School Outcomes among Elementary School-Aged Inuit Children in Inuit Nunangat (Arim, et al., 2016)
The objective of this study was to examine factors associated with school outcomes among elementary school-aged Inuit children in Inuit Nunangat through a socio-ecological framework. The associations among children’s school outcomes and various individual, family, and school factors were examined using the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey. Logistic regression analyses suggest that an Inuk child who is healthy and not hungry, whose parents obtained a post-secondary education, who is attending a school with a climate conducive to learning and at which parents are given opportunities to be involved, and who is exposed daily to the Inuit language has better odds of succeeding at school.
https://iportal.usask.ca/record/58371
Co-constructing Early Childhood Programs Nourished by Inuit Worldviews (Rowan, 2014)
Saimaqatigiingniq is defined as the place where Inuit and Qallunaat meet in the middle and are reconciled (Qikiqtani Inuit Association 2010). In this paper, the researcher, a middle-aged white woman with more than 30 years of experience living, visiting, and working with Inuit in the Arctic, employs a series of questions to examine the challenge of the Qikiqtani Truth Commission, which invites Inuit and Qallunaat to do things in new ways. These questions include: What is the potential of saimaqatigiingniq and in what context? How can saimaqatigiingniq facilitate the organization of early childhood programs and services that are meaningfully structured with Inuit worldviews? What is to be considered when seeking to think with Inuit perspectives in research? What are examples of Inuit approaches to child rearing? What is the rationale and what are the dimensions for reconceptualizing early childhood education from Inuit perspectives?
https://iportal.usask.ca/record/52019
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Indigenizing Curriculum (Ragoonaden & Mueller, 2017)
This article examines the impact of culturally responsive pedagogy in an introduction to university course developed in collaboration with local and place-based First Nations communities, Aboriginal Access Studies and the Faculty of Education of the University of British Columbia's Okanagan Campus. In keeping with requests that Indigenous worldviews be incorporated into curriculum, the content of EDUC 104, modelled on the University of South Carolina's University 101 Programs, was adapted to incorporate Indigenous traditions of teaching and learning. The introductory course included a holistic approach aimed at supporting the social and emotional well-being of students. Facilitated by peer mentoring, collaborative circles of learning introduced seminal concepts and facilitated the progressive use of newly learned skills. As part of a longitudinal research, the following presents the content of interviews conducted at the conclusion of the courses. Analysis indicated that three themes emerged emphasizing the importance of the circles of learning, peer mentoring, and the relationship with the instructor. In particular, the results demonstrated the perceived value of the course from the students' perspectives.
Isumaqatigingniq: Building a Transformational Science Education Model to Engage the Next Generation of Inuit and Western Scientific Investigators (Nweeia & Peeters, 2021)
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), or “the Inuit way of knowing”, and science both approach the physical world and the natural world based on shared, though different, epistemologies. Studies that use IQ and science demonstrate the inherent value of using observations and findings from these two branches to understand Arctic systems. However, IQ holders and scientists often do not fully understand each other's practice because they view and approach observation and knowledge differently. Building on the concept of Isumaqatigingniq, or “collective thinking,” we will form an educational program called Isumaqatigingniq-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (I-STEM), which will highlight and integrate studies on narwhals and the Arctic environment conducted using IQ and science. This program will be aimed at upper secondary students, Inuit and non-Inuit. Understanding current efforts using these two knowledge frameworks will hopefully inspire future collaborations by these groups. Thanks to the learning made through the I-STEM program, students will be better equipped to address the scientific themes that lead to the design, optimization and implementation of collaborative observation systems. Research efforts by Inuit and scientists are critical to a thorough understanding of the Arctic environment. Implementing an active educational program that encourages junior high school students to understand the value of incorporating these two knowledge methods will help foster a collaborative educational environment. The I-STEM educational model will make it possible to integrate a new Inuit perspective into formal science education programs and to share the perspectives of science and Inuit knowledge across Inuit educational programs. The Isumaqatigingniq can make it possible to continue to cultivate and incorporate new perspectives on observations and knowledge specific to the Arctic).
