Holly Mititquq Nordlum
photo by Michael Conti Photography
Holly Mititquq Nordlum (Inuit)
Our #matriarchmonday spotlight is Holly Mititquq Nordlum. She is an Inupiaq artist born in Kotzebue, an Inuit village in the Northwest Arctic Borough of Alaska. She is a printmaker, painter, activist, filmmaker, traditional tattoo artist, and sculptor.
Holly is using traditional Inuit tattooing called tupik as one of her creative outlets. According to Holly, traditional Inuit tattooing was done by women for women, almost exclusively. “The tattoos celebrated their lives and accomplishments,” she says. She explains that the first lines tattooed on the chin marked a girl who had come of age and was now an adult. Tattoos symbolized moments in a woman’s life, reflecting things like marriage and children. More tattoos meant a woman was older and had accomplished more, which was also celebrated.
“Inuit culture and my Ancestors guide my work but I am most inspired by our lives today and the way we live in two worlds, one old and the modern urban life.” says Holly.
Holly is also documenting the process of women in the Arctic connecting through traditional Inuit tattooing and reclaiming their cultural and personal identities. The film, called Tupik Mi, is still in production, and features Holly on her journey of educating people on tupikand training other Native Arctic women in the practice, as well as their own personal journeys through tupik.