Meeka Kakudluk eagerly anticipates the annual Christmas party hosted by Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI) in December. This event, which she describes as the largest Inuit Christmas party in Ottawa, typically draws hundreds of attendees and is a highlight of her year, reminiscent of traditional Christmas festivities in Nunavut.
However, this year, the Ottawa-based organization supporting Inuit in Ontario has made the decision to move the Christmas party online. Despite the organization’s explanation that the shift aims to promote inclusivity for Inuit community members residing outside the city, Kakudluk and others like Sytukie Joamie express disappointment with the move.
Joamie, a long-time Ottawa resident and regular party attendee, compares the idea of a virtual Christmas celebration to cancelling a parade for the Stanley Cup, emphasizing the importance of physical gatherings and community connections during the holiday season, particularly for Inuit residents in Ottawa.
In Nunavut, Christmas celebrations span several days and involve traditional games, cuisine, and communal activities, fostering a sense of unity among residents. Joamie highlights the significance of these gatherings for the dispersed Inuit population in Ottawa, emphasizing the joy and bonding that Christmas festivities bring to the community.
Despite TI’s plans to incorporate online games and prizes into the virtual celebration, Kakudluk and Joamie express reservations about the virtual format, lamenting the absence of communal prayers and the enjoyment of traditional Inuit dishes like muktuk, char, caribou, and bannock.
Both Kakudluk and Joamie suggest that a hybrid event, blending in-person gatherings with virtual participation, would have been a more suitable alternative to maintain the spirit of togetherness and celebration that defines Inuit Christmas traditions. Nevertheless, TI’s virtual Christmas celebration is scheduled to take place from December 8 to December 12.