Northern Public Affairs Volume 2 Special Issue 2014 The future of Inuit education MARY SIMON & PAUL QUASSA ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᓇᔪᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐅᔪᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ The residental school system LIZ FOWLER & MINDY WILLETT Nunavut Sivuniksavut: The little program that could MURRAY ANGUS & BECKY MEARNS Developing an education research agenda in Nunavut HEATHER McGREGOR A proactive approach to post-secondary preparation JODIE LANE Engaging parents in education policy change FIONA WALTON, et al. Revitalizing Language, learning, & the promise of Nunavut LAURIE PELLY EDUCATION in northernpublicaffairs.ca INUIT NUNANGAT Change, growth, and development are characteristics of any living society and, beyond question, the Northwest Territories is now experiencing an extraordinary surge in these natural processes. We cannot refuse the challenges they pose, but we can say something about the direction in which they may take us. Central to any society’s efforts to influence the direction of change is its people’s ability to participate in the planning processes. And, beyond question, learning is the major factor in a people’s ability to participate in such planning. We argue, therefore, that learning is the key to our future. — Learning: Tradition and Change in the Northwest Territories, Report of the Special Committee on Education 1982. Northern Public Affairs Special Issue 2014 FEATURES LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Education in Inuit Nunangat: A fine balance 4 GUEST EDITORIALS A time for bold action 6 ᐱᒋᐊᕆᐊᓪᓚᕆᖕᓂᖅ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓂᕐᒥᒃ 8 Mary Simon A collective call to action 11 ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖃᑎᒌᒐᓱᐊᖅᑐᑦ 12 Terry Audla OVERHEARD Statements on education from the assemblies 14 of Nunavut and Nunatsiavut NORTHERN VOICES Adaptation and resilience — The Inuvialuit story 18 Nellie Cournoyea IN CONVERSATION Mary Simon & the Hon. Paul Quassa 23 INTERVIEW Education in Nunavut: Report of the 30 Auditor General of Canada ARTICLES A proactive approach to post-secondary preparation 34 Language, learning, & the promise of Nunavut 61 Jodie Lane Laurie Pelly ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᓇᔪᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ 36 Nunavut Sivuniksavut: The little program that could 66 ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐅᔪᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ Murray Angus & Becky Mearns The residental school system in Canada 40 Liz Fowler & Mindy Willett Post-secondary education in Inuit Nunangat: 70 Learning from past experiences Early childhood learning in Aotearoa 42 Thierry Rodon, et al. & Inuit Nunangat Mary Caroline Rowan Developing an education research 77 agenda in Nunavut Engaging parents & Inuit leaders in 49 Heather E. McGregor education policy change Fiona Walton, et al. Research abstracts from the graduates 80 of the Nunavut Master of Education Genuine community ownership 55 of Northern education RESEARCH NOTES 85 Donald J. Taylor, et al. Northern Public Affairs Volume 2 Special Issue 2014 Guest Editorial Team Mary Simon Peter Geikie Patricia D'Souza Heather Ochalski Amaujaq National Centre for Inuit Education Managing Editor Sheena Kennedy Dalseg Founding Editors Joshua Gladstone Sheena Kennedy Dalseg Jerald Sabin Advisory Board Frances Abele (Cantley, Québec) Kirk Cameron (Whitehorse, Yukon) Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories) Aviaq Johnston (Iqaluit, Nunavut) Michael Nadli (Fort Providence, Northwest Territories) Mary Ellen Thomas (Iqaluit, Nunavut) Valoree Walker (Whitehorse, Yukon) Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory (Iqaluit, Nunavut) Layout Production Joshua Laidlaw Jerald Sabin Copy Editing Alex Merrill Translation and Transcription Jeela Palluq-Cloutier Mary Simon Qajaaq Ellsworth Peter Ellsworth Liz Fowler LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters should be sent with the writer’s name, address, and daytime phone number via email to [email protected], or by mail to Northern Public Affairs P.O. Box 517, Stn. B, Ottawa, ON CANADA K1P 5P6. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. All letters be- come property of Northern Public Affairs and will not be returned. VOLUME 2, Special Issue 2014, April 15, 2014. NORTHERN PUBLIC AFFAIRS (ISSN pending) is published three times a year by Northern Public Affairs. