Public speaking
John lectures and screens his films nationally and internationally, including presentations at Yale, Berkeley, the Smithsonian (Washington and NYC), Montana, Vancouver, Spain and Tokyo.
| Theme | Title | Host Institution | Place | Dates | Related Film/Project? | See it on-line | Photos | Notes | Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inuit Art & Culture | Inuktitut 101 (a primer in the Inuit language) | Adventure Canada | Northwest Passage, Nunavut | Annual Presentation | |||||
| Printmaking in Japan (promotion for Adventure Canada) | Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) | Tokyo, Japan | Nov 19, 2014 | Showed clips from Songs in Stone | Link | ||||
| Authenticating their Inuit art collection | Hood Museum, Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire | Nov 7, 2013 | Told the stories of the pieces | Link | ||||
| Lecture: John Houston, Kiviuq as a Living Oral Tradition | Norwich University | Northfield, Vermont | Nov 6, 2013 | Kiviuq: The Inuit Shaman Hero – screening of Kiviuq | Link | Co-Sponsored by The Center for Circumpolar Studies, College of Liberal Arts at Norwich University, Consulate General of Canada, and Adventure Canada. | |||
| Lecture: John Houston, Spirit Masters and Inuit Art | Kellogg-Hubbard Library | Montpelier, Vermont | Nov 5, 2013 | Anima Borealis series – Diet of Souls screening, opened by Canada Consul General Patrick Binns | Link | Hosted by Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Co-Sponsored by The Center for Circumpolar Studies, Consulate General of Canada, and Adventure Canada. | |||
| Humanities seminar – preparing for the Venice Biennale | Technical University of Nova Scotia – Architecture | Halifax, Nova Scotia | May 15, 2013 | Screened Diet of Souls, lecture | |||||
| John Houston: A Life in Inuit Art -Speech and gallery tour | Argyle Fine Art Gallery | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Nov 8-22, 2012 | (speech on DVD) participation from Adventure Canada | Link | ||||
| 18th Inuit Study Conference, “Learning from the Top of the World” | Smithsonian – National Museum of the American Indian | Washington, DC | Oct 24-28, 2012 | Screened Diet of Souls | Link | ||||
| Discussion of the collection with students, staff, Museum members | Hood Museum, Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire | Sep 27, 2012 | ||||||
| John Houston: Potential for Change in Arctic Culture in the 21st Century | The ILEAD course at Dartmouth | Hanover, New Hampshire | Sep 27, 2012 | Screened Diet of Souls same day | There’s a poster in email from Mary. | With the sponsorship of the Institute of Arctic Studies and the Hood Museum | |||
| Lecture: The interface between science and the Inuit oral tradition | State of the Art Technologies for Marine Biodiversity | University of Alcalá, Spain | Nov 15, 2010 | ||||||
| Northern Exposures: Four Views of the Arctic | Plymouth State University (PSU) | Plymouth, New Hampshire | Nov 9, 2010 | Ree Brennin present as discussant, screened Diet of Souls | Link | ||||
| Journey through the Northwest Passage, issues of tourism, shipping, and sovereignty | Plymouth State University (PSU) | Plymouth, New Hampshire | Nov 9, 2010 | Issues of eco-tourism, commercial shipping and sovereignty. Co-presentation with Ree Brennin | |||||
| “The Way Forward” – speech on the future of Inuit art | Cranbrook Institute, Michigan (Inuit Art Society) | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | Oct 10, 2010 | ||||||
| John Houston: “An Inuit Perspective” | Cranbrook Institute, Michigan (Inuit Art Society) | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | Oct 9, 2010 | ||||||
| John Houston and Phil Power: “Coming To America – Inuit Art Crosses the Border” | Cranbrook Institute, Michigan (Inuit Art Society) | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | Oct 8, 2010 | Co-presentation | |||||
| The Houston Period 1948-1962 and beyond | Arctic Art Museum Society | Vancouver | Mar 23, 2010 | Lecture and PowerPoint, sponsored in part by Adventure Canada | Link | ||||
| Born with Arcticus Feverous: an introduction to the life and culture of the North | The Engine Gallery for Adventure Canada | Toronto, Ontario | Jun 21, 2009 | ||||||
