Igloolik, Nunavut
VOICES OF INUIT YOUTH AND A NATIVE TEACHER
"I" is the voice of experience from Lydia Qaunaq, Inuktitut teacher.
"We" is the combined voice of Grade 10 students at Ataguttaaluk High.
Our community is special!
The community is special because we have no mountains, and it is a beautiful place to be. Also the people are great. There are not very many people, but all of us are friends. We share the same culture and language, Inuktitut. You can learn from elders. We help each other. It’s like the whole community is your family because you’ve lived here most of your life. And every year Igloolik is growing.
But there could be some changes...
The change I’d make would be for the students to be in their homes during the night.
The youth opinion is a little different. We could add another arena, an arcade, and more pool tables. It would be nice to get a bigger hall and have more recreation for teenagers. We could use more places to hang out on Saturday and Sunday. People could also work on jealousy, shyness, and meanness.
A typical day
As a person from the community, this is a typical day for me.....
When I wake up in the morning, knowing that I’ll be going to work, I am glad that the weather is beautiful and that the community of Igloolik is a scenic sight for me.
As youth in the community, we go to school, church, cadets, the hall, and the gym. We play pool, watch T.V., listen to music, play and watch sports (especially hockey), eat junk food, play cards, dance, and sleep. We also stay home, visit with our parents, clean, look after children, and try to finish our homework.
Origin of the name "Igloolik"
Our ancestors who lived here before us have had sod houses and that is why they named the place, Igloolik. The name Igloolik is a special name for the community.
Making a living
They make clothing by hand. Most of them have regular jobs, in all different work places. Some of them carve regularly as a source of income.
Having fun
They celebrate sometimes by the men building a huge igloo as a gathering place for celebrations.
There are dances held in the community hall either teen or square dances and there are games held during holidays.
Meal time
We eat seal meat, caribou, arctic char, walrus, square flipper, polar bear, aged walrus meat (igunaq), and eggs collected from all various types of birds, and also we eat various types of birds.
Animals and vegetation
The animals around our community are all various types and all animals are useful.
The vegetation that we eat are "aupilattunguaq, qungulii, uqauyait" need to refine as to name them in English. These vegetations are abundant in some areas and the community is a very welcoming place to be.
Looking out to the ocean
There is a man-made break water, which is very useful for to put the boats in a safe place. Also you can see a far distance from the break water dock.
The future of Igloolik
I think that in 10 years time, all the shores of Igloolik island will be filled with houses. There will be an airstrip made on which jets will be able to land. Also, there will be more vehicles around town. Finally, there will be more employed people in the future.
The coming of Nunavut
Nunavut is independence. The creation of Nunavut means that we, the Inuit, are going to have our own land. It will also bring changes to the Northwest Territory. It will make a new territory. More jobs and more people will be coming to Igloolik. It means a lot to us, the Inuit youth. It means making choices for ourselves. We are proud of Nunavut.
We are not sure how it will affect daily life or our outlook. We will see what will happen. Maybe students will be happier and come to school more. Maybe we will have more work and jobs that require education. We want to finish high school and look for Nunavut jobs.