Long before the introduction of a western-style formal education for the Inuit of Canada’s north, the people learned everything they needed to know from their immediate and extended family units. The goal of education for Inuit at that time was simple: learn the skills needed to survive. The current goal of education in Canada is similar, though ‘survival’ has a new context where governments and educators focus more on how to prosper and succeed (in addition to being able to survive). There have been many fundamental shifts in the methodology behind educating Inuit students but each paradigm has intended to better prepare children how to survive in the modern world. In 2012, for example, there is more of a focus on Calculus than on skinning caribou and students learn how to read sheet music instead of watching elders beat a sealskin drum and mimicking the rhythm. Curriculum focuses on scientific or historical facts rather than myths or legends to explain how the world works. This thesis examines the latest two paradigms in educational curricula in the territory now known as Nunavut. In 1999, the territory of Nunavut came into effect when the Nunavut Act was proclaimed. Before this, the area now known as Nunavut was part of a much larger and more culturally diverse Northwest Territories. In the years leading up to 1999, plans began to take shape that would lead to the separation of Inuit inhabited lands. Inuit desired a system of government that reflected their own distinct culture, and enabled them to make decisions and policies for those living within their boundaries. The Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (more easily remembered as IQ), a set of principles that refer to traditional Inuit knowledge and knowledge gathering, is a key example. The new government of Nunavut introduced IQ principles to guide decisions, policies and set values that would create a government that was truly representative of the people it served. Prior to this, the Northwest Territories used a system of education and pedagogy that was adopted primarily from the Province of Alberta. Though some curriculum focused on the Inuit as a people, it was not a system designed to incorporate traditional Inuit knowledge. The educational experiences of former Inuit students before Nunavut was established can be compared to those educational experiences of Inuit after the formation of Nunavut (and after IQ was incorporated into the education of Inuit). This thesis evaluates and compares those differences, documenting shifts in attitude, experiences and stories from the time before Nunavut appeared on maps to the time after the territory of Nunavut was created.

This dissertation considers the contemporary place of history in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. The political evolution of Nunavut has led to a situation in which incoming archaeology projects must justify their research according to standards of benefit and relevance to Inuit people. Archaeology is desired to function within a framework of "Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit"—more popularly known as IQ, or Inuit traditional knowledge—so as to foster the survival of Inuit culture and traditions in the modern world. As a result of this mandate, Arctic archaeology has been forced to re-position its research in relation to community engagement, social and political landscapes, and Inuit production of historical meaning. Through a series of interviews and ethnographic case studies in the Nunavut municipality of Cambridge Bay, this research asks how the application of a community-based approach can help archaeologists and Inuit create a hybridized, or "parallel", form of archaeological engagement that furthers community wellness and the creation of more nuanced history-based identities. I argue that by shifting the practice of archaeology into local frameworks of experience and learning, resulting research can create new archaeological awareness regarding the nature of Nunavummiut memory and community, while at the same time meeting territorial desires for historical investigation to be conducted in a manner both inspired by, and compatible with, concepts of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.

This dissertation considers the contemporary place of history in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. The political evolution of Nunavut has led to a situation in which incoming archaeology projects must justify their research according to standards of benefit and relevance to Inuit people. Archaeology is desired to function within a framework of "Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit"—more popularly known as IQ, or Inuit traditional knowledge—so as to foster the survival of Inuit culture and traditions in the modern world. As a result of this mandate, Arctic archaeology has been forced to re-position its research in relation to community engagement, social and political landscapes, and Inuit production of historical meaning. Through a series of interviews and ethnographic case studies in the Nunavut municipality of Cambridge Bay, this research asks how the application of a community-based approach can help archaeologists and Inuit create a hybridized, or "parallel", form of archaeological engagement that furthers community wellness and the creation of more nuanced history-based identities. I argue that by shifting the practice of archaeology into local frameworks of experience and learning, resulting research can create new archaeological awareness regarding the nature of Nunavummiut memory and community, while at the same time meeting territorial desires for historical investigation to be conducted in a manner both inspired by, and compatible with, concepts of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.

