The festival’s theme is based on Ole Brandt’s book, “Qooqa,” set in the Qeqertalik area. “Qooqa” tells the story of life in a hunting community in the early 18th century. The main characters, Qooqa and his friend Mikisuluk, grow up in a village in North Greenland. When they are still children, their fathers are killed by a hunter named Saqu. This tragedy forces the boys to take on the responsibilities of providing for their families at a young age. According to ancient customs, Qooqa and Mikisuluk are expected to avenge their fathers’ deaths, but Qooqa rejects the cycle of fear and violence that revenge causes. The book is filled with cultural traditions and beliefs from that time.
Festival Highlights
- Cultural Performances: Art Workshops, drum and mask dances, storytelling, shamanism, tales of spirits and horror, and various ancestral traditions.
- Traditional Skills: Showcasing traditional hunting and fishing methods, preparation of Greenlandic food, and crafting of traditional tools and tupilaks.
- The Living Village from Qasigiannguit: Display of traditional summer attire of the Inuit people from the 1600s to the 1700s, along with traditional outdoor cooking demonstrations.
- Competitions: Seal hunting, flensing, and scraping seal skins.
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