Inuit Kinship and Naming Customs

Traditionally, Inuit do not call each other by their given names. Instead, they refer to each other using a system of kinship and family terms, known as tuq&urausiit (turk-thlo-raw-seet). Calling each other by kinship terms is a way to show respect and foster closeness within families. However, as more and more Inuit refer to each other by their English first names, rather than their traditional kinship terms, the tradition of tuq&urausiit is slowly disappearing. This book presents interviews with four Inuit elders from Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, about how names were chosen, the importance of using kinship terms, and how the practice of tuq&urausiit has changed over the years. Inuit Kinship and Naming Customs helps to preserve the knowledge of this tradition for younger generations, both Inuit and non-Inuit.

Pelagie Owlijoot is a manager of curriculum development at Nunavut Arctic College in Arviat, Kivalliq Region. She has facilitated Nunavut-wide elders’ conferences and Inuktitut terminology workshops, and has also worked as a translator and interpreter for Council meetings. She lives in Arviat, Nunavut, Canada. Louise Flaherty is the director of the Inuit Languages and Culture Department at Nunavut Arctic College.