Labrador Inuttitut Heritage Bible © Canadian Bible Society, 2008.

Labrador Inuttitut Heritage Bible

About Labrador Inuttitut

Labrador Inuttitut (also known as Labrador Inuttut or Nunatsiavummiutut) is a dialect of Inuktitut spoken across northern Labrador. It has a distinct writing system, created by German missionaries from the Moravian Church in Greenland in the 1760s. In 1980, a meeting of Inuit elders and educators was convened to examine the writing system. A new one was developed – the Labrador Inuit Standardized Writing System – to provide consistency and clarity.

About This Translation

This text includes the entire Bible in Labrador Inuttitut. The Moravian Church began working in Labrador in 1771. Among the tasks undertaken by the early missionaries was the translation of portions of the Bible into the native language. It was a slow process, beginning with collections of verses, and then the Gospel of John, followed by Luke. Fifty years later, in 1821, the British and Foreign Bible Society published the entire New Testament. From there followed a gradual translation and publication of the books of the Old Testament. In the end there were 7 separate volumes, but never a complete text under one cover. The current publication is a revision of this old translation, published in one volume.

In 1980, a meeting of Inuit elders and educators was convened to examine the writing system. A new one was developed – the Labrador Inuit Standardized Writing System – to provide consistency and clarity. It is with this writing system that this new edition of the Bible has been published.

This revision was made possible through the dedication and commitment of many people who spent countless hours translating the scripture.

If you are interested in obtaining a printed copy of this Bible, please contact the Canadian Bible Society.

Copyright Information

Labrador Inuttitut Heritage Bible © 2008 Canadian Bible Society

The text of the Bible in Labrador Inuttitut that appears in this electronic format or website is for personal use only.

Up to five hundred (500) verses of the Bible text in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio) may be quoted without permission. The quoted verses may not be more than 50% of a complete book of the Bible, or more than 25% of the total text of the work in which they are quoted. Prior written permission must be obtained for any other use of the text. Copyright acknowledgement must in all cases appear on the title or copyright page.

For more information on copyright conditions or to apply, visit the Canadian Bible Society.