Iḷisaġvigmi Iḷisaqtuat Piḷḷautaġuurut I ñ u u n i a ġ u s i v u t Pa a m a a ġ i k ł ̣ u g i c h I ḷ i s a q a m i
Current and former members of the Iḷisaġvik College community share their perspectives on the ways in which the connections to culture at Iḷisaġvik College promote student success:
“ Incorporating the Iñupiaq Values for student success at Iļisaġvik College is a great place to start molding students to be great leaders. These values help build prominent leaders and create a suitable working atmosphere. Iḷisaġvik College can teach the students the importance of these values to be able to maintain unity and have a sense of balance in all areas of study and in the workforce. The students can instill and pass these values into their own families, friends and place of work. It is Iḷisaġvik College where I learned about our Iñupiaq Values and realized it should be implemented in some workplaces so they can become aware of these distinguished traits and utilize them as well. – Myrna Loy Sarren, Class of 2013
“ The Inupiat values are tied into our culture today. It may not be in everyone’s families or everyone’s lives but I love that not everyone does everything alone. No one goes out whaling alone; it takes a community to go whaling. Cooperation is the way to survive up here; there is no other way around it. Everyone shares what they have caught with their families. The way that we do show that we care, our compassion, is shown through sharing foods that we have caught, exchanging furs to keep warm in the winter time. What we do catch, we show nature respect and thank them for giving their lives to us so that we can then feed or clothe our families. Knowing how to sew is very important to stay warm up in the North. We respect nature and know there is nothing wasted when we do hunt… Our ancestors made sure that we, Iñupiat people, have not lost our language… My dreams are to become fluent and pass it down to my children and to keep it going onto their children… As a young educator of my language and culture, I am doing this with my heart. – Naomi Aaġlu Ahsoak, 2016 certificate graduate and Uqautchim Uglua teacher
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