Gateways
Standing by Provideniya’s “Gateway to the Arctic” sign and studying my Russian lessons. Language is a gateway too. Photo Eric Guth
language
Listening
What qualities make someone a good listener? Please send me your ideas on this!! Listening has been the focus of my work for the last three years, but what makes for great listening? With Vikvun, in Russia, we had no shared language, yet I felt I could understand him quite well. Photo by Eric Guth
Understanding requires careful attention
Russian. Learning this new language feels like searching for a shoreline through the fog. When shapes begin to emerge, they come slowly and all at once. The meaning is fuzzy, but I’m on the approach. More and more often, I have small and exhilarating moments of clarity. (His dog! He’s talking about his dog!) Sitting…
Imagine Peace
IMAGINE PEACE: Written in Inuktitut, found in Iceland. This white panel is part of the Imagine Peace tower, created by Yoko Ono in memory of John Lennon. The tower is on Videy, near Reykjavik, and it shines brilliant beams of light into the heavens for part of each year. Around the base, ‘imagine peace’ is…
When the World Went Online, Inuktitut Followed
Check out our latest Arctic Deeply story: Learn with Meet the North as two of Nunavut’s foremost language experts explain how Inuktitut has evolved for the digital age. The Inuktitut word for internet, “ikiaqqijjut,” is often translated as “the tool to travel through layers.” But Eva stresses that it needs more explanation. “The idea is that…