Iqaluit (Jun 19/06) - Five nurses and 23 teachers collected their degrees or diplomas through Nunavut Arctic College on June 9.

The 2006 crop of nurses is the largest in the three-year history of the program, college president Mac Clendenning noted.

Andrea McLarty of Rankin Inlet accepts her Nunavut Nursing Degree from Dr. George Turnbull of Dalhousie University. A graduation ceremony for newly-minted nurses and teachers was held at the Nunavut Arctic College residence on June 9. Nursing and teaching degree grads spent four years attaining their accreditation while those who earned teaching diplomas committed three years. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo

Having Inuktitut-speaking health staff can make an enormous difference for Inuit patients, said guest speaker Eva Aariak. A friend of hers once remarked that she left the hospital feeling much better not only because of the medical care, but because she was able to describe her symptoms in her own language.

That conversation helped Aariak, a former Nunavut language commissioner, realize that Inuit are making measurable gains in professional fields.

"I woke up and said, 'Wow, it's starting.' Our Inuk beneficiaries are taking over their own communities. That's what you're doing through this program," Aariak told the graduates. "We want to see more Inuit in the workplace."

Equally, she lauded the newly-certified teachers for the difference they will make inside and outside the classroom.

"You're going to be changing our lives, the school, the students and communities as a whole," she said. "It's a happy day for us."

Pujjuut Kusugak, valedictorian among the teaching grads, also spoke of the importance of preserving and enhancing Inuit cultural identity. Yet he cautioned his peers not to put too much pressure on themselves, especially early in their careers.

"We are going to make mistakes. Our elders tell us all the time to have patience, and we are going to learn over time," said Kusugak. "I have no doubt that we will all do a great job as teachers. I am confident in you all."

Nunavut Nursing Degree