Hans Lennie

Inuvik IGC Director and Treasurer at Inuvialuit Game Council

Speaker

Hans Lennie is an Inuvialuit born in Inuvik, Northwest Territories where he has spent much of his childhood out on the land. From owning his own dog team in his younger years to transitioning to using and relying on snowmobiles, he has seen the effects of modern living that has changed the lifestyle of the Inuvialuit. Being brought up with traditional Inuvialuit cultural values keeps him connected to the land and sea. His father taught him the skills to trap and hunt, which he has in turn, passed on to his children and grandchildren. Learning to respect the land and animals is the first lesson to survival in this harsh climate. Spending as much time as he can on the land in terms of hunting and trapping, he provides a great deal of traditional food for his family and community members.

Hans is a past Vice-President of the Inuvik Hunters and Trappers Committee and past Director and Secretary-Treasurer of the Inuvialuit Game Council.

Hans works as a Manager for Raytheon Canada Ltd, a company that maintains the Dew-line systems (North Warning Systems) along the coast of the Beaufort Sea following the steps of his father and uncle, who also worked for the Dew-Line.

Hans is also a current member, alongside his wife and children, of the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers, an Inuvialuit Drum Dance group that is preserving the cultural dances of the Inuvialuit. They have traveled across Canada and the U.S.A performing and educating the public of his culture.

Hans is also the President of the Northern Games Society, a volunteer based society that promotes and preserves traditional Inuvialuit games.