DOCSLIB.ORG

Nunavut Residential School Survivor Hopes Records Are Not Destroyed

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nunavut Residential School Survivor Hopes Records Are Not Destroyed 9/10/2015 NunatsiaqOnline 2014­07­29: NEWS: Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed NEWS THIS WEEK’S ADS FEATURES EDITORIAL JOBS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TENDERS TAISSUMANI NOTICES COMMENTARY ADVERTISING NEWS TIPS PRIVACY POLICY RATE CARD/MEDIA KIT NEWS: Nunavut July 29, 2014 ­ 5:55 am SUBSCRIBE EMAIL AD DEPARTMENT Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed "Canadians have a right, duty and responsibility to know what happened to us" LISA GREGOIRE The fate of thousands of pages of testimony about physical, sexual and psychological abuse at Canada’s notorious residential Search schools now lies with Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Perell, but at least one residential school survivor hopes they are not destroyed. Piita Irniq, who attended three residential schools, including Chesterfield Inlet’s Joseph Bernier School and its notorious Turquetil Hall residence, and who publicly, and repeatedly, disclosed the extent of abuse he suffered there, said July 28 that destroying those documents would be a grave injustice. “If that happens, then you’re destroying the words of healing, you’re destroying the experience,” Irniq said. “Were the Jews’ statements about the Holocaust destroyed too? If you destroy them, you destroy the history of Aboriginal people. The pain and the healing would go away.” The case, heard in Ontario court in Piita Irniq drum­dances inside a qaggiq built for a 2013 event in mid­July, hinges on whether Rankin Inlet to commemorate the healing journey of residential school survivors. (PHOTO COURTESY OF PIITA IRNIQ) promises of confidentiality made to those who came forward to tell their stories in private at the independent assessment process — separate from the public TRC hearings — would be breached by archiving transcripts of that testimony. The Saskatoon lawyer and head of the Independent Assessment Process, Dan Shapiro, thinks so and he has argued that transcripts must be destroyed to protect the identity and privacy of survivors, something that was guaranteed at the outset of the process. But Julian Falconer, a lawyer for the TRC, said preserving the documents does not mean publication and that destroying them would cause irreversible damage to the Canadian historical record. Some have suggested keeping the transcripts archived and inaccessible for a few decades, during which efforts could be made to contact survivors and attempt to gain their permission to include their accounts in the historical record. According to Canadian Press reports of the court proceedings, Perell said he was struggling to determine the lesser of two harms and was leaning toward this type of temporary retention option. Irniq said that sounds reasonable because it allows individuals to make their own decision on whether to share their story or have it deleted from the record. http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_residential_school_survivor_hopes_records_are_not_destroyed/ 1/7 9/10/2015 NunatsiaqOnline 2014­07­29: NEWS: Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed “If they want to keep them confidential, that’s okay with me,” he said. Irniq said retaining as many details as possible about the experience of thousands of Inuit and First Nations children at residential schools, and making those stories part of Canada’s overall history, is long overdue and crucial not only to Aboriginal peoples but Canadians at large. “I have said all along Canadians have a right, duty and responsibility to know what happened to us because it’s their tax dollars which paid for our education at those residential schools,” Irniq said. Irniq, who is employed by Corrections Canada as an Aboriginal elder and who visits Inuit men in jail for cultural and spiritual purposes, said most of the men he meets with are either survivors of residential schools or the children of survivors who suffered cyclical abuse or neglect as a result of their wounded parents. “Now, it’s become a very big issue because now we are trying to help the intergenerationals,” he said. “By destroying the statements of pain, by destroying statements of wanting to heal from the impact of trauma, it means destroying Canadian history. And this would not be fair, and it would not be acceptable to me.” Perell has not yet made a decision in the case. http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_residential_school_survivor_hopes_records_are_not_destroyed/ 2/7 9/10/2015 NunatsiaqOnline 2014­07­29: NEWS: Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_residential_school_survivor_hopes_records_are_not_destroyed/ 