Lucie Idlout

Lucie Idlout, born in 1968 in Iqaluit, Nunavut, is a celebrated Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of Leah Idlout-Paulson and the granddaughter of Joseph Idlout. Her artistic journey began with the release of several EPs, culminating in her first full-length album, E5-770, My Mother’s Name, in two thousand four. This poignant title pays tribute to her mother while addressing the Canadian government's troubling history of identifying Inuit individuals by disc numbers rather than their names, a policy that persisted from nineteen forty-one to nineteen seventy-eight.

Idlout's music gained significant recognition when her song "Birthday" from E5-770 was featured in Dan Birman's film Crime Spree, starring Gérard Depardieu and Harvey Keitel. However, it was her performance opening for The White Stripes in her hometown on June twenty-seventh, two thousand seven, that truly captured the media's attention and propelled her into the spotlight.

In February two thousand nine, she released her second album, Swagger, which included the track "Lovely Irene." This song was later reimagined with a children's choir from Iqaluit and renamed "Angel Street," inspiring Iqaluit Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik to advocate for the naming of city streets after the song to raise awareness about domestic violence in Canada. By two thousand fourteen, several cities, including Iqaluit and St. John's, had embraced this initiative.

In the fall of two thousand nine, Idlout recorded "Road to Nowhere" for the Great Canadian Song Quest on CBC Radio 2. She has also contributed her musical talents to various television shows and composed the score for Zacharias Kunuk's film on Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change. In two thousand twelve, she made a memorable guest appearance as a lesbian throat singer in the CBC series Arctic Air.

Idlout's influence extends beyond music; filmmaker Shane Belcourt acknowledged her impact on the themes of his film Tkaronto. In two thousand seventeen, she appeared in Alan Zweig's documentary There Is a House Here. Recently, she announced her candidacy for the 2025 Nunavut general election, representing the riding of Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu, further showcasing her commitment to her community.