Helen Kalvak

Kalvak was born at Tahiryuaq, also known as Tahiryuak Lake,^[2] on Victoria Island and raised in the Prince Albert Sound area. Her family also spent some time at Minto Inlet. She lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle for most of her life. Her mother was Enataomik. Her father Halukhit encouraged her spiritual gifts and taught her to be an angatkuq (the equivalent of a spiritual healer in Inuit culture). Although Kalvak later converted to Christianity, she continued to reflect her traditional Inuit religion in her artwork, along with the stories which she had learned as a child.

In 1960, Kalvak moved to Holman (present-day Ulukhaktok) after the sudden death of her husband, Edward Manayok. There in 1961 she helped a Roman Catholic priest, Rev. Henri Tardy, set up the Holman Eskimo Co-op. It was at this time that Kalvak began her artwork. In 1965, her artwork was turned into prints and sold throughout the world.

In recognition of her work, Kalvak was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1975.^[3] This was followed in 1978 by her appointment to the Order of Canada.^[4] By 1978, Kalvak had produced an estimated 2,000 drawings. She was no longer able to use her hands due to Parkinson's disease. The following year, Canada Post used her work entitled The Dance for the 17¢ postage stamp.^[5] With 176 published prints, Kalvak is the Ulukhaktok artist with the largest body of published work.^[6]

At the time of her death in 1984, Kalvak was one of the few remaining Inuit women in Ulukhaktok decorated with traditional beautifying facial kakiniq (tattoos).

In 1984 a competition was held to rename the Ulukhaktok Elihavik School and in 1985 it was renamed Helen Kalvak Elihakvik.^[7]