Artcirq is based in Igloolik, Nunavut, and gives the young people there an outlet, something to take pride in.

Art production has been survival strategy of the Inuit since the nomadic hunting groups settled in communities run by the federal government in the mid 20th century.

In the 1999 documentary, Journey to Nunavut: The Kreelak Story, Martin Kreelak describes how two Canadian artists came from the south in the 1960s and taught printmaking to the people of Baker Lake. Through art, some members of the community reconnected with their traditions and gained a measure of financial independence from the government.

Artcirq has helped Igloolik in a similar way, using performance and athleticism as a means for cultural expression. Their shows incorporate traditional elements such as Inuktitut songs, drum dancing, throat singing and strength competitions.

Artistic director Guillaume Saladin brought his circus training and a passion for the people of the North with him when he came to Igloolik from Quebec over a decade ago. Up Here magazine named him 2008 Northerner of the Year.

In 2009 Artcirq travelled over 1,000 kilometres by snowmobile from Igloolik to Pond Inlet to Clyde River and back to share performances and workshops. Filmmaker Derek Aqqiaruq documented the journey. The resulting film was recently posted to IsumaTV.

Although Artcirq has travelled extensively — they performed as part of Vancouver’s 2010 Cultural Olympiad — their snowmobile tour may have been one of their most important and formative journeys.

The excursion featured Inuit guides, filmmakers, reporters, musicians and performers. Babies and young children came along. The travelers endured many setbacks as snowmobiles broke down and spare parts were delivered. Young people learned valuable skills for camping and traveling on the land.

I recommend watching the whole film, but if you only have five minutes, skip to 38 minutes in and listen to David Ikiarialuk from Clyde River speak about how Artcirq is spreading pride and joy in Nunavut.

He says it better than I ever could.

“Wayne Davidson, a weather station operator in Resolute Bay — one of Canada’s most northerly communities — said Inuit hunters have noticed for years that the dark Arctic night is becoming lighter.”

Wait. The Inuit have known this for years, and now that a white guy confirms what they have observed, it’s news?

Scientists have said for some time that the effects of climate change are most dramatic in the Arctic, but the experiences of the people living there are often ignored or forgotten.

The Inuit lived in the Far North as nomadic hunters until Canadian government policy forced them into settlements in the mid 20th century.

They have experienced their environment in a way that scientists who merely travel there for a few months or years could not fully understand. They truly are climate change experts.

When I visited Baker Lake, Nunavut, three years ago, locals told me of species of animals and insects that were seen on the land for the first time as summers grew longer and warmer. There were no names in Inuktitut for these new things.

Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change (2010) tells the story of a changing environment through the eyes of a population whose ancestors depended on the land for survival for thousands of years.

The documentary was co-directed by Zacharias Kunuk, who rose to international fame in 2001 for Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.

Check out co-director Ian Mauro’s blog about the process of creating the climate change documentary.

Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change can be streamed online from IsumaTV. The independent production company behind Atanarjuat launched this social networking tool in 2008 to support the creation and sharing of Inuit and aboriginal multimedia. The site now boasts over 2000 videos in 41 languages.

Inuit knowledge is based in an oral tradition, and film is a great medium for storytelling.

It’s no real surprise that more and more Inuit are making films about their own communities, and that the National Film Board is getting in on the trend.

These stories need to be told. It’s time for the rest of Canada to start watching and listening.