(December 14, 2016) Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) Vice-President James Eetoolook today released the Education and Language Social Rights Provisions that were originally tabled by the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut (TFN) during the negotiations with the Government of Canada for the Nunavut Agreement. This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Inuit declaration of education and language rights made by TFN during the negotiations. When the agreement was ratified in 1993, NTI replaced TFN and took on the role of implementing the Nunavut Agreement.
“When Inuit first began negotiations for the Nunavut Agreement, we firmly asserted the importance of creating an Inuit-controlled education system that taught students in Inuktut from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Our vision also included school boards run by Inuit and classrooms staffed by Inuit. This was our vision 30 years ago and it is our vision today,” said Eetoolook. “Our goal all along has been to produce Inuit graduates who are fluent in Inuktut and who are empowered and successful in Nunavut.”
From initial negotiations in the 1980s until the present, NTI has expressed a willingness to work with government to create a successful education system that is reflective of Inuit language and culture.
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