Connections to the Land: the Politics of Health and Wellbeing in Arviat, Nunavut is about traditional knowledge as process. The thesis examines the relationships between Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) [“the Inuit way of doing things”; traditional knowledge (TK);], Inuit perceptions of health and wellbeing and the land; and what the relationships mean for integrated coastal and ocean management. Among Arviat Inuit (Arviarmiut), IQ, health and wellbeing and the land are tightly interconnected. When one relationship is stressed, disruptions occur throughout the whole system. IQ is embedded in Inuit perceptions of health and wellbeing, and to be healthy, Inuit maintain they must interact with the land in Inuit ways. In 2004, issues surrounding the nature of IQ, its control, production, documentation and legitimation were contested by Arviarmiut. Inuit strongly resented input from academics, resource managers, scientists or other southern “experts”. Arviarmiut sensitivities regarding IQ were in part the result of the rapid social change that had occurred over the last half century. Social systems suffered upheaval as colonial processes and institutions impacted values, networks, families and identity. The rate of change did not allow for time for traditional systems to adapt, and aspects of social change happened out of sync with each other resulting in dysfunction. Arviat’s history of relocation, uneven social change and expanded communication ability all affected the formation of IQ. Through participatory research, participant observation, interviews and network-building with Inuit organizations, the research explores IQ as process and the interconnections with the land and wellbeing. It recommends greater integration of Inuit into resource management planning and decision-making in ways consistent with IQ; and allowing Inuit to decide what processes and policies are most appropriate for them.

Cette thèse a pour but d’analyser l’émergence et l’évolution de différents discours portant sur la sécurité et la souveraineté arctiques au Canada, pendant la décennie 2000-2010. Notre regard portera plus précisément sur le discours du Grand Nord assiégé. Une de nos questions de recherche fut de comprendre comment des évaluations optimistes et pessimistes du portrait sécuritaire arctique au Canada se sont traduites dans les discours sécuritaires arctiques tenus par différents acteurs politiques canadiens au cours de la décennie 2000-2010. De plus, une deuxième question de recherche se demandera si des groupes de la société civile canadienne ont été à même de formuler des idées sécuritaires alternatives à celles défendues par le gouvernement canadien. Pour ce faire, nous réaliserons une analyse de contenu qualitative de trois différents acteurs politiques canadiens : le gouvernement fédéral, les médias, plus particulièrement les textes d’opinion dans les quotidiens canadiens, et les groupes inuits. Une attention particulière sera portée à trois crises de souveraineté ayant éclaté durant cette période : la crise de l’île de Hans (été 2005), celle du sous-américain USS Charlotte (hiver 2005-2006) et la crise du drapeau russe sous le pôle nord (été 2007). Nos conclusions nous indiquent que le discours pessimiste a été exprimé en tout premier lieu dans les médias canadiens avant d’être inséré dans la rhétorique gouvernementale en 2005. De plus, les menaces étatiques vont davantage mobiliser les différents acteurs politiques canadiens étudiés que les menaces non-étatiques. La menace russe en particulier a été utilisée pour justifier des mesures additionnelles de défense de la souveraineté canadienne en Arctique. Sur notre deuxième question de recherche, nous pouvons observer que la société civile canadienne a été capable d’exprimer des idées sécuritaires alternatives. Par contre, les idées dominantes du continentalisme et du nationalisme ont guidé la politique étrangère canadienne pendant une bonne partie de la décennie, l’internationalisme libéral étant marginalisé par la prédominance de celles-ci. De plus, les groupes inuits ont été les plus à même de formuler des conceptualisations alternatives de la sécurité et de la souveraineté arctiques au Canada.

