Centennial Theatre fell into a hush as Elisapie, singer-songwriter and director, stepped up to the microphone and began to sing. The Inuk musician was invited to Bishop’s as part of the continuing Donald Lecture series, and Elisapie shared a deeply personal and inspiring lecture. She spoke about the story of her life, including her childhood in Salluit, QC, her move to Montreal to become a journalist, and her relationship with her three children. She switched freely between English, French, and Inuktitut, answering audience questions in French and English.

The lecture opened with two songs from Elisapie’s latest album, The Ballad of the Runaway Girl. The first, “Wolves Don’t Live by the Rules,” is a cover of Inuvialuit musician Willie Thrasher. Elisapie shared that this song was special to her, since Thrasher is an Indigenous artist who inspires her, and the song holds a lot of meaning. She dedicated the second song, “Arnaq”, to the women in the audience, particularly the mothers and grandmothers.

Elisapie shared that she always loved music, and that she comes from a musical background. Her uncles influenced her by introducing her to rock and roll, and her first performance was with her uncle’s folk rock band, Sugluk. Though she had a passion for singing, she initially did not imagine being a musician as a career because she wasn’t aware that it was a possibility for her. Even now, there is a lack of representation of Indigenous people in the arts, and Elisapie described the awe of the Indigenous children who see her perform.

The Ballad of the Runaway Girl began as a cover album of songs by Inuit singers such as William Tagoona and Willie Thrasher, some of Elisapie’s earliest influences. While working on this project, she found herself writing original songs on guitar. Many of these songs are inspired by personal stories, such as her adoption, her childhood in the North, and her exodus from her home while living in Montreal. She said in an NPR interview, “I never knew how to make peace with the fact that I left (Salluit) … I think this album is based on the fact that I want to find those traces of my childhood in order to really understand a little bit more who I am.”

Elisapie moved to Montreal in her early twenties to pursue journalism, a choice that took her far from home. Eventually, she became involved in a documentary project interviewing people who live in the Arctic Circle, allowing her to travel around the world and to have the experience of filmmaking. This led to another documentary project, If Weather Permits, which shows life in the village of Kangirsujuaq, near her hometown, capturing Inuit culture in a changing world.

During the lecture, Elisapie described how performance gives her a chance to connect with people and it is usually a rewarding experience. During the Donald Lecture, she created a feeling of close connection by speaking to the audience as if they were a close friend. She spoke with honesty about her own experiences and also emphasized the value of kindness and loving yourself.

Elisapie’s music is available on Spotify and Youtube, as well as other major music platforms.