Technology in a Changing Climate

A STEAM Resource for Educators in a Digital World SPRING 2020 • ISSUE 1

SmartICE & SIKU Tuk TV Beading The power of tech and NWT teens tell The original traditional knowledge their own story tech

Plus comics, games and over 10 pages of teaching resources! LIFE CYCLE

Pinnguaq follows a life cycle model to support the core phases of a person’s learning journey in STEAM education. We strive to provide educators and students with opportunities and resources each step of the way.

To learn more about what we do, visit our website at www.pinnguaq.com CONTENTS

5 Letter from the Publisher Feature by Ryan Oliver 6 Featured Contributors

STEAM Around Us Short STEAM stories from all over 7 To Save the World, Grow Insects by Joel McConvey 9 SIKU: The Indigenous Social Media App 18 SmartICE: Tracking Ice Safety in a Changing Climate by Pinnguaq Staff by Jerry Kobalenko 10 Our Cover: Using MagicaVoxel and Krita by Ian MacLean Profile 11 Using VR to Drive Home the Climate Crisis by Jeremy Gilmer

Decode STEAM Sharing knowledge to demystify tech 12 Another Dimension by Brandon Bunnie 14 Spirit Berries by Courtney Milne 30 Tuk TV: Inuvialuit Youth Take Their Story Global by Dez Loreen STEAM Makers Tales from the makerspace 17 Making Space for the Natural Environment by Maria Alejandrina Coates

Comics Educator Resources 28 bytesized 39 Digital Kit by Ian MacLean Links to additional content and online resources 34 Bearanormal Activity 40 Inuit Principles of Conservation by Kate Craig by Shirley Tagalik 41 Module 1 STEAM Play Inuit Values: Setting expectations for becoming respectful stewards Games and activities 43 Module 2 36 Race for Change Pijitsirniq: Serving others, working for the common good by Alana McCarthy 47 Module 3 Community Showcase Inunnguiniq/Pilimmaksarniq: Becoming a capable human 38 STEAM Education in Curve Lake 49 Module 4 by Jack Hoggarth Qanurtururangniq: Leadership, innovation and seeking solutions

SPRING 2020 3 ROOT & STEM ABOUT

Root & STEM is produced twice yearly by The Pinnguaq Association 87 Adelaide St N, Lindsay, Ontario K9V 4L4

Printed in Oshawa, Ontario, by Maracle Inc. About the Pinnguaq Association The Pinnguaq Association, a not-for-profit organization, incor- porates STEAM into unique learning applications that promote storytelling, health, wellness and growth with rural and remote Publisher communities. At its core, Pinnguaq embraces diversity and Ryan Oliver creates opportunities in order to empower all people.

Director, Curriculum Development Jennie Cross

Publications Manager Digital Taxonomy Joel McConvey Computer Science Education is more than just coding. A comprehensive approach to it includes learning skills and competen- Copy Editor cies from each of the following areas. See these icons at the top Nicholas Davies of each article to find out how our content fits into your curriculum. Reference: Working Document 2, Teaching for the Digital Future: Design & Layout Developing a Pan-Canadian Computer Science Framework. 2020 Emily Canfield

CODING AND PROGRAMMING Logo Design X-ing Design

COMPUTING AND NETWORKS Contributors Brandon Bunnie DATA Maria Alejandrina Coates Kate Craig TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Jeremy Gilmer James Heaslip Jack Hoggarth DESIGN Jerry Kobalenko Dez Loreen Ian MacLean Alana McCarthy Joel McConvey The Pinnguaq Association acknowledges the support of the Courtney Milne Government of Canada in developing this educator resource. Shirley Tagalik

Root & STEM is printed on certified Forest Stewardship Council paper, to reduce our impact on the natural world.

SPRING 2020 4 ROOT & STEM LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

What we talk about when we talk about tech

elcome to the first edition of Root & STEM, a resource for educators in rural and remote communities who want W to bring educational opportunities in Science, Technol- ogy, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) to their students. Root & STEM merges heart and head, while pushing the boundaries of how Canada thinks about STEAM. Our goal is to provide a platform for more diverse STEAM stories, lesson plans and shared resources. Our hope is that educators will see the unique needs of their communities and classrooms reflected in the stories we tell. The irony of reading about innovation in Canada on printed paper is not lost on us, but it speaks to the reality of why a resource with traditional knowledge and the voices of the communities like this needs to exist. In the rush to promote and encourage most affected—recognizing that the experiences of those who live education in “21st-century skills” in Canada, much of the coun- on the land are equally as valuable as the data we collect about it. try is being left out. As schools in major cities debate the ethics of The stories and lesson plans contained in this first issue of Root & embracing Google Classroom and the productivity risks of allow- STEM engage with people in our communities who are working ing cell phones in class, Canadians in rural and remote commu- on ways to address a wide range of climate-related challenges, nities are still waiting for working cell service and Internet access from unstable sea ice, to degraded watersheds, to the very way that functions consistently enough to allow for online learning. in which we understand the meaning of “technology.” This issue Meanwhile, the realities of a changing climate reach them first, showcases SmartICE and SIKU, two tech-based projects running bringing new challenges. in Arctic communities, which embrace the spirit of Qanuqtuur- Founded in Nunavut with the goal of bringing technology and niq—being innovative and resourceful. Our lesson plans were technological opportunities to rural and remote communities, the designed by Aqqiumavvik, the Arviat Wellness Society in Arviat, Pinnguaq Association develops and promotes coding education, Nunavut, and are focused on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. In making and publishes resources to try to level the playing field between these teachings available here, we hope to show that the solutions urban and rural communities when it comes to accessing technol- we need have been there all along. We just need to listen to the ogy. Sometimes this means we bring resources to people in a way people who know them. that doesn’t rely solely on digital tech. When your Internet can be Too often, solutions for problems in northern or rural commu- taken out for hours by the position of the sun in the sky, a magazine nities are developed in urban centres, framed by people who don’t can keep the conversation going. always understand the balance required among land, people and The conversation we’re all having now is about the climate crisis. technology. This is not, then, a conversation Technology helped get us into this mess; can it also get us out? In about what technology can bring to rural some communities, the answer hinges on combining digital skills and remote communities: at Root & STEM, we want to change the thinking on how innovation flows. Let’s talk about what ideas and innovations our communities can bring to the rest of the world.

- Ryan Oliver

SPRING 2020 5 ROOT & STEM FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

Jerry Kobalenko SmartICE: Tracking Ice Safety in a Changing Climate • Page 18

Jerry Kobalenko specializes in writing about the Arctic. In 2018, he was awarded the Polar Medal by the Governor General of Canada for his work in increas- ing awareness about Northern Canada and its peoples. Kate Craig Comic: Bearanormal Activity • Page 34

Kate Craig lives in Stratford, Ontario, and is Dez Loreen an artist working in the video game industry. Tuk TV: Inuvialuit Youth Take Their Story She creates comics, illustrations and 3D envi- Global • Page 30 ronments (like houses and spaceships) for players to snoop around in. In her free time, she makes things out of wood. Dez Loreen is an Inuvialuit writer, husband and father born in Inuvik, Northwest Terri- tories. He has spent his adult life working in media and commu- nications in the north, and enjoys writing and producing his own Alana McCarthy short films. STEAM Play: Race for Change • Page 36

Alana McCarthy is an illustrator, letterer and designer from Toronto. She is an honours Courtney Milne graduate from OCAD illustration and spent Decode STEAM: Spirit Berries • Page 14 eight years in-house as a senior designer in Nelvana Animation’s Creative Services department. Courtney Milne is a Digital Steward, and a beadwork artist who uses her cultural knowledge and teachings to guide her artwork and tell stories. Courtney is of mixed Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Shirley Tagalik Scottish heritage, and currently resides in Nogojiwan-ong (English Inuit Principles of Conservation • Page 40 name: Peterborough) with her family roots in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory and Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. She holds an Shirley Tagalik is a former educator for the Nunavut Department Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Masters of Educa- of Education and the author of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: What Inuit tion in Language, Culture and Teaching. Have Always Known to Be True. In her time as an educator, she was tasked to assist in the redesign of the education system within the framework of Inuit Knowledge. Shirley now volunteers her time in her community of Arviat, Nunavut, promoting research, youth Jack Hoggarth engagement and mental health programmes. Community Showcase: STEAM Education in Curve Lake • Page 38

Jack Hoggarth is the Cultural Archivist at the Curve Lake Cultural Centre in Curve Lake First Nation. The Centre works to increase access to education in the visual and performing arts, culture and humanities for Curve Lake residents of all ages, with specific concentration on youth development and professional growth.

SPRING 2020 6 ROOT & STEM STEAM AROUND US To Save the World, Grow Insects

BY JOEL MCCONVEY

f you live in North America, bugs probably I aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when deciding what to eat for lunch. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), insects are part of the traditional diet of as many as two billion people around the world. Yet in Western countries, they’re often regarded with disgust.

Jakub “Kubo” Dzamba at his cricket farm in Mississauga, Ontario

SPRING 2020 7 ROOT & STEM STEAM AROUND US GROW INSECTS

PHOTOS BY JAMES HEASLIP

Third Millennium uses large water storage However, as the climate crisis forces us for housing the crickets. The bins can be containers to build their cricket habitats to look at the ecological impact of large- stacked using a racking system. (Imagine scale agriculture, we’ll need new ways to a dresser filled with chirping insects.) WiFi produce enough food to feed the planet. In sensors and smart thermostats maintain urban centres, for example, or northern the future, lunch might have to look differ- an optimal temperature throughout the communities—Third Millennium aims to ent. It might have six legs. space. Watering systems are automated. For decentralize the food system. Less central- Meet Jakub Dzamba—“Kubo” to his harvesting, the crickets are cooled—which, ization would mean greater food security friends. This 37-year-old entrepreneur and because they are cold-blooded, puts them in instances when changes in the climate visionary wants to change the way we think into a sleep state—then frozen. cause major disruptions in the industry. about agriculture, by designing systems and Using Kubo’s methods, each habitat can “The really important work is going to technologies for sustainable edible-insect produce about 30,000 crickets a month, or come in integrating edible insect farming farming. Our creepy-crawly friends, it turns about seven kilograms of raw bugs. Depend- with other types of micro-farming,” says out, are packed with protein—and they have ing on the batch, that’s roughly one kilo- Kubo. “Crickets and other bugs are better a smaller environmental footprint than gram of protein—the equivalent of about 17 at eating stuff that [traditional] livestock other livestock, as they require significantly eight-ounce sirloin steaks. Start stacking the doesn’t. So, we need to start finding ways of less feed. For this and other reasons, Kubo habitats, and the numbers add up. using organic waste streams and upcycling believes insects are a food of the future. Third Millennium sells some of its prod- them as feed for insects.” Kubo’s Third Millennium Farms uses uct for human consumption (primarily in Kubo admits that using things like algae novel farming methods to grow crick- the form of cricket powder), but the compa- and mushrooms to feed bugs that will then ets at its warehouse and design studio in ny’s ultimate objective is to grow a network feed us is a project for the long-term. In the Mississauga, Ontario. The bugs grow in of like-minded farmers, by offering clients meantime, you can learn to farm your own insect habitats, made of 1.2m×1.2m plas- their habitat designs, or selling their turn- crickets at home or in the classroom. That tic bins outfitted with cardboard structures key bug-farm trailer, the Chirp Box. They’re part is relatively easy. using machine learning to analyze all the What will be tougher is convincing people data they collect from harvesting, which who are used to steak and potatoes that crea- The formal name for the consumption they can pass on to others. By enabling tures we usually think of as gross actually of insects is “entomophagy.” farmers to grow crickets in locations that belong on the dinner plate. How will you are typically inhospitable to agronomy— take your bugs? H