| Born with Arcticus Feverous: an introduction to the life and culture of the North | The Atwater Library for Adventure Canada | Montreal, Québec | Jun 20, 2009 | ||||||
| Guest-taught a Graduate seminar on Media, Identity and Diversity | University of Ottawa | Ottawa, Ontario | Mar 6, 2009 | Screened Kiviuq for Denis Bachand’s class,which led to a thesis by Karine Bertrand | Link | ||||
| Constant projection of first five films for eight months | Museum of Inuit Art (MIA) | Toronto, Ontario | 2009 – 2010 | ||||||
| Special Guest at Silliman College Masters’ Tea | Silliman College, Yale University | New Haven, Connecticut | Oct 9, 2008 | With Master Judith Krauss | Link | ||||
| John Houston Discusses Inuit Art and Culture | IdeaCity | Toronto, Ontario | Jun 19, 2008 | Showed clips from my films | Link | ||||
| Co-presentation on Inuit culture to senators interested in the Arctic | The Senate, House of Commons Building | Ottawa, Ontario | Nov 23, 2007 | Sponsored by Adventure Canada | |||||
| Opening speech for the exhibit “Inuit, a History Told by Art” | The Bibler Collection at the Hockaday Museum | Kalispell, Montana | Oct 4, 2007 | ||||||
| Launching an interactive website | Acadia University | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Mar 29, 2007 | Launching the Nanisiniq Inuit Qaujimajatuqanginnik (IQ) Website | Link | ||||
| Guest teaching Cynthia Alexander’s Political Science class | Acadia University | Wolfville. Nova Scotia | Feb 7, 2007 | During the making of the Virtual Learning Environment, inuitQ | |||||
| Visited a group of Grade Two students with an Inuit elder | Dalhousie Elementary School | Calgary, Alberta | Mar 3, 2006 | Global TV aired a feature story on Houston’s school visit | |||||
| Akitsiraq Nunavut law Students, guest-taught the class | Nunavut Arctic College | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Jun 27, 1905 | Screened Diet of Souls | |||||
| Land of Ice, Hearts of Fire: Inuit Art and Culture gallery tour | University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | Oct 23, 2003 | Led a gallery walk for docents and students, interpreting the collection | |||||
| Interpreting a major exhibition of Canadian Inuit drawings | The University Gallery of the University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | Oct 22, 2003 | ||||||
| Week-long celebration of Inuit culture | Dennos Museum Art Center | Traverse City, Michigan | Feb 5th-ish, 2003 | Cornerstone of the week’s events:screenings of “Songs in Stone: An Arctic Journey Home” and “Nuliajuk: Mother of the Sea Beasts. | Link | ||||
| Nunavut History students, guest-taught the class | Nunavut Arctic College | Iqaluit, Nunavut | 2003 | Screened Nuliajuk | |||||
| Keynote speech – Inuit Printmaking: Past, Present… and Future | The Haffenreffer Museum | Rhode Island | Oct 6, 2001 | ||||||
| Inuit printmaking demonstration – copresented with Andrew Qappik | The Haffenreffer Museum | Rhode Island | Oct 6, 2001 | Showed Songs in Stone and Nuliajuk all day long, with Q & A sessions | |||||
| Inuit Jewellery and Metalworks Exhibition – Oprning Speech | Houston North Gallery’s 20th Anniversary | Lunenburg, Nova Scotia | July 7, 2001? | ||||||
| Introducing Don Walp’s Collection of Inuit art | Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, U. of Oklahoma | Norman, Oklahoma | Feb 27, 2001 | ||||||
| Constant projection of Songs in Stone for six months | National Gallery of Canada | Ottawa, Ontario | 2001 | ||||||
| Inuit Art History (a course delivered in Inuktitut) | Nunavut Arctic College | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Nov 13-18, 2000 | ||||||
| Lecture on Inuit art and culture, film screening | Lafayette Museum, Purdue University | Lafayette, Indiana | Sept 26-28, 2000 | Songs in Stone | |||||
| Speech: Inuit Art during the last 50 years (the work of our family) | Canadian Arctic Gallery | Basel, Switzerland | May 10, 2000 | ||||||
| Speech: Introduction into Inuit Art (History, Development, Acknowledgement of Inuit Art by Museums | Canadian Arctic Gallery | Basel, Switzerland | May 9, 2000 | ||||||
| BEA Bern Exposition 2000 | BEA Bern Exposition 2000 | Bern, Switzerland | Apr 28 – May 7, 2000 | Songs in Stone | Link | ||||
