Labrador Inuit Education Conference A Success

(Nain, NL.) March 25, 2004. The Labrador Inuit Education conference is in its final day in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Opened on Tuesday March 23, close to 60 participants from the Labrador School Board, Torngasok Cultural Centre, Labrador Inuit Association (LIA) and Nunavut continue to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges facing educators and students in the north. Inuit Pathways and Labrador School Board have provided funding for the conference.

The agenda includes a variety of presentations from various interest groups, including one from Ooloota Maatiusi with the Nunavut Teacher Education Program and Nunia Qanatsiaq of the Nunavut Department of Education. Other presentations included information on a language survey conducted by the Torngasok Cultural Centre and information on Inuttitut curriculum being taught in Nunavut. Today Jeff Thompson and Cindy Fleet of the Labrador School Board are scheduled to present an overview of north coast schools.

William Andersen III, President of LIA, indicated the conference is important for a number of reasons. It is important for Labrador Inuit to have access to an education system that is on par with the rest of the country so that their graduates have the same opportunities as other Canadians.

In his opening address, Andersen challenged LIA’s Board and all members to keep the Inuttitut language alive. “It is not the fault of educators that we are losing our language,” says Andersen.
“In our recent youth symposium, we heard the message loud and clear that our youth want to have Inuttitut taught in all the schools they attend, including those in Upper Lake Melville.”

This issue was one of many examined in a presentation by Tim McNeill, who presented an overview of the intended system of education when the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement comes into effect.

“Education is a critical part of Nunatsiavut,” says Andersen. “We need to start planning and educating our Inuit to have access to opportunities, to work for the new Nunatsiavut government and to learn our language.”

The Labrador Inuit Association represents over 5,300 Labrador Inuit. Labrador Inuit live in Northern Labrador, other parts of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.

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Contact: June Perry Communications Director
709-753-0794