A new Inuktitut learning application for Apple’s popular iPod/iPhone/iPad was released by Nunavut’s Pirurvik Centre this week. Known as “Tusaalanga for iOS”, the application is an exciting new resource for Inuktitut language learners.  “A year ago, we were asked by the youth delegates at the Inuit Language Symposium to create an iPod version of our popular Tusaalanga.ca website.

Leena Evic and Gavin Nesbitt will be speaking at this year's annual meeting of the AAAS. We will be presentaing in the Communications symposium track under the theme of "Endangered and Minority Languages Crossing the Digital Divide".

The conference is taking place in Vancouver:

INUKTITUT ATTAVIK
(January 17 – March 29, 2011)
This is our first level Inuktitut Revitalization course
Classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays 1:15-2:45

“Attavik” is the first in a series of courses planned for the Inuktitut Revitalization program.Our Revitalization program will include language training that is interwoven with activities aimed at strengthening the connection participants have with the Inuit way of life.

The Pirurvik Centre's Leena Evic has released a stunning new recording of Inuktitut Christmas songs available for digital download on itunes and CD Baby.

Beautifully sung by Leena and treated with arrangements by producer Chris Coleman, the songs were recorded in Iqaluit at Nuvu Music Studio this winter.  

After a long wait, Pirurvik is pleased to annouce the completion of the Tusaalanga Inuktitut application for Ipod, Ipad and Iphone. We are just now waiting the final acceptance of the application by Apple. Once this is complete, the app will be avaible for download (free) on the Itunes app store.

Pirurvik recently completed its 5th full year of regular, semester based Inuktitut programs. We would like to express our thanks to all the students who; through their participation, support the advancement of Inuktitut.

For those interested, Pirurvik has recently opened a Facebook page. We'll be posting general news, announcements and generally keeping in touch with our community of interest 

As we have been asked a few times, we have looked into the option of localizing (translating) the Facebook interface into Inuktitut. Unfortunately, at this point it is not really a viable option.

A new initiative aimed at building confidence and leadership among Nunavut women was launched in Iqaluit this week.  Bringing the Qulliq Home is a module of the Reclaiming the Whole Woman program by the Pirurvik Centre.  The program welcomed its first 11 students and received an overwhelming response.  

‘Our first class was filled within hours after we started advertising,’ says Leena Evic, Pirurvik’s beaming Executive Director. Bringing the Qulliq Home seeks to empower women for the challenges of today by drawing inspiration from traditional Inuit culture.  ‘This is a first for a private training organization,’ Leena says.

Recently, Pirurvik's Leena Evic was asked to be a mentor for the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program offered by the Coady Institute. During her first visit to Coady in May 2011, Leena was able to run a course from Pirurvik's unique "Reclaiming the Whole Woman" program for the Indigenous Women participants.

Pirurvik is pleased to announce the launch of the Inuktitut language version of Office 2010. The release of this software marks another milestone in the development of Inuktitut language computing. Computer users at home and at work will now be able to take advantage of Microsoft's most current software in our language.

We would like to express our thanks to the teams at Microsoft and Logrus as well as to all the Pirurvimmiut who worked on the project.