What are your Dreams?

Topic: Realizing a Dream, and Researching a Next Step.

I have always had a thirst for knowledge, and wondered about the possibilities of tomorrow. More specifically, I’ve always had a thirst for self-discovery – and I believe this is common for a lot of people, especially young Inuit. Our Inuit identity is a big part of our lives, no matter what. It affects our view of the world, but also how the world views us. We need to figure out who we are as individuals, and learn how to portray that to the world; what makes us who we are today? And where do we fit in the world of tomorrow? These questions remain unanswered, partly because it is hardly ever asked aloud, and because there is little room to venture through tradition in the busy modern lives of today.

A simple fact is that the reality of today comes from what happened yesterday. I believe that a quick taste of Inuit history could catch the interest of many students in classes today. A lesson would support the fact that Inuit have indeed lived through a very quick transition period, with tumultuous change and sacrifice. It is true; our culture has changed so much since our time of independence on the land. As a result from southern influence, Inuit were required to leave their nomadic life, and live in communities instead. Imagine this transition: from living in an iglu, to living in houses; from traveling by dog teams to using snow mobiles – this change happening all in one generation. Our grandparents and parents lived through this transition phase so that we could live like we do today. Evidently, these changes disrupted a traditional society and way of living, and replaced portions with a different, “modern” way of life, without question. Perhaps after learning about what our parents and grandparents have lived through, students could make sense of their world today, and realize why life is as it seems.

We all should know, change is not easy, and enduring many obstacles is difficult. Though it may be so, the real experiences of our recent history almost, but did not succeed in, getting rid of our culture completely. At the brink of extinction within the modern world, a group of young, determined Inuit stood up to defend our identity within Canada. After enduring a harsh assimilation period, and amidst a time of question, a younger generation of Inuit decided to stand up for our culture. Through the 1970’s and 80’s, young Inuit leaders worked tirelessly to create an aboriginal presence in Canada, and they succeeded! Now we have a place on the political stage, we have our own land claims agreement and our own government. We have our place within Canada, and now we need to take advantage of that - and make a choice to thrive as Inuit. Realizing our transition back to ownership, control, and taking a lead on our own future will be tough – but it can be done!

If nothing else, I would like to take the opportunity to encourage young Inuit to be engaged in learning about who they are, and where they come from. I’d tell them to ask questions, and be aware of Inuit history, but more importantly, find out about their own family history. Inuit History is a powerful story indeed, and even though we live in a completely different reality, we should learn why that is so. I truly believe that the will to survive still runs through our veins, just like it did for our grandparents who lived on the land with none of the luxuries of today. If we are made aware of this, we can only start to imagine all the possibilities! We could create our own visions, and make positive changes of our own choosing.

I think it is important to discuss with young people what they see for their own future, and ask how the education system could support them. Going to school is a huge part of our lives – but it hasn’t always been the case. Our grandparents and parents lived through a different time. It will be interesting to note what the young people envision today, because indeed, young people are the future of Nunavut, and our well-being is important. I believe that learning about the history of this place will benefit everybody, including the government in its duty to provide services to its people. I believe that once we have an understanding about students’ own personal aspirations, we can figure out how to work together to attain the ultimate dream Nunavut was created to fulfill.