Elders teach history and tradition
Important to collaborate with elders any way possible, says educator
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, November 7, 2016
NUNAVUT
Elders are passing on their knowledge across the Qikiqtaaluk region this fall, teaching how to make kakivat (traditional fishing spears) in Kimmirut and inuujat (traditional wood dolls) in Pond Inlet.
Other projects are about to take place, including parka-making in Pangnirtung and mitten-making in Hall Beach.
In Kimmirut, three students and two elders took part in the five-day kakivak program from Oct. 25 to 31, said Ooleetua Judea, adult educator at Nunavut Arctic College's community learning centre.
"The elders were demonstrating and the students followed step-by-step. The elders were one or two steps ahead," said Judea.
The Mayukalik Hunters and Trappers Association (HTA) helped out with materials, which are hard to come by in the small community, said Judea. These included hardwood oak lumber and poly sled runners.
"The kakivak-making project was geared toward community programs and the HTA is pleased to help and assist when possible for hunters' projects/programs," stated HTA manager Saqiqtaq Temela in an e-mail.
Each elder and student completed a kakivak during the course.
"One of the elders said he doesn't go fishing unless he has a kakivak. That's how he was taught growing up," Judea said.
Including elders in the classroom is part of the college's Adult Basic Education (ABE) program. This year, kakivak-making sets the pace for the year to come in Kimmirut. Two essential skills courses will follow, Katujjiqatiginniq (working together) and the Inuktitut course.
Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) funded the development of programs, courses and resources over the past six years, said Dan Page, the college's co-ordinator of community programs for South Baffin. The CanNor funding ends March 31, 2017.
"With (those funds) we really revised a lot of our ABE courses and created brand-new resources. What that means is we basically 'Inuitized' them a great deal, such that now there's a lot more Inuit content in the resources we use. But with that content we also encourage more elders to come in and be part of the teaching," said Page, adding elders help teach the Katujjiqatiginniq and Inuktitut
courses.
Katujjiqatiginniq teaches the history of Nunavut, starting with traditional camp life, and including the land claims and modern society.
This leads into discussions about the kind of community work that's important for Nunavut to thrive, such as reducing suicide and engaging community members.
Elders come in to talk about these topics, or to demonstrate traditional skills. The CanNor funding provides money to pay the elders for their expertise.
In Pond Inlet, the Katujjiqatiginniq course included inuujaq-making from Oct. 11 to 24.
"The class learned different inuujat from the other Inuit around the world," said adult educator Karen Nutarak. "We looked at the shape, the length, the width and what material it is made of.
"Then we had an elder come to class and talk about what an inuujaq was used as and who made them, how they are made and who and how they were played."
Inuujat were creations for child's play.
"The elder then taught us where to start and how to shape it. We were amazed how fast she was in making them as she made the dolls as a young girl," she said.
"The inuujat could be brought back as a toy to this generation. It's a way of getting little girls sewing to make the outfits. The boys could learn to carve the oak wood. It's a great hands-on project."
The elders in Kimmirut want traditions to be kept alive, Judea said.
"They should be taught more, not only through the college but also through economic development and other third-party funding," she said.
The kakivak project ended with elders demonstrating how to use the fishing spear in the classroom, since it's not the season to use them out on the land.
"It is empowering to see programs like this, where elders pass on traditional values to the younger generation for the next," she said.
"It is important to collaborate with elders any way possible, regardless of who we are - organization, group or school. We need to work together and collect much information, as much as possible for out next generation. This way, we can build up Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit."