3/7 9/10/2015 NunatsiaqOnline 2014­07­29: NEWS: Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_residential_school_survivor_hopes_records_are_not_destroyed/ 4/7 9/10/2015 NunatsiaqOnline 2014­07­29: NEWS: Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_residential_school_survivor_hopes_records_are_not_destroyed/ 5/7 9/10/2015 NunatsiaqOnline 2014­07­29: NEWS: Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_residential_school_survivor_hopes_records_are_not_destroyed/ 6/7 9/10/2015 NunatsiaqOnline 2014­07­29: NEWS: Nunavut residential school survivor hopes records are not destroyed Copyright © 1995­2015 Nortext Publishing Corporation (Iqaluit) and may not be reprinted for commercial publication in print, or any other media, without the permission of the publisher. Nunatsiaq News, PO Box 8, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 • Ph. (867) 979­5357 • Fax (867) 979­4763 • Send letters to: [email protected] Advertising: 1­800­263­1452 ext 131 • FAX: 1­800­417­2474 • EMAIL: [email protected] http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_residential_school_survivor_hopes_records_are_not_destroyed/ 7/7.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mining and Communities in Northern Canada : History, Politics, and Memory
    University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository University of Calgary Press University of Calgary Press Open Access Books 2015-11 Mining and communities in Northern Canada : history, politics, and memory Keeling, Arn; Sandlos, John University of Calgary Press Keeling, A., & Sandlos, J. (Eds.). (2015). Mining and Communities in Northern Canada: History, Politics, and Memory. Canada: University of Calgary Press. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/51021 book http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca MINING AND COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN CANADA: HISTORY, POLITICS, AND MEMORY Edited by Arn Keeling and John Sandlos ISBN 978-1-55238-805-1 THIS BOOK IS AN OPEN ACCESS E-BOOK. It is an electronic version of a book that can be purchased in physical form through any bookseller or on-line retailer, or from our distributors. Please support this open access publication by requesting that your university purchase a print copy of this book, or by purchasing a copy yourself. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] Cover Art: The artwork on the cover of this book is not open access and falls under traditional copyright provisions; it cannot be reproduced in any way without written permission of the artists and their agents. The cover can be displayed as a complete cover image for the purposes of publicizing this work, but the artwork cannot be extracted from the context of the cover of this specific work without breaching the artist’s copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • Unlearning Qallunaat Ways 1
    Running Head: Unlearning Qallunaat Ways 1 Unlearning Qallunaat Ways: Self-Reflection and Transformation While Working in Nunavut A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Education In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education University of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown, PE October 22, 2017 UNLEARNING QALLUNAAT WAYS 2 Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to explore my personal journey of transformation as it took place while working with Inuit educational leaders and youth in Nunavut from 2011 to 2015. Using autoethnography, I provide a background to who I was before working with Inuit, and then go on to explore how I learned about the history of education in Nunavut, about the process of colonization, and the emotions felt as I struggled to come to terms with my privilege as a white, middle-class Canadian and descendant of European settlers while working within an Indigenous context. I conclude by sharing the importance of building relationships as a way of healing and moving forward with a goal of becoming an ally and trying to do my small part in the reconciliation process. KEY WORDS: Qallunaat, autoethnography, Nunavut, Inuit, settler UNLEARNING QALLUNAAT WAYS 3 Dedication An Inuit educational leader and participant in the Nunavut Master of Education program 2010-2013 shared the following advice: [N]o matter how difficult, no matter how negative it seems, you need to move forward. Like my late grandmother would always say, “In life, you will come across boulders that will stop you from moving on the path. Go around that boulder, go over that boulder, but don’t go under it because then you will force whatever is slowing you down to overpower you.” Think of this program as a tool, as a way to overcome the issues that you face, that your school faces, and what your community faces.
