Acting
Pakak Innuksuk
Acting
Biography
Pakak Innuksuk is an actor, performer, and drum dancer from Igloolik (Iglulik), Nunavut. A well-established figure in major feature films, he is also the founder of Tununiq Theatre and a creator of Inuit language theatre plays. His artistic journey spans multiple disciplines, reflecting a deep connection to Inuit culture and traditions. Innuksuk’s film career includes notable roles in Uvanga, Maina, Journals of Knud Rasmussen, and Atanardjuat: The Fast Runner. In theatre, he was part of the touring cast for Kiviuq Returns in 2016 and 2017, and his involvement with Tununiq Theatre resulted in original productions such as Changes, The Egg, Help, and Survival. His television work includes an appearance in the series The Terror. Beyond acting, Pakak Innuksuk has performed as a drum dancer internationally and nationally since 1985, sharing the powerful tradition of North Baffin Drum Dance with audiences worldwide. His artistic development has been shaped by his participation in the Qaggiq Summit and Qaggiq Teacher Training in 2016, experiences that further honed his skills in performance and teaching. In addition to his performance career, Innuksuk is a skilled carver, creating rare and spiritually resonant pieces that stand apart from commercial Inuit art. One of his notable carvings from 1992 exemplifies a distinctive and deeply personal artistic voice. His carvings carry the essence of Inuit spirituality and storytelling, preserving cultural narratives through form and texture. These works are treasured for their authenticity and emotional depth, offering a glimpse into the spiritual landscape of the North Baffin region.
Feature Films (4)
Based on the journal of Knud Rasmussen's "Great Sled Journey" of 1922 across arctic Canada. The film is shot from the perspective of the Inuit, showing their traditional beliefs and lifestyle. It tells the story of the last great Inuit shaman and his beautiful and headstrong daughter; the shaman must decide whether to accept the Christian religion that is converting the Inuit across Greenland.
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen
Based on a local legend and set in an unknown era, it deals with universal themes of love, possessiveness, family, jealousy and power. Beautifully shot, and acted by Inuit people, it portrays a time when people fought duels by taking turns to punch each other until one was unconscious, made love on the way to the caribou hunt, ate walrus meat and lit their igloos with seal-oil lamps.
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
Maïna is the daughter of the Innu leader Mishtenapuu, who attends a bloody confrontation between his clan and the clan of "Men of the Land of Ice." Following this confrontation, Maïna chooses a mission that will change her life. To fulfill the promise that she has made to her friend Matsii on her deathbed, she embarked on the trail of their enemies to deliver Nipki, a 11 year old boy that the Inuit have captured. But she was also taken as prisoner by Natak, the leader of the Inuit group, and forcibly taken to the Land of Ice.
Maïna
Anna is nervous when she and her son, Tomas, arrive in the small, close-knit community of Igloolik, in the Canadian Arctic.