Nunavut Arctic College

The award-winning animated Nunavut film Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of Wolves has won the jury award for "Best Narrative Short" at the 15th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

Nanisiniq Arviat History Project Elder Martha Okotak, Curtis Konek and Jordan Konek met a source of inspiration -- acclaimed Nunavut filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk during the International Polar Year: From Knowledge to Action conference in Montreal this week.

From all of us in Arviat, we would like to thank Zacharias Kunuk and Ian Mauro for believing in, and supporting our aspiring young filmmakers and the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project.

Whitehorse, YT – Students attending college in Canada’s three northern territories will soon have greater opportunities to further their studies at other universities. That’s because of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed today in Yellowknife, NWT between Yukon, Aurora and Nunavut Arctic Colleges and Dalhousie University, University of Laval, University of Alberta and University of Ottawa.

Arviat Elder Martha Okotak listens to an Inuktitut translation of the opening addresses for the International Polar Year 2012: From Knowledge to Action conference in Montreal this morning. For the last two years, Martha has been working with youth from the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project, which will be presenting the results of their qualitative and participatory action social sciences research this week. More than 2,500 polar scientists and researchers from more than 40 countries are attending.

For more information on the project, visit their web site at: nanisiniq.tumblr.com

Arviat, Nunavut (17 April 2012) – On Friday, 13 April 2012, the community of Arviat celebrated the completion of the second Arviat Diamond Driller’s Training (ADDT) course. 10 students successfully completed the training program, which included both classroom and practical components on an operating diamond drilling rig located in Arviat.

Join presenters April Dutheil, Jordan Konek and Frank Tester as they focus on the research relationships between Inuit and Qablunaat (people from the south) using the Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project as a lens to explore examples and causes of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

The purpose of this analysis is to avoid the historical occurrence of colonial interactions, conduct meaningful and collaborative research and provide greater understanding for all arenas in which Inuit and Qablunaat interact.

In the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut the Hon. Daniel Shewchuk, Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College commended College and City of Iqaluit staff on their response to the Creekside Village fire which left 83 students and their families homeless.

On Feb. 24, 2012, the Hon. Daniel Shewchuk, MLA for Arviat and the Minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College announced adult basic education enhancement projects taking place at Nunavut Arctic College.

International Polar Year 2012 is delighted to announce that Nancy Karetak-Lindell has recently been confirmed Chair of the Indigenous Knowledge Exchange.

Nancy was a Canadian Member of Parliament for the territory of Nunavut from 1997 to 2008, and is currently Director of the Jane Glassco Arctic Fellowship Program at the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, which is devoted to engaging, training, and inspiring the next generation of Northern Leaders.

"I am very excited and honoured to chair and be part of the Indigenous Knowledge Exchange Program Committee," Nancy said. "There are so many ways our traditional knowledge from the circumpolar world can complement science and put a human face to the challenges facing us in our Arctic world, and I believe the International Polar Year conference can highlight these opportunities."

The IPY 2012 conference will feature an Indigenous Knowledge Exchange (IKE) with programming developed by Indigenous peoples to highlight issues of interest and importance to community members of the circumpolar Arctic. The IKE welcomes all conference participants to discuss critical topics including: Food Security and Health, Changing Environment – Climate Change, Wildlife and Management, Youth and Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer.

For more information on International Polar Year visit http://www.ipy2012montreal.ca

OTTAWA, Ontario (February 2, 2012) – Concerns over the effects Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, would have on Nunavut were addressed today in the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.