SPRING 2020 8 ROOT & STEM STEAM AROUND US

The Indigenous Social Media App

BY PINNGUAQ STAFF

iku is the Inuktitut word for “sea erty. Furthermore, limitations on those plat- The app features profiles of wildlife, ice.” It’s also the name of a new app: forms made them inadequate for sharing sea ice and traditional place names, all of S an Inuit-led social media project, knowledge over time. which can be tagged to create cumulative developed by the Arctic Eider Society, that is “With SIKU, we can allow people to own knowledge banks—as SIKU’s website puts designed to help hunters and other commu- their own data, develop a privacy policy, it, “Living wikis of Indigenous knowledge.” nity members navigate and share knowl- and control how their data is edge about a northern landscape in flux. shared.” Users can post photos “It’s time for the computer and Available on both mobile and web plat- and share hunting stories, forms, SIKU provides tools and services which are presented along with the harpoon to work together.” to support ice safety, language preserva- news feeds, satellite imagery tion, knowledge exchange, safe travel and and climatic data on tides, marine forecasts “The classic approach was that elders self-determination. and sea ice. [SIKU pulls some of its ice-thick- would share knowledge [of what they saw Joel Heath, Executive Director of the ness data from the SmartICE project; see page happening on the land] with scientists,” says Arctic Eider Society, explains that Inuit 18 for a feature on SmartICE –eds.] Privacy Heath, “and then the scientists would say, were already using social media platforms settings are tailored specifically for Indige- ‘That’s cool,’ and then spend five years trying like Facebook to trade knowledge—but that nous knowledge, to ensure no one can use to do a study to prove what the Inuit had meant giving away their intellectual prop- the data without permission. already told them was true.” With SIKU, the continuous data stream coming from hunters in the field—which, until recently, was only shared orally—can be recorded, added to and owned by Inuit. This approach is reflected in the app’s guiding principles: respect, self-determination, ownership of intellectual property, and integrity—all centred on protecting and mobilizing Inuit knowledge. One of the early stewards of SIKU was the late Piita Kattuk, an elder from Saniki- luaq. He passed away in November 2019, but his words continue to inspire SIKU’s mission to bring together tools and technologies from both traditional Inuit culture and the contemporary digital world: “It’s time for the computer and the harpoon to work together.” H

Visit siku.org to learn how to use SIKU in classrooms and workshops.

SPRING 2020 9 ROOT & STEM STEAM AROUND US

Our Cover: Using MagicaVoxel and Krita

Artist Ian MacLean explains how he designed the cover for the first issue ofRoot & STEM

he cover for this issue of Root & a single scene, so I copied the base scene STEM was developed using free, and mirrored it to the sides, extended the T open-source software. The major- sea forward, and placed a series of scenes ity of the development was executed in in the background, with “flats” of moun- MagicaVoxel (ephtracy.github.io), a voxel tains reducing in contrast. In total, the editor that allows the user to create images image contains nine scenes combined to with volumetric pixels. The process is simi- create the sea, people, land and sky, and lar to creating pixel art, but in three dimen- six additional scenes to handle the infor- sions and with additional tools for applying mation cloud that hovers above, fed by the different materials and effects to the scene. data streams from smartphone and tablet Some additional post-processing was devices in the characters’ hands. I wanted done in Krita (krita.org), a program with the data cloud to resemble an aurora, so I tools similar to those commonly found in varied the edges and depth, and duplicated Adobe Photoshop, but with more of a focus the entire thing so I could apply a couple on drawing and painting. of different materials. I expanded the area To start the process, I sketched out a depicting sea ice to help the composition, series of thumbnails—small rough compo- and added a snowmobile with a SmartICE sitions—to connect the cover image to the monitor suite and some data buoys to tie main themes of the issue: climate change into the feature article. and technological solutions. For an image, Once it was complete, I rendered the I decided to focus on receding sea ice in the scene to a series of 2D image files. To add Arctic. I began with a single scene, defining some effects to the data cloud, I rendered the some colours for the palette and roughly scene three ways—with the cloud removed, blocking in the seafloor and bedrock. with the background removed, and in its At this point I used the “box” brush to entirety. To illustrate the light emitted by click and drag out large clusters of voxels. I the cloud, I arranged those images in Krita, switched to the “voxel” brush to sculpt and adjusted levels and colours, and applied detail the area, and began to drop in some some blur effects. The images were merged, human characters. final adjustments were made, and the cover Because the brush requires a surface to was prepped for publishing. attach to, and I wanted to include some float- Both free to use, MagicaVoxel and Krita ing blocks of ice, I used the upper surface of prove that you can create effective, profes- the scene (essentially the ceiling) to draw sional artwork without paying for profes- out the ice forms, then selected them and sional tools. H dragged the whole area down to the level of the sea surface. Once I had dragged it into To learn more about Krita, watch Ian’s place with a box brush, the material type video series about comic creation using was changed to glass with varying opacity, to Krita at www.pinnguaq.com/ These screenshots show give the appearance of water and ice. learn/krita-for-comics. how the environment was It became clear at this stage that the developed in layers complete image would require more than

SPRING 2020 10 ROOT & STEM STEAM AROUND US

A screenshot from Using VR to Drive Home Be Earth 13 the Climate Crisis

BY JEREMY GILMER

t the World Economic Forum in The images and sounds are designed to understand the gravity of the situation and Davos, Switzerland, this past create empathy, as well as a connection respond with urgency. The creators of XR A January, the movers and shak- between the event and the user. Hansdotter Impact believe VR has huge potential as a ers of the financial, government and tech says this type of experience has particular tool for change: whether walking over the worlds discovered a novel addition to the qualities that, when harnessed for the social melting permafrost of the Canadian North, usual meetings, lunches and presentations: good, can change the way people think or witnessing the swirling gyre of plastic a fully immersive virtual tour of the destruc- about the world. In her words, VR is a great waste that covers hundreds of square kilo- tive fires affecting the Amazon Rainforest. tool for bringing the perspectives of other metres of the Pacific Ocean, this system can The Virtual Reality experience is called people and beings to you, via a medium bring people up close and personal with the Be Earth 13. Produced by the non-profit that allows you to experience their actions flashpoints of the unfolding climate emer- organization XR Impact in association in a meaningful way. Hansdotter refers gencies that are facing all of us worldwide. with Oculus and the Swedish International to the concept of embod- Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), ied cognition—the instant it uses immersive technology to create and powerful mind/body “During the journey, you projects based on UN Sustainable Devel- connection that this level transform; you can see your opment goals—and, just maybe, to change of sensory input produces. some people’s perspectives. You can feel the motion and hands changing and becoming “As a participant, you embody Earth on hear the sounds, so your air, water, tree, ash.” a journey from space, to the Amazon rain- mind fills in the gaps the forest, witnessing the ongoing deforesta- system doesn’t provide. tion,” explains Ylva Hansdotter, founder The XR Impact team is keen to point In the world of VR, which continues to of XR Impact and one of the minds behind out that some studies have shown a direct emerge and evolve, it can be tough to get Be Earth 13. Over the course of between correlation between VR programs and projects to market: to date, there are no 10 and 20 minutes, participants move concrete changes in behaviour, attitude confirmed details on timing for the official through burning jungle to experience the and empathy. Post-experience interviews public release of Be Earth 13. (To watch it sights and sounds of the world on fire, and at the Davos event pointed in this direction. now, you need an Oculus Rift S with Leap then through the aftermath, walking over Participants spoke of feeling connected to Motion hand tracking.) But XR Impact hopes scorched, smouldering earth and feeling the jungle and the fires, and were emotion- to have the experience available in cities the scope of the destruction. ally moved by being dropped into the heart around the world by 2030, with parts of the “During the journey, you transform; you of the fires and their aftermath. program available to schools and museums can see your hands changing and becom- As the climate crisis escalates, access to by the end of this year. Because the climate ing air, water, tree, ash. As you are Earth, these kinds of experiences, and the tech- crisis may be a rare instance in which our you can use the elements to help fight nology required to create and view them, technology can’t move fast enough to keep further deforestation.” could be instrumental in helping people up with a changing Earth. H

SPRING 2020 11 ROOT & STEM generate an accessible prototype in a short Another Dimension period of time. This real-world approach to sharing digital skills helps to root students’ Using the Prusa MK3S 3D Printer use of technology in the environments they know, and encourages engagement with their communities. BY BRANDON BUNNIE Pinnguaq’s Lindsay Makerspace in Ontario decided to purchase a 3D printer to ncreasingly, 3D printers are showing a 3D printer is a useful prompt for getting test and explore how the technology might up in digital classrooms and maker- students to identify challenges in their be used, choosing the Prusa MK3S, an entry- I spaces. As a tool for education, a 3D communities, and further to consider how level 3D printer that costs around $1,000. printer provides the capacity to teach design they might use 3D-modelling software and The Prusa proved to be a great model and manufacturing skills in the comfort and fabrication to design solutions. for learning about 3D printing, because it convenience of a makerspace or classroom. For example, if a piece of equipment is remarkably simple to use. It takes about It can also support the development of breaks, students can learn how to design a day to build, has a start-up wizard that problem-solving skills. Digital industries and print a replacement component. Or, if detects if it has been assembled incor- often frame products in terms of the prob- they have an idea for creating something rectly, and it self-calibrates. You don’t need lems they can help solve. Learning to use that benefits their community, they can to adjust anything—just switch it on.

SPRING 2020 12 ROOT & STEM DECODE STEAM

Getting Started You’ll need an SD card, which comes with is easy to use, and which fixes or compen- Workshop Idea the printer, and access to a computer with sates for design errors. It’s available from Recently, I ran a successful eight- an SD reader. www.prusa3d.com. week workshop introducing the The 3D object to be printed must be saved The printer uses spools of filament for basics of how to create and print as an STL file. There are various digital art printing. For refills, use any PLA, AB or digital 3D models to students who programs that create STL files. We use PTEG filament, all of which are easy to find had no previous experience with the Blender, a free, open-source software plat- online. (Prusa sells its own on its website.) technology. The assignment was for form that is great for students, because of its each student to create a personal die. accessibility, easy installation and ability to ••• We encouraged them to work together run on a wide variety of computers. and learn from each other; those who TinkerCad is another popular 3D-model- If you want to learn more about creating 3D got through the lessons quickly helped ling program. It too is very simple to use— objects, visit www.pinnguaq.com for lesson their friends. but is less customizable than Blender. plans on Blender. H To watch videos from the workshop, Another bit of required software is a visit www.pinnguaq.com/ slicer, which translates STL files into learn/blender-print-a-piece. instructions called g-code that the printer can understand. Prusa has a free slicer that

SPRING 2020 13 ROOT & STEM DECODE STEAM

In Anishinaabemowin, there are animate and inanimate nouns.

“Manidoomin” is an animate noun, meaning spirit berry; therefore, when we speak about beads and beadwork, we talk about them as if they are alive.

nities, and during ceremonies, to name just a few. Wampum are held in extremely high esteem by Indigenous communities, particularly the Haudenosaunee. They carry important responsibilities that must be honoured by those who walk with them. Wampum beads are especially significant because they are made from quahog and white whelk clamshells, and are therefore considered a living record. When creating a Wampum Belt, the maker intention- ally speaks their words into the beads. This allows each speaker thereafter to remember the original agreement and the history to date, and they are expected to honour the original words.