    [Show full text]
  • 15-Year Anniversary of Project Naming Regaining Inuit, Métis Nation and First Nations History, One Picture at a Time
    15-year anniversary of Project Naming Regaining Inuit, Métis Nation and First Nations history, one picture at a time PROGRAM MARCH 1–3, 2017—Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa—Pellan Room MARCH 2 afternoon session is held at Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG) Register to individual sessions Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Morning and afternoon sessions at Library and Archives Canada 8:30–9:15 am—Registration in the lobby. 9:15–9:25 am—Opening prayer by Elder Sally Webster (born in Qamanittuaq [Baker Lake], Nunavut). 9:25–9:30 am—Welcoming remarks by Normand Charbonneau, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Operating Officer, Library and Archives Canada. Session One, Part A Project Naming: From the Past to the Future Moderator: Henry Kudluk, Aboriginal Awareness Officer, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada 9:30–10:00 am Murray Angus (retired) and Morley Hanson, Instructors from Nunavut Sivuniksavut: discussion about the inspiration behind Project Naming. Guests are encouraged to participate in the discussion. 10:00–10:30 am Beth Greenhorn, Manager of Project Naming, Library and Archives Canada: discussion about the evolution of Project Naming; success stories will be shared. All guests are encouraged to participate in the discussion. 10:30–11:00 am Speakers’ corner—invited guests and participants are encouraged to share personal stories and memories about photographs from the Library and Archives collection. Musical performance by students from Nunavut Sivuniksavut. 1 Session One, Part B- Project Naming: A Dialogue Moderator: Henry Kudluk 11:00–11:45 am Elder Piita Irniq (born near Naujaat [Repulse Bay], Nunavut) will engage in a dialogue including students from Nunavut Sivuniksavut where stories and photos from their past will be shared.
    [Show full text]
  • Nunavut, a Creation Story. the Inuit Movement in Canada's Newest Territory
    Syracuse University SURFACE Dissertations - ALL SURFACE August 2019 Nunavut, A Creation Story. The Inuit Movement in Canada's Newest Territory Holly Ann Dobbins Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/etd Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Dobbins, Holly Ann, "Nunavut, A Creation Story. The Inuit Movement in Canada's Newest Territory" (2019). Dissertations - ALL. 1097. https://surface.syr.edu/etd/1097 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the SURFACE at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations - ALL by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This is a qualitative study of the 30-year land claim negotiation process (1963-1993) through which the Inuit of Nunavut transformed themselves from being a marginalized population with few recognized rights in Canada to becoming the overwhelmingly dominant voice in a territorial government, with strong rights over their own lands and waters. In this study I view this negotiation process and all of the activities that supported it as part of a larger Inuit Movement and argue that it meets the criteria for a social movement. This study bridges several social sciences disciplines, including newly emerging areas of study in social movements, conflict resolution, and Indigenous studies, and offers important lessons about the conditions for a successful mobilization for Indigenous rights in other states. In this research I examine the extent to which Inuit values and worldviews directly informed movement emergence and continuity, leadership development and, to some extent, negotiation strategies.