| Conference on Inuit art – personal recollections, translation | McMichael gallery | Kleinberg, Ontario | Jan, 1992 | ||||||
| Demystification of Inuit Art – full semester course I designed | Nova Scotia College of Art and Design | Halifax, Nova Scotia | 1988 | Have the poster – check dates | |||||
| Natural World | Lecture: Backyard Biodiversity | Acadia University | Wolfville, Nova Scotia | Oct 2, 2014 | The Six of Bees – Unveiling a new photographic “environment” | Link | |||
| Inuit culture and Arctic wildlife biology | Sir Charles Tupper School | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Feb 25, 2014 | John Houston and Ree Brennin Houston presented to two grade 6 classes | |||||
| Impact of Climate and Climate Change in the Arctic Region to Humans and Wildlife | Walsh Middle School | Framingham, Massachusetts | Nov 16, 2012 | Team teaching to nearly 300 Grade 5s, with PowerPoint – Ree Brennin Houston, John Houston and son Dorset | |||||
| Two Very Different Ways of Knowing – Science and the oral tradition | State of the Art Technologies for Marine Biodiversity | University of Alcalá, Spain | Nov 15, 2010 | Clips from Nuliajuk, Diet of Souls | Link | ||||
| Elders’ insights add up to a powerful plea for respect and conservation | State of the Art Technologies for Marine Biodiversity | University of Alcalá, Spain | Nov 15, 2010 | Diet of Souls | Co-presentation by John Houston & Ree Brennin | ||||
| “Changing Climate, Changing Health, Changing Stories” 2 speeches | University of Guelph | Guelph, Ontario | Jul 12, 2010 | Screened Kiviuq, then Diet of Souls | Link | ||||
| ON THIN ICE: Addressing the Scientific, Economic, Environmental, Cultural and Security Implications of Climate Change in the Arctic Region | Naval Postgraduate School | Monterey, California | Dec 8-9, 2008 | Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies | Link | ||||
| Frontiers in Research Lectures: “The Disappearing North” | University of Ottawa | Ottawa, Ontario | Oct 15, 2008 | Diet of Souls | Link | ||||
| Aboriginal, historical, and current commercial sealing in Canada | Queen’s University | Kingston, Ontario | Sep 25, 2008 | Lecture, Screened Diet of Souls | |||||
| John Houston explores the Inuit view of the human/animal relationship | University of Ottawa | Ottawa, Ontario | Jun 5, 2008 | Guest lecturer, Screened Diet of Souls | |||||
| The North: A Unique Environmental Responsibility | Acadia University | Wolfville, Nova Scotia | Mar 14, 2006 | Screened Diet of Souls prior to Mary Simon’s lecture, hosted Q & A | |||||
| Walk well, my brother-walk well, my sister – Convocation speech | Plymouth State University (PSU) | Plymouth, New Hampshire | Aug 30, 2005 | Reflect on the influence of immersion in Inuit culture on my life and work | Link | ||||
| The Animals in This Country: A Canadian Literature Symposium | University of Ottawa | Ottawa, Ontario | May 6-8, 2005 | Keynote speech and screening of Diet of Souls | I have the speech notes | ||||
| Northern Travels and Northern Perspectives Symposium | Wilderness Canoe Association | Toronto, Ontario | Feb 2, 2002 | Feature presentation of Nuliajuk | |||||
| Film | Keynote: Voices of Inuit Elders: Filmmaking in the Canadian Arctic | Snow Walkers Rendez-Vous, Hulbert Outdoor Center | Fairlee, Vermont | Nov 9, 2013 | Afternoon screening of Diet of Souls | Link | Co-Sponsored by The Center for Circumpolar Studies, Consulate General of Canada, and Adventure Canada | ||
| Nuliajuk: Mother of the Sea Beasts, Film and Introduction | Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire | Nov 7, 2013 | Screened Nuliajuk, Introduction by Marc Jacques, Consulate of Canada | Link | Co-Sponsored by The Center for Circumpolar Studies, Consulate General of Canada, and Adventure Canada. | |||
| Introduction of the festival’s Opening Film, “Diet of Souls” | The Explorers Club | New York, New York | Nov 30 – Dec 01, 2012 | Diet of Souls | Link | ||||
| Delivered the keynote speech | Silver Wave Film Festival | Fredericton, New Brunswick | Nov 8-11, 2012 | (I have my keynote on DVD) | Link | ||||
