Piqqusilirivvik seeks Inuktitut-speaking Nunavut students

Nunavut’s cultural school Piqqusilirivvik officially opened its doors last May. Next month it will see its first students enter its program. (FILE PHOTO)

If you live in Nunavut, are over 18, understand spoken Inuktitut and want to learn traditional Inuit skills, you still have two weeks to register for the first session at Clyde River’s new cultural school.

Piqqusilirivvik, which officially opened its doors last May, planned to welcome its first batch of students in September.

But low enrolment and a late sealift delivery pushed that start date to Oct. 31.

Piqqusilirivvik’s director Jonathan Palluq said he still hopes to attract more applicants from more communities.

To date, the school has received 26 applications —a number equal to the number of available places — although 13 of these come from Clyde River. The balance come mainly from Hall Beach, Repulse Bay and Arviat, he said.

“Our goal was to get a one student from each community,” Palluq said. “If we can’t, we’ll be settling for getting students from other communities.”

Palluq and staff from Piqqusilirivvik have been reaching out to potential students through community radio over the past several weeks — an effort that seems to be working.

That’s because before that push, leading up to the original class start-up date of Sept. 28, the school received only a handful of applications.

The school will offer about 10 courses this fall, many of them with a focus “on the land,” Palluq said.

Those include country food preparation, navigation using the stars and moon, care of outdoor clothing and making shelter.

Even more technical courses, like toy-making and tool-making, will require students to spend at least two weeks out on the land.

“Our goal is to have students out on the land most of the time,” Palluq said. “We want them to be able to take care of themselves if they’re caught out in a storm — especially in the fall when there is a lack of materials available.”

Palluq remains confident that students who complete the fall term will learn the skills to help them survive and thrive outdoors.

“I’m really excited,” Palluq said. “This is the first time traditional knowledge is really being taught to students [in Nunavut]. I’m hoping this is just the beginning of developing critical knowledge.”

Four instructors will be in charge of teaching the courses.

Because Piqqusilirivvik falls under the GN’s department of culture, language, elders and youth — rather than the Department of Education — instructors don’t have normal academic qualifications, but must demonstrate strong traditional knowledge.

And unlike most post-secondary programs, there are no student fees to attend Piqqusilirivvik.

Other expenses like transportation, lodging, and meals are all covered by the GN, Palluq said.

Nunavut government officials first announced the creation of Piqqusilirivvik, modelled after Knud Rasmussen Folk High School in Sisimut, Greenland, in 2006.

Piqqusilirivvik, which cost $32.2 million to build, will cost about $4.4 million to operate in its first year.

Students interested in applying to Piqqusilirivvik’s fall session can fill out a form here.