Stepping stone to success
Community feast held by program participants in Rankin
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
RANKIN INLET
A community feast was held at the Rankin Inlet community centre this past week to celebrate the accomplishments of the 11 participants who will officially graduate from the Niqitsialiurniq program on Aug. 31.
Elder and former Government of Nunavut minister Levenia Brown leaves a serving line with a plate of food during the Niqitsialiurniq program's community feast in Rankin Inlet. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
The program was designed, developed and delivered by the Nunavut Literacy Council (Ilitaqsiniq), and sponsored by the federal government, the territorial departments of Health, Family Services, Culture and Heritage, and Education, the Nunavut Food Security Coalition, the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet, Agnico Eagle Mines and Nunavut Arctic College.
The course graduates are Geralyn Kaludjak, Diana Kaludjak, Simon Bruce Jr., Isabella Bruce, Cassandra Gordon, Lukisha Tatty, Lena Siutinuar, Victoria Noolook, Angela Panika, Charmaine Okatsiak and Joni Towtongie.
The four-month program teaches its participants how to prepare traditional Inuit food and contemporary dishes, while gaining literacy, language, life and work skills.
Niqitsialiurniq participants held a number of elder's teas, made the cake for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.'s and the Kivalliq Inuit Association's Nunavut Day celebrations, made cupcakes and ran the barbecue for the local Canada Day festivities, and catered a number of large gatherings in the hamlet.
A community soup kitchen was also established as a training venue in support of the program, which saw 150 to 160 full meals served every Thursday at lunchtime.
The meals included a salad, main course and dessert, with everything made from scratch by the participants.
Literacy program co-ordinator Adriana Kusugak organized Niqitsialiurniq, which was instructed by head chef Kelly Lindell and elders Rosemary Sandy and Quluaq Pilikapsi.
She said Ilitaqsiniq approached the hamlet with the idea for the soup kitchen during a council meeting.
"Council was able to provide some funding through the Community Cluster Fund to carry out the initiative within our program," said Kusugak.
"The soup kitchen, unfortunately, came to an end with the program.
"However, we are going to make another presentation to hamlet council to report on how the program went and how many people were served, that type of thing.
"Hopefully, it's a program the hamlet, through Nunavut's Department of Health, will continue to support and fund, although who would run the initiative would have to be decided."
Kusugak said the soup kitchen proved itself to be a viable program, and a much-needed service in Rankin Inlet.
She said the community totally supported the initiative throughout its four-month run.
"The fact we had at least 150 people come every Thursday for a meal, in itself, is a clear indication a soup kitchen is needed in Rankin.
"People also came out to show their support to the participants, and encourage them in their learning and skills development.
"This program really gave its participants a great opportunity to give back to the community and showcase their skills."
The graduates now get to go to the Meadowbank gold mine near Baker Lake on a work placement to job shadow chefs at the mine, courtesy of Agnico Eagle.
Kusugak said every participant leaves the course with a set of skills useful in a workplace environment, and in daily life.
She said the confidence gained during the program also helped instill a sense of accomplishment and pride within the graduates.
"They really committed to this program and worked extremely hard.
"Their success has helped them realize they're capable of anything.
"And, because this program has literacy and essential skills embedded within it, we all ready have three participants accepted into the pre-apprenticeship-cook program at the trade school, and two accepted into the fur production program.
"The Nunavut Literacy Council runs stepping-stone programs to build confidence within the participants for them to take on further endeavours, either with education-and-training programs or in the workforce."
Kusugak said the council also plans to launch another Miqqut project for people with disabilities. She said the program will be funded through Nunavut's Department of Family Services.
"We're learning quite quickly the word disabilities covers a very broad spectrum as we approach the project..
"It's, basically, anything that prevents individuals from gaining or holding down full-time work.
"We'll begin advertising for this program during the coming months."