Cette thèse vise à démystifier comment de jeunes Inuit font l’expérience de la vie à Ottawa. Les résultats révèlent que les participants à cette étude se positionnent et négocient leurs interactions d’après les relations qu’ils entretiennent avec les différents acteurs de leur environnement. En vue de leur maintien et équilibre, ces relations sont en constante négociation. Afin de se sentir mieux en ville, ils y aménagent des zones de confort mobiles, se créent de « miniunivers » inuit et s’ouvrent aux mondes urbains. Les jeunes Inuit profitent aussi de leur présence à Ottawa pour mieux se positionner par rapport au monde inuit, en (re)trouvant un bien-être personnel et en acquérant les outils et connaissances nécessaires pour contribuer à leur collectivité. Ils y développent notamment leur leadership par l’entremise de rencontres avec d’autres jeunes Inuit et autochtones et s’activent au sein même de la ville d’Ottawa à la transformation des réalités inuit. / This research seeks to demystify how Inuit youth experience living in Ottawa. Results reveal that, throughout their urban experiences, youth position themselves and negotiate their interactions according to their coexistence with the different elements of their environment. This relationship is constantly adjusting; it pushes them to alter their life in order to feel more comfortable in the city, develop their inner strengths and contribute to the collective effort in Ottawa. By creating comfort zones, finding Inuit spaces and exploring urban resources, the burden of balancing such different lifestyles is greatly mitigated. Inuit youth use their presence in the city to reorient their position within the Inuit world. By building self-confidence and developing skills which permit them to contribute to their community, they also develop leadership. These skills allow them to actively participate in the transformation of Inuit realities while living in Ottawa.

In working with Elder John Killulark, this project aimed at documenting the history of the Amaruq and Kigjugalik families and his perspective of the Land around Akulliqpaaq Qamaniq (Aberdeen Lake) and Qamaniq Tugliqpaaq (Schultz Lake). The study area is on the west side of Hudson Bay, Nunavut, and has been used by the families for many generations. In sharing his thoughts about life prior to moving to the permanent settlement of Baker Lake. He then described the family’s homeland through stories, songs, and legends and by providing a detailed map of the area including more than 290 place names. Our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and ancestors were once closely linked to the Land. The Land is important to Inuit and through this project, we can reflect on how old and new traditions are coming together to provide a bright future for Inuit.

This study examines long-term direct and indirect Historic Copper Inuit-European and European intersocietal interaction in the western/central Canadian Arctic periphery. Utilizing theoretical perspectives deriving from World-System Theory and moderate relativist orientations, and, embracing ethnographic, ethnohistorical and archaeological methodologies, the historic process by which the Historic Copper Inuit living externally to the modern capitalist World-System, came into contact with and were gradually incorporated within this expanding global system of interconnected states is examined. The process leading to the ultimate incorporation of the Historic Copper Inuit within the World-System is scrutinized through chronological stages and, utilizing two-views; the perspective of the Historic Copper Inuit mediating the penetration of the World-System, and through a perspective based on World-System orientations.

Graduate

The purpose of this research was to explore how Nunavut Educational Leadership (ELP), a school principal preparation program in Nunavut Territory, Canada, fulfills Inuit (the indigenous people of the territory) educational aspirations. In accordance with this purpose, the study focuses on answering four specific questions: (1) what are Inuit educational aspirations? (2) What is the context for Inuit education? (3) How is the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program organized to meet its objectives? (4) How do the activities of the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program (ELP) fulfill Inuit educational aspirations? Adopting an exploratory case study design grounded in qualitative approaches and undergirded by critical interpretative perspective, the research triangulates both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data sources come from individual semi-structured interviews of 35 respondents (18 community members, 3 program development members, 3 presenters/facilitators, 7 program participants, and 4 educational officials) selected across Nunavut Territory. These sources are complemented with relevant secondary documents from 1987 to 2010. Using constant comparative and word-in-context as the main data analysis methods, concepts and themes were delineated from the data sources to form categories, with the research questions and conceptual framework guiding the process. The research results revealed, among many other things, that the Nunavut ELP partially fulfills Inuit educational aspirations as defined in the research. Issues arising from the data analysis and interpretation are also discussed under (1) Inuit culturally appropriate education/ self-determination in education, (2) Issues associated with Inuit and mainstream relationship, (3) The relationship between context and principal preparation and development programs, (4) Preparation programs for fulfilling local educational aspirations, (5) Framework for principal leadership practice, (6) Educational Governance Related-Issues, (7) University contribution to principal leadership preparation and development programs, (8) Nunavut ELP goals, and (9) Leadership Conceptualizations. Along with these are recommendations, theoretical implications and directions for future or further research. Though the research does not purport to design an educational leadership program for Nunavut school leaders, its evidence-based analysis and results may assist in any conversations toward the restructuring, improvement or enhancement of the Nunavut ELP as well as any educational leadership development programs in post-colonial societies.