| Acceptance speech, the Donald Haldane Distinguished Service Award | Directors Guild of Canada | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 20, 2012 | (I think that speech was recorded…? There are pics.) | |||||
| Meeting with Humanities majors and others interested in film | Plymouth State University | Plymouth, New Hampshire | Sep 26, 2012 | ||||||
| The Rise of Canadian Inuit Film Making – A Symposium and Film Festival | The Canadian Studies Program, UC Berkeley | Berkeley, California | April 22-23 2011 | Screened Diet of Souls, The White Archer | Link | ||||
| Diet of Souls (Film presentation and lecture on animism) | Plymouth State University | Plymouth, New Hampshire | Nov 9, 2010 | Diet of Souls | |||||
| The White Archer, special festival screening for youth | Yorkton Film Festival | Yorkton, Saskatchewan | May 27-30, 2010 | The White Archer – Festival screening and screening in a school | |||||
| World Première for The White Archer | Canadian Museum of Civilization | Hull, Quebec | Apr 1, 2010 | Special screening of The White Archer | |||||
| Mini Inuit film festival, opening remarks | Whitney Humanities Center, Yale University | New Haven, Connecticut | Oct 11, 2008 | Link | |||||
| Festival screening, nearly two-hour Q & A for Kiviuq | Tromsø International Film Festival | Tromsø, Norway | Jan 18, 2008 | Screened Kiviuq. Headed a Nunavut filmmakers’ delegation, assisted by the Embassy of Canada. | Link | ||||
| Kiviuq V(ISION)FEST selection | Mill Valley Film Festival | Mill Valley, California | Oct 4-14, 2007 | Festival screening of Kiviuq, Helped by Canadian Consulate | Link | ||||
| A full day screening my films for hundreds of schoolkids, Q & A | Flathead Valley Community College | Kalispell, Montana | Oct 2-6, 2007 | Arctic trilogy films | |||||
| Screening of Kiviuq with filmmaker in attendance | Calgary International Film Festival | Calgary, Alberta | Sep 25, 2007 | ||||||
| World Première for Diet of Souls | National Gallery of Canada | Ottawa, Ontario | Jun 21, 2007 | Diet of Souls gala première screening and reception | |||||
| Acceptance speech, Best Documentary Film award for Kiviuq | Dreamspeakers International Aboriginal Film & Television Festival | Edmonton, Alberta | June 4-9, 2007 | Festival screening of Kiviuq | |||||
| Scriptwriting Workshop – facilitator | Co-hosts IBC and drumsong communications | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Mar 16-21, 2007 | in association with Nunavut Film | |||||
| Inuit Storytelling event, with Inuit elder Annie Peterloosie | University of Calgary, Rosza Centre | Calgary, Alberta | Jan 24, 2007 | Co-presentation with Inuit elder Annie Peterloosie | |||||
| World Première for Kiviuq | Calgary Opera | Calgary, Alberta | Jan 23, 2007 | Kiviuq gala screening emcee Don Hill (broadcast journalist & filmmaker) | |||||
| World Première for James Houston: The Most Interesting Group of People you’ll ever Meet | Calgary Opera | Calgary, Alberta | Jan 23, 2007 | Gala screening for James Houston: The Most Interesting Group of People you’ll ever Meet | |||||
| Presented Diet of Souls at Native American Film and Video Festival | National Museum of the American Indian | New York City, New York | Dec 3, 2006 | U.S. première | Link | ||||
| Speech and screening at the Calgary Zoo’s Safari Lodge | Arctic Institute of North America (AINA) | Calgary, Alberta | Mar 3, 2006 | Diet of Souls, speech, screening and cocktail reception | |||||
| An Evening with John Houston: Film Screening and Lecture | University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | Oct 22, 2003 | Hosted a public screening and discussion of the films, “Songs in Stone: An Arctic Journey Home” and “Nuliajuk: Mother of the Sea Beasts.” | Link | The Houston screening and discussion is sponsored by the Government of Nunavut, Department of Sustainable Development; Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, as well as the Delaware Humanities Forum, the Delaware Division of the Arts and the Faculty Senate Committee on Cultural Activities and Public Events. | |||
| Inuit Films (Special screening of Atanarjuat and Nuliajuk) | The British Museum | London, England | June 22-23, 2002 | Nuliajuk | |||||
| Arctic Film Showcase | The Arctic Winter Games | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Mar 18-22, 2002 | Songs in Stone + Nuliajuk | |||||
