ARNARULUNNQUAQ “ARNA” AUDLALUK
SOOOOOOOOO! Check this out – while growing up in Mississauga Ontario, beside the T DOT, I remember being in Grade 4 and staring at a map of Canada; wondering if anyone actually lives at the very top of the country!! and if they did, would they be cool? *No pun intended*. A few years ago in 2009, I received my answer when I was privileged & honoured to reach GRISE FIORD, NUNAVUT with the BluePrint For Life team (been there 3 times since). YES, the VEEEERRY TOP of Canada, you can’t officially live any farther north, unless you’re an adventurer, an Inuk on the land, Military Solider, an Umimmak (Muskox) or an Alien… (inside Joke for my Grise fiord heads lol) It straight up takes 2 full days to get up there from Ottawa.
My friend and freestyle “throatbox” (Throatsinging & BeatBox) partner, ARNARULUNNHUAQ AKA ‘ARNA’ is one artist/teacher that lives on top of the world, literally. As you’ll see from this article, she’s a very deep thinker and has some solid perspective on the power of arts! Arna has that eye for photography you wish you had when the moment was right! her visual art doodle style is iconic and her reference through symbology is classic in my opinion – and yes I went to Sheridan College, meaning I have one!
Arna has participated in arctic hip-hop summits with BluePrint & various projects, she’s seen quite a bit of the world including spots in Scandinavia & spent some time in Africa as well. I found vibing with her was very easy, we put together some throatboxing songs off the top of the dome on first try, which I’ve recorded for ya’ll to listen to! Overall, I’m glad she’s teaching youth up north in her hometown, she stays true to her culture as an advocate, artist and fresh homegal, I’m very pleased to present my friend Arnarulunnguaq, PROPS to you Arna and much love to Grise Fiord!
PEACE FROST*
GATEWAY TO THE SOUTH – CANADA’S MOST NORTHERN POINT
PART 1
FROST – Who are you!? do you represent a team, club or crew?
ARNA – Well, you know my name Frost! Arnarulunnguaq Audlaluk (ARNA for short) from Grise Fiord, NUNAVUT! I don’t think I represent any teams or clubs, but I am a school teacher.
Ms. Audlaluk
FROST – Your name is incredible Arna, & I’m getting the hang of it! please remind me the story and meaning.
ARNA – “Arnarulunnguaq” is a greenlandic name. My parents named me after a greenlandic woman who traveled through a dog team expedition to Alaska through Davis Strait. She was originally from North Thule Base area, Qaanaaq. It also means Little girl or Little woman. Arna (girl) rulunnguaq It’s silly I don’t know that part but I think it means little woman (rulunnguaq) I really like the name too. But Arna for sure (girl) . People just call me by my name (Arna- for the short part) Because I think they’re lazy to say the rest of my name lol. Thats so funny. The only people who call my Arnarulunnguaq are my friends from greenland and my mom *have a hard time pronouncing my name* for those who don’t say it.
BABY ARNA & Laisa
FROST – What arts or activities enjoy most, what do you love to do!? we wanna know!
ARNA – I enjoy 3D looking art on a piece of paper and use 3D stickers to put pictures on it, (scrapbooking) I like mostly doodling. Most by pencil.
FROST – When did you start your arts or activities when do you feel like doing them these days?
ARNA- I started doing most of my doodling/art when I was in school, which I still am, I work there as a Kindergarten and grade 3 teacher. I do art during art classes in my grade or any photo contests that we do in the school. (Note: which is 2 or 3 times a year. (with students) or as a staff we do art.
Inspiration from Africa & Nunavut
FROST – Where do you do them most?
ARNA – gotta say we do a lot of art where I work. Work is art. Most of our classes contain drawing of daily basis or a lot of the time, learning.
FROST- Why do you do them?
ARNA – In my opinion, I think art tells a lot about the artist. How the person is drawing has a lot perspective in the things they admire or the things they’ve been through or they just like the feeling of putting emotions into a piece of paper. I like to doodle things that I had a dream about into a piece of paper, not a lot of the time but when I think my dreams mean something I draw it.
