Nunavut, A Creation Story. The Inuit Movement in Canada\u27s Newest Territory

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. While I originally set out to deconstruct all factors that led to the creation of Nunavut – looking for a model for successful Indigenous movement outcomes – I found the focus of my work increasingly gravitating toward a more detailed study of Inuit ontology and the ways it shaped movement leaders and actors, but also how movement leaders and actors helped shape and define Inuit ontology. Throughout the Inuit movement in Nunavut, Inuit ontology underwent a reflexive process of canonization resulting in a coherent philosophical framework that can be placed on a par with those emerging from more well-known European traditions. I used the outcome of this process to evaluate the narratives and rhetoric of movement actors on their philosophical constancy. This case study strengthens the argument put forth by Marshall Ganz that social movement outcomes are directly informed by life experiences, particularly those of leaders. Ganz argues that those experiences were essential in shaping their thought processes, their motivations, their repertoires of collective action, and their extensive use of networks (Ganz, 2000, p. 1005). This particular study of one part of the Inuit movement that took place in Nunavut not only affirms Ganz’ arguments, but by looking at the relationship between Inuit ontology and leadership, helps to provide a model for how – at least in this one case – the life experiences of social movement actors directly inform both. Analysis of the narratives and life stories of over 120 movement participants suggests that the degree to which members of a movement’s leadership share common life experiences, experiences working with each other in other contexts outside of the social movement (in this case through kinship ties), and ontological thought or worldviews may determine the degree to which they are able to achieve unity and maintain continuity over time. More specifically, culturally and experientially-rooted common understandings of leadership, common ways of dealing with internal conflict, and clearly defined and effective modes of leadership oriented cultural reproduction helped the Inuit leadership and Inuit organizations remain or appear cohesive for almost three decades. As with most movements, the core number of actors in the Inuit movement was small; movement continuity did not depend upon recruiting and maintaining large numbers of people. The process of choosing movement members was mostly closed, and therefore far more likely to include Inuit from common leadership backgrounds who shared similar worldviews and were tied to each other through kinship. Many other factors, including those that fall under the more traditional purview of political opportunity frameworks, must be taken into account when looking at any movement as a whole. However, as this study has shown, far more attention needs to be paid not only to the life experiences of a movement’s leadership, but also to the ontological thought or worldviews (shared or divergent) that helped shape or give meaning to those experiences

Mining and Communities in Northern Canada

For indigenous communities throughout the globe, mining has been a historical forerunner of colonialism, introducing new, and often disruptive, settlement patterns and economic arrangements. Although indigenous communities may benefit from and adapt to the wage labour and training opportunities provided by new mining operations, they are also often left to navigate the complicated process of remediating the long-term ecological changes associated with industrial mining. In this regard, the mining often inscribes colonialism as a broad set of physical and ecological changes to indigenous lands. Mining and Communities in Northern Canada examines historical and contemporary social, economic, and environmental impacts of mining on Aboriginal communities in northern Canada. Combining oral history research with intensive archival study, this work juxtaposes the perspectives of government and industry with the perspectives of local communities. The oral history and ethnographic material provides an extremely significant record of local Aboriginal perspectives on histories of mining and development in their regions. With contributions by: Patricia Boulter Jean-Sébastien Boutet Emilie Cameron Sarah Gordon Heather Green Jane Hammond Joella Hogan Arn Keeling Tyler Levitan Hereward Longley Scott Midgley Kevin O'Reilly Andrea Procter John Sandlos Alexandra Winto

Newsletter, 2003-01, no. 24

The newsletter contains both association business and material of interest to midwives and related health care workers.The Association's name has changed several times based on the newsletter: from January 1992 - January 1997 it was The Alliance of Nurse-Midwives, Maternity and Neonatal Nurses, dropping the "Nurse-" after July 1994; from March 1997 - September 2000 it was Newfoundland and Labrador Midwives Association, and the issue numbering was reset; and in January 2001 it became Association of Midwives of Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada's Residential Schools: The Inuit and Northern Experience

The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Comission of Canada Volume 2

