Celebrating Inuit youth

It’s spring again, and this is a good time to celebrate some of the people who are now enjoying the spring of their lives – our young Inuit.

In early April, Elisapie Isaac, who is originally from Salluit, Nunavik, and her musical partner Alain Auger, were awarded the Juno for Aboriginal Recording of the Year.

The group’s name Taima, as many know, means, “that’s it” or “enough.” It notes an ending. But for Elisapie, Taima has also proved to be a beginning.

She has travelled, singing her unique brand of music and bringing a piece of the Inuit experience to audiences around the world. Taima performed in Iqaluit at the annual Toonik Tyme festival a few weeks after receiving their Juno. It was a rare opportunity for them to play for a northern audience, and I hope they and other Inuit musicians have more chances to entertain Inuit in the North.

I admire Elisapie’s drive and determination to do what she does. Her talent is without question, but it takes something special inside to make good use of that talent.

Another example of a motivated youth is the new president of the National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC) Jason Tologanak. My staff and I were impressed with Jason after we met with him when he was elected president, and we look forward to working with him at the NIYC, and when he takes his place with the ITK board of directors.

Jason is from Cambridge Bay and worked as the Elder-Youth Coordinator for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. He has shown a keen interest in youth issues, and Inuit youth across Canada are lucky to have him as their president and representative.

One more thing that spring brings with it is the end of another school year. It’s a brief respite for students like Krista Zawadski from Rankin Inlet, who was awarded the Laura Ulluriaq Gauthier Post-Secondary Scholarship in January. Krista is a hard working anthropology student at Carleton University in Ottawa, and also a graduate of the Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS) program. Many young Inuit have used NS as a stepping stone to further their education and career paths. Several now work in the various departments at ITK.

I’ve made it a kind of annual tradition to speak to the graduating class of the NS program. They were learning the history of our land claims, and I hoped to show them a little of how Inuit are being represented today, and maybe inspire them to be the leaders of tomorrow.

I’m encouraged. The exceptional Inuit talent in all the regions is growing, and as the summer dawns on this young generation our future looks to be bright.

Jose Kusugak
President
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami