Nunatsiavut breaking ground on cultural centre – The Telegram
Government still gathering funds for new building
The Nunatsiavut government celebrated Inuit heritage today during a ground-breaking ceremony for the Illusuak cultural centre.
As The Telegram reported in July 2012, when prep work at the site was contracted, the 1,300-square-metre building was inspired by the shapes of traditional Labrador Inuit sod houses — illusuak — and developed by architect Todd Saunders.
“The stories that will be told in Illusuak will make all Labrador Inuit proud, no matter where they live. By understanding where we came from and how we survived as a people, Labrador Inuit, and indeed the rest of the world, will have a better appreciation of who we are as individuals and as a culture continuing to evolve in a modern society,” Nunatsiavut President Sarah Leo said in a statement.
The main construction will now begin.
An office complex housed the former cultural centre, but it caught fire in 2005, resulting in the destruction of pictures, tapes, transcriptions, arts and crafts.
The aboriginal government has since started over, reaching out to community members and local media and working to renew, as much as possible, its archival collection.