Barry Ace: Beading in the 21st Century Barry Ace is pushing the boundaries of traditional beadwork and is connecting Spirit Berries tradition with innovation in the 21st century. He is Odawa Anishinaabe from M’Chigeeng Beading, Technology, and the Art of Barry Ace First Nation on Manitoulin Island, lives in Ottawa, and has been an artist for 25 years. Ace uses reclaimed and salvaged elec- BY COURTNEY MILNE tronic components and circuitry to create traditional woodland-style beadwork on The Importance of Beading modern, brightly coloured materials such important items of Anishinaabeg regalia, In order to understand beading as a tech- as glass and ceramic came into use. such as the Bandolier Bag. He creates this nology, it is necessary first to have an under- Beadwork played a significant role in the artwork to show that Indigenous culture has standing of the historical importance of inception of “Canada,” especially in formal- never been static; it is always evolving, and traditional beadwork. izing the agreements between Indigenous Indigenous peoples are always looking for Beading has always been a very import- nations and European settlers. Many orig- new forms of cultural expression. Accord- ant element of the culture of Indigenous inal treaty agreements were solidified in ing to Ace, traditional beadwork and tech- Peoples in what is now Canada and the beaded Wampum Belts such as the Two nology have a relationship, as is reflected United States. Some beadwork was made to Row Wampum and the 1794 Canandaigua in the Anishinaabemowin language. Mani- be traded at trading posts, while some was Treaty Belt. doomin—the word for “bead”—translates to made for ceremony or special events. Prior Although Wampum Belts are widely “spirit berry” which is known to give power; to contact, Indigenous people would bead known for their role in the creation of trea- therefore, dancing in regalia releases power with materials found on the land, such as ties, traditionally, they were used for many to the community. This is similar to elec- shell, bone, pearl and stone. It wasn’t until purposes, such as nation-to-nation meeting tronic circuits, whose components store after European settlers arrived that more requests, symbols of titles within commu- energy, which they release when a drop in

SPRING 2020 14 ROOT & STEM Bandolier for Water and Plant Life (2019). Collection of the artist

external energy is detected, thereby increas- ing the supply. Ace’s work is a brilliant example of the way cultural evolution has always taken place. Too often, Indigenous communities, traditions, cultural practices and ways of knowing are misunderstood as “outdated” for modern times, and are therefore considered to be unimportant or invalid. Ace’s work connects traditional knowledge and practices to contemporary technology, which provides a powerful statement about the resilience of Indigenous communities. His artwork exemplifies the strength required not only to learn traditional knowledge that was taken from Indigenous Peoples, but also to use that knowledge in contemporary ways, to continue building for future generations. Ace’s artwork is a beautiful representation of the limitless innovation of Indigenous people and communities when they are given equal opportunities to learn science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

Beading + Technology In recent years, Indigenous communities have seen a resurgence of beading that is directly related to the use of technology. Opportunities for Indigenous people from all over Turtle Island to connect and learn from each other has dramatically increased because of modern communication technology. Increased access to shared cultural knowledge, community support, and traditional art forms has had a positive impact on the lives of countless Indigenous individuals. Social media, online streaming platforms, video platforms and apps have been particularly important to the resurgence of beading. Apart from providing access to skills and patterns, they have been used to create

SPRING 2020 15 ROOT & STEM DECODE STEAM SPIRIT BERRIES

welcoming, open and supportive online of beading is an act of resistance against the communities where individuals can easily historic and ongoing oppression experi- Online Tools for Beading share cultural knowledge and tips, and ask enced by generations of Indigenous people For beading apps / web pages questions without fear of judgment. in this country. This act of resistance is an (pattern making): Communities are created through online extremely powerful example of cultural • Bead Tool 4 interactions on Facebook, Instagram and revitalization, identity re-formation, • EasyBeadPatterns.com YouTube, and contribute to the success personal and community healing, diversity, of Indigenous people personally, profes- resilience, and communal strength among Free digital art software for sionally and economically. Technology Indigenous communities. freehand pattern creation: has allowed more Indigenous artisans to To learn more, visit www.onondagana- • Autodesk Sketchbook market, sell and trade their work, as well tion.org/culture/wampum. H • Krita as to support and celebrate other Indige- • Inkscape nous artisans. These online communities ••• • GraphicsGale also encourage the next generations to find power in traditional Indigenous art forms Courtney Milne is a Digital Steward, and a such as beadwork. beadwork artist who uses her cultural knowl- For many Indigenous people, beading is edge and teachings to guide her artwork and seen as a medicine in itself; it is a deeply tell stories. To read Courtney’s full bio, see our healing ceremonial practice that has the featured contributors page. ability to connect individuals to their ances- tral roots. Learning the traditional art form

SPRING 2020 16 ROOT & STEM STEAM MAKERS

Making Space for the Natural Environment Where: Pinnguaq Lindsay Makerspace in Lindsay, Ontario

BY MARIA ALEJANDRINA COATES

he Lindsay Makerspace, as its that exist for rural and remote communi- coding and electronics activities to support name suggests, is based in Lind- ties, especially Indigenous communities the indoor growth of tree seedlings in the T say, Ontario. This central hub of and communities of colour. We provide makerspace, leading up to a community the Trent-Severn Waterway connects 386 a platform for youth to engage with tech- planting event in the fall. kilometres of lakes, rivers and canals on nology in a participatory and active way, For this reforestation project, we are traditional Michi Saagiig territory, and on by giving them opportunities to gain skills focusing on trees that are considered lands included in the Williams Treaty and that are relevant for a future that will be “advancing species,” which are usually Treaty 20. Bounded by watersheds—areas both increasingly digitized and faced with found a little farther south in Ontario. of land where surface water converges, such the realities of a changed climate. We seek Holly Shipclark, the Stewardship Coordi- as shorelines—the region’s naturally occur- to create and promote connections among nator at Kawartha Conservation, points out ring ecosystems include forests, wetlands, people, technology and the environment. that “it is expected that these tree species, grasslands and river habitats. and the organisms that rely on them, will Lindsay’s economy is supported by the Coding Roots thrive in our ecosystems of the future due Sturgeon Lake watershed through a vari- One project that sets this in motion is an to the changing climate. Among others, they ety of industries, such as fishing, tourism, ongoing, applied community project that include the tulip tree and the swamp oak.” recreation, small businesses and other is being developed in alignment with the Holly explains that this strategy is termed enterprises, including the Lindsay Maker- Kawartha Conservation Stewardship Strat- “assisted migration,” and that it involves space. However, the growth of shoreline egy for the Lake Sturgeon Watershed. For acknowledging that, as our environment and urban development, together with the the Lindsay Makerspace, we purchased a changes, a different range of species can combined impact of agriculture, climate set of Climate Action Kits, a collection of be integrated into local ecosystems to help change and invasive species, have increased curricula designed by the tech-ed company them adapt. In Holly’s words: “Future-proof- pressure on the watershed’s aquatic and Inksmith to work with the BBC micro:bit (a ing, but for forests instead of communities!” terrestrial ecosystems. This is affecting the handheld, programmable microcomputer). With community-based educational overall health of our community. Our goal was to begin exploring projects projects like these, we hope the Lindsay Within this context, at the Lindsay Maker- connected to the UN’s Sustainable Devel- Makerspace can collaborate with other space we see an opportunity to emphasize opment goals. organizations to channel individual and the role of technology in supporting envi- During a Saturday drop-in session, a collective action on issues affecting the local ronmental stewardship. With a mandate to group of 13 children, ages 4 to 11, planted environment, while contributing to strat- provide a community space for people to flowers that are native to the Kawartha egies meant to safeguard our present and gather and explore the connections between Lakes region, such as black-eyed Susan future ecosystems. H thinking, making, playing and sharing, we and milkweed. They experimented with see the potential to provide young people coding the micro:bit and connecting the Sources with agency in the use of technology, to Climate Action Kit’s breakout board and DC Our Kawartha Lakes Healthy Environment Plan— learn as well as to unlearn our role in chang- water pump to build an automated water- 2019 • Our Kawartha Lakes Integrated Community Sustainability Plan—2014 • Sturgeon Lake ing the systems within which we live. ing system for their plants. A different Management Plan—2014, Kawartha Conservation Specifically, we are conscious of the version of this project is planned for spring • Sturgeon Lake Watershed Characterization gaps in access to learning and technology and summer, for which we will conduct Report—2014, Kawartha Conservation

SPRING 2020 17 ROOT & STEM FEATURE

SmartICE: Tracking Ice Safety in a Changing Climate

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JERRY KOBALENKO

n 2010, Labrador endured what became known as the “Year of No Winter.” Temperatures were I between eight and ten degrees warmer than usual. Three hundred millimetres of rain fell in February. The sea ice—the winter highway used for centuries by Inuit for hunting and travelling— formed imperfectly, when it finally formed at all. It’s estimated that one in twelve people fell through the ice on their snowmobiles.

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Things had been increasingly strange Originally from Ireland, Bell chose to do water, ice and air—and beamed to a website for years. Every winter, it seemed, the sea his postgraduate work in northern Labra- that is accessible to anyone. ice formed a little later and thawed a little dor, studying the more than 100 remnant The second device, a kind of ground-pen- earlier. Some winters were almost normal, glaciers that still cling to shadowed cirques etrating radar, sends out electromagnetic but this had become the exception. Violent in the Torngat Mountains. With money for signals that register the difference in electri- storms were more frequent. Some years Arctic research proving scarce, Bell worked cal conductivity between sea water and sea had too little snow; others, too much. In in Newfoundland for more than a decade, ice. (It doesn’t work on lake ice, since in that Labrador, climate change was experienced studying how changing landscapes affect case ice and water have the same conductiv- rather than debated. “I used to be able to communities and human movement. When ity.) Placed on a kamutik—a wooden sled— clean two fish in the ocean before having climate change and the problem of unpre- behind a snowmobile, Bell reasoned, the to warm my hands,” said one local in Nain. dictable sea ice brought the funding back to apparatus would provide a mobile, real-time “Now I can clean four.” Labrador, Bell “returned as a different geog- reading of sea-ice depth as the snowmobile The unpredictability was the worst rapher, more community focused.” moves around—a SmartKamutik, as it came element. Regular sea ice routes that had Bell developed two elements of technol- to be called. always been safe in the past could no longer ogy to study the now-erratic sea ice. The first be trusted. Neither could people rely on was a stationary ice sensor—essentially a Get SMART technology from further south to lend a long cylinder with protruding, tempera- Inuit, of course, have always had their hand. The Canadian Ice Service, for exam- ture-sensitive nubs called “thermistors,” own ways of testing the safety of sea ice. “If ple, does not produce ice charts in winter, which is inserted into the ice like a giant you can give three smacks with a harpoon because its role is to help ships, not snow- thermometer. The lower third of the cylin- without breaking through, the ice is safe mobilers. Scientists have tended to focus on der records the temperature of the water; to walk on,” says Derrick Pottle of Rigolet, the big picture, not the local experience— the middle third that of the ice; and the top Labrador. “Five smacks, it’s safe for snow- not the number of fish you can clean. third protrudes like a periscope, register- mobiles.” Experienced hunters like Pottle “No one gets promoted at university for ing the temperature of the snow and air. can even tell from the sound the harpoon measuring sea-ice thickness off an Arctic Once a day, a battery-powered SmartBuoy makes if the ice is good. community,” says Trevor Bell. The Memo- sends a signal of these various tempera- Bell’s idea was not to replace such rial University geographer admits that, at tures to a satellite. This data is converted time-honoured knowledge, but rather to first, he had a somewhat clinical approach into graphs displaying sea-ice thickness— add tools to the modern sea-ice traveller’s to Labrador. “I was your typical scientist,” an easy conversion, because of the consid- kit. Young people may spend less time on he says, “flying in and out of communities.” erable difference in temperature between the land than previous generations, but they

