ᔮᓐ ᐊᕐᓇᓗᒃᔪᐊᖅ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᓐᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᖏᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᖓᔪᖓᓐᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥ ᖁᕕᐊᓲᑎᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᑕᖅᑭᖓᓐᓂ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᕐᓂᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ.
ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂ ᐊᒥᐊᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ.
Ossian Ottokie is all about Inuktitut as he works on one of the literacy rocks at John Arnalukjuak High School in Arviat on May 31, 2018. photo courtesy Romeo Fournier
ᑭᒡᓕᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᔪᖅ ᔨᓕᐊᓐ ᒪᑲᓐᓯ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓱᐃᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᑖᒻ ᐅᐊᓪ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔩᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖓ ᕉᒥᐅ ᕗᐊᓐᓇᐃ ᐊᐱᕆᖕᒪᑦ ᓴᓇᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᐃᒥ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᑕᖅᑭᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓇᔭᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ.
ᒪᑲᓐᓯ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᖁᑦᑎᓛᖑᔪᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᓂ ᑕᒪᑐᒪᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒎᔪᒥ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᑕᖅᑭᖓᓂ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᑕᑐᐊᖃᑲᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᔪᒥ.
ᐱᖓᓱᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑎᓕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ: ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐳᓚᕋᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ, ᐃᓄᑐᖃᐅᑉ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᔪᒥ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔨᕐᔪᐊᖑᔪᒥ ᔫ ᖃᕆᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᒥᒃ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᒥ “ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐱᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᐅᕗᖅ.”
“ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᑲᑎᖅᓱᐃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓕᐊᕈᑎᓪᓗᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐊᓴᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒍᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑐᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐊᕈᓯᖅ ᐊᒥᐊᕆᓪᓗᑎ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑑᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᑲᓚᓂᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᑲᓐᓯ.
ᐊᓱᐃᓛᒃ ᑕᖅᓯᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᐃᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᓕᖕᒥ ᑎᑎᖅᑲᒥᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓕᐅᖅᑲᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑳᕋᑎᒃ ᓯᓚᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᕕᖓᓄᑦ ᓂᕆᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᑎᐊᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᐅᕆᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓄᑦ.
80-ᐸᓗᖕᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐱᐅᔪᐊᓘᕗᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥ, 100-ᐸᓗᖕᓂ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂ ᐃᓕᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓯᓚᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᕕᖓᓐᓂ.
“ᐱᐅᔪᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᖕᓂ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᓂᖃᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓄᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᑲᓐᓯ. “ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐊᕈᓰᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᓴᕆᔪᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓵᓚᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ 28-ᓂ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᑎᑎᖅᑲᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ, ‘ᓂᕆᐅᖕᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᓯᐅᔨᔾᔮᙱᓚᒍᑦ.'”
ᒪᑲᓐᓯ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᔅᓯᒐᓚᖕᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐊᕈᓯᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᑐᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂ ᑐᙵᕕᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒥ, ᑲᑎᙵᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᓯᕗᓕᐅᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ.
ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᖃᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐱᐅᔪᐊᓘᕗᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᒥ-ᐱᓕᕆᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥ.
“ᐅᒃᐱᕈᓱᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐱᐅᔪᐊᓘᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᕗᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒡᒐᒥᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᑉᐸᓕᑦᑎᐊᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂᑦ,” ᐃᒡᓚᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᑲᓐᓯ. “ᓇᓗᓇᙱᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᖓᓲᔪᓂᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᐅᒋᓛᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂ. ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᑦ. ᐅᐱᒍᓱᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓴᓇᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᕕᐊᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᐅᖅᑲᐃᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᓚᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᕕᐅᔪᒧᑦ, ᑕᑯᒥᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ.”
ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᐃᓕᓯᔪᓐᓇᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᓂ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓄᑦ, ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒐᓚᐃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ.
ᒪᑲᓐᓯ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᕿᓚᒻᒥᐅᔪᒥ ᓄᑲᖅᖠᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᔪᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᖓᔪᒃᖠᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ.
ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᐱᖅᓱᕐᓂᖃᓕᑲᐅᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᑲᖅᖠᓂ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓂᑦ, ᐊᖏᒡᓕᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᖓᔪᒃᖠᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ.
“ᖃᔅᓯᐊᕐᔪᐃᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᓕᓵᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᓯᓚᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᔪᒪᕐᔪᐊᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᑕᑯᒐᒥᒃ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. “ᓂᕆᐅᒃᐳᒍᑦ ᑲᓚᖃᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ, ᐊᖏᒡᓕᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓗᑕ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᕙᖅᓴᐃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓗᑕ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ, ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒎᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᒪᕐᕈᐃᓪᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ, ᐅᔭᕋᓱᔫᒃᑕᓕᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᓵᑦᑎᐊᖓᓂ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐊᒥᐊᕆᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᑎᕋᕐᓗᑕ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᖓᔪᓂ ᓯᕗᓂᖓᒍᑦ.”
