Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Inuit Ancestral Experiential Knowledge and Inuit Qaujimajangit Inuit Experiential Knowledge

Elisapee Karetak

A resident of Arviat and long-term educator now working for the Department of
Economic Development and Transportation, Elisapee Karetak is concerned about the implementation of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, the set of principles intended to guide the Government of Nunavut in its integration of Inuit traditional knowledge into its day-to-day operations. Her research focuses specifically on the subtle distinction between Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit experiential ancestral knowledge) and Inuit Qaujimajangit (Inuit experiential knowledge) as a way of understanding more deeply the connection between the traditional and contemporary in Inuit life today. Drawing from her own experience, current events, and educational theorists, she points to the danger of reducing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit to a set of static principles. She argues for a more fine-grained and dynamic understanding of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and how it can be lived in contemporary Nunavut.