Securing the SmartBuoy

SPRING 2020 20 ROOT & STEM SMARTICE can navigate flawlessly around an iPad, so an online portal can shorten their path to knowledge. The technology could even serve elders like Pottle, who has lost four snowmobiles through the ice over the years . This thinking was the beginning of SmartICE—Sea-Ice Monitoring And Real- Time Information for Coastal Environ- ments. After successfully testing prototypes in Nain, Labrador, and Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Sea Ice Through the Seasons SmartICE received both encouragement and funding when it was a co-winner of the hile freshwater ice starts off as always a hazard for hunters. Many have 2016 Arctic Inspiration Prize [full disclosure: a thin pane of glass that thick- perished when the ice they were on broke Pinnguaq was the other winner that year. — W ens gradually, sea ice freezes in a more free and drifted out into the open water of eds.]. A year later, it won the United Nations complicated way because of its salt Baffin Bay. On the island on which Igloolik Momentum for Change Award, and last year, content. Needle-like frazil ice crys- is located, it is said that if the parkas of the Governor General’s Innovation Award. tals form when the water temperature all the men who have been lost on the ice SmartICE currently employs 13 people, reaches -1.5°C. These cluster into a were laid side by side, they would reach including grassroots workers in each greasy grey film, which eventually thick- from Igloolik to the mainland. community serviced by the technology, ens into nilas—a rubbery membrane that As spring advances, melt pools form who drive the SmartKamutiks and set up is totally unlike freshwater ice. Even when on the ice, although secure ice rests (and remove at the end of each season) the it’s safe to walk on, nilas flexes spookily beneath the shin-deep water. This melt- stationary SmartBuoy sensors in potentially beneath you like a waterbed. As a ski ing occurs from April in southerly regions unstable areas. glides forward, sometimes ripples even like Labrador through early June in the In 2020, SmartICE went online. Now, after pass through the flexible ice. High Arctic. Meanwhile, thinner ice near each SmartKamutik run or daily SmartBuoy Eventually, this rubber ice thickens shallow shores melts, forming a lead of measurement, the sea-ice readings appear and becomes white and rigid. For the open water that is difficult for travellers to automatically on SmartICE’s partner site, first several months, sea ice retains its bridge to the secure ice that lies beyond. siku.org [see page 9 for more on SIKU—eds.], salt content, so it is not drinkable. On Eventually, the melt pools drain for each of the communities involved. early-season journeys, some prehistoric through seal holes, leads and cracks in Inuit carried chunks of iceberg ice on their the surface of the ice. Snowless due to kamutiks for drinking water. But by late warmer temperatures that have yet to winter, enough salt has leached out that affect the sea ice, this frozen surface sea ice is potable. makes for excellent travel for a time. Even where there is smooth, landfast However, the pools thin the connections ice, a tidal zone of rough ice guards the between the drier areas of ice. Eventually, shore. The width of this band of ice blocks they break apart to become free-floating depends on the magnitude of the tide and ice floes, which may still be up to a metre the depth of the water at the shoreline. thick—solid enough to stand on, but with Small tides around cliffs may produce an only open ocean between them. almost negligible tidal zone. But in shal- As summer progresses, the floes drift, low areas where there are high tides, such shrinking, breaking up into smaller pieces as near Iqaluit in Nunavut or Kangiqsua- and sometimes melting altogether. In this lujuaq in Nunavik, the tidal barrier is vast, warmer era, first-year ice usually disap- chaotic and as difficult to pick through as pears entirely. But in the past or during a large field of overturned furniture. a rare cold summer, some floes remain Near the floe edge—where firm sea ice when the fall freeze-up sets in. This meets open water—ice can break off as evolves into multi-year ice, whose sharp a result of currents or storms, and this is peaks have melted into rounded knolls. Multi-year ice used to be prominent in the Tidal ice (top) and first-year ice in the High Arctic and the Arctic Ocean, but it final stages of melting (bottom) has now largely disappeared.

SPRING 2020 21 ROOT & STEM Calibrating the SmartKamutik

SPRING 2020 22 ROOT & STEM SMARTICE

Although still in its early stages, the has been cold enough—perhaps because of the project, with St. John’s as its adminis- SIKU site is rich and rewards exploration. the warmer, four-fish water, perhaps due to trative headquarters—but he also travels For example, the default view on the right- something else—the sea ice has been slow to around the Arctic, training operators and hand panel is a topographical map of the form. Even at the end of January, it had not introducing the technology to other commu- region selected. But clicking the drop-down been safe. This was the latest anyone could nities. In a few days, he is flying to Kinngait, menu gives a choice of satellites, each of remember it freezing. Now, in late February, Nunavut. So many towns want to adopt the which imparts its own view. Particularly the open ocean looms disturbingly close, technology that there is a waiting list. useful are Sentinel 1, an infrared view that especially near Nain and Natuashish. On The main part of the SmartICE office is a shows rougher ice as grey and smooth ice the flight in, patches of open water, known simple workshop where the SmartKamutik as black; and Sentinel 2, which, on clear as “rattles” in Labrador, stood out like eyes components are stored and the SmartBuoys days, gives crystal-clear photos of the sea on the white ice. are assembled. The walls are adorned with a ice from orbit, showing the precise location Ice, and the lack of it, are not the only of patches of open water and obviously weak topics of conversation along the coast. ice. For those who may be less well-versed in More than one person comments that there digital navigation, colour printouts of these has been so little snow, they haven’t needed views will be posted in community centres snowshoes to go “wooding”—gathering such as post offices and grocery stores. firewood. The snow is barely ankle deep. Meanwhile, the winter before, so much North to Nain early snow had fallen that it hindered ice With its distinctive angry-bee sound, the formation. Every year, it seems, something Twin Otter reverses its props as it touches is screwy. down on Nain’s dirt airstrip. I have come After settling in, I go to the SmartICE To access the SmartICE informa- to witness the deployment of northern office and meet Rex Holwell, the northern tion with a tablet or computer on Labrador’s first SmartBuoy. My visit was operations head. After 14 years working for the web, hover the cursor over the supposed to have taken place much earlier, the Voisey’s Bay mine, Holwell, 45, wanted SmartICE button in the left-hand but it has been another of those winters a new challenge. Not only does he manage panel of the SIKU dashboard. that are becoming all too familiar. While it SmartICE in Nain—the practical centre of

SPRING 2020 23 ROOT & STEM SPRING 2020 24 ROOT & STEM SMARTICE

mixture of tools and encouraging homilies. attaches to the handlebars of the snowmo- Trevor Bell had not wanted the technology bile and displays graphic readings of ice he developed simply exported here from thickness, similar to what will later appear Mississauga or Shenzhen. Instead, four on the SIKU site. The SmartKamutik instru- young people in Nain were trained for six ment costs just a little more than a Smart- weeks on how to put the buoys together. The Buoy. By the end of this winter, 19 Arctic latest group assembled seven: one for Nain, communities will have one. the rest bound for other partnering commu- In the evening, Holwell briefs the Nain nities. (To keep up with the demand, some Town Council on SmartICE. Reasonably, are now assembled in St. John’s.) they want to know who is paying for it all? Holwell also teaches the trainees, aged 18 The town? The Nunatsiavut Government? to 30, first aid and soft skills such as writing Newfoundland and Labrador? The feds? résumés and cover letters It seems to be a mix of all for job applications. arms of government. Part While this commu- Farther south, of SmartICE’s mandate is nity involvement is not Canadians often to find sources of fund- directly related to making ing to make the project sea ice safer for travel, it is think of cold sustainable. a vital part of the broader as something Holwell announces that, SmartICE mission. Of the as of this week, everyone is youth who went through to endure. But able to check out the Smar- Holwell’s first edition of in the north, tICE ice data for themselves the training program in on SIKU. They also discuss 2019, two moved on to the ice season at length where to moor the study at a college in Goose is everyone’s buoy. For the future, the Bay. Another works full- idea is to plant several—the time at Voisey’s Bay. favourite time Council is interested in four The SmartBuoy we are of year. more, to begin with—in to deploy was assembled well-trafficked areas where here in Nain by SmartICE the ice has been problem- trainees. It lies on the long workshop table, atic in recent years. However, it would be best about three metres long and weighing almost not to place them in unstable ice that might 70 kilograms. It consists of two long plastic break up without warning. Although the cylinders joined in the centre. At one end, buoys float and GPS indicates their position encased in the watertight plastic compart- for retrieval, grinding ice might still damage ment, 16 D-cell batteries power the unit. them, despite their formidable, waterproof Small metal studs, 60 in all, erupt from plastic housing. the plastic cylinder every two centime- In the end, they decide to moor their buoy tres. These are the thermistors, hooked up about 40 kilometres east of Nain, near some to a motherboard contained in the hous- small rattles. Many hunters come to this ing. Each SmartBuoy costs in the range area, because seals like these small, nutri- of $20,000, most of that for the custom- ent-rich areas of open water. And everyone molded plastic tubes. The SmartKamutik likes seal—boiled, fried and raw. instrument costs significantly more. Upon hearing Holwell’s presentation, I On the floor, in a long wooden box, lies a wonder about the usefulness of the buoys device Bell likens to bat sonar. Consisting versus the kamutiks. The SmartKamutiks of two long tubes, fused in the centre by a can go anywhere, including those places metal box, it is lashed to a kamutik behind a where the buoys are moored. They provide snowmobile, and gives real-time readings of readings of ice thickness over dozens of the thickness of the ice it travels over. It has kilometres at a run. Meanwhile, the buoy no batteries, as it is powered by the snow- sits in one spot, in solid ice. It is mainly in mobile. A small, tablet-sized LCD screen mid-spring that it might indicate thinning to

SPRING 2020 25 ROOT & STEM FEATURE the point of danger. For the cost of the four Joining Holwell for the deployment are between them. Together, they insert the extra SmartBuoys Nain was considering, three trainees. David Kohlmeister, 30, SmartBuoy in the hole. It sinks, bobbing a they could pay a couple of young trainees enjoyed his experience with the initial little at first, and eventually leaves a little to drive a SmartKamutik on all the regu- SmartBuoy program so much that he has less than a metre of the tube protruding lar routes several times a week. From the come back on the second as a mentor, while above the ice. Holwell wedges it firmly in perspectives of economics and safety, the Ama Harris, 22, and Suzie Kohlmeister, 21, place with foam blocks. Done. Across the SmartKamutiks seem to offer more value, who helped to assemble this particular Arctic this spring, 22 new SmartBuoys will even at the higher price. buoy, are driving support snowmobiles. undergo similar initiation. However, a stationary sensor in the same The wind funnels through the islands off Farther south, Canadians often think of place every year, gathering daily data over the shore from Nain, and little snow covers cold as something to avoid or to endure. But a period of several months, will indicate the flat, nubbly sea ice. This makes for fast in the north, the ice season is everyone’s whether the ice is thinning overall, and so has going, but the lack of a snow-padded surface favourite time of year. It’s when travelling both scientific and safety applications. And as is hard on the snowmobiles. and hunting are easiest. “White men think the SmartBuoys are built in Nain, while the When we first touch sea ice, Holwell fires of ice as frozen water, but Inuit think of SmartKamutik technology is not, the buoys up the SmartKamutik’s sensors. Later, we water as melted ice,” the great Inuit explorer serve SmartICE’s social enterprise efforts. stop a second time and drill a small hole in Nukapinguaq once said. “To us, ice is the By the end of February, the winter sun the ice to make sure the sensors have been natural state.” has gained strength, and an air tempera- properly calibrated. The radar reading of Even today, of the 51 communities in the ture of -17°C does not feel particularly cold. the ice’s thickness comes within two centi- four Canadian Inuit regions, 48 are on the But on the morning Holwell is to deploy metres of a manual tape measure: all is well. coast. “That tells the value of sea ice to us,” Nain’s first home-built SmartBuoy, 70 kilo- After about an hour, we reach the desig- says Derrick Pottle. metre-an-hour west winds are ripping over nated site. The open water, less than a kilo- But whether that surface will persist is the ice. The ride out, with the wind at our metre away, is invisible because of the in serious doubt, especially in more south- backs, will be OK, but standing around, and ground blizzard. Holwell drills two holes, erly regions like Labrador. With the climate especially driving back into the teeth of the side by side, with a battery-powered auger. crisis, the greatest danger is not a slow, wind, will require serious layers. Then Kohlmeister chisels away the ice linear decline in the thickness of sea ice,

Noah Noggasak demonstrates the traditional way of testing sea ice thickness with a harpoon

