Fall graduate Kendall Kivigalok Aknavigak says pursuing a degree in her home community allowed her to engage with her Inuit culture and have the love, support and understanding of her family.

“Getting to this place in my life has been a long journey, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said. “I will be the first in my family to obtain a degree. I hope to leave a positive and long-lasting impact for Nunavutmuit and a legacy that will make my descendants proud of the pathway I am paving.”

Ms. Aknavigak is one of six graduates of Memorial University’s Bachelor of Social Work Nunavut Program who will receive bachelor of social work (BSW) degrees during a graduation ceremony at Nunavut Arctic College’s Kitikmeot Campus in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, on Oct. 18.

The Bachelor of Social Work Nunavut Program, part of a broader partnership between the Nunavut Arctic College (NAC) and Memorial University, offers graduates of the NAC social service worker diploma program the opportunity to complete a Memorial University bachelor of social work degree close to home.

Learning and thriving in place

Students in the BSW Nunavut cohort program complete coursework and field practicums.

The majority of courses are taught in person at the Kitikmeot campus in Cambridge Bay; instructors and faculty from Memorial’s School of Social Work travel to Nunavut to teach.

The field practicums and intensive curriculum prepare students to work in urban centres and rural settings, particularly remote and northern settings, focusing on Nunavut and the experience of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.

Chanese Kuptana Nakoyak recently moved back to Cambridge Bay from Yellowknife to attend the program.

“Cambridge Bay is a growing, thriving, inclusive community I am proud to call home,” Ms. Nakoyak said. “I wanted to further my education to continue the pathway of intergenerational success within my family and to provide a safe space for many children and youth in Nunavut who also aspire to make a difference in their communities.”

Given the challenging nature of social work, all bachelor of social work students, whether studying at the Nunavut or St. John’s campuses, are taught the importance of practising self-care to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue.

Clarissa Hatka VandenBrink says that lesson is one of her biggest takeaways from her social work training and, to her, self-care includes having the option to earn her degree in her home community.

“Being able to live at home while being enriched in my Inuit culture is integral to my social work learning and practice,” she said. “I am so grateful for my daughters to be able to physically see the work I put into education and what its success can look like.”

Presley Paige Ovilok Etegakpaktok Taylor highlighted the important role community plays in the decolonization of education and her hopes for the future.

She says the program allowed her to recognize the need for Inuit social workers in Inuit communities to create changes that are “intricately designed and created for the community and by the community.”

“There is something profound, sentimental, powerful and decolonizing about furthering my education and obtaining a degree in social work in my hometown,” said Ms. Taylor. “It brings about hope, change and light for me and for others, too.”

Partnership and pride

The larger strategic partnership between NAC and Memorial University, established as a 10-year agreement in 2019, is intended to promote and increase Inuit education and employment and recognizes the importance and value of Inuit ways of knowing, language and culture.

“I take pride in my Inuit culture and our Inuktitut language,” said Elizabeth Kingaruyak Issakiark of Arviat, Nunavut. “To pass on the traditions and knowledge passed on by our ancestors, we need to keep speaking in Inuktitut and to practise the traditions we need to teach the younger generation about hunting, how to butcher a tuktu, how to make nipku, about fishing and sewing. My father was a strong believer in education, and I will continue to support my children and grand children towards education.”

Pauline Saquuq Pauloosie was awarded a $10,000 Rebekah Uqi Williams Scholarship during her studies. The scholarship, established by the Government of Nunavut, is intended to help train and retain social workers in the territory.

“I felt honoured to continue my education in the social work field to enhance my skills and become a successful helper for individuals and communities who are in need,” said Ms. Pauloosie, who is from Taloyoak, Nunavut. “My hope for the future is to be a leader, building positive relationships for youth and all people by effectively using the skills and knowledge I have learned.”

Catharyn Andersen, vice-president (Indigenous); Dr. Sulaimon Giwa, interim dean, School of Social Work; and Cheryl Mallard, manager of field education, School of Social Work, will travel to Cambridge Bay to attend the graduation ceremony.

If you would like to join the celebrations virtually, the graduation ceremony will be live-streamed on Friday, Oct. 18, in the Spotlight section of Memorial’s homepage at 5 p.m. (NDT).