Biographical note

Louise Flaherty grew up in Clyde River, Nunavut. Early on, Louise was fortunate to be surrounded by great storytellers. Her grandparents instilled in her a passion for Inuktitut, and an understanding that speaking Inuktitut is a fundamental part of Inuit identity. In 2005, Louise co-founded Inhabit Media Inc., an independent publishing house dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Inuit knowledge and values, and the Inuktitut language. Inhabit Media has since published dozens of books and Inuktitut resources that are used in classrooms throughout Nunavut.

Solomon Awa was born in a sod house near Iglulik on November 2, 1959. From a young age, he was curious about everything around him. He learned to sew traditional items such as sealskins from his late mother, Appia Awa. His late father, Mathias Awa, was an excellent carver, especially with ivory, and one time he made a harpoon from caribou antlers in one night! Solomon learned to carve from him. Solomon loves to tell the stories that he learned from his father. He does this at schools, and also had the opportunity to go to Kaotokeno, Norway, to tell some of these stories. He is currently serving as mayor for the City of Iqaluit.