CURA Leadership and Governance in Nunavut and Nunavik

Life Story 1Arnait Nipingit. Voices of Inuit Women in Leadership and Governance

OBJECTIVES

The common objective of Qulliit and the CIÉRA’s CURA project Inuit Leadership in Nunavut and Nunavik was to make important Inuit women

role models better known to Inuit youth and the general public. Inuit women tend to have more success in school than Inuit men and therefore generally reach higher levels of education but

they are much less represented in elected posi-tions. The Arnait Nipingit Leadership Summit

and the book published on that occasion were important contributions to support and value

women’s identity in Nunavut. It was also a call to young Inuit women to take the lead in public life and contribute directly to transform the current

family crises.

PARTNERS

Nunavut Secretariat, Government of Nunavut

Qulliit Status of Women Council

Nunavut Arctic College.

Arnait Video Production (Igloolik)

ISUMA.TV

SUMMARY

Arnait Nipingit is a project that was first pro-posed by Qulliit, the Nunavut Status of Women Council, to make a book from testimonies of a dozen Inuit women who have been, or are cur-rently involved in public life. Qulliit wanted this book to be published at the occasion of a confe-rence held in Iqaluit in September 2010 called, Arnait Nipingit (“Women’s Voices”) Leadership Summit. Twelve interviews are published in the book: Donna Adams, Nancy Anilniliak, Okalik Eegeesiak, Leena Evic, Ann Meekitjuk Hanson, Rhoda Innuksuk, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Made-leine Redfern, Joan Scottie, Elisapee Sheutiapik, Manitok Thomson, and Sheila Watt-Cloutier.

aruc-leadership@ciera.ulaval.ca

2010

Newsletter # 3

CURA Leadership and Governance in Nunavut and Nunavik

OUTCOMESBOOK DISTRIBUTION• 80 books were distributed at the Arnait Nipin-

git Women Leadership Summit

• 35 copies of the book were ordered by the Canadian Studies Program of Carleton Univer-sity to be used in class with students

• The book will be officially launched at the CIÉ-RA’s annual conference in Quebec City

• The book will be distributed in book stores in southern Canada through Nunavut Arctic Col-lege distribution service

• The book will be distributed in the Arctic through the Arctic Co-operatives Limited network of retail stores servicing 32 arctic com-munities

aruc-leadership@ciera.ulaval.ca

ORGANIZERSLouis McComber, Shannon Partridge (editors)

Karliin Aariak, Louis McComber, Shannon Partridge (interviewers)

Leena Evic, Jean Kusugak, Gloria Putumiraqtuq (translators)

Kowesa Etitiq, Francis Lévesque (researchers)

Ryan Van Bruggen, Nunavut Secretariat, Govern-ment of Nunavut (concept of the book with women leaders, liaison with Qulliiit, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, and the researchers)

Shylah Elliott (executive Director of Qulliit Status of Women Council, selection of women contributors)

Susan Sammons (director of the Language and Culture Program at Nunavut Arctic College)

Newsletter # 3

MEDIANunatsiaq News:Arnait Nipingit

Online

http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/sto-ries/article/22091066_arnait_media_productions_puts_arnait_nipingat_on-line/

CBC Northhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2010/09/13/nunavut-wo-men-leadership-summit.html

Igloolik Arnait Video Blog:http://www.isuma.tv/hi/en/arnait-nipingit-womens-leadership-summit/mystream116

Editors’ Presentation presented at the Arnait NipingitWomen Leadership Summit online at ISUMA.TVhttp://www.isuma.tv/hi/en/serpentine-communicationss-channel/arnait-nipin-git-presentation-mccomber-partridge

Donna Adams, Nancy Anilniliak, Okalik Eegeesiak, Leena Evic, Ann Meekitjuk Hanson, Rhoda Innuksuk, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Madeleine Redfern, Joan

Scottie, Elisapee Sheutiapik, Manitok Thompson, Sheila Watt-Cloutier

Arnait Nipingit  Voices of Inuit Wom

en in Leadership and Governance

Inu i t Le ad e rs hip and G o ve rnanc eONE

This book gathers the reflections of eleven Inuit women who have

taken the risk of leadership in Canada and beyond. Whether an

advocate, policy maker, or cultural leader, each woman tells the story

of her journey toward becoming a voice for her fellow Inuit. Solid

cultural values and a strong sense of service are their common

denominators, even if their missions and personal convictions vary.

Some are leaders in cultural development and environmentalism;

others thrived as members of territorial legislatures. Some are

advocates in their home communities; others took their passion for

public issues to national and international arenas. In every case, these

women are driven by a desire to see Inuit society flourish through its

language, traditions, and institutions.

Edited by Louis McComber and Shannon Partridge

Edited by Louis McComber and Shannon Partridge

A r n a i t N i p i n g i t  Voices of Inuit Women in Leadership and Governance

Arnait Nipingit “Arnait Nipingit was produced through a partnership between Nunavut Arctic College, Laval University’s CIERA (Centre interuniversitaire d’études et de recherches autochtones), the Qullit Nunavut Status of Women Council, and Nunavut’s Department of Education. The book series entitled Inuit Leadership and Governance is part of a CIERA research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and its Community-University Research Alliance program.