    [Show full text]
  • Inuk Magazine
    #82 1997 c c c c c c c c cPddddc c 8dddddc c c8ddddddc c 8dddddddc c c8ddddddddc c y8dddddddddc c PddddddddddSc c c8dddddddddd@c c 8ddddddddddH c c8ddddddddd@w c 8ddddddddd@c c c8dddddddddH c 8ddddddddHw c c8ddddddd@w c 8ddddddd@c c c8dddddddH c y8dddddd@w c Pddddddd@c c c8dddddddH c 8dddddd@w c yPddddddTu c8dddddd@c c cyPddddddddddddddddTuc 8ddddddH c cyPddddddddddddddddddddTuc c8ddddd@w c cPdddddddHwfcsRddddddddTc 8ddddd@c c y8ddd@wc s9ddddA c8ddddd@ c PddddH cRddddAc 8ddddd@c c c8ddd@w cs9dddAhfc8ddddd@ c y8ddd@c 9dddIhf8ddddd@c c Pdddd@ c9dddvchc8dddddH c c8dddd@c xdddAh8dddd@w c cUddddH cQdddAcfc8dddd@c c tddd@w c9dddAf8dddd@ c c8dd@c xddddIec8ddddHc c cddc 8dddr cQddddvc8ddd@wc c c8dddSc cxddddAc8ddd@ c 8ddd@c Qdddddddd@c c c8ddd@ xddddddd@ c cUddd@c cdddddd@c c cyPdddddTu tddd@ cddddd@ c cyPdddddddddddT c8dddrc tdddd@c c yPdddddddddddddddAc 8dddSgyPdddddddc c8ddddr c cyPdddddddddddddddddddAucyPdTgc8ddd@fyPdddddddddv y8dddddc c yPdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddIg8ddd@cePdddddddddddI Pdddddddc c cPdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddvcec8ddd@ecy8ddddddddddddd c8ddddddddc yPdddc c 8ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddAuey8ddd@ccyPdddddddddddddddvc 8dddHddddc yPdddddddddddv c UddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddccPdddddddddddddddddIc cy8dd@wccddddc cyPddddddddddddddddddd c dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddA8dddddddddddddddddddv cPddd@ecddddddddTuchfcyPdT yPdddddddddddddddddddddddddr c QddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddHcRdddddddddddddddddddddddcddddddddAchf8dddHcecddddddddddddddddddddddddddddI
    [Show full text]
  • Letter to Prime Minister Extradition Of
    b::J(l~ .&><>->G f\?'oO<:~c-<ln ~ (..5)( Build,ng /Vt.mavv;/ Together MmitUUhuq ahg,ingn,q B~lIr le /Vu,,"vu t ensemble ,.J~(""~bn .! "$l.bC~b n n<;~S\'L <I. (j Office of Premier Joe Savikataaq Hivuliqtip Joe Savikataaq Havakvingani Bureau du Premier ministre Joe Savikataaq February 28 , 2019 The RI Hon. Justin Trudeau , P.C. , M.P. Prime Minister of Canada Parliament of Canada Ottawa , Ontario K1A OA2 Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, I write on behalf of Nunavummiut, to express my concern about a distressing issue that remains unresolved, after nearly 50 years- the extradition of Fr. Joannes Rivoire from France. It has come to my attention that the federal government has decided not to pursue the extradition of Fr. Rivoire. In January 2018, former Premier Paul Quassa wrote to you , expressing his support for this extradition. I have included his original letter in this package. From what I understand, a reply was never provided, and we have since learned that this extradition process has been abandoned from a recent media report. The alleged crimes of Fr. Rivoire have created a devastating legacy in Nunavut, one that continues to impact our families, and cultivate lingering trauma. I am dismayed that we were never extended the courtesy of notice about this decision, and I re-iterate the urgency of exploring the extradition of Fr. Rivoire as soon as possible. His alleged victims in Nunavut deserve justice, and to begin to heal from this dark chapter. I thank you in advance for your understanding of the gravity of this issue, and to the fair resolution to this situation.
