Joseph Idlout

Joseph Idlout (1912/1913 - 2 June 1968)[1][2] is an Inuk featured on the former Canadian two-dollar bill.[3][4] When the High Arctic relocation occurred in 1959, Idlout helped Inuit families adjust to their new surroundings in Resolute, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut).

Joseph Idlout
Joseph Idlout (right) after spearing a seal near Pond Inlet
Born1912 or 1913
Pond Inlet, Nunavut
DiedJune 2, 1968(1968-06-02) (aged 55–56)
Resolute, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut

In 1954, due to the lack of foxes in the Pond Inlet area, Idlout requested that he move to Resolute. The government was not supportive of the move but finally relented and Idlout moved in 1955.[5]

Documentaries

Idlout came to public attention after the release of the 1952 documentary Land of the Long Day. At the time Idlout was living in Pond Inlet and was known for his ability as a hunter and leader at the camps. The publicity of the film has led to him being called the "most famous Inuit" of his time.[3][6][7]

He was posthumously the subject of the 1990 documentary film Between Two Worlds, directed by Barry Greenwald and produced by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Investigative Productions Inc. In the one-hour documentary, Idlout's son, Peter Paniloo takes viewers on a journey through his father's life. The film is included in the NFB's Inuit film collection, Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories.[8] Between Two Worlds is a continuation of Idlout's life after the making of Land of the Long Day until his death in 1968, when he drove a snowmobile over a cliff after drinking at the Royal Canadian Air Force base.[9]

Family

He is the grandfather of rock singer Lucie Idlout. Idlout's daughter, Leah Idlout, has said that her father was the son of Joseph-Elzéar Bernier. It is thought that Idlout may have been the only son of Bernier.[10]

References
  1. "Taissumani, April 7". Nunatsiaq News. 2018-04-07. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  2. "The Story Behind the Engraving". www.bankofcanadamuseum.ca. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  3. Inuit History
  4. "1969-1979 series, Scenes of Canada - $2". Bank of Canada. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11.
  5. Tammarniit (mistakes): Inuit relocation in the Eastern Arctic, 1939-63 by Frank J. Tester, Peter Keith Kulchyski
  6. Contact with Europeans
  7. Land of the Long Day
  8. "Between Two Worlds". Collection. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  9. Between Two Worlds A Film by Barry Greenwald Produced by Peter Raymont Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Captain Bernier lives on". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-06-06.
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