Research | Queen’s University Canada

Tulugak on the Crucifix

Dr. Norman Vorano was conducting historical research with Inuit elders in Nunavut in April and May of 2016. One woman recounted the loss of cultural traditions as a result of the changes that happened during the twentieth century, particularly from residential schools, the missionaries, and the waves of southerners who flooded into the Arctic after the Second World War. After they broke for lunch, Vorano stepped outside. The white sky was indistinguishable from the ground. He walked past a towering crucifix erected behind the Catholic Church, on an imposing hill overlooking the community. A raven flew down from the ethereal sky, perched on the Crucifix, and began vocalizing. For Western culture, the raven is a harbinger of death. For Inuit culture, tulugak – raven – is a tricky fellow that symbolizes creation.
Submission Year: 
2016-17
Photographer's affiliation: 
Faculty
Academic areas: 
Arts and Science
Photo: 
Tulugak on the Crucifix
Categories: 
Queen's National Scholar
Faculty / Researcher
Faculty of Arts and Science
Department of Art History and Art Conservation
Mobilizing Creativity and Enabling Cultures
Creative Production and Expression
Resurgent Indigenous Research in Local and Global Contexts
Society, Culture and Human Behaviour
Location of photograph: 
Pond Inlet, Nunavut
Prize name: 
Photographer's name: 
Norman Vorano
Display Photographers Affiltion + Faculty or Department: 
Faculty, Art History and Art Conservation