In Inuit culture it is important to be welcoming and one can take pride in the fact that they can welcome guests into their home and share a meal or provide them with anything visitors may need. Traditionally this cultural value of being welcoming ensured that if Inuit were travelling to another camp, they would likely be taken care of. Tunnganarniq also ties into the larger cultural framework of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit which seeks to create relations and communities that care for each other. Thus, tunnganarniq supports community wellness by creating a safe environment where people feel comfortable seeking support and creating meaningful relationships. Tunnganarniq can be seen as the starting point for fostering good relations with one another and is a value that requires reciprocation. 

If you take a look at the photographs, you can see moments captured of Idlout’s camp with visiting guests, as well as a snapshot captured of Idlout himself as he was welcomed by neighbouring Inuit during a trip to Greenland (N-1979-051-2139). Photos like N-1979-051: 2014, which depicts Idlout’s wife Kidlak looking over a Qallunaaq expedition member as he attempts to scrape seal fat from the skin, show moments of cultural immersion as Inuit camp members shared their skills and invited Qallunaat to learn with them. Other photographs such as N-1979-051: 1909 of Kidlak, Leah, and an unnamed Qallunaaq illustrates a moment of cultural exchange as the Inuit women don southern style clothing and the qallunaaq sports an Inuit parka. 

Today Inuit continue to pride themselves in being welcoming to newcomers, and it is commonplace to treat guests to tea or coffee or to share a meal. These moments create comforting environments that fuel great conversations, laughs, and build trust between all walks of life. The relevance of tunnganarniq amongst Inuit youth is also evident through the Inuktitut/English phrase “tunngasugit(si), take your socks off,” often used in jest which translates to “be welcomed, take your socks off. Which doesn’t literally mean you should take your socks off but is a lighthearted way of saying you should feel make yourself completely at home and comfortable. However, the practice of tunnganarniq is often guarded with more caution as the welcoming nature of Inuit has been exploited by outsiders and has been argued to contribute to the deterioration of the Inuktut languages. Visitors who show the proper etiquette and respect to Inuit by taking the initiative to get to know Inuit and create relationships, rather than simply extracting information or goods will often find Inuit to be tunnganaq.