture and their language. Thank you for making that possible. There are still some Elders in Baker Lake who lived a traditional, nomadic life before moving to Baker Lake. Anne