Lisa Milosavljevic

Photographer and Media Artist

www.lisamilosavljevic.com

Nunavut's Young Hunters

Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Nationality: Canadian

Biography: Lisa Milosavljevic is a documentary photographer and media artist who explores how cultural landscapes are made meaningful by their deep connection to people over time. She is interested in how ancient traditions and new technologies overlap, how... MORE

Focus: Photographer, Photojournalist, Filmmaker, Director, Videographer, Environment, Photo Assistant, Documentary, Multimedia, Creative, Film, Creative Director, Photography, Art Director, Portraiture, Stock, Events, Culture, Director of Photography, Arts & Culture, Freelance, Communications, Cinematography, Visual Communications , International, Creative Professional, Multidisciplinary Artist, Short Films, Film Editor, Multimedia Journalist, Editing, Assistant, Digital Journalism, Special Projects, Communications Manager, Environmental Stories, Conservation, Community, Communications Coordinator, Digital Media, Content Creation, Digital Media Production, Portrait Photography, Corporate, Nature

Kaniq Allerton performs a cartw... perform a rifle demonstration.

Kaniq Allerton performs a cartwheel while a group of young hunters watch Kevin Kullualik perform a rifle demonstration.

After Alex Flaherty turns off t...scan the water for ringed seal.

After Alex Flaherty turns off the engine of the boat, Kaniq Allerton and the rest of the crew quietly scan the water for ringed seal.

Jack Allakariallak and Simaniq ...er a snowmobile from the ditch.

Jack Allakariallak and Simaniq Kootoo watch as older hunters recover a snowmobile from the ditch.

Shipping sea cans have been rep...an make hot coffee and warm up.

Shipping sea cans have been repurposed to serve as a simple office with a small portable stove and heater so during days when people work on their hunting tools outside, they can make hot coffee and warm up.

The boys watch as Kevin Kullual... to pull seal out of the water.

The boys watch as Kevin Kullualik demonstrates how to scrape off ice from a seal hook (niksik), which is used to pull seal out of the water.

Kaniq Allerton has a close look... seal during a hunt in October.

Kaniq Allerton has a close look at a recently killed harp seal during a hunt in October.

Kaniq Allerton takes part in fi...idence he has when on the land.

Kaniq Allerton takes part in figure skating practice. Kaniq and his sister, Béatrice, have been figure skating for a few years. During practice at the ice rink in Iqaluit, Kaniq uses the same focus and confidence he has when on the land.

Kaniq Allerton, left, and Inuki... using a juice box as a target.

Kaniq Allerton, left, and Inuki Wilman practice their harpooning skills using a juice box as a target.

Damian Young drives the boat wh...ning the water for ringed seal.

Damian Young drives the boat while Alex Flaherty is outside on the bow scanning the water for ringed seal.

Shortly after a snow fall, the ...pairs of hands to guide it out.

Shortly after a snow fall, the roads got icy and Simaniq veered his snowmobile into a ditch. It took a few pairs of hands to guide it out.

Inuki Wilman, left, and B&e...unting tools during a workshop.

Inuki Wilman, left, and Béatrice Allerton have fun playing baseball with a pop can to pass time while Kaniq works on his hunting tools during a workshop.

Kaniq Allerton sits with his ha...g before a toolmaking workshop.

Kaniq Allerton sits with his harpoon on a Sunday morning before a toolmaking workshop.

Kaniq Allerton checks out his h... before filing it down to size.

Kaniq Allerton checks out his harpoon head before filing it down to size.

At the end of Kaniq's f...asleep at the back of the boat.

At the end of Kaniq's first hunt in November of 2018, he falls asleep at the back of the boat.

The hunting group stops for lun...unger boys watched The Goonies.

The hunting group stops for lunch at Kevin Kullualik’s cabin, during which the younger boys watched The Goonies.

Dusk arrives at 3:00pm in Decem...etting up seal nets on the ice.

Dusk arrives at 3:00pm in December, cutting the hunting days short. The group heads back to the heated workshop by a caravan of snowmobiles after a cold day of setting up seal nets on the ice.

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL

LOVE

Thumbnail of Kaniq Allerton performs a cartwh_k perform a rifle demonstration.

Thumbnail of After Alex Flaherty turns off th_ scan the water for ringed seal.

Thumbnail of Jack Allakariallak and Simaniq K_ver a snowmobile from the ditch.

Thumbnail of Shipping sea cans have been repu_can make hot coffee and warm up.

Thumbnail of The boys watch as Kevin Kulluali_d to pull seal out of the water.

Thumbnail of Kaniq Allerton has a close look _p seal during a hunt in October.

Thumbnail of Kaniq Allerton takes part in fig_fidence he has when on the land.

Thumbnail of Kaniq Allerton, left, and Inuki _s using a juice box as a target.

Thumbnail of Damian Young drives the boat whi_nning the water for ringed seal.

Thumbnail of Shortly after a snow fall, the r_ pairs of hands to guide it out.

Thumbnail of Inuki Wilman, left, and B&ea_hunting tools during a workshop.

Thumbnail of Kaniq Allerton sits with his har_ng before a toolmaking workshop.

Thumbnail of Kaniq Allerton checks out his ha_d before filing it down to size.

Thumbnail of At the end of Kaniq's fi_ asleep at the back of the boat.

Thumbnail of The hunting group stops for lunc_ounger boys watched The Goonies.

Thumbnail of Dusk arrives at 3:00pm in Decemb_setting up seal nets on the ice.

Public Story

Nunavut's Young Hunters

Copyright Lisa Milosavljevic 2023

Date of Work Nov 2018 - Jan 2020

Updated Mar 2020

Topics Arctic, Canada, Culture, Documentary, Hunters, Hunting, Inuit, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Photography, Photojournalism, Sustainability

Nunavut is currently experiencing a population growth where Inuit now make up the youngest population in Canada, with 51 per cent being under the age of 25. Inuit typically make up at least 90 per cent of the population in communities in Nunavut, with the exception of the capital Iqaluit, where half the population are Inuit and the other half non-Inuit Canadians. It is common to hear local Nunavummiut voice the loss of traditional culture and the Inuktitut language in Iqaluit, where more people are taking on a more southern way of life. This young generation is growing alongside a quickly-changing arctic, and there are many practical skills that are not being taught in the colonial education system.

Alex Flaherty of Polar Outfitting and his team of hunters have been taking youth out of the land since 2018 to teach traditional Inuit skills in hunting and arctic survival, funded with the help of Ilitaqsiniq (Nunavut Literacy Council). I joined in on a few of these outings where I met many capable young men, including a 10 year old boy, Kaniq Allerton, whom I watched grow over a year. Subsistence hunting is an incredible human activity that connects people with the land and the cycle of life. Spending time with these boys showed me both the fun and the responsibility in Inuit adolescence as they learned the skills necessary to go from boyhood to become confident arctic hunters.

True North Photo Journal