Kakivak policies aren’t stifling “the dream of Nunavut”

I sympathize with Mosha Folger, whose application for funding was turned down recently by the Kakivak Association.

Mosha was seeking funding incremental to the FANS funding he will receive, to take a creative writing program in British Columbia. I also commend his initiative in writing a letter to your paper (“Kakivak funding policies too narrow” Aug. 2, 2002), which highlights some of the difficult choices Kakivak has to make with its training and employment dollars.

I cannot agree with Mosha’s assertion that the dream of Nunavut is being stifled by Kakivak’s policy choices in training and employment. Over the past year, Kakivak supported over 450 Baffin Inuit in training, and sponsored 72 training programs. Kakivak also provided 128 grants and 25 business loans to Baffin Inuit. Youth programs provided training and work to over 240 young people in the Baffin region.

Although Kakivak’s funding agreement with the federal government for employment and training programs is fairly flexible, it is oriented to applications that clearly lead to the labour market, rather than general education or cultural programs. This was a business decision that the board did not take lightly.

Kakivak has developed some very sound working relationships with the Government of Nunavut’s education department, Nunavut Arctic College, and the regional HRDC office to do everything we can to make sure that anyone who applies for funding has the best chance to get some or all of what they request.

I respect Mosha’s efforts to further his education, and welcome any questions Inuit in the Baffin region might have about Kakivak services.

Larry Audlaluk
Chair, Kakivak Association