Accelerating Inuit Teach Education in Inuit Nunangat (Berger, 2022)
While the benefits of having Inuit teachers in classrooms across Inuit Nunangat are many, the current models of teacher education in the four main Inuit areas in Canada cannot supply the needed number. Few Inuit travel south to attend teacher education programs, which, in any case, are culturally inappropriate. This situation leaves schooling for Inuit in Inuit Nunangat a mostly colonizing experience. To increase the number of Inuit teachers, educational policymakers need to pay attention to what has historically worked well and what is currently working well in Inuit teacher education in Inuit Nunangat. The former can be reintroduced and the latter continued—with resources sharply increased to allow for rapid expansion. The educational system also needs to break away from Eurocentric ideas of what teacher education should be, considering a guided apprenticeship model that leads Inuit into teaching careers in ways that honor cultural ways of learning and rapidly replaces southern teachers with Inuit teachers across Inuit Nunangat.
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=41a107f3-0407-3ce7-9d08-1fa1af7006ed
Holistic Education And Pedagogy From the Inuit Worldview (Inutiq et al., 2024)
This article delves into the intricate fabric of Inuit holistic pedagogical practice, balancing the narrative and the historical dominance of Western colonial education frameworks within Inuit Nunangat. For decades, Inuit knowledge and learning methodologies have been marginalized, leading to a disconnect between education and the cultural fabric of the Inuit community. Recognizing the urgent need for revitalization and elevation of Inuit pedagogical models, this paper draws upon the invaluable insights of Elders, existing research, and narratives from two Inuit learners actively engaged in the Nunavut Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research. The study intertwines the wisdom of Elders, scholarly literature, and the lived experiences of Inuit learners to articulate learning models and specific components that are key in practice, such as experiential learning and relationship-building. By synthesizing diverse perspectives, the article offers an emerging, multi-faceted understanding of Inuit pedagogical practice, highlighting its intrinsic connection to cultural identity, community well-being, and lifelong learning. Through the narratives of Inuit learners, the paper provides tangible examples of the transformative power of Inuit pedagogy in action, emphasizing the positive impact on individual empowerment and community resilience. By amplifying the voices of Elders and learners, this article contributes to the ongoing discourse on culturally responsive education and underscores the significance of reclaiming and reinstating Inuit holistic pedagogy as a cornerstone for education in the region.
Engaging Inuit youth in environmental research: Braiding Western science and Indigenous knowledge through school workshops (Henri et al., 2022)
Since the 1990s, scientists and Indigenous peoples have worked together across Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homeland in Canada) to conduct research on contaminants in ringed seals (Pusa hispida; natsiq, natchiq or ᓇᑦᓯᖅ in Inuktut), a species of high cultural, economic and nutritional importance among Inuit. Developing innovative ways of engaging Indigenous communities in research has become essential. Here we examine a science outreach and knowledge mobilization project that was developed as part of a long-term contaminant monitoring program on ringed seals in the Canadian Arctic. This project engaged Inuit school students, youth and communities through workshops on ringed seal ecology and contaminants. We present our approach to workshop planning and delivery, discuss results from a workshop assessment, and reflect on lessons learned and best practices. We also assess the potential of school workshops that braid Western science and Inuit knowledge to support the meaningful engagement of Inuit youth in environmental research.
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=e58b2e24-4b95-3da3-8658-172ff26c91e0
(Re)Invigorating family and community leadership in Inuit bilingual education (Anoee, et al., 2017)
This article contextualizes community discourse about promising practices in Inuit bilingual education within the findings of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Arviat, Nunavut (Canada), is recognized as a success story in EnglishInuktitut bilingualism. It has also been a nexus of elder- and Inuit-driven curriculum reform for strong bilingual education. A community-based research team facilitated conversations with 17 elders, teachers, and parents in Arviat, and 10 Inuit leaders elsewhere, about what is supporting bilingual education. Grounded theory analysis revealed family and community leadership as a key theme. Participants attributed successful bilingual education outcomes to family- and community-based language policies and practices that prioritize Inuktitut and support lifelong language learning. Their emphasis is echoed in discourse in other Inuit and Indigenous contexts. We argue that reclaiming the family leadership that was interrupted by residential schooling is a key to achieving or sustaining bilingualism and school success, and is also one aspect of achieving reconciliation.
