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National award for Inuvialuktun teacher
Immersion kindergarten class receives recognition after 20 years
Samantha Stokell
Ipana, who teaches the Inuvialuktun immersion kindergarten class at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School (SAMS), received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence on Oct. 5 in Ottawa. She has taught the course since 1991 and engages the students with modern technology while sharing with them their culture. "I have a passion for the language and for the little children to get a sense of heritage, where they come from and where they're going as an Inuvialuit. I see them as my leaders," Ipana said. "I let them move forward in the (21st) century, but let them not forget who they are as a people. They remember who they are and be proud of who they are." Janette Vlanich, principal of SAMS, nominated Ipana for the award because of her commitment to promoting the language. "She works so tirelessly," Vlanich said. "She's just an awesome teacher because of her efforts to promote the language and culture. We're very pleased for her and proud. She's an ambassador for education in the North." Ipana grew up on the land, but began attending residential school at the age of five. She spoke no English and wasn't allowed to speak Invialuktun in school; she now works tirelessly to ensure students can speak their native language in school. In the classroom she spends equal time speaking both English and Inuvialuktun. She brings in elders, drum dancing and introduces the students to as many new Inuvialuktun words, phrases and expressions as possible. A great boon to aboriginal language teaching in Inuvik has been Aboriginal HeadStart, which teaches students the basics before they start kindergarten. Despite all this work, Ipana knows all her students won't end up fluent. "I just want to see a pride in themselves," she said. "I can keep telling stories about how it was in the past, but I want them to look to the future. I tell the kids they have to keep remembering how it was in the past, but live in the (21st) century." When Ipana first started the course, which Pauline Gordon conceived, she had to create all the resources for the language and even learn it herself with the help of elders. She still regularly learns from elders Rosie Albert, Emma Dick and Lillian Elias. "I tell them to talk to me in Inuvialuktun. They're ready to really help and I look to them so much," Ipana said. "They were all teachers in the past. I had to learn on my own journey and I never want to stop learning." Hand-held devices Ipana has created several hours worth of content for the Phraselator, which are hand-held interpretation devices she uses in class, and she also embraces the SMARTboard. She has also created a pilot program for Inuvialuktun curriculum for the past three years for grades 4 to 6. She also takes some students out to her whaling camp to put the language into a cultural context. In addition to the award ceremony at Rideau Hall, Ipana and the other recipients of the award from across Canada attended two days of sessions to discuss the strengths and values of teaching. Ipana discovered that teachers across the country deal with similar issues, such as the constantly changing technology. "We need to work closely with students," Ipana said. "We're all human and teachers don't know everything. We are learning everyday, too." As a recipient of the national award, Ipana also realized the North has education and teachers to be proud of. "We are as good as teachers across Canada even though we're way up North," Ipana said. "There are so many talented teachers and I thought I can't represent teachers in the North, but this award shows that in the North we're just as talented." This year 84 awards were presented to teachers and early childhood educators, including 26 national Certificates of Excellence. Winners receive a certificate, pin and letter from the prime minister, as well as $5,000, which is shared among winners and their schools. The awards honour innovative teachers who use information and communications technologies to equip their students with the skills needed to excel in the 21st century.
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