SPRING 2020 26 ROOT & STEM SMARTICE or an incrementally shorter season every decade. It’s what scientists call a tipping point: when climate change crosses an invisible line and precipitates a sudden cascade of events—an unforeseen shift in ocean currents, for example. Even without telltale numbers, the tipping point is a palpable threat to the traditional Inuit way of life. When a four-fish sea water temperature becomes six- or eight-fish temperature, the sea might be simply too mild to create ice that is safe for travel. Or it might freeze for only a couple of weeks each winter, making a $20,000 snowmobile a poor investment. Parts of the Canadian Arctic might soon go the way of areas of western Greenland, where year-round fishing has Nain, Labrador replaced sea-ice culture. In the meantime, these new tools to lthough people have lived in Labra- she returned to Labrador, advocated on monitor sea ice, together with traditional dor for at least 8,000 years, almost behalf of the Moravians. knowledge, will extend this way of life as A since the retreat of the last ice sheet, Nain Named after the biblical village in Gali- long and as safely as possible. “SmartICE is both the northernmost settlement on lee, Nain was the first of several missions will definitely help,” says Pottle, “but I need the Labrador coast and the oldest still in along the Labrador coast. Those Inuit to be smart out there, too.” H existence. The Moravian Brethren, a sect who disliked the subtle (and not-so-sub- of German missionaries, founded Nain tle) pressures within these missionary in 1771, largely thanks to the diplomatic settlements moved north to the Torngat help of an Inuit woman named Mikak. Mountains to live as nomads and follow At first, the Inuit did not take kindly their own spiritual traditions. to European interlopers. In 1606, John Well into the 20th century, there were Knight was slain when he landed near Moravian communities farther north than the site of Nain to repair his ship. And in Nain. Then, in 1918, the ill-named supply 1752, when the Moravians first tried to ship Harmony introduced the Spanish flu, establish a settlement named Hoffenthal which decimated the towns of Okak and near present-day Makkovik, they were Hebron. Okak was shut down; Hebron killed by Inuit. survived until 1957, when, in an attempt A Moravian named Jens Haven, who to centralize access to institutional had already conducted missionary work services, the colonial government shut- in Greenland, believed the Brethren’s tered it and forced its residents to resettle cause still had potential in Labrador, in towns to the south. and enlisted Mikak to aid in smooth- When the Inuit regional government ing the way. A gifted woman, Mikak first of Nunatsiavut was established in 2005, met Haven in 1765. She was interested Nain became its administrative capi- in the culture of the newcomers, learned tal. Still 600 kilometres north of the English, and it seems she was not even nearest road, the town is serviced by disillusioned when she was kidnapped small planes, as well as a coastal ferry and taken to England as a curiosity, as in summer and seasonal snowmobile were so many Inuit in that early settle- routes in winter. Although Nain is only ment era. She forged royal friendships, as far north as Edinburgh, the cold North had her portrait painted, and, later, when Atlantic current makes Labrador the most frigid place in the world at its lati- A license plate mural in tude. While trees linger around Nain, the Nain, Labrador (bottom) Arctic tundra is not far away.

SPRING 2020 27 ROOT & STEM

PROFILE

Tuk TV: Inuvialuit Youth Take Their Story Global

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DEZ LOREEN

A group of Inuvialuit youth in Canada’s High Arctic have a message for climate change deniers across the world: “It’s happening to us!”

or as long as she can remember, gas activity in the 1970s. Fewer than 900 says. The people of the region aren’t the only Carmen Kuptana has been travel- people call it home, and they are all seeing ones affected by the changing lands and F ling across the wind-packed snow the obvious changes to the land. weather conditions: Nathan says the migra- of the Beaufort Delta with her family. At the Just down the road from where Carmen tion patterns of local animals have also been age of 17, she has already seen more of the lives is her cousin Nathan’s house. As is the shifting—another reason his family needs to surrounding area than the animals that call case at many households in Tuk, snow has travel farther out to hunt. the region home. Using the land to access drifted over the old snowmobiles in his Each of the seasons has been changing; traditional hunting and fishing grounds, yard. But Nathan is always ready to hunt Nathan watches to see how the animals Carmen says it’s becoming easy to spot the when the call comes. are affected. changes in the environment around her. Nathan says his hunting trips take longer “We see it all over—like, we are getting “We still go to the same places, but it’s [for] than they used to, due to changes in the ways salmon around Tuk now,” he says. He like less and less time each year,” she says. he can travel. Warmer weather patterns explains that trout and char are the fish typi- Tuktoyaktuk is located in the Northwest mean shorter ice seasons. Some channels cally found around the community. Salmon Territories, on the coast of the Beaufort Sea. and rivers are no longer accessible. wouldn’t usually be found this far north. One of six communities in the Inuvialuit “It’s becoming harder to predict the Many things are changing. Settlement Region, it was a hub for oil and weather at certain times of the year,” he

SPRING 2020 30 ROOT & STEM TUK TV

Top to bottom: Nathan Kuptana, The Start of Something New Darryl Tedjuk, Carmen Kuptana (L), Eriel Lugt (R) Historically, the Inuvialuit have shared operation, video editing and interviewing. their stories orally within their commu- Darryl Tedjuk and Eriel Lugt were two of the nities. But in recent years, northern soci- others who joined together to form a new art ety has seen a shift to sharing knowledge collective. Working with the help of visit- with a wider audience, through video and ing professionals Maeva Gauthier and Jaro online outlets. Both Carmen and Nathan are Malankowski, they found a name—Tuk TV. interested in learning new skills and shar- Now that these talented young minds ing their stories, so, when Tuk’s Mangilaluk were gathered together and had defined a School offered an opportunity to learn film- purpose, they needed a direction. making, they jumped at the opportunity. “We started by identifying issues and The cousins were joined by a few youths problems we see in our community,” from around town, and what started as a Nathan explains. school-based media program soon grew They identified a few social issues as into a full video workshop aimed at teach- possible topics—like microplastics in the ing young people technical skills in camera ocean and cultural differences—but the one

SPRING 2020 31 ROOT & STEM PROFILE that they all agreed would come first was more about journalism.” Learning from researchers and other climate change. Once the youth had started to learn new professionals in the field was one of the more With the help of Gauthier and Malan- techniques, they found they wanted to meet hands-on elements of making the film for kowski, the collective learned how to oper- more and more, to take in as much informa- the group, as they saw the slumping effects ate cameras, capture proper sound levels, tion as possible. They began meeting a few of erosion firsthand. Not all the informa- conduct interviews for documentary films, times a week during the last spring session tion on the changing conditions of the land and edit and produce a of their school. When came from academia, however, as many of short doc. In late 2019, classes were done for the stories they tell in the documentary come For Eriel Lugt, who the summer, they met from local elders who have spent their lives is also 17, the work- It’s Happening to even more often. travelling in the region, and who shared their shop provided some Us screened during In order to get the traditional knowledge for the project. much-desired tech- shots they needed nical background, to the COP25 United for the documentary, Northern Exposure complement her grow- Nations Climate which they had decided It’s Happening to Us has already brought ing interest in photog- to call It’s Happening to Tuk TV international success. In late 2019, raphy and art. Change conference Us, the group needed to the filmmakers were invited to screen it “I’ve always liked in Madrid. get a better view of the during the COP25 United Nations Climate taking pictures, so whole region. Before Change conference in Madrid. The trip to learning how to edit was long, they found them- Spain was unforgettable—Eriel said it was really fun,” she says. Once the group finishes selves flying over Tuktoyaktuk and the coast the farthest she had ever travelled, and that their current projects, Eriel plans to take her of the Beaufort Sea in a helicopter. she enjoyed seeing more of the world. new interests and expand her work to tell her “I got to see different parts of the land I “Our families were very proud that we own stories from her perspective. “I want to didn’t see before,” Carmen said about the showed our film there, and it showed multi- show the beauty of other places and learn experience. ple times,” she said.

SPRING 2020 32 ROOT & STEM TUK TV

The group insists that, even though community. “I just want to make a differ- the film has been screened, it is still not ence, and I think filmmaking is a good tool complete. There are plans to expand the for that,” she says. 20-minute version into a feature-length Nathan, meanwhile, sees a future for documentary, and to include more stories himself in journalism and will take his new from across the Inuit region. Tuk TV has interests as far as he can. “I want to bring already been in contact with other youth this filmmaking further,” he says. “I see Inuvialuit of the across the Arctic who share similar stories. myself at the CBC or something.” Western Arctic This project, and the workshop that For Darryl, the workshop is a way to grow started it all, are just the beginning for this his leadership skills and use them in his p in the Northwest Territories, group of bright young minds from the coast hometown to strengthen his relationship scattered across the Beaufort of the Arctic Ocean. The experience has to his culture. “I see myself as a leader here,” U Delta, are the six communities of the left all of them with an invigorated sense of he says. Looking over the harbour from his Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Two of motivation to do big things in their lives, and house, Darryl says the traditional ways are these—Sachs Harbour and Ulukhak- empower their own communities. still very important to him and hopes he can tok—are on islands, while Paulatuk, Carmen and Eriel agree their new skills continue his way of life, while using his new Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik are on will help make them better leaders in their confidence and ability to tell stories in ways the mainland. community. only he can. Originally from what is now Alaska, “I see kids who don’t care, but I want us to For now, the group has returned to their the Inuvialuit made their home on the live how we used to,” says Carmen. “I want studies to finish off another year at Mangi- coast of the Arctic Ocean. Each commu- more youth to get into hunting and speaking laluk School in Tuktoyaktuk—but only time nity has a distinct style of clothing and our language.” Carmen wants to tell stories will tell where their next projects take them. dance, with dance groups consisting of about the Inuvialuit way of life, to promote Tuk TV is ready for action. H members of all ages. it to others, but also to those who live in her The dances are tied to stories that have been passed on from generation to generation. Each song accom- panying the performances describes activities or events in the community. Hunting, fishing and whaling are all recurring subjects. Inuvialuit carving is a staple of northern art. Many contemporary carvers use soapstone, because its softness makes it easy to shape. Today, a large number of carvers come from families who have been practising the art for many years. There are three dialects of the Inuvi- aluktun language, and efforts are being made to continue their use in each community through the education system and in collaboration with local elders and government bodies. Hunting is still a significant element of traditional life, with many young people living on the land, and owning and operating businesses that showcase Inuvialuit culture. Arctic sports are popular; locals hold competitions as well as gatherings to stay strong and to teach youth about the games that have been passed down for generations.

SPRING 2020 33 ROOT & STEM Bearanormal Activity say hi to Cool, yeah. her for me. My mom just Oh hey, emailed me internet’s something. back!

sure, will d-

WHAT!!!

look at all Look at all these photos, those little Wait a sec. and this big map? it’s all ghosts, they on fire! were just minding their huh? cute business! scary! oh, I wanted to pet one eventually-

it’s an image Gimme your she sent? phone.

kay.

ya. this looks convincing, it’s scary, but but no one else is really hm, something’s talking about it. not quite right. LL oh hey... E A S AR EAR yeah. let’s LA B ? KOA NOW search it. STS GHO

while the wild fires in australia are very severe what does this year, all koalas are not, it say? as rumoured, ghosts, and the footage viewable online is from a 1995 movie.

she was there’s probably a lot i wonder why upset like of stuff she sent it we were! to me if it’s floating not real? around online, next time I’m going to look around a little and see if it’s true.

gonna look up a fact-checking i was going to lose it site or something. Look, wikipedia about those bears, let’s fact has a bunch listed. Maybe you know? me too! check it i’ll start there. and see! you know they aren’t really bears though, good right? idea.

