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MAY 2018 IN REVIEW: Education, kamiik and TV in Inuktitut

Pauktuutit engages men

Mittimatalik/Pond Inlet

Pauktuutit was headed to Pond Inlet to deliver two days of training May 8 and 9.

The training was part of the Inuit women's organization's project called Pilimmaksarniq, Engaging Men and Boys in Reducing Violence against Women and Girls.

The project was "to support measures to address violence against Inuit women and girls by engaging men and boys through the enhancement of available tools and resources to facilitate and sustain their health and healing," according to a statement from the organization.

"The secondary objective is to dismantle communities' harmful values and beliefs that tolerate violence against women and girls through public disapproval of violence."

Pauktuutit was seeking to train Inuit men over the age of 18 in the Baffin region on the Pilimmaksarniq Toolkit.

"The training will provide an opportunity for men to build skills to help support the wellness of Inuit men and boys in their communities," stated Pauktuutit.

 

Student dreams big

Naujaat

Among 85 scholarship recipients across Canada, Rosalie Ijjangiaq was the only Northern recipient of the national Horatio Alger Scholarship.

photo courtesy Rosalie Ijjangiaq
Rosalie Ijjangiaq of Tuugaalik High School in Naujaat is the only recipient from any of the Northern territories of the national Horatio Alger Scholarship.

Ijjangiaq was a student at the Tuugaalik High School in Naujaat

"It's pretty unbelievable," said Ijjangiaq. "I thought I wouldn't be able to get it."

Ashley Buckle, the school's student support teacher.

"What I found interesting about this award is no-one in Nunavut had ever applied or received it. I thought, let's change that," she said.

"We approached some students and Rosalie in particular was very interested. She's very interested in going to school."

Members of the Horatio Alger Association of Canada are part of a select group of exceptional Canadians who have triumphed over adversity and who encourage young people to pursue their dreams through higher education, according to its website. Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is an example of a Member with humble beginnings.

Ijjangiaq planned on using the $5,000 scholarship to help her out with her plans to attend Nunavut Arctic College's college foundation program in Rankin Inlet.

 

Kamiik-making course wrapped up

Kinngait/Cape Dorset

Seven people completed a months-long kamiik-making course in Cape Dorset, allowing them to walk away in their own sealskin boots.

Mary Joanasie was one of the students in the Nunavut Arctic College course, under the tutelage of instructors Nuvalinga Kingwatsiak and Annie Pitseolak. Joanasie said she doesn't have a grandmother or an aunt to teach her this skill, so she was eager to get involved.

"It's something that I've always wanted to learn and I knew it was a really huge undertaking," she said. "We did the preparation of the skins ourselves. We cleaned them, we stretched them and they had to dry for a period of time. Then we scraped them and softened them."

A combination of hand-held tools and chewing on the soles softened the material, Joanasie said.

The stitching had to be precise, she added.

"There was a lot of stitching and then taking stitches out and redoing them," she said, but added that she was pleased with how the boots turned out. "I love them. They're awesome."

 

Inuktitut show takes children out on the land

Nunavut

Pre-schoolers had some home-grown Saturday morning viewing to tune into when Anaana's Tent hit APTN in May.

photo courtesy Taqqut Productions Inc.
Host Rita Claire Mike-Murphy, left, and narrator Celina Kalluk welcome young television viewers to Anaana's Tent, a new television show for pre-schoolers on APTN.

The new kids' show stars Rita Claire Mike-Murphy who, since shooting wrapped up early last year, is gaining widespread attention and accolades as Riit with the release of her self-titled album last spring.

"Being on set, in front of the camera, that was new to me. I got pretty comfortable pretty quick," said Mike-Murphy, adding she spoke into the camera as though she was speaking to a real child.

Except when she talked with her husky buddy Qimmiq, performed by puppeteer Ippiksaut Friesen.

"It was cool. Ippiksaut, she's very good at that stuff. It wasn't weird at all because she's so good that she makes the puppet seem so realistic," said Mike-Murphy.

"I'm very proud and honoured that I was able to host the TV show in Inuktitut, which I think is going to be a huge benefit for kids in pre-school."

The show was set in summertime in the Arctic, Rita Claire sets up camp at her mother's tent on the land. With the help of her old husky, Qimmiq, and a cast of special friends, she sings songs, plays games, reads stories and learns new words in Inuktitut, according to the synopsis.

 

Women's council wants Haulli's award revoked

Iqaluit

Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council called for sexual offender Ike Haulli's Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal to be revoked.

