A WOMAN WITH TWO NAMES by Vittoria Mentasti

"A Woman With Two Names" explores Native Inuits' modern way of life and social challenges in Nunavut, a large region in the Canadian Arctic. At the beginning of the 20th century the Inuit in Nunavut were still nomads, hunting and fishing, living off their land. The Canadian government and the Church began a process of forced assimilation, through permanent settlements and Residential schools. This deprived the Inuit of their social and spiritual customs. The transition away from their nomadic roots to modernized living has led to alcoholism, domestic violence and unemployment. The tension between old values and Western Civilization makes it difficult for the Inuit, especially the youth, to assert their own identity and find a place in the world.The legacy of abuse still haunts those living today in a cycle of violence, which is self destructive and directed towards loved ones. The many social ills that afflict the population act like a chain, linking generations as they branch out through families and communities. I followed the chain of relationships that bond them, trying to bring light to the love and violence that they experience.