‘Nuna’ is one the only words common to all the dialects of Inuktitut. Nuna translates to ‘land’ or ‘earth’ in English, but that does not cover its full meaning; as it cannot be restricted to a spatial entity or material reality. Nuna encompasses human beings, animals, landscape configurations, and seasons. Nuna is understood in contrast to Sila- Sila on the one side (the cosmos, sky and atmosphere, and the world order, or reason), and Nuna on the other side (humanity, included in the same whole as earth and land). As John Amagoalik had said, “Nuna is the voice of the land, the animals, and the fish in the waters [and] brother of Sila, voice of the winds, the rains, and the stars”.
Inuit understanding of ‘nuna’, is not unique to our people! Other various Indigenous cultures across the globe share that commonality- all of our languages make it impossible to speak of living beings as ‘it’. However, because the English language is noun-based we speak about other beings; plants, animals, and even the earth itself as objects, and it subtly gives us permission to think about the world as our property. It puts the earth outside of our circle. But, as Amagoalik coins it: “we [Inuit] are part of nuna, as it is part of us”.
We do not belief that nuna can be property. Private property is understood as a bundle of rights; whereas gift economies holds a bundle of responsibilities. We have responsibilities to care for nuna, as we would ourselves.
If nuna is the voice of the land, animals, and the fish in the waters, what does the nuna hold?
