Nunavut Sivuniksavut blindsided by DIAND “gift”

ALISON BLACKDUCK

IQALUIT — The minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Robert Nault, surprised representatives of Nunavut Sivuniksavut last week.

The surprise?

Nearly $300,000 of supposedly new money for students of the university and college preparation program in Ottawa.

Nault announced that his department is giving $279,000 to the Nunavut government to help train 18 students from Nunavut. He made the announcement in Baker Lake on Aug. 17.

However, neither Nunavut Sivuniksavut’s coordinator, Morley Hanson, nor board member Raurri Qajaaq Ellsworth, knew about the announcement until Nunatsiaq News telephoned them for interviews. Both declined to comment.

The money isn’t being paid to Nunavut Sivuniksavut directly, either. According to a DIAND press release, the money forms part of a partnership between the federal government and Nunavut’s Department of Education.

“The department of education submitted a proposal to DIAND in the spring,” said Kathy Okpik, Nunavut’s assistant deputy minister for adult education and field operations. “Our department decided to look at NS.”

Okpik said the department applied for money from DIAND’s University and College Education Preparation Program.

When pressed for further explanation, she admitted the money isn’t new, since NS students usually receive grants through the Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students program.

“The biggest difference is that this is extra money, so we’ll have more FANS money,” she said.

DIAND cut $100,000 from NS’ operating budget of $481,000 earlier this year because, according to DIAND spokesperson Jennifer Lilly, nobody from the school submitted a funding proposal.

“We don’t do any micro-managing of how they do the day-to-day operations,” said Jennifer Lilly, a spokesperson for DIAND, when asked how DIAND expected the GN to spend the $279,000 on training this year’s NS students.

But Lilly said the money isn’t meant to cover operational costs.