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Visit www.northernpublicaffairs.ca. NORTHERN PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS A TRADEMARK OF NORTHERN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. COPYRIGHT ©2014 NORTHERN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN CANADA. FEATURES LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Education in Inuit Nunangat: A fine balance Sheena Kennedy Dalseg he school system has always been a critical and healthy, vibrant, and productive society. While each complex public issue in Northern Canada, ow- region has its own ideas and plans, all four share ingT to its colonial roots and its subsequent role as a some common experiences and challenges, and all key element of the Inuit movement toward self-de- four want to see continued success and improvement termination. In the course of one lifetime, respon- for their young people. sibility for Inuit education has changed hands from Motivated by this momentum and public en- extended families, to the churches, to the federal gagement on education and schooling, the Amaujaq government, to the territorial and provincial govern- National Centre for Inuit Education and Northern ments, and finally (back) to Inuit through land claims Public Affairshave partnered to publish a special issue and self-government agreements, and the creation on Inuit education that brings together a diversity of a new territory. With each handover came signifi- of perspectives on education and education research cant changes in vision and implementation. Some of in Inuit Nunangat covering a range of topics that these changes have been positive, while others have explore some of the challenges facing policymakers, had problematic, if not damaging, effects. educators, communities, and students, and — im- In recent years, education in Inuit Nunangat has portantly — showcase some of the exciting and in- received considerable attention due in large part to novative initiatives taking place in the four regions. the work of the National Committee on Inuit Ed- One of the underlying themes of this issue is the ucation. Its National Strategy for Inuit Education was ever-present challenge of striking a balance within launched in 2011, sparking national and regional the education system — a balance that includes: discussion about the challenges and opportunities economic, social, and cultural objectives; individual associated with transforming the education systems and collective (societal) goals and aspirations; long in the four Inuit regions. Education was, perhaps, and short term labour market needs; and Inuit and the central issue in Nunavut’s October 2013 elec- non-Inuit knowledge and ways of learning. What tion, and the newly minted Premier Taptuna has the “right” balance is, and who determines it, will identified it as a key priority for his government. be different in every context, and it will undoubtedly The Government of the Northwest Territories shift and change over time in response to many announced its Aboriginal Student Achievement factors both internal and external. Education Plan in 2011, and in 2012, the NWT The challenge of striking the right balance be- Education Renewal and Innovation Initiative was tween training the future labour force and educating launched, both of which seek to examine the edu- healthy, capable, and productive citizens who can cation system and improve outcomes. In 2013, the make genuine and informed choices about their in- Kativik School Board, which was created under the dividual and collective futures is one shared by all ju- 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement risdictions and societies across Canada. In the North, and opened in 1978, celebrated its 35th year, prompt- the pressures of meeting short-term labour market ing reflection on the school system, and dialogue in needs in the resource and mining sector makes the the region about the future. At present, the Nunat- challenge of finding this balance even greater. siavut Government is building on the successes it has It is for all of these reasons that informed and had in the Post-Secondary Support Program, and is sustained public engagement and communication working closely with the Labrador School Board to about the education system is important and nec- examine how best to transfer the provision of K-12 essary. This requires not only parental engagement education in the region. and improved relationships between communities While there is diversity within and among re- and schools, but also a commitment on the part of gions, it is clear that citizens and communities across researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to en- Inuit Nunangat are concerned about their respective gage and collaborate with one another. Government education systems and schools. And it is clear that at all levels can support these critical components education is understood to be a core element of a through leadership, facilitation, and adequate 4 Northern Public Affairs, Special Issue 2014 Photo credit: NWT Archives//G-1979-023: 0795. NWT Archives//G-1979-023: Photo credit: Students in school, teacher stands at front of classroom pointing to syllabics on black board, circa 1971. longer-term funding. It has been a pleasure collaborating with the In this issue, you will find pieces that speak to Amaujaq Centre on NPA’s 2014 Special Issue on In- many different aspects and stages of the education uit Education. In particular, we would like to thank system including: bilingual and bi-cultural educa- Mary Simon, Peter Geikie, Patricia D’Souza, and tion; the relationship between