The Film

A marginalized people rose up from humble beginnings, with nothing but their talent, their guiding principles, and their determination to leave none behind. The public has heard so many sad stories, but “Atautsikut/Leaving None Behind” reveals another aspect of the true North. In their own words, raw and unfiltered, the Nunavik Inuit and Cree recount their struggle and how their co-ops came shining through—a message of hope.

How did the Inuit and Cree of Nunavik (Northern Quebec) manage to transform their lives without relinquishing their values? Knowledge holders in “Atautsikut / Leaving None Behind” say art played a key role. It was carving sales that fueled the upstart co-operatives’ bid to break the monopoly of “the boss”—the Hudson’s Bay Company. Fifty years ago, those co-ops federated, to build a prosperous future for all—in keeping with their principle of leaving none behind. Listen as Elders reveal how a little patchwork of co-operatives banded together to come out from under the boss—and change their place in the world.

  • “Your film is the best antidote to negative stereotypes and should be seen by anyone, in the North and South, who doubt the capacity of Inuit to run their own homeland.”

    “
    Ole Gjerstad
    Words & Pictures Videos/Vidéos mots & images, Piksuk Media Inc.

  • I found Atautsikut captivating — and educational, especially about the activities of the Hudson Bay Company — how apposite of current debates on colonialism and its legacies. And it was such a powerful illustration of the value of co-operation. 

    “
    Sue Letts
    Secretary, Birmingham Co-operative Film Society, Organizers of the Just Film Festival

  • John Houston’s film is a powerful documentary about the evolution of Nunavik Inuit- and Cree-led co-operatives and their federation, Ilqagiisaq / Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau Québec, that should be seen across Canada’s North and far beyond those communities.

    “
    Lucy Tulugarjuk
    Executive Director, Uvagut TV

  • It was heartening to see co-operatives being successful and making such a difference to people’s lives. And it was such a different experience of the history of co-operation to that we are aware of in the U.K.

    “
    Kate Palser
    Chair, Birmingham Co-operative Film Society

  • The film “Atautsikut / Leaving None Behind” tells a story of great hope in the face of exploitation, at a time when such hope is sorely needed.

    “
    Hazel Corcoran
    Executive Director, CWCF