Inuuqatigiitsiarniq ensures the wellbeing of the community through the reciprocation of kindness and respect. Inuuqatigiitsiarniq intersects with other themes such as Piliriqatigiingniq/Ikajuqatigiingniq, Tunnganarniq, and Aajiqatigiingniq, which encourage living in harmony with each other. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangiit principles, which are built upon unity and regard for others, are foundational to Inuit societal structures. When mutual respect and care, achieved in part by fulfilling individual responsibilities, are built into the foundation of a community, they help foster a supportive environment. Community members strive to help each other (Piliriqatigiingniq/Ikajuqatigiingniq); people feel welcomed and a part of something bigger than themselves (Tuunganarniq); and they want to contribute to the improvement and wellbeing of the community as a whole (Pijitsirniq). All these ways of caring not only increase the likelihood of survival, but also ensure individual wellbeing through an abundance of community support.
If you take a look at these photographs, you can see the close-knit relationships between family, different generations, and friends at Aulatsiivik, as can be seen in photograph N-1979-051: 1868 of Elijah Erkloo, Paul Oodleteetuk, Danielee, and Lazarus Paneeluk. While all relationships were valuable to Inuit, the family unit—for Inuit extending beyond the nuclear family - is the most important. As seen in many of Idlout’s photographs, community is built on family. In Inuit culture it is important that children grow up knowing who their relatives are, down to their distant cousins and past generations. Through this knowledge, children learn where they come from and who they are. Inuuqatigiitsiarniq is instilled into children from a young age as they are taught to respect others, to listen and respect adults, especially Elders, who hold the most knowledge.
In accordance with Inuuqatigiitsiarniq, competition, hateful or jealous behaviours that create unnecessary strife are seen as inappropriate because they threaten the vitality of the community. Inuit strive to live a good and happy life, and part of this involves being a good person. It is for this reason that historically, Inuit often resorted to solving disagreements through friendly competitions such as throat singing, Inuit games, or through song duels. While these methods are no longer widely practiced as a form of conflict resolution, Inuit continue to encourage working through disagreements immediately so not to carry a grudge, and to treat others with dignity and respect as they would like to be treated.