Pijunnautitaaqpaalliqsimaliqtut:
Building Confidence through Cultural and Literacy Skill Development
Adriana Kusugak ᐱᐅᔪᖅ ᑯᓱᒐᖅ
Rankin Inlet, NU
Abstract
This paper explores the impact of non-formal, community-based cultural programs with embedded literacy on Inuit participants’ confidence. The Miqqut program is analyzed as a case study which took place in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. All participants and Elder instructors are Inuit women. Success factors and outcomes are captured through analysis of participants’ and instructors’ testimonials. The paper focuses on the impact of confidence that was nurtured during and following the program. It examines how confidence built within the Miqqut program enabled the participants to make changes in their lives by enrolling in formal educational programs, entering the workforce and establishing positive, healthy relationships within their families and the community. The paper documents the importance and benefits of non-formal cultural programs with embedded literacy that helped participants gain the confidence and skills to engage in one community in Nunavut in ways they found meaningful.
Key Words: Inuit women, cultural program, literacy, confidence.
ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᑖᖅᐹᓪᓕᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ:
ᓇᓗᖅᑯᑎᒍᓐᓃᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ ᑐᙵᕕᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖅ ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᖅᓴᕈᓰᓪᓗ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐅᖅᓴᕈᓰᑦ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᑦ
ᐃᑐᕆᐋᓇ ᐱᐅᔪᖅ ᑯᓱᒐᖅ
ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ
ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ
ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓂ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᓐᓂ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᐃᑉᐱᓇᖅᑎᒋᓯᒪᒻᒪᖔᑕ ᐃᓪᓗᕈᓯᐅᖏᑦᑐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑕᐅᕙᑦᑐᑦ, ᓄᓇᓕᓐᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᑦᓴᐅᑏᑦ ᐱᖃᓯᐅᔾᔨᑲᐅᑎᒋᓯᒪᑉᓗᑎᒃ ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐅᖅᓴᕈᑎᓂᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᒃᓴᓂᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒥᓪᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓇᓗᖅᑯᑎᙱᓂᖅᓴᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᑖᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓯᒪᓂᖏᑕ. ᒥᖅᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑕᐅᓚᕐᓂᖓ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓯᒪᒻᒪᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᑦᓴᐃᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ. ᐃᓘᓐᓇᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᒻᒪᕇᓪᓗ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᐃᓅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ. ᓱᓕᔾᔪᑎᖏᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᖅᑭᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᑯᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᓇᓪᓚᕆᑦᑐᑦ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᖃᑕᐅᓚᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓪᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕐᓂᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᓚᐅᕐᒪᖔᕐᒥᒃ. ᐸᐃᑉᐹᒥ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᑦ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓗᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᓇᓗᖅᑯᑎᙱᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᕚᓪᓕᕐᓂᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂ ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᓪᓗ. ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᒥᖅᑯᑦᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᓇᓗᖅᑯᑎᒍᓐᓃᕋᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᓂ ᒪᑭᑉᐹᓪᓕᖅᓯᒪᓂᕐᒥᒍᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᒪᓕᖅᓯᒪᒐᒥᒃ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑲᐅᓂᖅᓴᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓗᓂ, ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᒪᓂᖓ ᐃᓚᒥᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒥᓂᓪᓗ ᐃᓚᓐᓇᕆᔭᖃᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᔾᔪᑕᐅᒻᒪᑕ ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᐃᓕᓂᐊᕐᕕᓪᓚᑦᑖᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᙱᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖓ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᖃᒻᒪᕆᓐᓂᖓᑕᓗ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᑦᓴᐃᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓯᒪᑐᐊᕐᒪᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᖃᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓ ᐃᓕᓂᐊᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᒐᒥᒃ ᓇᓗᖅᑯᑎᙱᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᑲᒥᓪᓗ ᓄᓇᒥᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓇᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᕐᒥ ᑐᑭᓯᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑎᒃ.
ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ ᓇᓂᓯᔾᔪᑏᑦ: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ, ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᒥᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑏᑦ, ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐅᖅᓴᕈᑏᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕆᐅᖅᓴᓂᒃᑯᓪᓗ, ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᑖᕐᓂᖅ.
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