https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.297462457982491
"The land is a healer": Perspectives on land-based healing from Indigenous practitioners in northern Canada (Redvers, 2020)
Cultural knowledge is currently being revitalized by Indigenous practitioners where land is understood as a relational component of healing and wellbeing. Land-based activities such as harvesting, education, ceremony, recreation, and cultural-based counselling are all components of this integrative practice. Land-based practices are centered in Indigenous pedagogy and recognize that identity is interwoven with and deeply connected to land. Formally cultivating this fundamental relationship increases positive mental health and wellness outcomes in Indigenous populations as assessed through a culturally relevant lens. This research paper articulates a cultural concept described here as land-based healing or wellness which has been understood and taught for millennia by Indigenous knowledge holders and has largely remained undefined within mainstream mental health promotion and intervention. In this study, qualitative narrative methods were used to document the experiences of eleven land-based program practitioners from three northern territories in Canada. As experts in this field, practitioners narratives emphasized the need for a greater understanding and recognition of the value of land-based practices and programs within contemporary health and education systems. The development of working definitions, terminology, and framing of land-based healing and wellness practices as a common field is delineated from relevant literature and practitioner narratives in order to enable cross-cultural communication and understanding in psychology. Land-based healing is presented as a critical and culturally appropriate method for mental health intervention and community resilience in northern Canada.
"When We're on the Ice, All We Have is Our Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit": Mobilizing Inuit Knowledge as a Sea Ice Safety Adaptation Strategy in Mittimatalik, Nunavut (Wilson et al., 2021)
Increased variability in weather and sea ice conditions due to climate change has led to high rates of injury, trauma, and death for Inuit travelling on the sea ice. Contributing to these high rates are the ongoing effects of colonial policies that diminish and disrupt the intergenerational transfer of sea ice Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). Despite these challenges, place-based experiential IQ continues to be the most important information source for safe travel on the sea ice. This paper presents an Inuit-led, coproduced, cross-cultural research project in which Inuit youth documented and mobilized sea ice IQ in Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), Nunavut for safe community sea ice travel. We outline the Inuit youth training to facilitate the terminology and participatory mapping workshops and to document this IQ. We also discuss the IQ that was most important to share, and the mapping and artistic methods used to mobilize this IQ into a booklet, maps, and posters. Inuktitut sea ice terms are the foundation to enable youth with the skills to learn about sea ice IQ with experienced hunters. IQ enables Inuit to interpret and synthesize information from weather forecasts, earth observations, and community-based monitoring to apply to local conditions. Seasonal IQ maps of safe and hazardous sea ice conditions provide travel planning information at spatial and temporal scales that supplemental information sources cannot address. The IQ products mobilize preparedness, situational awareness, navigation, and interpretation skills so Inuit youth can become more self-reliant, as access to technology is not always possible once out on the sea ice.
OHMi-Nunavik: a multi-thematic and cross-cultural research program studying the cumulative effects of climate and socio-economic changes on Inuit communities (Blangy et. al., 2018)
Adjusting to global climate and socio-environmental changes has become a major issue for many societies, especially in the Arctic. Many Inuit wish to better understand the changes taking place. In 2013, an international Observatory of Human-Environment Interactions (OHMi) was established in Nunavik to identify these changes, study their cumulative impact on the socio-ecosystem and to help develop adaptation measures to improve the well-being of Inuit communities. To this end, a team of academics and local Inuit partners joined forces to develop an integrated, interdisciplinary, collaborative research program. Using a participatory action research (PAR) approach, the OHMi Nunavik set the following research priorities: elder-youth knowledge transmission, northern agriculture, preservation of Inuit culture, language and identity, protected areas, mining employment, natural hazards and risks, and wildlife vulnerability. By strengthening the collaborations between multidisciplinary Canadian and French research teams, the OHMi Nunavik program integrates local and scientific knowledge both in planning the research and in disseminating the results.
