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A Tale of Two Qallunaat

A Tale of Two Qallunaat is a documentary about two intrepid women artists who travelled to the Arctic in the early 1970s and left a lasting legacy of their art and love of the Inuit and their land.

This one hour documentary, narrated by Martha Flaherty, tells the tale of two Qallunaat women from Thunder Bay, Ontario who travelled to Pond Inlet in the early 1970s and left a unique legacy of stories, film footage and sketches. Inuk Elder, Navalik Tologanak brings Sheila Burnford’s non-fiction book “One Woman’s Arctic”, her film footage and hundreds of Susan Ross sketches to share with Elders and youth. The faces and stories of the people documented by the two artists more than 50 years ago are shared in the spirit of reconciliation. Inspired by Susan’s uncle, Robert Flaherty and his film Nanook of the North, the two intrepid women left a lasting legacy. The film also explores the family connection between Robert Flaherty’s Inuk granddaughter Martha Flaherty and his niece Susan Ross and Martha shares the tragic story of Inuit relocation.

Sheila’s daughter Jonquil Covello and Susan’s son, Tom Ross, who accompanied Susan to the Arctic in 1996, have donated their mothers art to the Thunder Bay Museum and are happy to share it in the spirit of reconciliation with the people of Nunavut. The two women first met Robert Flaherty’s Inuit grandchildren in Iqaluit on their first trip in 1970 and we will explore the legacy of his film Nanook of the North and its impact on the two women and the Flaherty family in Nunavut.

  • Kelly Jean Saxberg
    Director
  • Navalik Tologanak
    Director
  • Dianne Brothers
    Writer
  • Kelly Saxberg
    Writer
  • Martha Flaherty
    Narrators
  • Barbara Saxberg
    Narrators
  • Rommel Jay Cayanga
    Animation
  • Martin King
    Animation
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    47 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 14, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English, Inuktitut
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Aulajut Nunavut International Film Festival
    Iqaluit
    Canada
    April 26, 2025
    World Premiere
Director Biography - Kelly Jean Saxberg, Navalik Tologanak

Directed by Navalik Tologanak

Navalik Tologanak is a proud Inuinnaq from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut who celebrates her heritage and traditions. She is a residential school survivor. Sent away to Inuvik and Yellowknife for 12 years, she lost traditional skills and her language. She fought hard to relearn Inuinnaqtun and graduated from the Indigenous Languages Program from the University of Victoria in 2019 at the age of 65. She began her journalism career in 1995, writing for Nunavut news. She’s been photographing and documenting events in her community in Inuinnaqtun for 29 years. She would like to continue telling those stories using digital media to make a series of short films. Navalik is the Inuinnaqtun narrator for the Inuktut version Kiayunik Tuhanak.

Produced & Co-Directed by Kelly Saxberg

Kelly Saxberg is an award-winning film producer, director, editor, and cinematographer who has worked on well over 100 films. She works in English, French, Spanish and Finnish. Kelly has mentored dozens of emerging filmmakers in Thunder Bay by facilitating workshops, mentorships, and collaborative film projects since 2001. She has filmed around the world and directed and edited award-winning films and television series focusing on history, globalization, human rights and the environment. Letters from Karelia, Rosies of the North, Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, Dorothea Mitchell: A Reel Pioneer, Under The Red Star, Long Walk Home - The Incredible Journey of Sheila Burnford, just to name a few.

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