Anaoyok Alookee

Anaoyok Alookee has been active in the community her whole life. She was the Assistant Manager of the Women's Craft Centre for several years in the 70's and worked with women in the community in designing Inuit clothing, this women’s collective created distinct designs that are now attributed to their community of Taloyoak in Nunavut. Some of her designs are currently part of a collection at Qaumajuq, an innovative new museum, home of the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. Anaoyok says that prep of seal and caribou skins are key in the making of Inuit clothing and that the sewing is secondary. In her bio photo, she is wearing a traditional outfit that she made during the Covid lockdown; to this day she continues to design and has passed this skill down to her grandchildren. Some of her past work involved running the Women's shelter and counselling women who access the shelter.

She is currently a resident Elder at the Netsilik School in Taloyoak and a language specialist at the school. She has served on many community boards including the Hunters and Trappers Association Board of Directors. She represented her community at national Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) conferences and provided advice on the national level to that movement. In her spare time, she is on- the-land hunting, fishing, and camping with her family. She is widowed but still very active in her language, culture, and on- the-land activities. She is a mother to 7 children, grandmother to 28 grandchildren and great-grandmother to 40+. She is 77 years of age and requires the support of a helper from her community in doing the work with the Feast Centre. She is a well-respected and amazing leader in her community of Taloyoak. She has knowledge and has participated in several community-based research projects and looks forward to offering up her guidance and insights into the research done by the Feast Centre.