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The environment of the Nunavimmiut as seen through their own eyes (Chanteloup et al., 2018)
This article reports the views, feelings and day-to-day experience of the Arctic environment by the Inuit people of Nunavik (Quebec, Canada), looking at the multiple dimensions of their surroundings. It focuses on understanding and characterising contemporary Inuit relationships with the environment, the meaning and the values given to the latter, and how they are evolving. Adopting a methodology that combines multi-generational Inuit photography, two short films by Inuit youth, interviews, and group discussions at community screenings provides an understanding of Inuit-environment interlinkages and brings forward an Indigenous representation of the Arctic. Analyses highlight how different generations express: (i) the characteristics of the environment as defined and perceived from the Inuit point of view; (ii) how Inuit-environment interlinkages sustain well-being, and (iii) how Inuit-environment interlinkages evolve in response to socio-environmental changes. Despite the major environmental and social changes experienced by the Nunavik Inuit over the past 50 years, their link to the environment remains rooted in history and tinted by their holistic viewpoint.
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The Inuit in the Arctic Council: How Does Depiction Differ? (Chater, 2021)
The fact that Indigenous Peoples' organizations have "Permanent Participant" status in the Arctic Council is often touted as one of the most positive features of the organization. However, the significance of being a permanent participant is contested. How does the Arctic Council itself characterize the status of Inuit, and permanent participants in general? How does the Inuit Circumpolar Council characterize its position in the Arctic Council? How do the governments of Canada, Denmark, Russia, and the United States-countries where Inuit reside-describe the participation of Inuit? This article presents a content analysis of a selection of primary documents to illuminate the answers to these questions. The major finding is that Inuit describe their status as leaders in the Arctic Council, while states and the Arctic Council itself describes them as participants.
"Steering Our Own Ship?" An Assessment of Self-Determination and Self-Governance for Community Development in Nunavut (Ritsema et al., 2015)
Climate change, the global demand for energy, and the depletion of easily accessible natural resources has led to an increase in mining activities in the Arctic, including in Nunavut, a region rich in resources but remote in comparison to the rest of Canada. Nunavut is a predominantly Inuit socio-political region created in 1999 via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) (1993). The NLCA also enshrined the Inuit right to manage the region's minerals and other natural resources. Yet, despite this power to "steer their own ship," Inuit communities struggle to maximize the benefits from resource development. Pond Inlet is a coastal hamlet on Baffin Island close to the newly operational Mary River iron ore mine, an open-pit mine with the potential to bring significant economic opportunities to the region. Using a framework developed by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, a case study of Pond Inlet highlights factors that contribute to and hinder Arctic Aboriginal communities' successful local development. A total of 47 semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants in Pond Inlet and in the territory's capital, Iqaluit. Findings underscore the importance of Indigenous community self-determination, effective and culturally relevant governing institutions, and clear visioning for the future. In Pond Inlet, key barriers to maximizing local benefits relate to institutional and governance challenges. Evidence from this study suggests that Pond Inlet will better succeed with local community development by strengthening its governance mechanisms to support the goals of self-determination.
Nunavik and the Multiple Dimensions of Inuit Governance (Wilson, 2017)
Over the last five decades, the emergence of a sophisticated and multidimensional set of governance institutions in the predominantly Inuit regions of Canada and the circumpolar north has had a profound impact on the lives of Inuit peoples and the states in which they live. The region of Nunavik in northern Québec has played an important role in the political development of the Canadian and circumpolar Inuit, serving as both an institutional innovator and a key source of leadership at the regional, national, and international levels. Using a multilevel governance framework, this article explores the vertical and horizontal dimensions of Inuit governance in Canada and the circumpolar north. In particular, the article will focus on Nunavik’s contribution to and place in this multidimensional governance structure.
