Inuit to sign deal with Ontario for academic support

Nunavut Sivuniksavut students and other Inuit dance to live music at a March 18 event in Ottawa to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tungasuvvingat Inuit, an Ottawa-based Inuit service agency. (PHOTO BY COURTNEY EDGAR)

Inuit students in Ontario are about to get a boost in academic support, thanks to a new agreement reached between Ontario’s Ministry of Education and Tungasuvvingat Inuit, a frontline services group based in Ottawa.

Delegates will meet in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 27, and formally sign an agreement in principle meant to “strengthen support for Indigenous learners,” Tungasuvvingat Inuit said in a statement this week.

The agreement, or memorandum of understanding, will provide a framework for the province to improve academic achievement for Inuit students from kindergarten to high school, and improve the well-being of their families, Tungasuvvingat Inuit said.

The agreement will also “protect and promote the culture, identity and heritage of Inuit in Ontario” and educate non-Inuit on the history and culture of the Arctic.

Tungasuvvingat Inuit is an Inuit-specific charitable organization based in Ottawa, and celebrated its 30th year of operations in March.

The organization provides more than 20 services to Inuit within Ontario, including frontline and social support, cultural activities, counselling and crisis intervention.

The organization also advocates for Inuit issues within the province, and characterizes its agreement with Ontario’s government as in line with calls to action on Indigenous support and awareness outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.