Ryan L. Jones's Reel

A prominent form of art within the community of Tuktoyaktuk, carving has long been a traditional and beloved practice. Although carving began as a way to make tools, with long winters and no stone walls, carving became the medium through which carvers could express themselves and life surrounding them. While the techniques and teachings were passed down by their elders, the carvers of today continue to be inspired by those who came before them.

Drum dancing has been part of Inuvialuit musical life for centuries. Accompanied by a rhythmic beat of drums, singers and dancers recount legends, stories and traditions.

Meet Joe Buffalo Child, also known around the world as Joe "The Aurora Hunter". Owner of North Star Adventures, a 100% Indigenous owned and operated, Yellowknife based company. In the span of five minutes as a guest of Joe's, you will get to know the storyteller, the practical joker, the astute businessman, and more than anything else, the lover of the Aurora.

Pinguqsaaryuit, the Inuvialuktun word for pingos, are an iconic landmark that emerge from the relatively flat land of the Canadian Western Arctic. For millennia, pingos have played an important part of Inuvialuit culture, serving as landmarks for the Inuvialuit who have lived and travelled the Western Arctic, along with providing a place to camp, collect berries and get out on the land. As such an important and everlasting feature of Tuk, Pingos continue to inspire stories, traditions and of course, art. Here’s the stories inspired by these iconic landmarks.

Inspired by and sourced from the land, art and storytelling go hand in hand. Just as life stories are weaved into garments, stories are also told through visual art forms. Artists within the community express themselves in both the traditional and contemporary, but are always telling relevant stories of their culture, community, and way of life. Here are their stories through art.

Meet Leela Gilday, a Dene-Canadian singer/songwriter, born and raised in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She has released five solo albums since 2002, two of which have won the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year. Leela Gilday has a voice that comes straight from the heart. Confessing her stories to her audiences with a gutsy voice and open stage presence, Gilday weaves her experiences as a northerner, a member of the Dene nation, and a traveler into a beautiful world that...

Traditional Inuvialuit clothing provided more than protection from the elements. It was also a form of expression and storytelling. Sewn into the precious fabrics were stories of people, places and situations that would become a part of the piece - with every stitch life stories are woven into works of art - weaving together the past and the present, the traditional and the contemporary. Developing these traditional techniques required skill and creativity that can only be taught by Elders...

Meet Kylik Kisoun Taylor and his uncle, Gerry Kisoun. Kylik has always felt a strong connection to the wide-open spaces of the Beaufort Delta and the traditi...

Rooted in the traditional practices, the Saliqmuit: Centre for Arts and Culture will be modeled after Indigenous architectures and ingenuity. Here’s the buildings that influenced the centre and the stories behind the design.

Meet Seha, a true survivor. Seha's horns were brutally hacked from his face in a poaching attempt in 2016. But his story is a tale of hope and strength.