Newsletter # 3 Leadership and Governance CURA in Nunavut and Nunavik Life Story 1 2010 Arnait Nipingit. Voices of Inuit Women in Leadership and Governance OBJECTIVES The common objective of Qulliit and the CIÉRA’s CURA project Inuit Leadership in Nunavut and Nunavik was to make important Inuit women role models better known to Inuit youth and the general public. Inuit women tend to have more success in school than Inuit men and therefore generally reach higher levels of education but they are much less represented in elected posi- tions. The Arnait Nipingit Leadership Summit and the book published on that occasion were important contributions to support and value women’s identity in Nunavut. It was also a call to young Inuit women to take the lead in public life and contribute directly to transform the current family crises. SUMMARY Arnait Nipingit is a project that was first pro- posed by Qulliit, the Nunavut Status of Women PARTNERS Council, to make a book from testimonies of a dozen Inuit women who have been, or are cur- Nunavut Secretariat, Government rently involved in public life. Qulliit wanted this of Nunavut book to be published at the occasion of a confe- Qulliit Status of Women Council rence held in Iqaluit in September 2010 called, Nunavut Arctic College. Arnait Nipingit (“Women’s Voices”) Leadership Summit. Twelve interviews are published in the Arnait Video Production (Igloolik) book: Donna Adams, Nancy Anilniliak, Okalik ISUMA.TV Eegeesiak, Leena Evic, Ann Meekitjuk Hanson, Rhoda Innuksuk, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Made- leine Redfern, Joan Scottie, Elisapee Sheutiapik, Manitok Thomson, and Sheila Watt-Cloutier. [email protected] Newsletter # 3 Leadership and Governance CURA in Nunavut and Nunavik OUTCOMES BOOK DISTRIBUTION ORGANIZERS • 80 books were distributed at the Arnait Nipin- git Women Leadership Summit Louis McComber, Shannon Partridge (editors) • 35 copies of the book were ordered by the Karliin Aariak, Louis McComber, Shannon Partridge Canadian Studies Program of Carleton Univer- (interviewers) sity to be used in class with students Leena Evic, Jean Kusugak, Gloria Putumiraqtuq • The book will be officially launched at the CIÉ- (translators) RA’s annual conference in Quebec City Kowesa Etitiq, Francis Lévesque (researchers) • The book will be distributed in book stores in Ryan Van Bruggen, Nunavut Secretariat, Govern- southern Canada through Nunavut Arctic Col- ment of Nunavut (concept of the book with women lege distribution service leaders, liaison with Qulliiit, the Minister responsible • The book will be distributed in the Arctic for the Status of Women, and the researchers) through the Arctic Co-operatives Limited Shylah Elliott (executive Director of Qulliit Status of network of retail stores servicing 32 arctic com- Women Council, selection of women contributors) munities Susan Sammons (director of the Language and Culture Program at Nunavut Arctic College) MEDIA Nunatsiaq News: Arnait Nipingit Online http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/sto- ries/article/22091066_arnait_media_ productions_puts_arnait_nipingat_on- line/ CBC North http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ north/story/2010/09/13/nunavut-wo- men-leadership-summit.html Igloolik Arnait Video Blog: http://www.isuma.tv/hi/en/arnait-nipingit-womens-leadership-summit/ mystream116 Editors’ Presentation presented at the Arnait Nipingit Women Leadership Summit online at ISUMA.TV http://www.isuma.tv/hi/en/serpentine-communicationss-channel/arnait-nipin- git-presentation-mccomber-partridge [email protected] Donna Adams, Nancy Anilniliak, Okalik Eegeesiak, Leena Evic, Ann Meekitjuk ONE Hanson, Rhoda Innuksuk, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Madeleine Redfern, Joan Inuit Leadership and Governance Scottie, Elisapee Sheutiapik, Manitok Thompson, Sheila Watt-Cloutier Arnait Nipingit This book gathers the reflections of eleven Inuit women who have taken the risk of leadership in Canada and beyond. Whether an Arnait Nipingit advocate, policy maker, or cultural leader, each woman tells the story of her journey toward becoming a voice for her fellow Inuit. Solid Voices of Inuit Women in Leadership and Governance cultural values and a strong sense of service are their common Voices of Inuit Women in Leadership and Governance denominators, even if their missions and personal convictions vary. Some are leaders in cultural development and environmentalism; others thrived as members of territorial legislatures. Some are advocates in their home communities; others took their passion for public issues to national and international arenas. In every case, these women are driven by a desire to see Inuit society flourish through its language, traditions, and institutions. Edited by Louis McComber and Shannon Partridge Arnait Nipingit “Arnait Nipingit was produced through a partnership between Nunavut Arctic College, Laval University’s CIERA (Centre interuniversitaire d’études et de recherches autochtones), the Qullit Nunavut Status of Women Council, and Nunavut’s Department of Education. The book series entitled Inuit Leadership and Governance is part of a CIERA research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and its Community-University Research Alliance program. Edited by Louis McComber and Shannon Partridge.