Sivummut: Going Forward

In two parts, Episode 1 of Sivummut, brings to life the best attributes of a good mentor: patience and the desire to share skills regardless of age.

In Greenland, kayak builder, instructor and champion Maligiaq Padilla leads a group of young boys as they follow their dream to master the Inuit skills of sea kayaking. They overcome fear, conquer balance, and learn to build a kayak in the traditional way. This passing on of cultural ways, says Padilla, "is how we keep our community alive for generations to come".

Teachers at Nakasuk Elementary School in Iqaluit agree. Teachers mentor teaching students who mentor children and put into practice their belief that "only through helping each other will education progress." While making use of technology connecting Iqaluit with the world, these educators keep Inuit cultural identity strong through traditional teaching methods including string games and mentorship.

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The qulliq is in itself a testimony to whence the journey of the Inuit began.

In Episode 2 of Simmuvut the traditional seal oil lamp is lit as we follow a group of renowned artists bringing to the world stage the traditional Inuit art forms of drum dancing, throat singing, sculpture, song, and the designing and sewing of fur clothing.

As they pass on their expertise, working to keep these art forms thriving, the artists band together to establish an Inuit Performing arts space in Iqaluit. When visiting the National Performing Arts Centre in Ottawa, where they form bonds of mentorship, performance artist Sylvia Coutier speaks for all Inuit artists when she says, "It's beautiful here. We deserve a beautiful place like this."

We all rise up when a good mentor shares things close to the heart.

Samueli Ammaq does this as he teaches his grandson, Keith, traditional Inuit hunting skills, tells him the stories he heard as a child and shows him how to read the snow for signs of seals. Samueli and Keith are introduced to us by world famous Inuit filmmaker, Zacharias Kunuk, who says, "We change as we learn by our mistakes."

This lesson is at the heart of Tukisiguarvik, an Iqaluit wellness centre where adults can learn cultural skills in a comfortable and homy environment. Elisapee Davidee, the centre's director, explains that the term "homeless" didn't exist in Inuit culture because, in the past, there was always a place for everyone. But, she adds, things are different now and we must learn self-reliance along with traditional skills. "Do not judge the disadvantaged or you will end up like them."

Sing it out for the world to hear!

Mentors can be found in all areas of life and each has a story to tell. In the three parts of episode 4 we meet mentors in sports, weaving, and traditional Inuit ways of life.

- Johnny Issaluk, a champion of the Arctic Winter Games, explains to the young children he meets that becoming the best at Inuit high kick is not just a question of muscle; it takes mind as well. Life is beautiful, he says as he tells us of the challenges he overcame to achieve his goals.

- At the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts in Pangnirtung weavers Olassie Akulukjuk and Kawtysie Kakee teach others how to tell stories in tapestry. "I have weaving in my head now so I pass it on," says Olassie who learned the art by helping her mother.

- And, in Igoolik, Susan Avingaq is full of joy as she teaches women traditional Inuit ways of life. Susan was raised in an igloo and became a storyteller, singer, writer, film producer and art director. Helping, she says, is part of traditional Inuit culture. "It makes me happy to share."

Look to the future by nurturing the past

Meet two students who are being mentored and who are giving back to the community at the same time.

- Elaine Kilabuk is a McGill University medical student whose goal is to become the first Inuit doctor in Canada. "I want to give back to my northern community," she says, adding that she plans to return to Iqaluit to work in the local hospital. Elaine is exactly the sort of doctor Nunavut needs, says Dr. William Alexander, Director of Health and Social Services—the kind who stays and becomes part of the community.

- High school student, Rita Claire Kilabuk, is learning how to protect and preserve the northern environment. In Pangnirtung, Nunavut near Baffin Island, she spends her summer with rangers Monty Yank and Billy Etooangat as they manage Auyuittuq Park. "You can't be passive. You have to try doing things to learn," says Billy.

Sivummut means "moving forward;" doing that takes courage and strength. It means acknowledging the mistakes of the past in order to learn how to build a better future.

In this final episode of Sivummut we meet mentors from southern and northern cities who are not afraid to speak out against abuses in the Inuit community, and who are working to heal the past and help all Inuit move forward with strength. We meet pioneering filmmakers, recipients of the National Aboriginal Mentorship Program, political leaders and those who run programs that help some of the 10,000 Inuit living in southern cities maintain ties to their culture. Each of these inspiring leaders speaks of her own past struggles, but, as Minnie Grey from Nunavik Health and Social Services says, "We are resilient people. We are determined to make our life well."