CHARLOTTETOWN – Susan Aglukark is sharing the journey of her Inuit ancestors through her concert “Winters Dream,” which is about to tour Atlantic Canada.

The second stop on that tour is at the Confederation Centre of the Arts
in Charlottetown on Jan. 27.

The Juno award-winning Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter’s “Winters Dream” concert tells the story of how her ancestors’ journey has shaped and defined contemporary Inuit as they forge a place in the ever-changing Inuit Nunangat/Land of the Inuit.

The 13-date tour visits Atlantic Canada from Jan. 26 to Feb. 15. All shows feature Aglukark and her four-piece band, including drums, bass, piano/keyboards and guitar.

During a career that has spanned more than 25 years, Aglukark’s journey has led her to reflect on who she is, where she came from and the importance of discovery of history, culture and self.

She is the first Inuk artist to win a Juno and a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement, she is an officer of the Order of Canada, and holds several honourary doctorate degrees, but Aglukark also acknowledges the path has not been easy.

“Here I was, living a life I never imagined, but I was struggling to understand who I was,” she said. “There was no opportunity growing up to learn about who we were, the Inuit, from our own perspective.

“In essence, we were institutionalized by being told who we were, how we would live and when you are told a story for so long, you learn to believe it.”

During the past 25 years of reflection and songwriting, Aglukark said she kept coming back to one area of profound knowing – the Inuit are an extraordinary people deeply grounded in a culture forged by their Ancestors, their journey is what shaped them.

“Their life experience is the foundation on which our precepts of determination, adaptability and love for life are built, they began the journey to our present-day Nunavut,” added Aglukark.

“Winters Dream,” also the name of her upcoming 10th album, is set for release in April and one she describes as bringing her story full circle – from being caught between two worlds – an indigenous one and a western one – to a place where she is comfortable in her own skin and able to “just be me.”

Tickets for all shows are on sale now. For show and ticket details, visit: susanaglukark.com/tour.