Woman committed to community
Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship recipient sees public policy as avenue for change
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, February 29, 2016
IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
"When I first came back up North I thought I want to give back to my community. Initially I wanted to leave after five years, go back to the south and live warmly and comfortably but ... five years later I'm still here.
Former prime minister Joe Clark, left, Clara Wingnek, a Fellow from Cambridge Bay, and Jordan Peterson, a Fellow from Inuvik, meet in Ottawa in early February. - photo courtesy of The Gordon Foundation |
I can't see myself leaving anytime soon. I'm enjoying where I'm at right now," said Wingnek, who completed her studies at Alberta's Grant MacEwan University in 2011.
She explains the desire to leave. "When you leave for schooling, you leave your territory and go into a university setting. Then you come back and it's almost like going back in time, especially for smaller communities like Cambridge Bay."
Wingnek notes many of her peers have left the community.
"There's not a lot of opportunities," she said. "Only a few of us have come back."
Along with crediting her fulfilling engagement with her community, Wingnek says the desire to stay replaced the appeal of leaving thanks in part to The Gordon Foundation, which accepted Wingnek's application to the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship.
Wingnek, who works for the Nunavut Department of Health, was looking for an avenue to expand her leadership skills after a Government of Nunavut mentorship opportunity fell through. She saw an advertisement for the fellowship and submitted her application, which included an essay on "what types of things you'd like to see changed in terms of public policy."
"In my initial application, I mentioned things like education. And at the time I was looking into purchasing a house and there was public policy that almost made it seem like it was a deterrent for young people such as myself to get GN funding."
Other policy issues came up for Wingnek as she began to research, such as tourism policy.
"Ones that I saw as defective in helping Nunavummiut."
The fellowship is a two-year program, from 2015 to 2017.
According to The Gordon Foundation, the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship is a policy and leadership development program aimed at young Northerners, aged 25 to 35, who want to build a strong North that benefits Northerners. It is for those who are looking for additional support, networks and guidance from mentors and peers across the North as they deepen their understanding of important issues facing their region, and develop policy ideas to help address them.
Wingnek is one of 10 Fellows who all gather four times over two years in Ottawa. The second gathering took place Feb. 4 to 7.
"The gatherings are really intense. They're four days long and you go, go, go. It's networking, it's discussion on our research topics, public dialogue. This last gathering was purely around the relationship between the municipal, territorial and federal governments, and how that relationship works."
Thanks to high profile and experienced leaders, such as former prime minister Joe Clark, former Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell, former Manitoba MP and Cree activist Tina Keeper, among many others, Wingnek received a 360-degree view of government from the inside and from the outside - the lobby perspective.
"It's like you're on top of this mountain and you're looking around and soaking in how everything works," said Wingnek.
At home in Cambridge Bay, Wingnek receives a lot of support, from her spouse, her family and her workplace, where she shares her experiences and knowledge gained with her co-workers. With her spouse, Wingnek has many political conversations.
"Conversations at lunchtime get pretty intense in my home. A lot of discussion on public policy. My spouse works as a negotiator with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association so we have a lot of political conversations - at lunch hour, not at dinnertime."
But the point comes up about discussion versus action for change.
Wingnek's research is on the topic of effective boards and committees in the Arctic.
"I've sat on quite a few boards and committees throughout my time here," she said.
She is currently the vice-chairperson of the Ikaluktutiak District Education Authority. She notes it's difficult to get people engaged, especially when people think decisions are already made.
"I just wanted to understand exactly what those issues are and see if I can come up with recommendations for strengthening small local boards and committees that often run without any formalized training. I don't understand fully yet what those issues are, but I imagine at the end of this two-year term I'll have a pretty good understanding."
As a fellow in the program, Wingnek was assigned David Omilgoitok, president and chief operating officer of the Kitikmeot Corporation, as a mentor.
"He's been really great. Just tapping into his knowledge and his own networks, and him taking the time to take a look at what I submit to him ... is priceless. He's been around for a while and has sat on some pretty high-profile boards, so just having that resource has been awesome."