| Gave a seminar on aspects of filmmaking | Francophone Centre | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Mar 15-22, 2002 | Presented Songs in Stone and Nuliajuk | |||||
| Screening of ‘Nuliajuk’ and ‘Songs in Stone’ | FilmPodium and Indianermuseum | Zürich, Switzerland | Mar 10, 2002 | Opened by Canada’s ambassador to Switzerland, his Excellency Jean-Paul Hubert | |||||
| Nuliajuk: Mother of the Sea Beasts – Q&A on Animism & Shamanism | Myhelan Film Festival | Hackettstown, New Jersey | Mar 1, 2002 | Morning and evening festival screenings of Nuliajuk | |||||
| Created and gave a workshop addressing needs of junior filmmakers | Myhelan Film Festival | Hackettstown, New Jersey | Mar 1, 2002 | ||||||
| Special Csreening of Nuliajuk | Art Gallery of Ontario | Toronto, Ontario | Oct 10, 2001 | Co-presented by broadcaster Bill Roberts, VisionTV CEO | |||||
| World Première for Nuliajuk | Canadian Museum of Civilization | Hull, Quebec | Aug 23, 2001 | Nuliajuk gala première screening and reception | |||||
| Special screening of ‘Songs in Stone,’ opening speech | Canadian Embassy | Copenhagen, Denmark | Aug 14, 2000 | Songs in Stone, introduced by Canadian Ambassador Mary Simon | |||||
| Presentation of Songs in Stone, Speech: Where to from Here? | Inuit Sunakkutaangit Museum | Iqaluit, Nunavut | Feb 17, 2000 | Introduced by Ed McKenna of RWED | |||||
| Festival Screening, speech, Q & A | The Atlantic Film Festival | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Sep 18, 1999 | Songs in Stone screening | |||||
| World Première for Songs in Stone | Canadian Museum of Civilization | Hull, Quebec | Aug 19, 1999 | Songs in Stone gala screening In conjunction with the exhibition of Inuit art, Iqqaipaa | |||||
| Aboriginal People | Inuit Time & Space – lecture | Adventure Canada | Northwest Passage, Nunavut | Annual Presentation | With Powerpoint accompaniment | ||||
| Guest taught an Anthropology Class | Instituto Franklin | University of Alcalá, Spain | Nov 15, 2010 | Nuliajuk | |||||
| RARA Keynote Speech | Regional Aboriginal Recognition Awards | Fort MacMurray | Feb 20, 2010 | Showed clips from my films | (Have a copy of my speech) | ||||
| Special presentation on Cape Dorset art (co-presenter) | AGO / ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival | Toronto Ontario | Oct 15, 2009 | James Houston: The Most Interesting Group of People you’ll ever Meet | Link | ||||
| Claiming our Future | Land Claims Coalition Conference | Ottawa, Ontario | May 12-15, 2009 | Special screening of Diet of Souls, brief speech | |||||
| Yale Peabody Museum Indigenous People Weekend Event | Peabody Museum, Yale University | New Haven, Connecticut | Oct 10, 2008 | Songs in Stone screening, Q&A, reception | Link | ||||
| Karen Nakamura’s Visual Anthropology class, guest teacher | Yale University, Department of Anthropology | New Haven, Connecticut | Oct 9, 2008 | Screened clips from Nuliajuk, Kiviuq, lectured | |||||
| John Houston presents his Arctic Trilogy | The Mashantucket Pequot Museum | Mashantucket, Connecticut | Aug 16-18, 2004 | Screening and speech of one of the trilogy per day | Visited each day by Smithsonian kids brought in by bus | ||||
| Storytelling | Ghost Stories with John Houston | Adventure Canada | Sable Island, Nova Scotia | June 12-28, 2014 | told ghost stories from Sable Island history and personal memories | ||||
| A Celebration of Native American Cultures – Inuit Storytelling | Yale Peabody Museum | New Haven, Connecticut | Oct 13, 2008 | told ancient Inuit stories to children and their parents | Link | ||||
| What is Folk Art? Lecture, stories about folk artists | Art Gallery of Nova Scotia | Halifax, Nova Scotia | 2008 | ||||||
| Filmmaker Houston shares tales of Inuit sea goddess | Houston North Gallery | Lunenburg, Nova Scotia | Dec 10, 2000 | During the making of Nuliajuk | Link | ||||
| Inuit Stories I Grew Up Hearing | BEA Bern Exposition 2000 | Bern, Switzerland | Apr 28 – May 7, 2000 | ||||||
| Ann Meekitjuk Hanson and John Houston: Inuit stories from our childhood | Adventure Canada | Davis Strait, Nunavut | Summer 1994 | Co-presentation of traditional Inuit stories from memory |