COMMUNITY SHOWCASE

STEAM Education in Curve Lake First Nation STEAM Gikinoo’amaagowin O’shkiigmong Maa

BY JACK HOGGARTH • CULTURAL ARCHIVIST, CURVE LAKE FIRST NATION

raditionally recognized as Wabas- During a two-week camp hosted by the various pathogens and algae blooms. Curve kamag or O'shkiigmong, Curve Pinnguaq Association and Curve Lake First Lake First Nation has been under a boil-wa- T Lake First Nation is a Michi Saagiig Nation with the help of the Ontario Trillium ter advisory alert for the past 50 years: we Anishnaabeg community in southeastern Foundation (OTF), the state of the bodies of have to outsource clean drinking water, even Ontario. The community prides itself on water that surround us was portrayed by though the municipalities that surround us preserving its unique dialect of Anish- young people using a variety of art media. have access to it. naabemowin (i.e., the Ojibwe language), Over the course of the camp, youth from Throughout the images that were created along with its diverse traditions and cere- our community were involved in several by Curve Lake youth, the socio-political monial practices. Over the past 100 years, computer-related programs that relate aspects of the state of the water within our Curve Lake has faced many challenges, to STEAM education. The predominant territorial lands will become apparent. As including, but not limited to, transmitting theme expressed in the artwork the youth Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg, we have been its language and ceremonies to the younger produced was directly linked to the degrada- tasked with acting as the natural stewards generations, maintaining its cultural iden- tion of the water systems throughout Curve of this land. But ask yourself this question: tity—and, of utmost importance, protecting Lake territory. How can we all come together and work its territorial lands and waters in perpetu- One hundred years ago, our lakes were so collaboratively and in unison to ensure ity for future generations to enjoy as those pristine that our Elders remember drink- future generations can enjoy this water as before them have. Unfortunately, through ing from their waters. With the increase we have done in the past? After all, without various legislation and government-sanc- of tourism in the region, the water quality water, all life as we know it would perish. It tioned projects, our lands and waters have started to deteriorate. During hot summers, is extremely unfortunate that today’s youth drastically deteriorated. we cannot even swim in the lakes, due to must face this issue, but this is the harsh reality we are leaving our future generations to deal with if we do not do something about it now. Curve Lake First Nation and Pinnguaq are currently in the process of developing a makerspace that will utilize the components of STEAM education to educate our youth in the knowledge of these subjects. We are certain we will be giving young people the tools and resources that will allow them to combat the cultural and environmental issues in the near future, as they are the leaders of tomorrow. H

~ Ni Kina Ganaa – To All My Relations ~

Voxel art created by Tomson Knott

SPRING 2020 38 ROOT & STEM EDUCATOR RESOURCES

Digital Kit

We have developed additional digital resources for educators to use in their classroom including lesson plans, video tutorials and handouts. They can all be accessed online at the following links.

Video Series Lesson Plan Our Cover: Using MagicaVoxel and Krita • Page 10 Our Cover: Using MagicaVoxel and Krita • Page 10 Create comics with Krita Create voxel art with MagicaVoxel pinnguaq.com/learn/krita-for-comics pinnguaq.com/learn/creating-voxel-art-with-magicavoxel

Video Series Resource Kit Another Dimension • Page 12 Inuit Principles of Conservation • Page 40 Video tutorials to get started with Blender and learn how to navi- The resource kit with handouts and additional support material gate and apply its tools for the purpose of designing a custom set can be found on our website of dice for printing in 3D pinnguaq.com/root-stem pinnguaq.com/learn/blender-print-a-piece

SPRING 2020 39 ROOT & STEM EDUCATOR RESOURCES

Message to Educators

Inuit Principles of Conservation Avattimik Kamatsiarniq • Respectful Stewardship

he modules that follow provide you and your students with Inuit Elders say that although the context we live in is always opportunities to explore Inuit values and cultural beliefs. dynamic, our beliefs never need to change, and this is why it is so T We hope they will also allow you to explore the diverse important to clarify values for youth. Inuit also say their teachings value and belief systems your students bring into the classroom. are helpful to anyone, and are not just for Inuit. With this in mind, Inuit say that the purpose in life is to live a good life. The informa- we hope you will explore these Inuit understandings of how to live tion presented here will help you begin to make meaning of Inuit well in a dynamic world and that, in doing so, they will help you and expectations for living a good life, especially in a changing envi- your students set personal goals as agents of change in effectively ronment where we face new challenges on many fronts. meeting life’s challenges in order to live a good life.

- Shirley Tagalik

SPRING 2020 40 ROOT & STEM EDUCATOR RESOURCES

Explain that our parents often tell us how Guiding Questions Module 1 they want us to become. They might say • What do I believe? things like: “Don’t fight if you want to Inuit Values • How do I behave according to my beliefs? have friends”

Grade Level: 1 to 3 Ask: What are some things you have heard Curriculum Links Subjects: Science, social studies, health, your parents say? language arts This is an interdisciplinary unit of study suitable for a thematic approach to learning Inuit call these teachings inutsiaqpagutit. about values, the self, social expectations Parents say the things they want a child to Topic: Setting expectations for and interactions, and the impact our values remember over and over so that the words of becoming respectful stewards have on who we become and what we choose the parents will always be in the child’s mind. to do in life. It is important to recognize that the Inuit Some examples of inutsiaqpagutit: worldview is highly holistic. As such, its topics • If you want to be happy, forgive others Materials Needed resist organization according to curricular • If you want to avoid trouble, never talk subject divisions. The units presented here • Outline of a child PDF (visit www.pinn- about another person behind their back are cross-curricular in nature and aim to guaq.com/root-stem to access this PDF in • If you want to have friends, always look for provide an understanding of Inuit Qaujima- the Resource Kit) ways to help others jatuqangit (worldview—IQ) and how Inuit • Inutsiaqpagutit statement (visit www. • If you want to have things, share what you beliefs and perspectives set the stage for pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access this have first respectful stewardship of all life and the PDF in the Resource Kit) guiding principle of avattimik kamatsiarniq. • IQ Principles Large Size Posters (visit www. Give each student a copy of the blackline A short PowerPoint document is provided pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access this master for inutsiaqpagutit. Have them fold as background (visit www.pinnguaq.com/ PDF in the Resource Kit) it in half. Each child should think of their root-stem to access the PowerPoint in the • Printable Inuit Values booklet and value own inutsiaqpagutit. On the left side, they Resource Kit). cards (visit www.pinnguaq.com/root- should illustrate the goal: If you want to ... stem to access this PDF in the Resource Kit) On the right side, they should illustrate the • Game board spinner, empty bottle or behaviour required to reach the goal. Circu- Introduction something similar late and help students write their inutsiaqpa- Students will learn that the values we hold gutit sentences. help to determine the way we live our lives. Activity 1: Introduction Therefore, it is important to examine our When completed, these can be posted and understanding of our values, as well as the Provide each student with the outline of reviewed each day as a reading activity. beliefs that underpin them. Our values are a child and have them use it to create a Remind students that these inutsiaqpa- usually set and reinforced by the teachings of self-portrait. As much as possible, students gutit refer to ways we all want to behave. our parents. To Inuit this is known as inutsi- should include accurate details. While they Have them contribute examples of these aqpagutit. These teachings provide lifelong are working, circulate and ask each child to behaviours that they have observed in the expectations for our behaviour. provide some words that describe what they classroom or school that day. Celebrate those would like to be known for. Write these words who are meeting the goals for behaving well. around the drawing. Encourage students to Learning Goals find words that indicate positive characteris- Activity 2: Computer Project Students will understand that a value is a tics such as kind, helpful, a good friend, etc. belief. They will begin to examine the values Provide a link to the Inuit Societal Values that are most important to them, and to Have the students share some of the words posters. Have the students look through the understand how holding these values has an that are written on their papers with their posters and select between three and five impact on their behaviour. Values, therefore, classmates. they like best. Discuss what they like about are critical to building personal character. the illustrations. What do they think Ask: value means? • How did you become ...( kind )? Vocabulary • Why do you think you are ...( kind )? Have them print the value cards that match • Inutsiaqpagutit—That which enables you • What things does a ( kind ) person do? the posters they have selected as their to have a good life • How do we learn these things? personal values to explore.

SPRING 2020 41 ROOT & STEM MODULE 1

These can be used to create large wall art, Social Media Resources Activity 3: Using Personal Values or become personalized booklets or short The class could create its own closed chat Have the students sit in a circle with the PowerPoint presentations that can be where students can share their selection of Inuit Value cards face down in a single pile in looped, shown and used for reading activities values or examples of how they are applying front of them. One student is designated the for the entire class. those values in their lives. Parental permis- spinner. Using an old game-board spinner, sion may be required depending on a bottle, or even a pencil, the spinner spins Additional Resources school policies. the object and the student to whom it points when it comes to rest selects the top value Different Ways of Teaching Values: Suitable closed sites might be: card and reads it aloud. They should then do www.tandfonline.com • WhatsWhat.me (2011) Age7+ ... one of the following: • Yoursphere (2009) Age 9+ ... The Virtues Project provides similar • Franktown Rocks (2009) Age 10+ ... • Explain what this value means to them resources: www.virtuesproject.com • GiantHello (2010) Age 10+ ... • Identify how they demonstrate this Note there is a fee to access this article. value in life ••• • Tell about a time when they used Teaching Core Values. Getting Smart. this value www.gettingsmart.com/2017/07/teach- Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre is the sole • Ask others in the group to tell the others ing-core-values copyright holder of the drawings produced by what they think is important about Donald Uluadluak (shown below). Reproduced this value Helping Your Student Identify Their Values: with permission. www.edutopia.org/blog/helping-your-students-identify-their-values-maurice-elias Conclusion

What is important to me? The Stories of Tuktu Series. Have each student refer to their selected National Film Board of Canada. values to develop a poster or collage that onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our- collection/ describes why these particular values are series/?ids=170648&nom=The%20 important to who they are. Encourage Stories%20of%20Tuktu students to bring digital photos to help illus- This series of films documents Inuit family trate and personalize their posters. life and interactions before forced relocation moved families off their land.

SPRING 2020 42 ROOT & STEM EDUCATOR RESOURCES

taking responsibility in terms of serving a Activity 1: Introduction Module 2 shared purpose and the common good. A) Exploring Inuit Societal Values Serving Others It should be noted that the spelling of Inuit Provide each student with the Elements of terms often differs according to dialectal differ- Inuit Culture handout. Have them work on Pijitsirniq—Serving others, working for the ences. The concepts remain shared despite this task in groups of two or three. common good spelling differences. ••• Grade Level: 4 to 6 Vocabulary Subjects: Science, social studies, health, The first task is to identify all the aspects language arts • Avattimik kamattiarniq—stewardship of social life that Inuit have to consider. • Pijitsirniq—service/responsibility Students should write their ideas inside the • Qanurtururangniq—creative/deep thinking first circle. Topic: Respecting authority and • Panangitsuq—resourcefulness accepting responsibility • Akaujumiiqatigiinniq—maintaining Ask: What would Inuit have required in the harmony past in order to live well together? What It is important to recognize that the Inuit systems do we have in our communities worldview is highly holistic. As such, its topics today that help us live well together? Guiding Questions resist organization according to curricular subject divisions. The units presented here • How do the beliefs and principles you Provide an opportunity for students to share are cross-curricular in nature and aim to are raised with help to determine your their ideas. They can add comments to their provide an understanding of Inuit Qaujima- behaviour and the decisions you make? circles that they have not already recorded. jatuqangit (worldview—IQ) and how Inuit • Why is the ability to be resourceful and beliefs and perspectives set the stage for innovative important to success in life? ••• respectful stewardship of all life and the guiding principle of avattimik kamatsiarniq. In the second circle, students should identify Curriculum Links A short PowerPoint document is provided all the resources Inuit would have had in their as background (visit www.pinnguaq.com/ This unit of study lays the groundwork for environment in the past to help them provide root-stem to access the PowerPoint in the understanding Inuit perspectives on envi- for their daily needs. Resource Kit). ronmental stewardship. It is interdisciplinary and suited for use in social studies and Ask: In the past, what things were available science classes. It is best incorporated into to Inuit in the environment that they could Introduction an integrated thematic approach to envi- use to meet their needs? Students will learn the Inuit perspective on ronmental stewardship, socially responsible serving others through pijitsirniq and how action, and citizenship. Provide an opportunity to share ideas. Add this is linked to the concept of becoming a any new ideas to the circle. respectful steward in life through avattimik Materials Needed kamatsiarniq. Inuit are known as a resilient Ask: When we think about the environment people who live in harmony in a harsh envi- • Elements of Inuit Culture handout (visit Inuit lived in, did they have many resources ronment through innovation and resource- www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access available? fulness. Students will understand how living this PDF in the Resource Kit) according to these cultural principles has • Inuit Laws information – avattimik kamat- Ask: Having so few resources at hand, how helped Inuit to succeed over generations, tiarniq and pijitsirniq (visit www.pinn- do you think Inuit would have taken care of as well as to protect the environment they guaq.com/root-stem to access this PDF in their environment? depend on for successful living. the Resource Kit) • Inuit Societal Values (ISV) poster, available ••• at www.gov.nu.ca/information/inuit-soci- Learning Goals etal-values Move to the third circle. Students should Students will understand the Inuit described • ISV handout (visit www.pinnguaq.com/ think of all the things Inuit were able to do concepts of avattimik kamattiarniq root-stem to access this PDF in the with the limited resources available to them (respectful stewardship), pijitsirniq (serving) Resource Kit) in the past. and qanurtururangniq (being resourceful • Assessing Inuit Life charts handout (visit and innovative). They will gain insight into www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access For example, they built igluit using snow the cornerstones of being respectful and this PDF in the Resource Kit) blocks. How did they build sleds without

