Finding ways through Arctic Bay
Instructor recognized for contributions to innovative map project
Myles Dolphin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, May 19, 2014
IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY
A High Arctic educator has been honored for devoting over half a decade towards an important mapping project around his community.
Rex Willie, an Arctic Bay resident who works at the hamlet's Nunavut Arctic College Community Learning Centre, was one of three instructors from Canada's territorial colleges recognized for their valuable contributions.
The award for Outstanding Adult Educator, a miniature Yukon First Nations paddle, was handed out during the closing ceremony of the Inaugural Northern Adult Basic Education Symposium, a professional development conference held at Yukon College April 29 to May 1.
In partnership with Inuit Heritage Trust, Nunavut Youth Consulting and the Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre at Carleton University, Willie has been working on an elaborate community-based cyber-cartographic mapping project.
More than 300 locations around Arctic Bay, such as lakes, camping areas and hunting grounds ,have already been mapped and digitized, including some locations that are almost as far as Iglulik and Pond Inlet.
An interactive map on arcticbayatlas.ca allows a user to hover their mouse over a specific location to reveal information about it, such as the spelling and meaning of its name, as well as hearing the proper pronunciation in Inuktitut.
Willie said it was important for him to work on this project because he wanted to preserve the information for his children and future generations of Arctic Bay residents.
"I joined this project when it was already underway about six years ago because I wanted to learn more about the land," he said.
"It took four years to complete. We had to interview elders about the correct spelling and naming of the places. It's important to me because I'm still learning to be out on the land, and if I get lost I'll know where I am."
Willie said they're in the final stages of making the map available to residents in physical form.
It was supposed to be done last year but still "needs tweaking," he added.
The Outstanding Adult Educator award was created specifically for the symposium.
It recognizes "dedication, passion, commitment, community engagement, creativity, caring and resourcefulness in an adult educator who is a role model for students and colleagues."
"This week has focused on bringing together adult educators to share the success stories and challenges of their work," said Tosh Southwick, director of First Nations Initiatives and the School of Academic and Skill Development at Yukon College, in a news release.
"An important part of this is celebrating those among us who exemplify the very best of all that we are striving to achieve."
The symposium brought together more than 260 adult education practitioners from across the three Northern territories.
