Art & History Sunday - Inuit. Impressions of the Canadian Far North (1/6)

On the occasion of the exhibition Inuit – Impressions of the Canadian Far North, the Art & History Museum presents a series of six lectures exploring the themes addressed in the exhibition.

Valse des esprits et métamorphoses : les sources de la résilience du chamanisme des Inuit du Nunavut (Canada)

Frédéric Laugrand, professor at UCLouvain
Lecture in French

The Inuit who inhabit the vast territory of Nunavut today have embraced Christianity for more than two centuries. Yet, although officially considered extinct, shamanic traditions remain very much alive. They continue to influence certain hunting practices and are also reflected in Inuit art.

The study of these traditions shows that they remain a major source of resilience for the Inuit, as illustrated by the case of the Ahiarmiut, a group that was forcibly relocated in the late 1950s.

Through a series of contemporary examples – the movement and transformation of invisible beings, the omnipresence of non-human entities in the tundra, divination practices and therapeutic knowledge – this lecture will explore the power of these dynamics and the “transformative continuity” that characterises Arctic cosmologies.

Practical information

  • Venue: Conference room at the Art & History Museum
  • Admission: The lecture is accessible with an admission ticket to the exhibition or the permanent collections.

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Any questions?

Email us at public@kmkg-mrah.be.

With the support of the Friends of the RMAH.