    [Show full text]
  • Canadian Catalogue
    rs! g 50 Yea ubcCelebratin press thought that Canadian counts catalogue Fall 2021 University of British Columbia Press CONTENTS UBC PRESS BOOKS BY SUBJECT New Books 2–36 Anthropology 19 Canadian History 6, 21–23 New Titles from Our Publishing Partners Critical Race Studies 25 University of Alabama Press 42–44, 50–51 Disability Studies 36 University of Arizona Press 44–45, 51–53 Education 5 Bucknell University Press 43, 65 Environmental History 29–31 University Press of Colorado 53–54 Foreign Policy 32 Concordia University Press 47 Geography 20 University of Delaware Press 65 Indigenous Art 2–3, 15 University Press of Florida 39, 46, 55 Indigenous Studies 7, 16, 18–19 University of Hawai‘i Press 41, 56–57 International Law 14 Island Press 45, 49, 57–58 Law 11–14 University of Massachusetts Press 38–39, 42, 58–59 Legal History 9–10 University Press of Mississippi 40, 47, 49, 60–61 Media Ethics and Policy 27 University of New Mexico Press 43–44, 46, 62 Media Studies 24 Oregon State University Press 39–40, 45, 63 Métis Studies 17 Rutgers University Press 38, 47–48, 64–65 Military History 8, 34–35 University of Texas Press 48–49, 66 Nursing History 33 Universitas Press 67 Post-Secondary Education 4 West Virginia University Press 38, 41, 68 Public Policy 28 Ordering Information INSIDE BACK COVER Social Policy 28 Transnationalism and Migration 26 Urban Planning 29 Women and Politics 8 Women’s Studies 21 UBC PRESS BOOKS BY TITLE Able to Lead 36 Frontiers of Feminism 21 Quietly Shrinking Cities 29 Adjusting the Lens 3 The Government of Natural
    [Show full text]
  • Mining and Communities in Northern Canada : History, Politics, and Memory
    University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository University of Calgary Press University of Calgary Press Open Access Books 2015-11 Mining and communities in Northern Canada : history, politics, and memory Keeling, Arn; Sandlos, John University of Calgary Press Keeling, A., & Sandlos, J. (Eds.). (2015). Mining and Communities in Northern Canada: History, Politics, and Memory. Canada: University of Calgary Press. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/51021 book http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca MINING AND COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN CANADA: HISTORY, POLITICS, AND MEMORY Edited by Arn Keeling and John Sandlos ISBN 978-1-55238-805-1 THIS BOOK IS AN OPEN ACCESS E-BOOK. It is an electronic version of a book that can be purchased in physical form through any bookseller or on-line retailer, or from our distributors. Please support this open access publication by requesting that your university purchase a print copy of this book, or by purchasing a copy yourself. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] Cover Art: The artwork on the cover of this book is not open access and falls under traditional copyright provisions; it cannot be reproduced in any way without written permission of the artists and their agents. The cover can be displayed as a complete cover image for the purposes of publicizing this work, but the artwork cannot be extracted from the context of the cover of this specific work without breaching the artist’s copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • Post-War Changes in the Arctic
    POST-WAR CHANGES The Eskimo Identification Tag System The federal government’s notion of a “modern” state included a need to keep track of the people. Between IN THE ARCTIC 1941 and 1978, the federal government implemented the Eskimo Identification Tag System and assigned each Inuk a four-digit number. The system was designed to help Qallunaat (non-Inuit) record the names of Inuit after World War II Inuit living in settlement areas and to facilitate Inuit had long lived as an egalitarian the distribution of family allowances and other people, moving from place to place in governmental programs and services. In this way, it small hunting groups. Though they brought Inuit more closely under federal government continued to do so after adapting to control. the fur trade, the federal government believed Inuit would be better off living in permanent settlements and began a policy of relocation. Inuit communities were established near trading posts, military bases, and weather stations. Figure 4 This photo of Juunaisi (also known The sedentary lifestyle made Inuit more as Eunice Arreak) was taken in August 1945 at vulnerable to changes in the global fur Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik/Tununiq), Nunavut. market, and when the fur trade collapsed, Her identification number was used in all official documentation. How was the use they could not earn sufficient income to of these identification numbers similar to purchase goods. In addition, caribou—a and different from the current use of Social source of traditional food for Inuit—was Insurance Numbers? Figure 2 These photos are from Inuk photographer Barry scarce.