"Qulliit's council members are expressing outrage at the conduct of Ike Haulli of Igloolik. Haulli's violent, predatory and calculated behaviour was heinous," stated the council.

"By referring to his crimes as mistakes, he attempted to minimize his acts of traumatizing violence."

Qulliit encouraged members of the public to support its stance by writing letters to Rideau Hall in Ottawa asking for the medal to be rescinded.

Haulli, owner of Savik Enterprises in Iglulik and a former president of the Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce, received the distinction in 2013. The medals were given to 60,000 Canadians for their contributions and achievements.

As a result of a civil suit earlier in the year, Haulli was ordered to pay $1.2 million to four victims of his sexual assaults, carried out between 1968 and 1986, when the victims were between four and 15 years old.

"We applaud all the women and girls who have so courageously come forward, who have been victimized by these violent acts," Qulliit's stated. "We stand with you against these crimes and this injustice. We offer you support through information and organizations wanting to assist you."

 

Qajuqturvik comes back from the brink

Iqaluit

The Qajuqturvik Food Centre in Iqaluit had good news to share at its May annual general meeting.

NNSL photo
Outgoing president of the Qajuqturvik Food Centre Wade Thorhaug provides two dozen Iqalungmiut an overview of the positive changes the organization has seen since September, as a new board is set to take over. The Iqaluit food centre provides an average of 168 meals to 77 Iqalungmiut each day.

It was no longer on the brink of disaster thanks to the work of the outgoing board of directors, two dozen residents in attendance heard.

"I would like to highlight the fact that in September of last year we were at one of our lowest points financially and in terms of capacity," said outgoing president Wade Thorhaug.

"I was actually calling suppliers and asking them not to cash cheques for the time being, until I could get money in the bank. Since then we've had a lot of fundraising success and we're in a much better position."

Qajuqturvik ended its fiscal year with a sizable surplus of $333,197.63 – but Thorhaug explained that was due to the late infusion of funds earlier this year and discussions were taking place to ensure those funds could be kept and used over time.

Aside from the fundraising efforts – money came from a long list of funders and donors – Qajuqturvik gained financial support from Indigenous Services Canada and the Community Food Centres of Canada.

 

GN, RCMP respond to Pang's plea

Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung

The Government of Nunavut and RCMP sent nine representatives to attend a special Hamlet of Pangnirtung council meeting after the community's appeal for help to three GN departments earlier in the month.

The hamlet's plea came after a rash of suicide attempts and an upsurge of violent incidents in the community.

"They've agreed to have a working group with the hamlet and a few of the (GN/RCMP) people locally to look at trying to address some of the issues that we brought forth," said Pangnirtung's senior administrative officer Ron Ladd.

The meeting was very productive, director of communications for the GN's Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs Catriona Macleod stated in an e-mail.

Council made a presentation to its visitors.

"Currently people seeking urgent support in Pangnirtung either do not receive the support they need and/or they do not get the support they need in a timely fashion. Evidence for this is that, as a rule, individuals go in vicious circles from crisis to crisis," council stated.

"The current system is fragmented and uncoordinated and therefore not effective in providing multi-disciplinary support."

 

Sanikiluaq passes 100-grad mark

Sanikiluaq

The community of Sanikiluaq, population 882 in 2016, could now boast breaking the 100-graduates marker with Paatsaali School's Class of 2018.

"We're pretty excited," said principal Tim Hoyt.

photo courtesy Paatsaali School
Nine new graduates at Paatsaali School in Sanikiluaq means the community can now claim it has more than 100 high school graduates. Back row, from left: Sappa Cookie and Jaani Audla. Middle row, from Left: Moses Audla, Quentin Sala, Paul Amagoalik and Joe Iqaluk. Front row, from left: Rebecca Qavvik, Alissa Amagoalik and Jane Kudluarok.

The nine new high school grads, who joined the previous 98 and were poised to receive their diplomas, were: Sappa Cookie, Jaani Audla, Moses Audla, Quentin Sala, Paul Amagoalik, Joe Iqaluk, Rebecca Qavvik, Alissa Amagoalik and Jane Kudluarok.

"We've had a lot of success since our new school opened (in 2011). We used to be a K-12 school," said Hoyt, who became principal in 2009.

"We used to follow a year-long schedule. Kids would register in September and take the same class all year for 45 minutes. I changed that to a semestered system, so instead of taking a class for 45 minutes you would take a class for an hour and a half."

Hoyt said the graduation rates in the community have more than doubled since the semestered system was implemented.