Why Ajuinata Is The Inuktitut Word We Could All Use Right Now

In fact, it’s not a new word at all, but very old, Simon later explained to CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault. “Ajuinata means that if you face adversity or things that are difficult, you go on, you do not give up and you have to commit to keep making changes,” said Simon, the first indigenous person to hold office. It is a word Simon used to applaud the insistence of the Native delegates after Pope Francis apologized for the role of the Catholic Church in Canada’s housing school system. Queen Elizabeth welcomes Governor General Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser for tea at the Oak Room at Windsor Castle on March 15. (Steve Parsons / The Associated Press)
It is also a word he uses when making “random appeals of kindness” to local community leaders and other change agents, a habit he said was inspired by a recent CBC Ottawa Morning episode. Ottawa Morning17: 04 Why the Governor-General Decided to Receive the Goodness of the CBC Abroad In December, Ottawa Morning did a section called “Random Courtesy Calls,” where listeners nominated people they thought could use a little lift, and we recruited some Canadian VIPs to surprise them. One of them was Governor General Mary Simon. She loved the experience so much that she decided to start making her own version of Kindness Call across the country. Robyn Bresnahan met her at Rideau Hall to hear more. 17:04
In December, as part of the CBC Project Give, Ottawa Morning hosted surprise calls from Canadian VIPs – including Simon – to people the listeners had identified as candidates in need of a pick-up. “I always used that word myself for my own work, so now I use it at Rideau Hall,” Simon told presenter Robyn Bresnahan earlier this week.

Governor-General Mary Simon explains the message behind “ajuinata”

While on a charity tour of Canada, the Governor-General shared an Inuktitut term to inspire. Explains its origin. 1:03
Explain that the term is so ingrained in Inuit culture that it is difficult to think of a single English word that captures its full meaning. “It’s almost difficult to translate, because it comes from language, from culture,” Simon said. “Before we got the communities we were very out on earth and sometimes things got tough, so we always said ‘ajuinata’ – never give up, let’s move on.” “Ajuinata … means do not give up, never give up, commit to what you believe in,” said Simon. (CBC / Arctic Blue)
There are dialectical differences. Simon, originally from Nunavik, uses ajuinata or ᐊᔾᔪᐃᑕ, while in Iqaluit, for example, many would say ajuinaqta or ᐊᔪᐃᓇᖅᑕ. Elsewhere in the north, they may use a completely different word. Whatever variant is used, the feeling behind ajuinata is universal and these days could be applied to all kinds of situations, from the war in Ukraine to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Manitok Thompson, executive director of Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, explained that while the term is deeply rooted in the struggle for survival against the harsh elements of the North, it could easily be used in a variety of contexts. It would translate into any culture. It’s something that is needed all over the world. — Manitock Thompson
“It would translate into any culture. It’s something that is needed all over the world now. They are very strong words that you have to keep. [to]and that you have to pass it on to young people because it’s a different world now, “Thompson said. “Today, it is something that should be heard in general for nurses, doctors, patients, people, the elderly, children, young people, mothers, fathers – these words are very strong in our culture because they are survivors.” ‘[Ajuinata has] a very deep meaning… for people who have struggled with their environment, with having to hunt for food, for clothes that have to be hunted and prepared. “You do not have a Canadian Tire on the road,” said Manitok Thompson, chief executive of Indigenous Broadcasting Corporation. (Submitted by Manitok Thompson)
For Joanna Awa, the current CBC North dinner presenter on the Inuktitut Igalaaq TV news bulletin, the concept of ajuinata has a deep personal meaning. “When I had a child with disabilities, I said to myself ‘ajuinata’ because I could not stop caring for her,” said Awa, whose daughter Jenna lives in a Ottawa nursing home. Visiting Jenna became even more difficult during the pandemic, Aua said. “It’s like a mental exercise where, instead of raising your hands, which is very easy, there was no choice but to continue, even though you face many challenges.” Awa told Iqaluit, where she now lives, people always call each other “ajuinata”. “Because we had problems with water, fuel, our landfill recently caught fire – our community faced these challenges, but we got together and said, ‘We can do this.’ Joanna Awa sails near Devon Island during the Students on Ice mission in 2019. The CBC North host said that the concept of ajuinata is “basically something we live with all the time”. (Submitted by Joanna Awa)
Awa also agreed that there is no concise English equivalent, probably because the experiences of the two cultures were so very different. “There is not a single English word that fits, because it has a very radical meaning in our lives before, before colonization, where we basically lived in the harshest environment and had to survive every day,” he said. Thompson said she would like to see English speakers adopt ajuinata and suggested another phrase to add to their vocabulary, which she wrote aniguniaqmijuq. “This is very common in giving advice to people who are about to give up, who are having a hard time,” he said. It means, “This will pass too.”