SPRING 2020 43 ROOT & STEM MODULE 2 wood? What else were they able to do so they • Make people feel welcome when they maturity and wisdom. It is taught from a very could hunt and live well in their environment? come into your home, school or early age and applies to almost every aspect Record these ideas in the third circle. community of life. This powerful concept provides guid- • Never tease or harm animals or people. Do ing principles for raising children, as well as Provide an opportunity to share ideas. Add not cause suffering for any reason for how adults are valued by the group. Each any new ideas to the circle. • Never waste or destroy the land, plants or person has a contribution to make and is animal parts. Never destroy a friendship valued according to that contribution. Ask: • Always leave a place clean so no one would • In order to be able to survive and live well, know you had been there Inuit children have always been expected to what skills would Inuit have needed? • Carry out your non-biodegradable serve others willingly. Serving means doing • How important would it have been for garbage. This includes plastics, cans, something for someone else. This is taught people to share their abilities and help diapers and other garbage that cannot be throughout childhood. Inuit have always each other? reused, recycled or composted been encouraged to be good servants to • Given what we see in the three circles, • Clean up around your house, playground, others. Serving a neighbour often meant can you predict what some of the core school and streets. Never litter offering something for them to use. This beliefs or expectations for Inuit might • Never let things that have not come out of involves forward-thinking vision, recognizing have been? the water sink in it. The water is home to that the benefit of sharing what one has avail- many creatures able may not come immediately but rather List these on chart paper. Compare the • Don’t waste water in the house or at school later, when it is needed. Ongoing, genuine students’ ideas with the Inuit rules for avat- • Don’t tear up the land with machinery. Stay concern for other people is a way of life. Serv- timik kamattiarniq identified by Elders (see on trails as much as possible ing others means to lead others with a vision below). • Never spill gasoline into the water or onto that will benefit your neighbour through the land putting aside your own interests for the sake Avattimik Kamattiarniq—Stewardship of helping someone else. Careful attention to the environment is an Teachings from the past important part of survival and sustainability. Long ago, the land was kept clean so the Character is developed over time as part of The care we take and the importance we give animals would have secure and safe migra- the pijitsirniq process. The activities we rely to this stewardship also has an impact on our tion routes. Even bones were not to be on when first beginning to develop pijitsir- personal health and well-being. For these disposed of in the water. The health of fish naq in our children might appear to be unre- reasons, it is important to think about the was always a consideration. In order to lated to the core value, but this is because environment we provide for future genera- ensure that the fish thrive, the water was we begin with activities that are at the initial tions to grow up in. always to be kept clean. stages of development. As children become more skilled, and as attitude and character We also need to think about how we train Areas of land used for long-stay camps were develop, the activities are more and more them to become good caretakers of their left to rest before a group would make use directly related to the core value. For this surroundings and good contributors to a of them again. For example, the land had to reason, it is important for parents and teach- healthy and positive environment. Over the be allowed time—usually at least a year—to ers to pay attention to the process of instilling course of our lives, we are interdependent— get rid of the scent of humans before people pijitsirarniq in children. on each other, on animals, on the weather, returned for another stay. Bones were gath- on the water, on the land. Encourage children ered and placed in one area before leaving We hope the following ideas will help: to notice things around them at all times— the camp. • Don’t allow children to laze around. Give changes in the weather, the movement of them tasks to accomplish animals, the changing seasons. Ittuqtarniq or anijaarniq is a daily routine for • Expect children to do their tasks very well young children during which they observe the and always do their best Discuss what it means to be a good steward weather early in the morning. This experience • Expect children to notice when something with the students. can provide the first steps toward becoming needs to be done and to act without being environmental stewards. If we fail to be keen asked Some suggestions for these discussions: observers, we will be less able to adapt to • Expect children to do jobs when asked • Set expectations about how we treat the conditions that are always changing. even if they are boring or messy land, the animals and each other. Remem- • Provide opportunities for children to show ber: we are interdependent Pijitsirniq—Training children to serve others respect and love for others • Watch everything that goes on around you Pijitsirarniq is the concept of serving others. • Give children responsibilities, especially carefully so you will have a better under- The degree to which one demonstrates pijit- caring for others standing of it sirarniq in life indicates a personal level of

SPRING 2020 44 ROOT & STEM MODULE 2

• Encourage children to do these things groups to collaborate—piliriqatigiingniq— Links to National Film Board of Canada videos without expecting to be rewarded. Remind and provide responses—aajiiqatigiingniq—in and other resources. them that by doing these tasks well, they the chart. They should define how Inuit were are showing love and respect for others able to provide shelter, clothing, food, trans- First Peoples, The Inuit of Canada. and will be recognized throughout their portation, heat, tools and weapons for them- Corriveau, Danielle. Minneapolis: Lerner lives as good people selves, describing all the skills that would Publications Company, 2002. ISBN: have been required and the beliefs necessary 082254850. B) Exploring Inuit Societal Values to sustain this kind of cooperation. Describes aspects of the way the Inuit lived in (continued) the past and how they live today—their spiri- Display the ISV poster in the classroom. The tuality and legends, transportation, and forms Additional Resources poster shows the societal values that have of entertainment—and how political changes been identified by Inuit as valuable. Investi- The Resourcefulness of the Inuit. have affected them. gate what each one means in order to under- Case, R. and Daniels, L., eds. Critical Chal- stand what is important to ensuring Inuit live lenges Across the Curriculum Series. Brit- The Gift of the Inuksuk. well together. Have the students form eight ish Columbia Ministry of Education. 2002. Ulmer, Mike. Toronto: Thomson Gale, 2004. groups and assign each group a value to ISSN1205-9730 ISBN: 158536214X. investigate. Provideach group with a Defining Excellent learning resource directed at Grades A story about how the Inuksuk helped the Inuit Terminology sheet for the specific value and 4 to 6. Highly recommended for more detailed harvest caribou. an ISV blackline master. The task is to report teaching about Inuit. back on their assigned value by describ- Through Mala’s Eyes: Life in an Inuit ing what the value means. Students should The Stories of Tuktu Series Community. Available at www.aadnc- predict why this would be identified by Inuit National Film Board of Canada. Available at aandc.gc.ca/DAM/DAM-INTER-HQ/ as a core value by answering these questions: onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our- collection/ STAGING/texte-text/ ach_lr_ks_rrds_ series/?ids=170648&nom=The%20 mala_1302786861588_eng.pdf • Why is this idea important to Inuit Stories%20of%20Tuktu society? This series of films documents Inuit family A Comparative Look at Inuit Lifestyle. Avail- • What social expectations come from this life and interactions before forced relocation able at www.learnalberta.ca › content › societal value? moved families off the land. ssognc › inuitLifestyle

Use the ISV handout to record the ISUMA Inuit Studies Reader. Explore Our Culture, the Inuit Impact, Inuit students’ ideas. Robinson, G., ed. Isuma Publishing, 2004. Inventions at www.icor.inuuqatigiit.ca ISBN 0-9733297-0-X Exploring Inuit Cultural Suitable for student research. Curriculum. Teacher Resource Guide. Flynn. Activity 2: Computer Project www.isuma.tv/store.ca Social Media Resources Go to www.inuitcontact.ca. Have the students investigate the Inuit artifacts Teach Your Kids About the Inuit People. Nunavut Hunting Stories on Facebook presented there to get ideas of the kinds of Available at www.thecanadianhomes- things Inuit made with the resources they had chooler.com available. Have students select one artifact Some information and short lesson plans. to report on. They should copy the photo of the artifact, and list all the materials that Learning with Inuit. were used to create it and what technolo- Available at www.rom.on.ca gies would have been required to produce Interactive kit with artifacts, videos, lessons this object. Each student should be prepared and teachers’ guide. to report back to the class on their selected artifact. Native Americans, Inuit Peoples. Available at www.ducksters.com Short, basic overview of traditional Inuit Conclusion culture. Assessing Inuit Life: Provide the chart handout for assessing how successful Inuit were Deepening Knowledge. Inuit Perspectives. at meeting their basic needs in the past. Available at www.oise.utoronto.ca/deepen- The chart can be on paper, or on a tablet or ingknowledge/ Teacher_Resources/First_ computer. Have the students work in small Nations_Metis_and_Inuit/Inuit.html

SPRING 2020 45 ROOT & STEM Inuit Societal Values What social expectations come from this societal value? Why is this idea important to Inuit society? INSERT ValuesINSERT poster here

