Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 14, 2008

SANIKILUAQ - Sanikiluaq's Mary Kavik loves teaching, but she might love learning more.

The Nuiyak school Inuktitut teacher said she likes picking up new skills to pass on to her students, like a simple doll-making technique she was recently shown by a local elder.

Mary Kavik, an Inuktitut teacher at Nuiyak school in Sanikiluaq, constructs a screen printing frame for a special online project of the Canadian Heritage Information Network called Agora. Kavik will be evaluating the success of the project as part of her masters of education degree, which she is completing by distance education. - photo courtesy of John Jamieson

"I like achieving the things that they used to have. One of them is the rag doll. They just make a little simple doll with just material, not much, which I just learned from an elder back in December, so I could pass it on," Kavik said.

As well as Inuktitut, Kavik also teaches Northern Studies, which provides ample opportunity to peer into the past.

"Right now we're working on the words that we don't tend to use these days; I'm also learning some of them too, the words you don't hear these days unless you're having a conversation with elders," she said.

"It's been helpful because we had an elder who was a teacher before, and I was noticing kids were using those words outside school and that was neat to hear, reminding me, telling me, using those words in their conversation and interacting with each other."

Born in Sanikiluaq, Kavik lived for a short time in Iqaluit while completing high school.

Before becoming a teacher, she worked at the local housing office, and then took some time off to raise her four children.

In 1992, she began working as a substitute teacher, gradually working her way into becoming a classroom teacher.

While she may be very interested in learning the ways of her elders, Kavik also has a strong hold on modern technology - and is currently working towards her master of education degree through distance education with the University of Prince Edward Island.

She said she would recommend distance education to anyone.

"I find it fun because you can stay home and do your assignments. We don't have to leave home. I would encourage young people to do what they can do, to go for any kind of education," she said. She is set to graduate in 2009 and plans to remain as a teacher in the community.

Kavik is also focusing on another high-tech project called Agora. Through the Nunavut Community Access Program, Nuiyakschool is partnering with teachers across Canada to produce a website that will allow teachers of aboriginal students to share hands-on activities online.

"So far we've done Inuit soup, knife-making, screen printing and others," she said.

The public release will be in March, and Kavik plans to evaluate its success for her masters research project.

While not studying or teaching, she enjoys volunteering for the local daycare, like at the weekly bingo.