La recherche d'un équilibre : Village et reconnexion avec le territoire is an article written in the thematic issue (190) of ARQ Magazine : Architecture and Design Quebec in 2020 by Marc Blouin from Blouin Orzes Architectes.
As the Inuit people now live in a sedentary way, the land is still widely perceived as the host space for traditional Inuit values and identity. In this sense, the reconnection of the population with the territory could be the key to a balance between a sedentary lifestyle in the villages and the conservation of their culture and traditional practices.
In 2012, a charrette conducted in Kuujjuaq and commissioned by the Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau was a reflection on social housing in Nunavik, home to the majority of the Inuit population. For three days, with participants of all ages from different villages, an open conversation was held on the issues of housing habitability. From that moment on, the relationship to the land emerged as a subject that offered interesting avenues for reflection. Indeed, the relationship to the ground is the first physical link with the territory. Other strategies such as the implementation of community freezers could also contribute to the desired balance and the conservation of traditional practices.