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=65f69b85-c7e8-303e-a0c7-a7fc939208bc
Wrapped in Two Flags: The Complex Political History of Nunavik (Hervé, 2017)
During the first half of the twentieth century, northern Quebec was under federal jurisdiction. Tired of English Canadian supremacy and increasingly aware of northern Quebec’s considerable natural resources, which could provide a solid basis for future moves toward independence, the Quebec government began to take over responsibility for its northern territories in the 1960s. It established a regional administration to take charge of its northern affairs and sent officers to northern Quebec’s remote communities. For two decades, both governments administered the region and imposed two political systems on the local Inuit. This article is based on lengthy fieldwork and archival research. The historical background is described to show how Nunavik has developed as a political and social entity through its relationships with the Quebec and Canadian governments. This conflictual situation has created tensions in the Inuit community, resulting in political dissensions over the goal of self-government. Finally, this article details how the Inuit have exploited federal–provincial tensions to further their own interests.
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=7240217c-8efe-3e1a-b1fb-a572b1f92718
Profiles of childhood adversities in Inuit from Nunavik: description and associations with indicators of socioeconomic characteristics, support, and community involvement (Lagrenaye-Dugas et al., 2024)
Distress and associated health problems reported by Nunavik Inuit emanate from heterogeneous roots, including adverse childhood experiences. This study aims to (1) identify distinct childhood adversity profiles and (2) examine associations between these profiles and sex, socioeconomic characteristics, social support, and community involvement among Nunavimmiut.
Individual- and community-level determinants of Inuit youth mental wellness (Gray et al., 2016)
Following the onset of intensive colonial intervention and rapid social change in the lives of Inuit people, youth in Nunavik have experienced high rates of mental health problems and suicide. Inuit people describe a broad range of contextual influences on mental wellness based on lived experience, but most epidemiological studies have focused on individual risk factors and pathologies. This study aimed to assess the influence of multiple determinants of mental wellness among Inuit youth in Nunavik, including culturally meaningful activities, housing and community social characteristics. Mental wellness was measured in the form of two primary outcomes: self-esteem and suicidal ideation. Using cross-sectional data from the 2004 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey and multilevel regression modelling, we estimated associations between these two outcomes and various independent individual- and community-level explanatory factors among Inuit youth. All variables were selected to reflect Inuit perspectives on determinants of mental wellness. The study design and interpretation of results were validated with Inuit community representatives. Pride in Inuit identity, traditional activities, community-level social support and community-level socio-economic status were found to be protective. Barriers to participating in traditional activities, household crowding and high community rates of violence were risk factors. These findings support Inuit perspectives, expand the scope of epidemiological analysis of Inuit mental wellness and reinforce the need for locally informed, community-wide approaches to mental wellness promotion for Inuit youth.
Youth perspectives on community health in Nunavik: a community- engaged photovoice project (Pawlowski et al., 2024)
The overall objective of this study was to elicit understandings of community health among Inuit youth aged 12–18 in the region of Nunavik, northern Quebec, through identifying community conditions supporting health from their perspective and exploring how they conceptualize a healthy community
Living in the South, Caring in the North: Exploring Inuit Women's Care Responsibilities (Quintal-Marineau, 2020)
The increased Inuit population in Canadian Metropolitan Areas (CMA) has recently gained attention among the scientific community as well as within Inuit organizations. However, existing literature has overlooked the distinct experience of Inuit women and, more significantly, the importance of care responsibilities in understanding women’s mobility. This study examines the relocation experiences of 46 Inuit women across five CMAs, and the role care sites play in initiating women’s relocation to cities. Results show the key role caregiving responsibilities play in Inuit women’s decisions to move to southern urban areas, as dysfunctional care spaces in the North push them away from their communities, and the potential for safer care sites in the South act as a pulling factor.
https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=15b08660-27fd-35bc-90bb-62442b5b7d8b