Newsletter, 2002-06, no. 22

The newsletter contains both association business and material of interest to midwives and related health care workers.The Association's name has changed several times based on the newsletter: from January 1992 - January 1997 it was The Alliance of Nurse-Midwives, Maternity and Neonatal Nurses, dropping the "Nurse-" after July 1994; from March 1997 - September 2000 it was Newfoundland and Labrador Midwives Association, and the issue numbering was reset; and in January 2001 it became Association of Midwives of Newfoundland and Labrador

Indigenous Autonomy in Nunavut: Canada's Present and Australia's Possibilities: A Discussion Paper

This paper reports on the emergence of Nunavut, Canada's new 'northern territory'. Many implicit and some explicit parallels to Australia are shown

Inuit visions for schooling in one Nunavut community

This descriptive case study explores Inuit visions for schooling in a remote community in the Qikiqtani (formerly Baffin) Region of Nunavut. I use information from interviews, casual conversations, observations, and a review of the literature on minority and cross-cultural education to describe what participants want, to discuss obstacles to student learning, and to suggest ways to improve schooling in Nunavut. The study, conducted in a critical frame foregrounding issues of power, was meant to be useful in considering change. Data came primarily from semi-structured interviews with 74 Inuit adults, and were contextualized by two years of teaching grade 7 in this community in the late 1990s, five short visits since, master’s research in five communities in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, four months of fieldwork in 2006, and two brief trips to return preliminary findings to the community. Findings from this study echo descriptions of what Inuit participants want from schooling found in the Sivuniksamut Ilinniarniq consultations (Aylward, 2004) and the Nunavut Education Act consultations (Nunavut Department of Education, 2006). Participants supported schooling and wanted an increase in Inuit knowledge and skills taught in (and outside) of the schools. They wanted an increase in, or strengthening of, Inuktitut in the schools, the meaningful inclusion of elders in schools, and higher academic standards. These wishes were consistent for women and men, younger and older participants, the wage-employed and those without wage employment, highschool graduates and those without formal schooling, and for participants who take part in ‘traditional’ activities like hunting, sewing and carving, as well as for those who do not. Participants described a number of obstacles to student achievement, and no one theory can explain the failings of Nunavut schools. Many concerns identified in the literature on schools that underserve Aboriginal and minority students are discussed. These include culturally incongruent pedagogy, a weak connection between school and work, prejudice from non-Inuit, and disempowering relations between the school system and the community. Eurocentric thinking in the schools, the school system, and in Canada continues to block the creation of schools that work for Inuit. The Government of Canada must provide funding to facilitate the transformation of schooling in Nunavut to a system based in Inuit culture. The Nunavut Department of Education must work with Inuit educators to implement the changes called for in the Bilingual Education Strategy. As long as non-Inuit educators are needed in Nunavut, District Education Authorities should prioritize the hiring of people who are willing to examine their own Eurocentrism. In calling for schools where Inuit language and culture are taken seriously, people in Tuktulik reassert that despite massive pressure for assimilation, assimilation is not inevitable. It is time for EuroCanadians to understand this message

What about the men? Northern men’s research project final report

https://www.nwtliteracy.ca/sites/default/files/research/nmrp_final_report_2015_0.pd

Adaptations of Euro-Canadian schools to Inuit culture in selected communities in Nunavut

This study explores educators' current and desired 'adaptations' of Euro-Canadian schools to Inuit culture, in five communities in one region of Nunavut Communities ranged in size from 800 to 3500 residents, of which on average 90% are Inuit. Primary data collection occurred in the five communities through taped interviews with 20 educators, as well as informal conversations with 8 educators, in April, 2000. All those who volunteered to take part after hearing a description of the study, became participants. 1 of the 20 participants in the formal interviews, and 1 of the 8 in the conversations were Inuit. All other participants were from Southern Canada. This study creates a reference to current and desired 'adaptations' which can be used by educators in Nunavut when considering change. Reported and desired 'adaptations' are grouped into seven themes. Very few instances were reported where community input was solicited, desired, or used in determining the direction of the schools, or where schools explicitly taught Inuit values. Examples were given of attempts to incorporate 'Inuit curriculum' into schools, or the desire to do so, and many practices were documented which are educators' attempts to interact with students 'like Inuit do'. As well as adaptations toward Inuit culture, many changes were reported or desired which are current Southern practices, teaching ESL practices, or practices designed to respond to the effects on students of societal problems