The purpose of this research was to explore how Nunavut Educational Leadership (ELP), a school principal preparation program in Nunavut Territory, Canada, fulfills Inuit (the indigenous people of the territory) educational aspirations. In accordance with this purpose, the study focuses on answering four specific questions: (1) what are Inuit educational aspirations? (2) What is the context for Inuit education? (3) How is the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program organized to meet its objectives? (4) How do the activities of the Nunavut Educational Leadership Program (ELP) fulfill Inuit educational aspirations? Adopting an exploratory case study design grounded in qualitative approaches and undergirded by critical interpretative perspective, the research triangulates both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data sources come from individual semi-structured interviews of 35 respondents (18 community members, 3 program development members, 3 presenters/facilitators, 7 program participants, and 4 educational officials) selected across Nunavut Territory. These sources are complemented with relevant secondary documents from 1987 to 2010. Using constant comparative and word-in-context as the main data analysis methods, concepts and themes were delineated from the data sources to form categories, with the research questions and conceptual framework guiding the process. The research results revealed, among many other things, that the Nunavut ELP partially fulfills Inuit educational aspirations as defined in the research. Issues arising from the data analysis and interpretation are also discussed under (1) Inuit culturally appropriate education/ self-determination in education, (2) Issues associated with Inuit and mainstream relationship, (3) The relationship between context and principal preparation and development programs, (4) Preparation programs for fulfilling local educational aspirations, (5) Framework for principal leadership practice, (6) Educational Governance Related-Issues, (7) University contribution to principal leadership preparation and development programs, (8) Nunavut ELP goals, and (9) Leadership Conceptualizations. Along with these are recommendations, theoretical implications and directions for future or further research. Though the research does not purport to design an educational leadership program for Nunavut school leaders, its evidence-based analysis and results may assist in any conversations toward the restructuring, improvement or enhancement of the Nunavut ELP as well as any educational leadership development programs in post-colonial societies.

This thesis explores the properties of adjectives and adverbs in Inuit (Eskimo-Aleut), with focus on the Inuktitut dialect group. While the literature on Eskimoan languages has claimed that they lack these categories, I present syntactic evidence for two classes of adjectives, one verb-like and another strictly attributive, as well as a class of adverbs. These categories are then employed to diagnose more general properties of the language including headedness, word-formation, adjunct licensing, and semantic composition. In the first half of Chapter 2 I demonstrate that verb-like adjectives can be differentiated from verbs insofar as only the former are compatible with a particular copular construction involving modals. Similarly, verb-like adjectives can combine with a negative marker that is incompatible with genuine verbs. This contrast is further corroborated by an inflectional distinction between verb-like adjectives and verbs in the Siglitun dialect. A second class of strictly-attributive adjectives is argued for on the basis of stacking, variable order, optionality, and compositionality. The second half of the chapter examines semantic restrictions on membership in the strictly-attributive class whereby only adjectives with subsective and privative denotations are attested. These restrictions are explained by the proposal that Inuit lacks a rule of Predicate Modification, with the result that only adjectives with semantic types capable of composing with nouns via Functional Application can compose directly with nominals. Furthermore, to explain why this restriction does not extend to verb-like adjectives it is proposed that when these modify nominals, they are adjoined DP appositives and compose via Potts’s (2005) rule of Conventional Implicature Application. In Chapter 3 I argue for a class of adverbs, presenting evidence including degree modification, variable ordering, speaker-oriented meanings, and the ability to modify additional categories. Finally, data from adverb ordering is used to compare syntactically oriented and semantically oriented approaches to adjunct licensing and verbal-complex formation. I present arguments in favour of a right-headed analysis of Inuit in which the relative position of adverbs inside polysynthetic verbal-complexes is primarily determined by semantics, supporting Ernst (2002), contra cartographic approaches such as Cinque (1999).

Cette thèse se veut un examen de la protection accordée aux droits linguistiques des autochtones du Québec et de l’Ontario par le droit international, le droit constitutionnel canadien et la législation fédérale et provinciale. Par l’étude des dispositions législatives, de la jurisprudence et de la doctrine pertinentes, on tente de déterminer la portée des obligations des gouvernements fédéral et provinciaux relativement à la protection des langues autochtones. Bien que la revitalisation de leurs langues doive se faire avant tout par les autochtones, l’État a un rôle important à jouer dans le développement et la promotion des langues, par exemple en mettant en place des programmes de financement ou en favorisant l’usage des langues autochtones à l’extérieur des communautés. On remarque une ouverture à la reconnaissance de droits linguistiques en faveur des autochtones, même s’ils ne jouissent pas encore de droits comparables à ceux reconnus aux minorités francophones et anglophones.