Life of
Solomon ᓲᓗᒨᓂᐅᑉ ᐃᓅᓯᐊ Solomon Tapatia Uyarasuk was a wiry Inuk with long hair, his intelligent eyes ever watchful. In recent years, he had become a rising star part of a group of young Inuit, world renown in the art of circus. With the troupe Artcirq, Sol had travelled to Mali, Mexico, across Canada and also to France. He was a musician and a poet, equally at home in the virtual world and with electronic media; he was a youth of his times. His upbringing, however, was unusual... Sol was raised by his grandmother, Rachel Uyarasuk, who lived a nomadic lifestyle on the territories of Baffin Island. The values imparted to Solomon, raised in the arts and traditional Inuit culture by his grandmother, deeply influenced him. On September 24th, 2012, Sol was found dead in the RCMP station in the remote arctic community of Igloolik, Nunavut. Like the associated documentary, this website is based on the story of Sol, a young and talented multidisciplinary Inuk artist who ended his life tragically in 2012. Through Sol’s story, we explore the broader issue of suicide in Aboriginal communities in the Canadian North. The site features content from the movie, including Sol’s story from his childhood to his tragic death in the RCMP cell. It also includes the story of the film crew as they search for meaning behind this tragedy. The death of Sol, beyond the painful event, gave rise to questions and concerns that we expose on the website. Users have the opportunity to hear from the people who were consulted during the research and production of the film, including family members and friends of Sol, but also community members and suicideprevention workers who address the underlying causes of this issue.
Solomon ᓲᓗᒨᓂᐅᑉ ᐃᓅᓯᐊ Solomon Tapatia Uyarasuk was a wiry Inuk with long hair, his intelligent eyes ever watchful. In recent years, he had become a rising star part of a group of young Inuit, world renown in the art of circus. With the troupe Artcirq, Sol had travelled to Mali, Mexico, across Canada and also to France. He was a musician and a poet, equally at home in the virtual world and with electronic media; he was a youth of his times. His upbringing, however, was unusual... Sol was raised by his grandmother, Rachel Uyarasuk, who lived a nomadic lifestyle on the territories of Baffin Island. The values imparted to Solomon, raised in the arts and traditional Inuit culture by his grandmother, deeply influenced him. On September 24th, 2012, Sol was found dead in the RCMP station in the remote arctic community of Igloolik, Nunavut. Like the associated documentary, this website is based on the story of Sol, a young and talented multidisciplinary Inuk artist who ended his life tragically in 2012. Through Sol’s story, we explore the broader issue of suicide in Aboriginal communities in the Canadian North. The site features content from the movie, including Sol’s story from his childhood to his tragic death in the RCMP cell. It also includes the story of the film crew as they search for meaning behind this tragedy. The death of Sol, beyond the painful event, gave rise to questions and concerns that we expose on the website. Users have the opportunity to hear from the people who were consulted during the research and production of the film, including family members and friends of Sol, but also community members and suicideprevention workers who address the underlying causes of this issue.
