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‘ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᑖᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᒍᑦ,’ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᑯᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓄᖅᑲᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᖅ

ᓯᐅᓚ ᐃᓄᒃᐸᐅᔭᖅ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᑉᓗᓂ ᓄᖅᑲᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᒡᕙᓂ ᑕᖅᑭᕐᒥ, 18-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᕗᐊᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᙳᖁᖕᒪᒍ ᐅᖃᔪᐃᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᒫᓂ ᐅᓗᔪᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ 1987–ᒥ.
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Sarah Inukpaujaq Ayaruak is retiring after a long career in education. She hopes to see Inuktitut further incorporated in Nunavut’s education system going forward. Photo courtesy of Sarah Inukpaujaq Ayaruak ᓯᐅᓚ ᐃᓄᒃᐸᐅᔭᖅ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᓴᓇᕝᕕᖕᒥᓂᒃ ᓄᖅᑲᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᑯᓂ ᓴᓇᖅᑳᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᑯᔪᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᖁᑉᓗᒍ ᓄᓇᕗᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᕗᒻᒧᐊᒍᑕᐅᖁᑉᓗᒍ.

ᓯᐅᓚ ᐃᓄᒃᐸᐅᔭᖅ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᑉᓗᓂ ᓄᖅᑲᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᒡᕙᓂ ᑕᖅᑭᕐᒥ, 18-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᕗᐊᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᙳᖁᖕᒪᒍ ᐅᖃᔪᐃᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᒫᓂ ᐅᓗᔪᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ 1987–ᒥ.

ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᓯᒪᙱᖦᖢᓂ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᔪᐃᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᒥ.

“ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑕᒫᙵᒥᐊᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᕗᐊᑦ ᐊᐱᕆᖕᒪᒍ.

ᑕᐃᑲᙵᑦ, ᕗᐊᑦ ᐊᔭᐅᖅᑐᐃᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᖕᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖁᑉᓗᒍ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᙳᖅᓴᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 1990-ᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᖅᑳᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᙳᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᖢᓂ.

ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓕᓵᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᑉᓗᓂ, ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑯᓗᐃᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᖃᕋᓱᒋᑉᓗᒍ.

“ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖁᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒪ ᐃᓚᖓ ᐅᕙᒻᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒐᒥ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑕᒃᑲᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᒐᒥ ᐊᐱᕆᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑕᒃᑲ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᒪᖔᑉᑭᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᑎᒐᑉᑯ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕋᓄᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᓂᕋᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᐊᐱᕆᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᒪᓐᓇ “ᐃᒡᓗᖃᕋᕕᑦ?” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᒡᓚᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ.

ᓕᐅ ᐅᓴᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 2000-ᖑᔪᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐃᓱᒪᑕᓪᓚᕆᐅᓕᖅᖢᓂ 2010-ᒥ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᐹᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᑖᕋᒥ.

2014-ᒥ, ᐊᑎᖓ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᒃᑯᑦ.

“ᓯᐅᓚ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᓴᙱᔪᐊᓗᒃ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎ ᑕᐅᑐᕐᕉᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓴᓇᔨᒥᓄᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᒋᔭᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖁᑎᖏᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓐᓇᖁᑉᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᖏᓐᓇᕐᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᐹᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᒋᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐹᓪ ᖁᐊᓴ.

ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᕆᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᕗᓕ Hᐃᐅᓪᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔨᓯ ᐸᐃᓐᒥᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᖕᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᙳᖁᑉᓗᒍ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ.

“ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑕᐅᑉᓗᖓ, ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔫᔭᓲᖅ ᐅᕙᑉᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᑉᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖓᓂᙶᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᐅᖓᓂᒃ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑕᐅᒐᑉᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑉᓗᒋᑦ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ. ᐃᑲᔪᓚᐅᙱᓐᓂᖅᐸᑕ ᐅᕙᒻᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᑉᑯᐊ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒃᑲ, 19-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᓇᔭᓚᐅᙱᑦᑐᒃᓴᐅᔪᖓ.”

ᐅᔾᔨᕐᓇᓗᐊᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐃᓚᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᑉᓗᓂ ᒥᐊᓂᖅᓯᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᖕᒥ 3-ᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒥᐊᓂᖅᓯᓯᒪᑉᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ.

ᐅᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑯᓗᐃᑦ ᑭᖑᓂᖃᓈᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᒋᑦ, ᖁᖓᒃᑳᖓᑕ ᐅᑉᓗᖓ ᖃᐅᒻᒪᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑯᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᖃᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ.

ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᐅᔾᔨᖅᑐᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓲᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᒃᑯᑦ. ᐃᑲᔫᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᖏᑦᑕ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᖃᑉᓗᓈᑎᑑᙱᖔᕐᓗᓂ.

“ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᖅᑳᕋᑉᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓅᑉᓗᑕ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ. “ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᕐᒪ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓯᒪᔮᖓ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᑎᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ.”

ᓯᕗᒻᒧᐊᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᓗᓂ, ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᓂᕆᐅᒃᑐᖅ ᑕᑯᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᒪᑉᓗᓂ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᙳᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᒥᐊᓂᖅᓯᔨᓂᒃ.

“ᐱᑖᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᓂᒃ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ. “ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᒐᑉᑕ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᑭᙶᕐᒪᖔᑕ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒌᒍᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔫᔭᕐᒪᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒥᓄᑦ.” ᑕᐃᒪᑐᕉᖅ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᓐᓇᖁᑉᓗᒍ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ. ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᕐᓕ, ᐊᔭᕈᐊᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒦᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᑲᑕᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᓂ. ᐱᖓᓲᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᕐᔪᐊᑦ ᐅᐸᒍᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, ᐊᑦᓛᓐᑎᒃᒥ.