Over the past 40 years, severe population fluctuations in Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) and muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) living in the High Arctic of Nunavut has caused widespread concern. In order to better understand these fluctuations, patterns of population characteristics need to be examined. The best source for long-range information is from Inuit, who have interacted with these species on a regular basis over the long-term. This thesis presents the collection and documentation of observations by Inuit to describe the population distribution of caribou and muskoxen. Interviewees also shared their understanding of factors contributing to changes in abundance, and information concerning the ecology of these species. Interviewees from Resolute Bay have observed severe fluctuations in the abundance of caribou on Somerset, Prince of Wales, Russell, Cornwallis and Bathurst Islands and northern Boothia Peninsula. Interviewees from Grise Fiord indicated that changes in caribou populations on Devon and southern Ellesmere Islands have occurred but have not been substantial. Interviewees also indicated that the populations of muskoxen on Somerset, Prince of Wales, Devon and Southern Ellesmere Islands have increased, whereas muskoxen populations on Cornwallis and Bathurst Islands have been consistently low. Overall, interviewees expressed that changes in caribou and muskoxen populations are normal. However, interviewees continue to be concerned with the possibility of negative impacts caused by significant human disturbance (e.g., petroleum exploration). They also suggest that factors such as weather, presence of forage and the handling of animals influence the distribution, abundance and health of caribou and muskoxen. Interviewees also described the variability in the physical traits of Peary caribou throughout the High Arctic islands. Generally, from Boothia Peninsula to Bathurst Island the bones of caribou become smaller and their fur has a finer texture. On the islands north of Bathurst Island the features that are unique to Peary caribou become more pronounced. Interviewees also explained that overall, caribou are not negatively impacted by wolves and that a large abundance of muskoxen is often followed by the decline in the population of caribou in a specific area. The documentation of this information contributes to our understanding of two unique northern species, and has the potential to aid in shaping the management of human activities that may affect them. / Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-12 14:51:42.667

There is a dearth of literature to guide the development of community-based HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention and sexual health promotion programs within Inuit communities. The aim of this research project was to create a dialogue with Inuit women to inform future development of such programs. This study employed Indigenous methodologies and methods by drawing from Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and postcolonial research theory in a framework of Two-Eyed Seeing, and utilizing storytelling sessions to gather data. Community-Based Participatory Research Principles informed the design of the study, ensuring participants were involved in all stages of the project. Nine story-sharing sessions took place with 21 Inuit women ages 18-60. Participants identified several key determinants of sexual health and shared ideas for innovative approaches that they believe will work as prevention efforts within their community. These research results build upon the limited knowledge currently available about perceptions of HIV and STI among Inuit women living in the remote north. / Graduate / 0573 / jenny.r.rand@gmail.com

Education is a critical social process and is the responsibility of the society of which a child is a member. Education and Schooling promote the cognitive development and professional skills acquisition that produce economic development and positive socio-economic outcomes. In the modern world, education is strongly correlated with employability, access to food, housing, social status and associates strongly with measures of individual health and wellbeing. However, despite moderate gains in education outcomes for Inuit students, school engagement and graduation rates remain low across Inuit Nunangat in the K-12 system, and entry into post-secondary education has increasingly lagged behind that of the rest of Canadians. All the while, Inuit remain the most socio-economically disadvantaged people in Canada. At the root of this education gap is the collision of two cultures and world views. In the last sixty-five years (roughly just two generations), Inuit non-monetary social and economic systems, as well as teaching methods, have been eroded and replaced by dominant Western pedagogical and economic practices. This has caused tension between Inuit and Western pedagogy and provoked re-examination of what gets taught in the dominant Western education system in order to prepare Inuit students to participate in Canadian society. This study narrates the experiences of six Inuit students' education journeys and explores how they navigated cultural tensions to successfully reach and complete their post-secondary education. Findings indicate that the presence of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit epistemology), or rather its prescriptive Guiding Principles (the branch of Inuit social epistemology) when practiced, supported their success. Further, the lack of these Principles, evident in microaggressions from educators, segregation, racism, suicides, and lateral violence from peers all served as barriers to their educational goals of being able to participate bi-culturally in both the Inuit and Western ways of living.