Nunatsiaq News bursaries aim to encourage Inuit writers

Nunatsiaq News is in its third year of investing in Inuit journalists.

The paper funds two $5,000 bursaries aimed at helping Inuit students study journalism, communications or other related subjects at the post-secondary level.

The deadline to apply for the bursaries is Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m.

The bursaries are funded through a partnership with Indspire, a national charity that provides financial support to Inuit, First Nations and Métis students, through its Building Better Futures program. Indspire administers the bursaries, including the management of the application process and selection of recipients.

“In Canada’s news business, there aren’t many Inuit journalists or even Indigenous journalists, generally,” said Corey Larocque, the paper’s managing editor.

“Helping Inuit students study journalism or communications is a way to plant the seed today so there will be a bigger pool of candidates in the future.”

The bursaries were first awarded in 2021 to two students in the 2020-21 academic year.

Students can use the money to offset the cost of tuition or accommodation at the college or university they’re attending. But they can also use it to help with costs associated with furthering their studies, including travel or equipment costs.

In addition to the two bursaries, Nunatsiaq News is always eager to create more opportunities for Inuit to share news from their communities, Larocque said.

That can be as sources in news stories, but also through internships, freelance work or summer employment to students who aspire to careers in journalism or other writing disciplines.

“The bursaries are an ongoing, annual initiative Nunatsiaq News takes to support Inuit students, but the paper is keenly interested in other innovative ways to help Inuit share their stories,” Larocque said.