About the Invention

When one thinks of tools, what comes to mind are mechanical objects , yet the tool that Susan Aglukark uses has no physical form. As a singer, she uses her voice to create innovative new musical forms that draw from both western music traditions and the powerful native music of the Inuit people of Nunavut.

In 1992, Susan released her CD, Arctic Rose, which received critical and commercial acclaim from the North and from across Canada. The CD evokes both the power and the gentleness of the Arctic, and speaks to complexity in the lives of the Inuit. Through her lyrics Southerners heard the Inuit language, Inuktitut, and felt the powerful rhythms of Inuit drumming. As a musical innovators she creates new paths for performers, and new opportunities.

About the Inventor

Born in Churchill, Manitoba, Susan spent her first twelve years travelling around the Northwest Territories with her Pentecostal Minister father, her mother and seven siblings. Their travels ended once they settled down in Arviat, NWT in a community of 1300 people. Today, Arviat is in the new territory of Nunavut, which emerged in 1999.

Susan's next exciting endeavor was a position with the Inuit Tapirisat (Brotherhood) of Canada political lobby group. As an Executive Assistant to the Tapirisat, Susan Less than a year after working for the Tapirisat, Susan's career began to thrive. Susan gave her first live performance at a hometown festival in Arviat, next she was featured in a compilation of Eastern Arctic musicians and writers. The compilation was so successful that Susan released her single "Dreams for You" independently. A video soon followed which received a MuchMusic award for outstanding cinematography.

In 1993, Susan signed a worldwide recording contract with EMI Music Canada. In December 1993, EMI released Susan's independent Christmas album. Next came the re-release of Arctic Rose in 1994.

Susan has been appeared a number of times on television including MuchMusic, The Rita McNeil Show, and The Journal (CBC). She has also been the topic of many print articles appearing in print media such as the Canadian magazine, Saturday Night, The New York Times, and Maclean's (Canadian). She has received accolades such as being named as Maclean's magazine's "Canada's 100 Leaders To Watch For."
Up Here Magazine named her the "Northerner of the Year."

Other achievements include playing for Queen Elizabeth twice, and at the Commonwealth Games. She has also performed in front of Canadian Prime Ministers Chretien and Mulroney. In 1994, she was the first-ever recipient of the Aboriginal Achievement Award in the Arts & Entertainment field. In the same year she received "Vista Rising Star Award" awards at the Canadian Country Music Association.