ᓄᐊᒥ ᐃᕐᕈᒥᐊᖅ | Normee Ekoomiak

ᓄᐊᒦ ᐃᕐᕈᒥᐊᖅ (1948-2009) ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑐᐊᕐᑎᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓱᓂ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥᐅᔭᐅᑦᓱᓂ. ᐊᑐᕐᓱᓂ ᒥᖑᐊᖕᖑᐊᒐᕐᓂᒃ, ᕿᒥᕐᕈᐊᓂᒃ, ᐊᑭᓐᓇᒥᐅᑕᓂᓪᓗ (ᐊᑭᓐᓇᒥᐅᑌᑦ), ᐊᒃᓚᓯᒪᒧᖕᖑᐃᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᕐᖁᓯᖏᓐᓂᓗ ᐊᓕᐊᒋᑦᓱᒋᑦ ᐱᔪᕆᒋᑦᓱᒋᓪᓗ. 

ᐃᕐᕈᒥᐊᑉ ᐊᒃᓚᖑᐊᕐᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᓇᓄᖕᖑᐊᑦ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᔪᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᐅᓯᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔨᔭᖏᓐᓂᓗ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᐃᓅᑦᔪᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᓕᐊᒋᓯᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᒣᓚᓯᒃᑯᓂ, ᑭᖑᓂᖓᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᑖᕐᓯᒪᒐᓗᐊᕐᓱᓂ ᐋᑐᕗᐊᒥ. ᐊᑭᓐᓇᒥᐅᑕᓕᐊᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᐱᓗᐊᕐᑐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᒍᑎᒋᑦᓱᒋᑦ ᐱᕐᖁᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᑉᐱᓇᕐᑎᓯᑦᓱᑎᒃ ᐊᑭᓐᓇᒥᐅᑕᓕᐅᕐᓂᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓂ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᒥᕐᓱᓂᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᖕᖓᓕᐅᑎᓪᓚᕆᐅᑦᓱᓂ ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᓯᒍᑎᐅᑦᓱᓂ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᐱᕐᖁᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ. 

ᐊᑑᑎᒐᓗᐊᕐᓱᓂ ᐅᖁᒣᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᕐᕈᒥᐊᖅ ᐅᑎᕐᕕᖃᑦᓭᓇᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᔪᖅ ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᓕᐅᕐᓂᒥᒃ, ᓴᐱᓕᔪᐃᑦᑑᓱᓂ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓂᕐᓯᐅᕈᑎᖃᕐᓂᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᔭᐅᑎᑦᓯᓂᕐᒥᓗ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᐱᕐᖁᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᒣᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᖏᑦᑐᓄᓪᓗ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᑕᐅᑎᑦᓱᒍ. ᐱᓇᓱᖃᑦᑕᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᓄᐃᑕᒍᑎᖃᕐᖁᑦ ᓴᐱᓕᔪᐃᑦᑑᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐱᐅᔪᐊᓘᑦᓱᑎᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᐅᑦᓱᑎᓪᓗ.

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 17, 2025

Normee Ekoomiak (1948​–​2009) was an Inuk storyteller from Nunavik. Through his paintings, books and vibrant akinnamiutait (wall​-​hangings), he documented Inuit life, stories and traditions with joy and reverence. 

​​Ekoomiak’s​ art bears witness to his knowledge and memories of the Inuit way of living​ that​ he cherished in Fort George, even when he later lived in Ottawa. His wall-hangings in particular embody the cultural significance of textile work in Inuit communities​, ​where sewing is central to creative work and to the living culture of Inuit today. 

Despite ​​hardships, Ekoomiak always returned to art, determined to celebrate and share Inuit culture with both Inuit and non-Inuit audiences. His work stands as a powerful testament to resilience, beauty and storytelling. 

ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔫᒃ: ᕇᐱᑲ ᐹᓯᐊᓄ ᑕᕐᕋᓕᒃ ᐸᑦᑐᔨᓗ 
ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᓂᒃ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᓯᔨ:ᐃᐅᕆᓐ ᐳᕉᔅ
ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᔪᖅ:ᐃᐊᓪᓴᓐ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᕕᖓ
ᐊᒃᓚᖑᐊᕐᑏᒃ: ᓕᐊ ᕌᔅ ᒫᓯᐅ ᑰᒃᒣᔪᓗ
ᐱᓪᓗᑯᒋᐊᓕᓕᕆᔨ:ᓯᑎᕙᓂ ᔪᕐᒫᓄ, ᑖᓐ ᐋᔅᑎᓐ, ᕌᑉ ᑮᕕ, ᒫᒃ ᑳᕐᓚᓐ, ᓂᐊᓕ ᖂᓵᒃ, ᕌᐳᑦ ᓯᐊᔅᑐ
ᐋᕐᕿᒋᐊᕆᔩᒃ: ᒫᑦ ᖃᐅᕆᓴᓐ, ᕕᕈᓂᒃ ᑯᐃᔮᕐ
ᐅᐃᒍᐃᑎᑑᓕᕐᑎᕆᔨ: ᓗᐄᔅ ᓰᓐ ᐋᓐᑎᕆ 
ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᓕᕐᑎᕆᔨ: ᐊᐸᑕᑳ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᑉ ᐁᑉᐸᖓᓅᔦᓂᖅ

ᐱᓇᓱᕝᕕᓄᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᑐᕐᑎᓯᔩᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖃᑕᐅᔪᓪᓗ:
ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᕕᖓᓄᑦ ᑯᐃᐊᕝ (Art Gallery of Guelph)
ᐊᕙᑕᖅ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᓕᕆᕕᑦ
ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᒃ ᓱᔪᖃᕐᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ (Canadian Museum of History)
ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᐱᕇᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ
ᒪᒃᒣᑯᓪ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᕐᓱᐹᑦ (McMichael Canadian Art Collection)
ᐋᑐᕗᐊᒥ ᖃᓄᐃᖕᖏᓯᐊᕐᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ (Ottawa Inner City Health ​​Centre Inc.)
ᐋᑐᕗᐊ ᐱᔭᕆᒐᓱᐊᕐᑕᖓ (The Ottawa Mission)
ᕗᐃᓂᐲᒃᒥ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᕕᒻᒧᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ (Winnipeg Art Gallery) 

Curators: Rebecca Basciano and Taqralik Partridge
Curatorial Coordination: Erin Bruce
Exhibition Design: elsonstudio
Graphic Design: Leah Ross and Mathieu Kirchmayer
Technical Team: Stephanie Germano, Dan Austin, Rob Keefe, Mark Garland, Neil Hossack, Robert Chester
Editors: ​​Matt Harrison, Véronique Couillard
French Translation: Louise Saint-André
Inuktitut Translation: Apatakaa Translations

Institutional Lenders and Partners: 
Art Gallery of Guelph
Avataq Cultural Institute
Canadian Museum of History
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
McMichael Canadian Art Collection
Ottawa Inner City Health ​​Centre Inc.
The Ottawa Mission
Winnipeg Art Gallery

ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᕐᑎᓯᔪᑦ:
Sponsors: 

 

ᓴᓇᖕᖑᐊᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑦᓯᕕᑦ ᐋᑐᕗᐊᒥ ᓇᑯᕐᒦᖁᖅ ᖃᓄᐃᖕᖏᓯᐊᕐᓂᓕᕆᕕᒻᒥᒃ ᐋᑐᕗᐊᒦᑦᑐᒥᒃ, ᑲᑎᖕᖓᔨᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒥᓇᕐᑐᓕᐅᕐᓂᒧᑦ ᐊᓐᑎᐅᔨᐅᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᑎᖕᖓᔨᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒥᓇᕐᑐᓕᐅᕐᓂᒧᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ. 
This exhibition was also realized with the support of the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.