Scholarship application opens for Nunavut post-secondary students

Jose Kusugak receives CBC North’s Elijah Menarik Award in 2010. The NTI scholarship named after him is now open for applications from Inuit post-secondary students across the territory. (FILE PHOTO)

Nunavut post-secondary students can now apply for this year’s Jose Amaujaq Kusugak scholarship.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. hands out the $5,000 scholarship each year to two Inuit students pursuing studies at accredited Canadian post-secondary institutions in the areas of Inuit language and education.

Students studying in other areas may be eligible if they can demonstrate a link between their field of study and the promotion of Inuit rights, NTI said in an April 3 release.

“I remember the late Jose Kusugak’s passion and dedication to the preservation of Inuit rights through education and the protection of our language rights,” said NTI President Aluki Kotierk in the release.

Kusugak, a well-known Nunavut broadcaster and politician, played a pivotal role in the creation of Nunavut and was a long-time advocate for a common Inuktut writing system. He died in 2011 at age 60.

NTI developed the scholarship with the Kusugak family to ensure the late leader’s legacy continues to inspire new generations of Inuit.

For more information on the scholarship and details on how to apply, visit NTI’s website. The deadline for applications is July 9.