SPRING 2020 46 ROOT & STEM EDUCATOR RESOURCES

• Becoming Capable Quote (visit www.pinn- Learning Goals Module 3 guaq.com/root-stem to access this PDF in Students will be able to describe the the Resource Kit) Becoming Capable processes of inunnguiniq and pilimmaksar- • Inunnguiniq Childrearing Advice from Inuit niq and how the dynamics between these Elders pamphlets, ages 12, 13 (visit www. Inunnguiniq/Pilimmaksarniq—Becoming a contributed to forming a capable human pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access the capable human being. Students will be able to link the goals pamphlets in the Resource Kit) of inunnguiniq and pilimmaksarniq to the • 6 Foundational Inunnguiniq Principles Grade Level: 7 to 9 establishment of perspectives of environ- (visit www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem to Subjects: Science, social studies, health, mental stewardship among Inuit. access this PDF in the Resource Kit) language arts • Inuit/Western Perspectives handout (visit It should be noted that the spelling of Inuit www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access terms often differs according to dialectal differ- this PDF in the Resource Kit) Topic: Defining expectations of ences. The concepts remain shared despite • Inunnguiniq Principles Poster for the class- competency and capability in caring for spelling differences. room (visit www.gov.nu.ca/information/ others in life inuit-societal-values) • Avattimik Kamattisarniq Stories—Inuit- Vocabulary It is important to recognize that the Inuit based stewardship (visit www.pinnguaq. worldview is highly holistic. As such, its topics • Inunnguiniq—becoming a capable com/root-stem to access this PDF in the resist organization according to curricular human being Resource Kit) subject divisions. The units presented here • Pilimmaksarniq—skills acquisition • Computer links to Inunnguiniq Principles are cross-curricular in nature and aim to • Avattimik kamatsiarniq—stewardship (visit inuuqatigiit.ca/quick- links/inunn- provide an understanding of Inuit Qaujima- guiniq-principles/) jatuqangit (worldview) and how Inuit beliefs Guiding Questions and perspectives set the stage for respect- Activity 1: Introduction ful stewardship of all life and the guiding • How is inunnguiniq different from West- principle of avattimik kamatsiarniq. A short ern styles of education or child-rearing? A) Becoming Capable PowerPoint document is provided as back- • How do the expectations for becoming Have students form two lines facing each ground (visit www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem successful in life differ between Inuit and other. They must put their right foot forward to access the PowerPoint in the Resource Kit). Western society? so that their toes touch the toes of the person • What Impact do these differences have on opposite them. The task is for everyone the way one views one’s place in the to raise their left foot without losing their Introduction environment? balance. Have them repeat this activity In the past, Inuit had to ensure that every- until they are able to keep from falling for 30 one in their community was capable and seconds. Curriculum Links able to contribute their skills to help sustain and improve the lives of others. Inunngu- This is an interdisciplinary unit suitable for Once they are successful, ask them to identify iniq is the process used to train everyone to social studies, wellness and environmen- what strategies eventually helped them to become capable members of the community. tal sciences. The focus is on training youth succeed. Being capable required that each person for their role as cultural and environmental was a contributing member of society with stewards. Ask: What could we say are some of the a strong sense of both belonging to and elements for becoming successful? (Prac- responsibility for the collective. At the same tice, communication, support, thinking/strat- Materials Needed time, each person was expected to become egizing, learning from our experiences, etc.) highly skilled, self-reliant and able to live in a For additional support material for this way that would not cause concern for others. module, visit www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem Divide the students into four groups. Give The process of training a community member • Elder quotes—Definitions of Inunnguiniq each group a quote from an Elder that to become capable relied on the aspects of (visit www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem to describes inunnguiniq (see Elder quotes— having the correct sense of group belong- access this PDF in the Resource Kit). Definitions of Inunnguiniq handout). Have ing, and on mastering skills in order to assist • Ulu/Sakku Poster (visit www.pinnguaq. the students read the quote, discuss what the collective. com/root-stem to access this PDF in the it says and collaborate to identify three key Resource Kit) messages they take from this quote. Share the definitions of inunnguiniq based on each group’s responses.

SPRING 2020 47 ROOT & STEM MODULE 3

Ask: Are any of the key messages they iden- information it contains. Each group should • Recognize the uniqueness of each individ- tified similar to the things they learned from respond to the following questions: ual: https://youtu.be/RVpkYAtlGj4 the Touching Toes activity? 1. What do you think is important to focus • Always take steps to make Improvements: on in your life based on this pamphlet? https://youtu.be/qXTQNObzzrQ Show students the Ulu/Sakku poster. It can 2. How would you summarize the value be displayed as a hard-copy poster or as a being defined in this pamphlet? Visit www.aqqiumavvik.com. Select digital file on a screen. Ask: Does anyone Programs and Ujjiqsuiniq Young Hunters. know what we are looking at? Instruct the students to jigsaw so that they Look through the videos to identify some of form triads of one person from each of the ways Inuit youth are being trained today. Show the students the outline of the ulu Groups 1 and 2. Have them share some of (curved women’s knife) and the sakku the things said in their pamphlet and their Based on these materials, what does a capa- (harpoon head). Ask: Why do you think the group’s answers for the two questions. ble person look like in Inuit society? What artist integrated these two tools into a societal expectations might you identify for single poster? C) Exploring Pilimmaksarniq Inuit youth? • Discuss the traditional roles of men and Divide the students into two groups. Within women in Inuit society the groups, students should form pairs. Conclusion • Discuss the ulu as representing the home/ Provide Group 1 with the text by Louis Angalik social relations and the sakku as represent- #1, and Group 2 with Louis Angalik #2. (The Divide into four groups and provide each ing the environment/hunting relations text is available at www.pinnguaq.com/root- group with an Avattimik Kamattisarniq Story. • Discuss the need for balance between stem in the Resource Kit) Have each group read their story and answer these two sets of activities the following questions: How does this story • Discuss the idea that the ulu represents Students should read the text and take exam- apply to life today? What role does a capa- becoming a human being (social being) ples from it to identify some of the differences ble person have in terms of environmental and the sakku represents becoming skilled between Inuit and Western perspectives. stewardship? (a capable being) Use the blackline master to record their responses. Have the groups come back Additional Resources Brainstorm these two ideas on a chart. Iden- together and share their insights. tify what being a social being looks like on the Labrador Inuit Through Moravian Eyes. left-hand side of the paper and what becom- Available at wayback.archive-it.org/ Activity 2 ing skilled looks like on the right. Ask: What 6473/20180403142801/https://resource. happens if we have one side developed Inuit Elders have identified six principles of library.utoronto.ca/inuitmoravian/ without equal development on the other? inunnguiniq. Using the 6 Foundational Inunn- Comprehensive collection of Moravian guiniq Principles handout assign each group archives. Includes both a Teacher and Student Read this Becoming Capable quote to the one principle to investigate. Toolkit. The Teacher Toolkit contains teaching class. Discuss. “Inuit define a capable human modules for Grades 7 to 12. being as a person who is able to achieve Each group should follow the online links (see skilled independence. By this it is meant they below) that outline a selection of the princi- Taloyoak, Stories of Thunder and Stone. are highly skilled and able to be self-reliant to ples. Each group should review the materials Available at www.taloyoaknunavut.ca a level of mastery in certain areas in their life. they have been provided and report back to Module for Grades 7 to 9 about Inuit beliefs and This self-reliance is balanced by a set of core the whole group: spirituality. beliefs and attitudes that ensure the person • What they learned about this principle uses their skills to serve and care for others, • Why it is important to healthy develop- Arctic Peoples and Archaeology. and to improve the common good. A capable ment for Inuit An interactive look at Inuit culture linked to human being does not cause worry to others • How young people can use these princi- archaeological evidence. Available at http:// in the way they live their life. They support ples to make all our lives better www.ihti.ca/eng/iht-proj-cd.html others in every way through care for and • Three ideas for how they will apply these See especially the theme Ancient Arctic service to the community.” principles to their lives Peoples and the interactive migration activity.

B) Exploring Inunnguiniq Videos available at: Learning with Inuit. Divide the students into two groups. Give • Develop habits for living a good life: Available at www.rom.on.ca each student in Group 1 a copy of the Inunn- https://youtu.be/t26cBc8FKbM guiniq pamphlet for 12-year-olds; Group 2 the • Show compassion, serve others and build Social Media Resources pamphlet for 13-year-olds. The task for each relationships: group is to read the pamphlet and review the https://youtu.be/lpY4cnicnyE Nunavut Hunting Stories on Facebook

SPRING 2020 48 ROOT & STEM EDUCATOR RESOURCES

principle of qanurtururangniq to prepare Activity 1: Introduction Module 4 individuals for this critical role in life. A) Diet of Souls Inuit Leadership It should be noted that the spelling of Inuit Have the students watch Diet of Souls. As they terms often differs according to dialectal differ- view the film, students should take note of Qanurtururangniq—Leadership, innovation ences. The concepts remain shared despite the significant beliefs about relationships and seeking solutions spelling differences. that are expressed. They should list important points in terms of relationship to the land; Grade Level: 10 to 12 to animals; to the sila (environment). Discuss Vocabulary Subjects: Science, social studies, health, their ideas as a class. language arts • Qanuqtuurniq—resourceful • Avatittinnik kamatsiarniq—stewardship Ask: • Pijitsirniq—responsibility leadership • How does being in close and respectful Topic: Becoming fit for a changing world relationship with nature relate to our responsibilities to the environment? Guiding Questions It is important to recognize that the Inuit • What does this look like in our commu- worldview is highly holistic. As such, its topics • In the Inuit worldview, what are the char- nity? resist organization according to curricular acteristics of leadership and stewardship? • How are Inuit and Western beliefs differ- subject divisions. The units presented here • How are these taught and applied as ent? are cross-curricular in nature and aim to cultural expectations? • What impact might these differences have provide an understanding of Inuit Qaujima- • What is the impact on the environment on how we treat our environment? jatuqangit (worldview) and how Inuit beliefs when these principles are not applied? and perspectives set the stage for respect- B) Inuit Elders ful stewardship of all life and the guiding Have the class form a circle. (If the class is Curriculum Links principle of avattimik kamatsiarniq. A short large, conduct the exercise in smaller circles PowerPoint document is provided as back- This is an interdisciplinary unit suitable for of up to 14 students.) ground (visit www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem social studies, wellness and environmen- to access the PowerPoint in the Resource Kit). tal sciences. Its focus is on the training of Cut out and fold the Elder quote sentence youth for their role as cultural and environ- strips and place them in a container in mental stewards. The unit directs students the centre of each circle. Provide a die for Introduction to consider these roles within the context of each circle. Students take turns rolling the The Inuit perspective on leadership is differ- global action. dice. When a student rolls a 6, they select a ent from the Western one in that it is more quote and read it aloud. The student should about stewardship and taking responsibility suggest to the group how the view expressed Materials Needed than about influence, power or governance. in the quote differs from a Western cultural Leadership qualities are identified in children • Diet of Souls DVD. Drumsong Communi- perspective. and are nurtured throughout the life of the cations. John Houston. Available from individual. A leader is considered someone houston-north-gallery.ns.ca/diet-of- C) Defining Principles who is willing to do the most unsavoury of souls. There is also a short clip available on Divide the class into pairs. Provide each pair tasks in order to serve other people. Inuit YouTube-Diet of Souls. with readings #1 and 2—one student in the leadership is characterized by willingness to • Elder quote sentence strips (visit www. pair assigned to each reading. The task is to serve the common good without the expec- pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access the read the texts silently, adding ideas to the tation of recognition or reward. It does not Resource Kit for elder quotes) columns under the reading that help to show require specific expertise or knowledge; it is • Dice how leadership and stewardship are defined rather an attitude of the heart. • Qanurtururangniq Reading (visit www. by the passage. pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access Qanur- tururangniq reading in the Resource Kit) When this task is complete, students should Learning Goals • Avattimik Kamattiarniq Reading (visit share their responses with their partners. Students will be able to describe the expecta- www.pinnguaq.com/root-stem to access Together, they should add any new ideas. tions expressed in the Inuit worldview around this reading in the Resource Kit) If time allows, sets of pairs can share their stewardship, environmental responsibility responses, or all students can share their and a respectful relationship with nature. ideas with the class. They will understand how Inuit apply the

SPRING 2020 49 ROOT & STEM MODULE 4

Ask: From what you have been learning, how Suggestions: do you think Inuit would define leadership • Youth Action on Climate Change and stewardship? Does this way of looking • Youth for Climate Change (UNICEF) at the world make a difference in how we • Climate Action 150 live our lives? • Youth Climate Lab • Roots and Shoots Alliance for Climate • Education Activity 2: Computer Project • Nature and Youth Power Students should visit the website www. • Shift Network taloyoaknunavut.ca and investigate the • Youth Climate Movement Elders’ interviews about animals, then • Sunrise Movement respond to these questions: • Climate Change Education Partnership • UN Climate Change Learning Partnership • What do Elders say about the importance of animals in their lives? Provide quotes Additional Resources to support your ideas. • When you read these kinds of stories, Learning with Inuit. Available at what is the predominant feeling you get www.rom.on.ca. from the words of the Elders? Explain why you think this is so. Social Media Resources • Does anything you have heard about or discussed so far lead you to think Inuit Taking It Global Global Youth Action should change the way they hunt and use Network Youth For Climate Action/UNICEF the land today? Explain your ideas and support them with examples. •••

Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre is the sole Conclusion copyright holder of the drawings produced by Have students select a climate action Donald Uluadluak (shown below). Reproduced program to investigate. The task is to prepare with permission. a summary of the program objectives and activities, and to explain how the program may or may not support positive stewardship among youth.

SPRING 2020 50 ROOT & STEM Educator Resources

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