Iqaluit (Jun 12/06) - In a territory where the restoration of Inuit language and culture is a priority, the future Piqqusilirivvik cultural school could be a beacon.

Nine communities have tabled proposals in hopes of having the school constructed in their backyard.

Elders Luke Anowtalik, left, and Jobe Mukyungnik show student Jon Pameolik how to build a kayak during Inuktitut class at the Arviat high school. Arviat is one of nine communities in the running to become the site of the Piqqusilirivvik cultural school. - photo courtesy of Gord Billard

Not only could the facility help a community cement its reputation as the de facto cultural capital of Nunavut, it would create jobs and result in at least $10 million in investment.

"There's a lot at stake here," said Dino Bruce, chair of the Coral Harbour district education authority.

A working group consisting of officials from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth (CLEY), the Department of Education, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. is reviewing the nine community submissions.

While many details surrounding the school have yet to be worked out, CLEY Minister Louis Tapardjuk said the educational centre's programming will be designed to strengthen traditional Inuit practices and principles, as well as the Inuktitut language. Safe navigation of the land, sea and ice; iglu and shelter building; and traditional approaches to conflict resolution are some of the types of lessons that will be offered at the facility, said the minister.

The school will be open to students from across Nunavut, although the size of the student body and a screening process haven't yet been established.

A decision on which community will be the site of the school will be made by the end of the month, Tapardjuk said.

News/North attempted to contact representatives from all nine communities to find out how they made their pitch. There was no response from Rankin Inlet, Baker Lake and Clyde River as of press deadline.

With or without Piqqusilirivvik school, Arviat has taken command over its cultural programming, according to Joe Karetak.

The Sivulinut elders committee hosts an Inuktitut radio show to share cultural stories and recordings.

The elders also discuss the way the land is transforming and how to safely traverse it, said Karetak, a member of the group that drafted Arviat's proposal.

"They saw the way life was changing, and the way Inuit culture was being lost," he said.

But the mother tongue remains strong.

"Children still speak very fluently in Inuktitut. It's still the dominant language," Karetak said.

Hunting is still commonplace in Arviat, a community of close to 2,300. Caribou is nearby most of the year, Karetak noted.

Traditional child-rearing practices, Inuktitut story-telling, respect for Nunavut's dialectical differences and the "big picture view" of the culture are important to people of Arviat, he said.

The school has also worked at incorporating Inuit traditions. Students have made drums as part of their Northern studies. There's a land skills program. Elders work with the home economics class, preparing seal and caribou. The music program reflects traditional music such as throat singing.

"These things have been popular and made the students feel more proud of who they are," principal Fred Durant said.

Cape Dorset, a community of approximately 1,300 inhabitants, lays claim to being the Inuit art capital of Nunavut. That has been substantiated by an independent study that showed 23 per cent of the community is involved in the arts, the highest proportion of any Canadian municipality.

"We'd love to be the site of the cultural school because of the rich history and the arts," said Art Stewart, Cape Dorset's senior administrative officer.

He noted that plenty of Inuit artifacts have been found on nearby Mallik Islands, adding to the community's advantages.

Coral Harbour

Coral Harbour is a community already rooted in tradition, according to Dino Bruce, chair of the district education authority.

Youth in Coral Harbour benefit from yearly projects that teach them skills such as fox, polar bear and seal skinning, making caribou clothing and kamiiks, and iglu building.

Unilingual Inuktitut speakers hold evening classes to teach proper pronunciation.

Bruce said they are aware of dialectical differences as there are people in the community from all across Nunavut.

Located on a central island in the territory, Coral Harbour's isolation has historically helped to preserve the culture, he said.

The community has about 950 residents, but they have yet to realize any boon from government decentralization, he contended.

"I feel it's time that a community that is so isolated would get the exposure," Bruce said.

Mayor Paul Quassa says Iglulik has always been known as the "cultural hub" of Nunavut, actively engaged in culture, language and heritage preservation.

"The (Inuktitut) language itself is very strong," he said. "I think our terminology in Inuktitut far exceeds any other communities."

Situated on a small island between Baffin Island and the mainland, the community has connections from the regions to the east and west, Quassa noted.

Iglulik can make use of an active elders council that has been promoting on-the-land programs for Nunavummiut from across the territory, the mayor said.

The community also boasts a wealth of archival materials - both written and audio, which document the culture and the people.

In addition, it is rich in archaeological sites with 4,000 years worth of artifacts, he said.

Traditional harvesting of whales, seals, walrus, polar bear and caribou still take place in Iglulik, which 1,300 people call home.

Traditional clothing making is still popular as well, said Quassa.

"I believe Iglulik is the ideal place for this Piqqusilirivvik cultural school," he said.

Taloyoak is not only an ideal site, it's due for some government investment, according to Scotty Edgerton, the hamlet's senior administrative officer.

"We don't have any government services here at all. We're the forgotten community," he said.

Taloyoak tried in the past to be the site of a jail and a treatment centre, but was unsuccessful.

"We're the ones that need (the cultural school)," he insisted. "This suits us right to a tee."

With a population around 950 - close to 350 of them under age 16 - Taloyoak is home to master carvers, traditional doll makers and a strong population of elders, some of whom grew up on the land and lived in iglus, he said.

"We certainly are an Inuit-speaking community here. We haven't lost that," said Edgerton.

"We just feel our community is deserving. We've asked in a very kind and polite way (for the government) to help us."

Fighting the perception of the capital city already possessing the bulk of the perks, the Iqaluit District Education Authority is trying to turn negatives into positives.

Education board members Jeanie Eeseemailee and Catherine Trumper readily acknowledge that Inuit culture is not as strong in this city of 6,000, inhabited by many people from the south. That's just one reason why they assert that Piqqusillirivvik school should be placed here: to strengthen the culture.

There are also Inuit from across Nunavut who have flocked to Iqaluit, and their differences can be reflected in the school's programming, they said.

Then there is the cost effectiveness of placing the cultural school in Iqaluit.

The facility could share resources with the existing library, the Nunavut Research Centre and the Inuktitut program through Nunavut Arctic College, Trumper said. Accommodations for students wouldn't be a problem either, she added.

"We're kind of turn-key. We're ready to go," she said.