JoAnne is originally from Ottawa, Ontario, and studied at Carleton University. Her early career encompassed social work, teaching sociology and cross-cultural communication, and managing international aid programmes in Africa and India. She later moved to Geneva, where she founded her consultancy, SwimUpstream, specialising in leadership communication and team building. Now settled in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, JoAnne is actively involved in climate advocacy, amateur theatre and public speaking. JoAnne has long been fascinated by the First Nations peoples of Northern Canada, particularly the rich social and cultural traditions that enabled communities to thrive in an exceptionally harsh environment. Her talk on Nunavut explores the ingenuity, resilience and traditional knowledge of the Inuit people, whose remarkable ways of life enabled them to survive and flourish in the Arctic for thousands of years.

MY TALK Nunavut North of the Known

A fascinating presentation about Nunavut, Canada’s newest and largest territory, presented by JoAnne Freeman, a native of Ontario—yes, as in Lake Ontario!

Join JoAnne as she explores the remarkable Arctic homeland of the Inuit, revealing a world shaped by ancient migrations, extraordinary resilience, and a rich cultural heritage.

She will speak about the arrival of profit-driven European explorers, and the unique traditions and ways of life that have evolved in one of the most challenging environments on Earth—from igloos and dogsleds to narwhals, throat singing, and Arctic survival.

JoAnne will also share a remarkable connection between her own family history and the Manhattan Project, adding a personal thread to this extraordinary journey far north.

Come travel North of the Known—and discover a place, a people, and a history unlike any other