Invest in Inuit, says NAC dean of trades and technology

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Iqaluit

One of the major themes for the first full day of the Nunavut Mining Symposium on April 26 was training, and discussions centred around training Nunavummiut and Inuit for the workforce and introducing them into one of the territory’s fastest growing sectors.

This was the topic for an industry panel featuring representatives from the Government of Nunavut, Baffinland, Agnico Eagle and Nunavut Arctic College.

“There’s a very uneven formal education in Nunavut,” said Robert Clift, director of the career development division under Nunavut’s department of family services.

Around a third of the divisions development budget goes toward adult education programs, which Clift says provides a view into Nunavut’s education system.

“Some communities you might have a good math and science teacher, others you don’t. All these things contribute to the uneven level people come to us with.”

“We need to meet Nunavummiut where they are,” said Clift, when asked about getting more Nunavummiut into minnig.

In a traditional career development setting, he says, you enroll in a program, you either suceed or you find another one.

That system doesn’t quite work for Nunavut. Clift says despite some success stories, a different approach is needed.

Literacy, numeracy training and work readiness training are all a part of the programs family services is funding through third parties for Nunavummiut.

“As of this past fall, we’re in the house-buliding training business, in partnership with NCC as part of the Nunavut 3000 project,” said Clift.

Other solutions are also being explored, one example being a pilot project for a dual credit program in Rankin Inlet, where Albert Nester, Nunavut’ Arctic College’s dean of trades in technology currently works.

“Seeing that we have 10,000 youth getting ready for the workforce, we have a lot of potential there,” said Nester, also speaking on the panel.

Making people more aware of the opportunities mining present is also very important, says Guillaume Bigue, manager of people with Agnico Eagle Mines, and formerly responsible for human resources and training at Agnico’s three Nunavut operations.

“We have to make sure kids know about mining opportunities. We have plenty of jobs out there for these youth. But we have to make sure they know what mining is about,” said Bigue, who added it’s already happening through school visits, career fairs and school visits to mines. The mine visits, says Bigue gives a good, hands-on experience for young Nunavummiut.

Mining, and the revenue from mining is key toward making Nunavut self-sufficent, says Paul Quassa, special advisor to the president of Baffinland Iron Mines, Brian Penney, as well as former Nunavut premier and one of the chief negotiators of the

Special advisor to Baffinland president Brian Penney and former Nunavut premier Paul Quassa said Inuit need to be respected in Nunavut. Trevor

Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

However mining companies have to have “meaningful and attainable principles from the start”, and to meet and respect Inuit where they are in their territory.

This can range from training, to employees learning Inuktitut words, even if it’s just starting out with basic greetings such as ullaakkut (good morning), unnusakkut (good afternoon) or unnukkut (good evening).

“The majority of our population up here is Inuit, therefore we do have a certain value that we all have to respect in order for us to work together. Reconciliation is one of the strongest words that we hear, everything that happens up here must be connected to reconciliation.”

“We have to be guided by respecting Inuit knowledge and traditional values,” said Quassa.

A helicopter passes over excavation equipment at the Mary River exploration camp, the site of a proposed iron mine on northern Baffin Island, Aug.17, 2006. The owner of an iron ore mine on the tip of Baffin Island says it needs to again increase production to prevent job losses, and several federal cabinet ministers are calling on a Nunavut environmental assessment agency to prioritize the request.

Canadian Press/ Vinne Karetak