[BCMA] Fwd: new territorial heritage centre under development in Nunavut

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

The Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre (NIHC) will be built in Iqaluit and
will honour
the Government of Canada’s commitment to the Nunavut Agreement and Bill
C-15, the UNDRIP Act. The need for a heritage facility was identified in
the Nunavut Agreement as 'urgent' - 30 years ago. The 55,000 sq ft facility
will allow the return of the Nunavut Collection from storage at the
Winnipeg Art Gallery's Qaumaujuq and the Canadian Museum of Nature; provide
a venue for exhibitions, performances, workshops, and other programs; and
support healing and reconciliation. The NIHC will provide training and
support the development of heritage facilities in other communities
throughout Nunavut. A Steering Comm*ittee *with members from the Designated
Inuit Organizations, Inuit Heritage Trust (IHT), Nunavut Tunngavik
Incorporated (*NTI),* the Qikiqtani *Inuit* Association (QIA), the
Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KitIA), and the Kivalliq Inuit Association
(KivIA), is overseeing the project. This project is only possible with the
generous support of NTI and QIA who have each committed $5M. *IHT has
dedicated staff and financial resources. We are in negotiations with the
federal and territorial governments to secure their commitments.*

We are very excited to announce *the winning team** of the international
architectural competition, *comprised of: *Dorte Mandrup Architects,* Lead
Architect, Denmark; Guy Architects Ltd., Architect of Record, Yellowknife/
Iqaluit; Adjeleian Allen Rubeli Limited, Structural Engineer Pageau Morel
et Associés, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering; E Lees & Associates,
Landscape
Architecture; EXP Services Inc., Civil Engineering; Polar Outfitting, Inuit
Consulting; Arctic UAV & Panaq Design, Inuit Consulting and Model
Building; Altus
Group Limited, Cost control.

As IHT Executive Director *William Beveridge* says,
"*We have waited many years for this opportunity and have never been this
close to realizing our dream**. The need for a territorial heritage centre
was first identified in the Nunavut Agreement and thirty years later we are
still without a place of our own. As a result, many items made by our
ancestors are stored in southern facilities. With few opportunities for
Inuit to engage with these items, we continue to be disconnected from this
important part of our cultural heritage**. *But there is growing momentum
for an Inuit-owned and operated facility*."*

*Jury Statement*
The winning proposal convinced the jury with their beautiful and poetic
response to the requirements outlined in the Feasibility Study and during
the March Design Week in Iqaluit. Jury members felt that Mandrup heard and
understood community perspectives regarding Inuit Traditional Knowledge and
the healing potential for the NIHC. The reference to kalutoqaniq resonated
with the jury, the prevailing wind causing shapes and patterns in the
snowdrifts. They appreciated the reference to Inuit wayfinding and
integration into the landscape. They liked the idea of the building growing
from the land, and the glowing lights in the landscape, for the eyes of the
people of Nunavut. They liked the living green roof and the idea of having
the more protected functional spaces set deeper into the hill. They thought
the design and shape were interesting and that the building had an
efficient footprint.

The Inuit-majority jury was composed of: Eva Aariak, Leena Evic, Piita
Irniq, Nicole Luke, Moshe Safdie, Sakiasie Sowdlooapik, and Desiree
Valadares. Their bios are on the NIHC website at www.nunavutheritage.ca

Winning architect *Dorte Mandrup* explains her vision: "*The design of the
Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre is inspired by the landscape and the movement
of the snow and the wind. Following the topographic curves and distinct
longitudinal features of the terrain, the building sits parallel to the
prevailing north-western winds. It carves into the rocky hillside
overlooking Iqaluit with the large roof continuing the lines of the
landscape and forming a new public space and a viewing platform from which
visitors can enjoy the uninterrupted views towards Frobisher Bay and Sylvia
Grinnell Territorial Park. By taking advantage of the protective rock, the
building naturally creates a shelter over the sensitive collections and
exhibitions while the expansive window gesture offers a space filled with
daylight and generous views towards the south-west for future gathering and
activities." *

Mandrup is excited to have been chosen for this important commission.
*"The Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre is an extraordinary project that we are
very proud and humble to have been selected to be part of.  Working within
this context requires both extreme sensitivity and consideration of
landscape and its cultural significance. The community has been working
tirelessly for a long time to establish a place for Inuit to collect
precious heritage and share unique, specialised knowledge that remains
imperative for future generations and is in severe risk of vanishing. We
are looking very much forward to listening, learning, and being the link
between thought and form."*

*For more information about the project,* or photographs for media use,
please go to the NIHC website at www.nunavutheritage.ca or contact:
cccole at ihti.ca. Check it out on your favourite social media platform:

o   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NunavutInuitHeritageCentreNIHC;

o   Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nunavutinuitheritagecentrenihc/; or

o   LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nunavut-inuit-heritage-centre-nihc/.




Catherine C Cole, MA, FCMA
She/her
Director of Planning, Inuit Heritage Trust, Nunavut
Principal Consultant, Catherine C. Cole & Associates
Culture and Heritage Community Chair, National Indigenous Knowledge and
Language Alliance (NIKLA)
Member, Indigenous Cultural Heritage Advisory Council (ICHAC), Parks Canada
Member, ICOM Canada Board
10023 93 Street, Edmonton, AB, CANADA, T5H1W6
ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan), Treaty 6/Métis Territory
CatherineC.Cole at telus.net; 1-780-424-2229
https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-cole-72015a29
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