title: “Why Ajuinata Is The Inuktitut Word We Could All Use Right Now " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-08” author: “Doris Stobie”

In fact, it’s not a new word at all, but very old, Simon later explained to CBC’s Adrienne Arsenault. “Ajuinata means that if you face adversity or things that are difficult, you go on, you do not give up and you have to commit to keep making changes,” said Simon, the first indigenous person to hold office. It is a word Simon used to applaud the insistence of the Native delegates after Pope Francis apologized for the role of the Catholic Church in Canada’s housing school system. Queen Elizabeth welcomes Governor General Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser for tea at the Oak Room at Windsor Castle on March 15. (Steve Parsons / The Associated Press)
It is also a word he uses when making “random appeals of kindness” to indigenous community leaders and other change-makers, a habit he said was inspired by a recent CBC Ottawa Morning episode. Ottawa Morning17: 04 Why the Governor-General Decided to Receive the Goodness of the CBC Abroad Back in December, Ottawa Morning ran a section entitled “Random Courtesy Calls,” where listeners nominated people they thought could use a little elevator, and we recruited some VIP Canadians to surprise them. One of them was Governor General Mary Simon. She loved the experience so much that she decided to start making her own version of Kindness Call across the country. Robyn Bresnahan met her at Rideau Hall to hear more. 17:04
In December, as part of the CBC Project Give, Ottawa Morning hosted surprise calls from Canadian VIPs – including Simon – to people the listeners had identified as candidates in need of a pick-up. “I always used that word myself for my own work, so now I use it at Rideau Hall,” Simon told presenter Robyn Bresnahan earlier this week.

Governor-General Mary Simon explains the message behind “ajuinata”

While on a charity tour of Canada, the Governor-General shared an Inuktitut term to inspire. Explains its origin. 1:03
Explain that the term is so ingrained in Inuit culture that it is difficult to think of a single English word that captures its full meaning. “It’s almost difficult to translate, because it comes from language, from culture,” Simon said. “Before we got the communities we were very out on earth and sometimes things got tough, so we always said ‘ajuinata’ – never give up, let’s move on.” “Ajuinata … means do not give up, never give up, commit to what you believe in,” said Simon. (CBC / Arctic Blue)
There are dialectical differences. Simon, originally from Nunavik, uses ajuinata or ᐊᔾᔪᐃᑕ, while in Iqaluit, for example, many would say ajuinaqta or ᐊᔪᐃᓇᖅᑕ. Elsewhere in the north, they may use a completely different word. Whatever variant is used, the feeling behind ajuinata is universal and these days could be applied to all kinds of situations, from the war in Ukraine to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Manitok Thompson, executive director of Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, explained that while the term is deeply rooted in the struggle for survival against the harsh elements of the North, it could easily be used in a variety of contexts. It would translate into any culture. It’s something that is needed all over the world. — Manitock Thompson
“It would translate into any culture. It’s something that is needed all over the world now. They are very strong words that you have to keep. [to]and that you have to pass it on to young people because it’s a different world now, “Thompson said. “Today, it’s something that needs to be heard in all areas for nurses, doctors, patients, people, the elderly, children, young people, mothers, fathers – these words are very powerful in culture. us because they are survivors “. ‘[Ajuinata has] a very deep meaning… for people who have struggled with their environment, with having to hunt for food, for clothes that have to be hunted and prepared. “You do not have a Canadian Tire on the road,” said Manitok Thompson, chief executive of Indigenous Broadcasting Corporation. (Submitted by Manitok Thompson)
For Joanna Awa, the current CBC North dinner presenter on the Inuktitut Igalaaq TV news bulletin, the concept of ajuinata has a deep personal meaning. “When I had a child with disabilities, I said to myself ‘ajuinata’ because I could not stop caring for her,” said Awa, whose daughter Jenna lives in a Ottawa nursing home. Visiting Jenna became even more difficult during the pandemic, Aua said. “It’s like a mental exercise where, instead of raising your hands, which is very easy, there was no choice but to continue, even though you face many challenges.” Awa told Iqaluit, where she now lives, people always call each other “ajuinata”. “Because we had problems with water, fuel, our landfill recently caught fire – our community faced these challenges, but we got together and said, ‘We can do this.’ Joanna Awa sails near Devon Island during the Students on Ice mission in 2019. The CBC North host said that the concept of ajuinata is “basically something we live with all the time”. (Submitted by Joanna Awa)
Awa also agreed that there is no concise English equivalent, probably because the experiences of the two cultures were so very different. “There is not a single English word that fits, because it has a very radical meaning in our lives before, before colonization, where we basically lived in the harshest environment and had to survive every day,” he said. Thompson said she would like to see English speakers adopt ajuinata and suggested another phrase to add to their vocabulary, which she wrote aniguniaqmijuq. “This is very common in giving advice to people who are about to give up, who are having a hard time,” he said. It means, “This will pass too.”