He Sang In Pang

Pangnirtung, Nunavut-based roots and indie-rocker, Joey Nowyuk, says there are advantages and challenges to being a musician from the small hamlet

Joey Nowyuk takes his guitar up a small hill overlooking his hometown of Pangnirtung, Nunavut.

By Kendra Seguin

It was approximately three in the morning on a beautiful summer day that Joey Nowyuk sat on the top of a hill. Despite the early hour, the sun was shining, and tweeting birds harmonized with the soft waves of the ocean. Nowyuk was out on the land in Nunavut, camping with his grandparents, shortly after the loss of his best friend. Alone with nothing but his phone and its Notepad app, Nowyuk wrote the song, “On Top of a Hill.”

Months later, he officially recorded the song for his debut album, Tumitit.

“Being on the land gets me focused,” said Nowyuk. “It makes it easier to write music when you’re out on the land because you don’t have all of the distractions that you do when you’re in town.”

Nowyuk is from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, a small hamlet on Baffin Island within the territory. The community is fly-in only, meaning that no roads lead into the area, just daily airplanes. Although the hamlet is officially known as Pangnirtung, many also call it by its Inuktitut name, Pangniqtuuq – meaning “the place of bull caribou” – or by its short form, Pang.

According to the Municipality of Pangnirtung’s official website, the area around the Cumberland Sound inlet was home to many Inuit and their predecessors before European explorers arrived. In the 1800s a rush of Scottish and American whalers established stations in the area and in 1921, the Hudson’s Bay Company built a trading post specifically in Pangnirtung, drawing Inuit to the hamlet.

Still, Pangnirtung remained quite small until the 1960s when, after an epidemic disease, many moved to the area. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association’s Qikiqtani Truth Commission calls this a “turning point” for Cumberland Sound’s history. Many families were displaced from the land and instead, moved to Pangnirtung. Throughout the ‘60s, some left the hamlet while others stayed, returned, or relocated to Pangnirtung in order to reach familiar hunting places.

The Commission goes on to say that the settlement in Pangnirtung continued to rise, becoming one of Baffin Island’s 13 present-day communities.

Drone shots showcasing Pangnirtung, Nunavut were included in Joey Nowyuk’s music video for “Nalligigakku (Because I Love Her).”

Today, Pangnirtung is known for its variety of outdoor activities and its vibrant arts scene – both in which Nowyuk participates.

Fishing, hunting, and boating are just some popular activities for Pangnirtung residents. Nowyuk said that people tend to be outdoors “all night” once summer hits.

“In the summer there’s always people – even little kids – out all night because the sun is out all night,” said Nowyuk. “Everyone’s sleep gets messed up because it’s always bright out.”

“A couple nights ago, I woke up at 3 a.m. and the sun was shining right through my window, but I had to ask if it was night or afternoon,” he continued.

Growing up, Nowyuk spent weeks at a time on the land with his grandparents. Long trips on the land or boating are common activities for many Nunavummiut in the summertime, according to Nowyuk. To this day, his grandparents travel to their cabin for summer and although his trips are shorter, Nowyuk said he still gets out on the land and away from the city, every now and then.

As an award-winning musician, Nowyuk’s pastimes when home in Pangnirtung also include making music.

It was when a traveling music camp came to Pangnirtung that Nowyuk first learned to play guitar. He and a friend signed up for the week-long guitar lessons, learned four chords, and performed an original song during a final showcase at the local high school.

Nowyuk continues to use the starting skills he learned at the camp to make music, often taking his guitar out to write alone or jam with friends.

Despite the joys of being able to make music within his own community, Nowyuk said there are some challenges that musicians up North face. One of those challenges is a lack of music venues.

“There’s never really spaces or equipment to play music,” said Nowyuk. “Yeah, we could just bring our guitars, but it’s always fun to play with drums or full band equipment.”

Nowyuk’s comments are part of a larger conversation about barriers that musicians who are Indigenous face. According to APTN’s 2019 National Indigenous Music Impact Study, geographical location is the third most common perceived challenge by Indigenous-identifying artists (only below access to funding and marketing activities).

For musicians who live far from major cities, including those in territories like Nunavut, geographical barriers include distance from performance opportunities, few or no local studios, and slow or no internet access.

It can be challenging for Indigenous youth to develop their musicianship because “there are no music stores [and] limited access to musical instruments, mentors, music lessons, [and] programs,” the study said.

“I wanted to start a band for a while now and I have some friends who are interested, but we just never got serious about it because we don’t have a space to do it,” said Nowyuk. “Hopefully someday and sometime soon, we can secure a place and at least some drum sets so we can get started.”

Joey Nowyuk sings and plays guitar while shooting his music video for “Nalligigakku (Because I Love Her)” on location in Pangnirtung, Nunavut.

Along with challenges come unique advantages about making music in Pangnirtung.

Nowyuk said that one of his favourite things about being a Pangnirtung-based musician is the opportunity to be alone and focused while songwriting.

“I find it easier writing alone, rather than with other people around,” said Nowyuk. “I get writer’s block when I’m with other people.”

Nowyuk said that opportunities to be by himself – whether in his room, on a drive, or out on the land – help him create more music.

“Even when I’m out for a drive and I get a song idea, I’ll park and write it on my phone.”

Beyond the activities, it is the people that keep Nowyuk in Pangnirtung.

“Everything and everybody are so close,” said Nowyuk. “It’s a tight knit community.”

When he has spent time in other cities – even Iqaluit, which is a one-hour plane ride away – the area has always felt big. Despite more activities to do in a big city, Nowyuk said he gets bored. In Pangnirtung, his friends, family, and community keep him entertained.

“I wouldn’t mind moving to live in Iqaluit or Ottawa if all my friends came with me,” he laughed.

“[Pangnirtung] is really my comfort zone and I know it’s good to step outside of your comfort zone, but I just really like it here.”

No matter where Nowyuk is performing music, Pangnirtung is always home.