Inuktitut songbook spreads culture ‘far and wide’ says Iqaluit teacher – Nunatsiaq News

May 25, 2022

Songs by the Jerry Cans, Uvagut among contemporary music included Mary Piercey-Lewis’s new songbook

When music teacher Mary Piercey-Lewis first arrived in Nunavut in 2001, she was surprised to find there was no formal music curriculum to teach from.

“There were absolutely no music resources for Inuit music,” she said, thinking back to her early music lessons in Arviat.

“There was lots of amazing music happening in communities, but no resources to really pull upon to use in the classroom, especially for high school.”

Piercey-Lewis — who in 2021 was named the Juno Awards’ Musicounts Music Teacher of the Year and won the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence — knew that music could be a powerful tool for promoting Inuit culture and for helping students to connect with their Inuit identity.

Read More: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/inuktitut-songbook-spreads-culture-far-and-wide-says-iqaluit-teacher/