Organized around two panels, the “Sikumit Aisimajugut / At Home on Ice” roundtable will examine the idea of the home from the inside-out and outside-in in Arctic cultures. “Inside-out” will centre on the ideas shaping cultural understandings of housing, from the ways people live inside the home, to going out on the land as an extension of the home, as well as the importance of traditions such as country food. “Outside-in” will consider the larger, often exterior, forces shaping housing issues in the North—policy, logistics, and climate change—and challenges in delivering appropriate housing in the region. Speakers from government, industry, cultural advocates, planning, and architecture, all with lived or working experience in Inuit Nunangat, will share perspectives, and participate in a unique round-table discussion. In an era when housing in the Canadian south is understood as commodity and property, lessons from Inuit Nunangat question what constitutes a house, a home, and a community from the inside-out and the outside-in. 
 

Agenda

9:00 a.m. - Arrivals & Welcome
9:30 a.m. - Angela Aula - Nunangat Primer
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - "Inside Out"
  — Nicole Luke
  — Jesse Ajayi - Northern Futures
  — Stephen Westlake - Nunavut Housing Corp.
  — Catherine Orzes - Blouin Orzes architectes
Roundtable 1 Discussion with James Bird, Lola Sheppard, Mason White

2:00-5:00 p.m. - "Outside-In"
  — Shyniaya Duffy
  — Guy Yango - Kativik Regional Government
  — Rachel Michael - Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
  — Helena Lennert - TNT Architects, Nuuk
Roundtable 2 Discussion with Mark Bennett, Lola Sheppard, Mason White

“Sikumit Aisimajugut” roundtable is organized by Mason White (Daniels Faculty, University of Toronto) and Lola Sheppard (University of Waterloo). It is supported by The Irving Grossman Fund in Affordable Housing. 

Speakers

Jesse Ajayi (Ottawa) is a community planner and partner at Northern Futures Planning with 14 years of experience in northern and Indigenous communities, including four years living and working in Nunavut. His work spans land use policy, housing, and urban design in Arctic and remote contexts, as well as teaching and professional training for municipal planners grounded in community-led development review and land administration.

Mark Bennett (Toronto) is an Inuk designer based in Tkaronto, Canada, originally from western Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). His practice in graphic and publication design centers on collaboration with artists, galleries, architects, and cultural institutions, including the Inuit Art Foundation, Fogo Island Arts, Joar Nango, and the National Gallery of Canada. His studio design practice and research engage Indigenous design methodologies through an exploration of the Japanese Metabolist movement, with a focus on circumpolar northern architectural traditions.

James Bird (Toronto) is a proud member of the Dënesųłı̨né and Nêhiyawak nations from Tthebati, N.W.T. He is also affiliated with the Northwest Territories Métis Nation. He is currently a PhD candidate in architecture. His doctoral work, titled "Dënesųłı̨né Building Code: Integrating Tradition and Innovation into Policy," presents an inclusive framework for a Northern Building Code tailored to the extreme climate conditions of the Northwest Territorie
     
Shyniaya Duffy (Calgary) is an Inuk from Coral Harbour, Nunavut, raised on Treaty 7 Territory in Alberta whose work explores identity, cultural reconnection, and the intersection of Indigenous and Western worldviews in architecture. As an intern architect (Two Row Architect), sessional instructor and Indigenous Student Mentor (SAPL, University of Calgary), she integrates Indigenous perspectives into architectural education and challenges euro-centric views and design within the built environment.
   
Helena Lennert (Nuuk) is a partner at TNT Nuuk in Greenland. She works with architecture rooted in people and the specific identity of place, with a strong focus on functionality and usability. Her practice spans from early-stage programming and strategic definition to detailed design and project development, always informed by cultural context and the particular conditions of building in Greenland.
     
Nicole Luke (Winnipeg) is an emerging Inuk Architectural Intern whose practice bridges architecture and cultural narrative. With family ties to the Kivalliq region of Nunavut and experience navigating both northern and urban environments, she brings a unique understanding of the design and construction challenges faced by Inuit/Arctic communities. Her work is grounded in Indigenous values, emphasizing responsiveness, inclusivity, and sustainability, while exploring how the built environment can foster cultural expression, social resilience, and economic empowerment.

Rachel Seepola Michael (Iqaluit) is a fierce Inuk woman who was raised by her Grandparents Simonie and Martha Michael in Apex (Niaqunnguuq), Iqaluit, Nunavut. Rachel Michael graduated at Inukshuk High School in 2014 in Iqaluit, and is now the Policy Analyst on Homelessness for the Department of Economic Advancement for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Rachel, currently working and living in her hometown. She is using her lived and work experience to advocate for Housing as a Human Right for Inuit, as well as equitable and accessible Mental Health Supports and Housing.
     
Catherine Orzes (Montreal) is co-founder of Blouin Orzes architectes, a Montreal-based firm dedicated to northern projects. The work of Blouin Orzes can be understood as an exploration of the Canadian Arctic through architecture. Their approach is based on careful listening, sustained community engagement, and a mastery of the technical aspects of building in a northern environment in a time of climatic changes.

Stephen Westlake (Arviat) has worked at Nunavut Housing Corporation as Programs Manager for Nunavut’s Igluliuqatigiingniq 3000 Homes Strategy, leading collaborative community housing initiatives and managing programs such as the Nunalingni Piruqpaalirut Growth Fund and the Supported Housing Capital Program. His 15+ year experience in Canada spans supported housing, homelessness prevention, and supported employment.

Guy Yango (Kuujjuaq) is the current Executive and Political Advisor for the Kativik Regional Government (KRG), the administrative body governing the territory north of the 55th parallel in the province of Quebec). He oversees the strategic direction of the organization on behalf of the Chairperson of the KRG, and has been in the role since 2022.

An exhibition of the same title runs in the Larry Wayne Richards Gallery at the Daniels Faculty until February 16, 2026.