Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Cambridge Bay (Jan 22/01) - Trisha Ogina is a rarity.
She is a Grade 12 student in Cambridge Bay who is fluent in Inuinnaqtun, her traditional language.
Ogina has lived in the hamlet with her grandparents since she was two, and grew up speaking the language.
She said some of her peers are interested in learning the language of their elders, but many are not.
"About half of them are interested in learning," she said. "It is a big shame to see a lot of young people losing the language and not being able to communicate with elders."
To address the problem of lost language and boost the use of Inuktitut, the government and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. started language week in 1999.
This year, $239,000 was spent on territory-wide initiatives by the department of culture, language, elders and youth, the department of Indian and Northern Affairs and Arctic Co-ops. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association also committed $35,000.
Bridging the gap
Language is the bridge may be the bridge to Inuit culture but right now there's a big gap between generations.
"When you walk around this community, you hear elders speaking Inuinnaqtun, but not the children," explained Dawn Wilson, principal of Kullik school in Cambridge Bay.
"I am sad to say the language on the playground is English and not Inuinnaqtun."
The school teaches Inuinnaqtun as a second language from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Killinik high school in Cambridge Bay is also teaching Inuinnaqtun. Vice-principal Judy Cherniak said if the communication bridge isn't spanning the generation gap, it is not for lack of effort.
Students in junior high have between seven and eight hours of Inuinnaqtun language, culture and history classes per week and must have three credits in Northern studies to graduate.
Most schools in Nunavut teach Inuktitut until Grade 3 which could expand under a new Education Act.
A working group within the Nunavut Social Development Council is trying to restructure Nunavut's Education Act to include more language instruction. It wants to mesh history, culture and language into the curriculum.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or traditional Inuit knowledge, was proposed in a first draft of the new Act that's expected to be completed by the end of the month.
"Part of the recommendation is that IQ be integrated within the system from Kindergarten to Grade 12," said Annie Quirke, the group's co-chair.
That could be made easier in some communities like Pond Inlet where most of the teachers and Inuktitut is spoken at the basic level of instruction.
At Inuksuk high school in Iqaluit, Inuktitut is offered as an optional course.
