09/04/2026
Behind the custom sculpture taking shape at the Mary River Mine is a team of five Inuit carvers from Igloolik, all working together to transform a massive 16-tonne gabbro boulder into a lasting piece of art for our mine site.
Supporting opportunities for Inuit and creating spaces that celebrate Inuit traditions is an important part of how we incorporate Inuit culture into our operations.
Leading the team is Master Carver Esau Kripanik, whose journey began at Nunavut Arctic College, where he learned from renowned carvers Paul Malik and John Qaunaq. After completing the college’s program, Esau went on to teach, sharing his knowledge and skills with the next generation of artists.
Silas Qulaut is a self-taught carver and was only 13 years old when he began his craft. Eventually he attended Nunavut Arctic College’s jewellery program, where he further developed his skills as an artist.
Tephora Kripanik brings her own perspective to carving. She sees this art form as a way to share an important message about today’s Inuit life, highlighting the continued importance of country food and resources provided by the land and animals, including materials used for clothing. She says one of the biggest challenges for carvers is having access to the tools they need.
Paul Nangmalik and Laura Qamukaq bring their experience and skills to the team as second and assistant carvers. Both are working alongside the other artists to bring the sculpture to life, with Laura assisting with smoothing and finishing the surface of the carving. For her, this is her first time working on such a large project, an opportunity she was excited to take on and hopes will inspire others when they see the finished piece.
We look forward to sharing more of their work as this incredible piece continues to take shape.
ᑐᓄᐊᓂ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᔫᑉ ᓄᓘᔮᖕ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᐅᕗᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᖕᒥᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᔪᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ ᒥᑦᓯᑖᖅᑎᑦᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᖕᒥᒃ 16 ᑕᓐᔅ-ᓂᒃ ᐅᔭᕋᓱᒡᔪᐊᓗᖕᒥᒃ ᑕᕝᕙᐅᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ.
ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᖅ ᐱᕕᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᓗ ᐃᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᐅᖏᓐᓇᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᕗᖅ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᔾᔨᓂᐊᕐᒪᖔᑦᑕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ.’
ᓯᕗᒃᑲᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᐄᓴ ᕿᐸᓐᓂᖅ, ᓴᓇᓐᖑᐊᖃᑦᑕᕆᐊᓯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᓴᕐᕕᖓᓂ, ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᒻᒪᕇᓐᓄᑦ ᐹᓪ ᒪᓕᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔮᓐ ᖃᐅᓐᓇᖅ. ᐱᔭᕇᕋᒥ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᓴᕐᕕᒻᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ, ᐄᓴ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᙳᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᒥᓂᑦ ᐊᔪᙱᑕᒥᓂᓪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᑎᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᓂ ᑭᖑᕚᔭᐅᓂᐊᕐᑐᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ.
ᓴᐃᓚᔅ ᖁᓚᐅᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ 13-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᓂ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖃᑦᑕᓯᓚᐅᕐᑐᖅ. ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐱᐅᓴᐅᑎᕈᔪᓐᓂᑦ ᓯᐅᒻᒪᐅᑕᓂᑦ, ᐊᒡᒐᒥᓐᓂᑦ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓᒐᓚᒃ ᑕᐃᑲᓂᓗ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᙳᕆᐅᖅᓴᒃᑲᓐᓂᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ.
ᑎᕘᕋ ᕿᐸᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᒪᓂᐊᕐᐳᖅ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᑕᕝᕙᕈᖅᑎᑦᓯᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓ ᓴᓇᖑᐊᖅᑕᒥᓂᑦ. ᑕᐅᑐᒃᑕᖓ ᑖᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖓᓂᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑦᑎᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂᓪᓗ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᒍᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᑦ ᒪᑭᒪᒍᑕᐅᒍᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᙶᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᓂᓪᓗ, ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᕆᔭᐅᓲᑦ. ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᓛᖑᖃᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᕐᕈᑎᑖᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖅ ᓴᓇᓐᖑᐊᕈᑎᒋᓂᐊᕐᑕᖏᓐᓂᑦ.
ᐹᓪ ᓇᖕᒪᓕᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓘᕋ ᖃᒧᑲᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᔪᙱᑕᒥᓂᓪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᒪᓂᐊᕆᕘᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᑐᒡᓕᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᓪᓗ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ. ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᖅᑑᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑐᒪᓪᓗᒍ, ᓘᕋ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᖢᓂ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᐅᑉ ᖄᖓᓂᒃ ᒪᓂᖅᑲᒃᓴᐃᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᓯᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᖄᖓᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᐅᑉ. ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ, ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᑦᑎᐊᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᒋᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᑎᒋ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᖕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᒥ, ᐱᕕᒃᓴᕆᔪᒪᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓ ᓂᕆᐅᒃᖢᓂᓗ ᐊᓯᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒍᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᑕᑯᒍᑎᒃ ᐱᐊᓂᒃᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᕐᒥᒃ.
ᓂᕆᐅᒃᐳᒍᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑦᓯᑲᓐᓂᓛᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔭᖏᑕ ᒥᑦᓵᓄᑦ ᑖᓐᓇ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒍᐅ ᐱᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ.
Qikiqtani Inuit Assoc. Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Impact Review Board, Igloolik NEWS, Rebecca Chartrand