    [Show full text]
  • The Residential School System in Canada: Understanding the Past – Seeking Reconciliation – Building Hope for Tomorrow
    TEACHER’S GUIDE The Residential School System in Canada: Understanding the Past – Seeking Reconciliation – Building Hope for Tomorrow Second Edition Second Edition ©2013 Government of Northwest Territories, Government of Nunavut, and the Legacy of Hope Foundation This resource was developed and published by the Design and Production: following Partners: NationMedia + Design, Legacy of Hope Foundation Department of Education, Culture and Employment, Government of Northwest Territories P.O. Box 1320 ISBN: Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9 978-0-7708-0206-6 Phone: 867-873-7176 Reproduction, in whole or in part, of this document for Fax: 867-873-0109 personal use and in particular for educational purposes, www.ece.gov.nt.ca is authorized, proived the following conditions are respected: non-commercial distribution; respect of the document's integrity (no modification or alteration of Department of Education, Government of Nunavut any kind); and a clear acknowledgement of its source P.O. Box 1000, Station 910 as follows: 2nd Floor, Sivummut Building Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 Residential School System in Canada: Understanding Phone: 867-975-5600 the Past – Seeking Reconciliation – Building Hope for Fax: 867-975-5605 Tomorrow. Department of Education, Culture and www.gov.nu.ca Employment (GWNT), Department of Education (GN), Legacy of Hope Foundation, 2013. Legacy of Hope Foundation Unauthorized use of the name and logo of the 75 Albert Street, Suite 801 Governments of The Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7 and the Legacy of Hope Foundation is prohibited. Phone: 613-237-4806 or toll-free: 877-553-7177 The Partners wish to acknowledge the support of the Fax: 613-237-4442 following institutions: www.legacyofhope.ca The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre; and Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Cover Images 1.
    [Show full text]
  • 2014-2015 NS Annual Report.Pptx
    Nunavut Sivuniksavut The award-winning college program for Inuit Youth Annual Activity Report 2014-2015 Celebrating 30 Years of Inuit Education ! 450 Rideau St. Suite 201, Ottawa, ON K1N 5Z4 Tel: 613-244-4937 Fax: 613-244-0058 [email protected] www.nstraining.ca Registered Charitable # 86880 1630 RT0001 www.nstraining.ca Message from the Chair On behalf of the Board of NS, I'm pleased to share with you the report of the NS program's 30th year. In it, you'll see the amazing array of experiences that NS students go through each year. All of these elements add up to an experience that helps our youth get to know their own history, culture and land claims agreements, and to learn about themselves (as individuals, and as Inuit), and their place in the bigger world. The students' comments at the end of this report will give you a glimpse of how transformative the program has been for them in terms of their pride in their Inuit identity, and their confidence in their ability to reach further goals. Pujjuut Kusugak Chair Two aspects of the past year deserve to be highlighted: the first was the graduation of two students from Nunatsiavut - the first ever! The second, was the NS@30 conference and alumni reunion held at on April 27-29, 2015. This wonderful event was an opportunity to celebrate the program's three decades of innovative programming, to share that experience with educators from Canada and abroad, and a wonderful occasion for alumni to share memories and renew friendships.
    [Show full text]
  • Decolonizing the Nunavut School System: Stories in a River of Time
    DECOLONIZING THE NUNAVUT SCHOOL SYSTEM: STORIES IN A RIVER OF TIME by Heather Elizabeth McGregor B.A.H., Acadia University, 2005 M.A., Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, 2008 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Curriculum Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) March 2015 © Heather Elizabeth McGregor, 2015 Abstract This research explores the recent history of educational change in Nunavut’s public school system, primarily between the years 2000 and 2013. During this time, decision makers mandated that schools deliver programs in accordance with Inuit foundations of knowledge, values and ways of being. I show how new school system initiatives were largely informed by long-term Nunavut educators—Inuit and non-Inuit—as well as Elders and Inuit knowledge holders, whose perspectives reach into the remembered past and towards an imagined future. My inquiry centres in-depth interviews with Cathy McGregor, an educational leader who carries 40 years experience North of 60°, and was responsible for facilitating many recent curriculum, policy, and leadership changes. Cathy is also my mother. Illuminated by her memories and vision, materials developed for the Nunavut school system, and my own research journey, I examine processes of bringing knowledge from and about the past forward in educational change. I describe three sites as demonstrating decolonizing: 1) The role of Inuit Elders in the school system, including full-time Elder Advisors; 2) Processes of curriculum development based on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit; and, 3) An annual leadership development workshop facilitating history education.
    [Show full text]