FROST – Arna, I know you’re a dope throatsinger! We even have a mix together on SOUNDCLOUD lol please let us know about it!
ARNA – I think throat singing is art too! Just because it shows that we use our throats to sing! Singing about either, the river, the bird, the mosquito or the wind. It has meanings to me about our nature. On the land, out there. Or of the animals. You know? We (who throat sing) throat sing about our nature or of the animals. How they sound alike and we mimic the sounds through our throats.
FROST – That’s proper, it’s good to educate people down here about the northern cultural styles
ARNA- It’s good that people from the south learn about our culture, because sometimes people still wonder If Inuit live in Igloos. I mean, and they’re canadians who don’t even know! It’s funny.
FROST – I agree completely, we have to share so the future grows progressively, that being said – When you hear the term “Share Our Spirit” what does it mean to you?
ARNA – I think what it means is that share our positive spirit or draw it and share it, as in put what you feel into a peace of canvas or music or drawing and share it. Because when you draw it comes from within you. I guess, everyone draws how they feel like. What they see. Everyone has a different perspective of course and maybe they need to let loose possibly is within “OUR spirit” that you can share with another person.
I just finished a small workshop that an artist came to teach us (Lino cut) by Jolly Ataguyuk. (From Pangirtung) to our school *Umimmak School* that only staff attended during the day and by evening he taught the rest of the community. It was fun and an amazing turn out because it teaches us that not only can we learn by watching but when we’re done learning we learn by ourselves by turning into our own little masterpiece. If everyone likes it, its a bonus.
CLASSIC
FROST – Can you share something about your culture that inspires you Arna? Tell me a little about Inuit face tattoos!
ARNA – well Inuit women had that as “tattoo makeup” which was their make up****
Not many times do I put make up on my face to look “prettier” or “younger” haha but sometimes when I do put my make up on, I end up doodling on my face and pretend they are my tattoos. Inuit call it “Tunniit” when it’s tattoo on a face, lines from the edge of the nose to across the cheeks next to the ear. Also on the otherside and a ‘V’ like shape on a forehead one more on the bottom of the lip to end of a chin. I like that kind of art. It’s one of our histories with Inuit women that possibly indicated on each line of your tatoo meant you are young and married or have children and it was actually Inuit women who used that kind of tattoo on their face as “make up”. I think it’s beautiful. I’d have that on my face sometimes but never go out using it. hehe. As my cultural background as an Inuk/Inuit woman I use it as make up.
Rocking that “Tunniit” stylie
OLAPH / ARNA / KRISTINE
FROST – If you had the chance to “share your spirit” with the world, how would that look like to you? seems like you’re in the mix of that.
ARNA – I do share my spirit also through pictures. Mostly of my homeland. I think thats art too. It means a lot to me because I grew up here and I see every season in different colours. Take a shot of it and share it online. Sharing pictures if my home, show landscape and colours and the people.
FIRE
FILM MAKING
FROST -Any ideas what the future holds? I mean, you’re a teacher and that’s pretty solid responsibility up there.
ARNA – I don’t know what I’ll do in the future. Only time can tell. But sometimes time is my enemy. Because, it’s going by too fast.
FROST – You’ve been involved with BPFL for years now, share one special thing you’ve learned from your experience with “BluePrint for Life” that is still important to you.
ARNA – Oh! Yes, I have definitely learned a lot from Blueprint. The dancing is fun, you can workout and dance to feel the music at the same time! Physically, Emotionally you learn a lot from blueprint. To respect each other as people. We have hardships in life, thats for sure. But when things get hard in life, you just keep going and learn step by step I guess. Buddha has an awesome team!!!! I am so grateful that I worked with you guys in the last few little years that we’ve known each other. I like to think of you guys as my friends now
BLUEPRINT HIP-HOP SUMMIT
BEST FRIENDS
