‘We do real work here’: Arviat educator receives national teaching award

After more than two decades in Arviat, John Arnalukjuak High School co-principal and teacher Chi-Chi Arinze is being recognized with a national award for her dedication to education.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada announced the 2026 Prime Minister’s Awards recipients Oct. 5 in a news release, which named Arinze as recipient of an award for teaching excellence.

“It’s a good feeling not only for me, but it’s also a good feeling for my students and for a lot of people that I have worked with at John Arnalukjuak High School,” she said. “It’s a feeling of, ‘We are a real school. We do real work here.’”

Before teaching in Arviat, Arinze taught in Saskatchewan. Shortly after she moved north, she said she noticed her approach to education needed to change to better serve Nunavummiut. So she started focusing on building relationships with students and the community.

“When I build those relationships with them, they are more trusting of me and they give me a lot of cues about how to use Inuit cultural ways in my teaching,” Arinze said.

Her colleague and friend Patti Johnston, an assistant professor and the research excellence chair at the University of Calgary, nominated Arinze for the award.

Johnston introduced herself to Arinze in 2023 while in Arviat for a research project. She approached Arinze to help connect her with youth in the community.

“She is just very open and interested in education, and she’s one of those people who are always thinking: What can I do for the young people? How can I better serve them? How can I do more?” Johnston said in an interview.

Arinze teaches the curriculum but also helps youth build life skills, confidence and a strong sense of pride. She brings elders to visit classes, encourages the use of Inuktitut in the classroom and co-ordinated a cultural exchange with members of Splatsin First Nation in Enderby, B.C.

Johnston shared that Arinze doesn’t have a saviour complex.

“She takes her job seriously, and she treats [students] with such respect, and they treat her with such. It’s a beautiful relationship,” Johnston said.

Arinze also dedicates her time after school. She hosts weight room classes for female students with help from Inuit staff.

“I want to show off my students, I want them to be proud of their accomplishments, I want them to be proud of what they have done,” Arinze said.

Since their creation in 1994, the Prime Minister’s Awards have honoured more than 2,300 Canadian educators, according to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s announcement.

This year’s 60 recipients came from 221 nominations.