The Impact of Relocation on My Family and My Identity as an Inuk Educational Leader

Saa Pitsiulak

“Coming to know the past has been part of the critical pedagogy of decolonization.” Saa uses this statement by Linda Tuhiwai Smith to frame and map her narrative of the Lake Harbour Relocation – “the before” and “the after.” Three Elders provided the details of the lives of Inuit prior to relocation: self-sufficient and nomadic, thriving on their skills and local resources. Three adults shared their life experiences living in two worlds: traditional versus contemporary. Saa was three when her family was relocated and draws on the details of her own memories as well. Leaving a cooperative culture where men, women and children worked together and shared resources, the children began formal schooling, predominantly in English, where individuality and competition took over. A chasm opened between children and their parents. Saa envisions a new tomorrow: a way of learning that reconnects the Elders from before and the children of now.