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"I AM YOUNG, AND I AM PROUD - Makkuktuuvunga, upimmavunga"

Panel Members:

• Jennie Williams, National Aboriginal Role Model
• Jesse Mike, National Inuit Youth Council
  Jesse Tungilik, Students on Ice
  Shannon O'Hara, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation
  Herb Nakimayak, Paulatuk
  Shawn Kuliktana, National Aboriginal Role Model

From left to right: Jennie Williams, Jesse Mike, Jesse Tungilik, Shawn Kuliktana, and Shannon O'Hara.

Photo by: Ed Maruyama

Why are we focusing on Inuit youth, coping and endurance?

Many things are being done at the community level – often by youth themselves – to help young people cope with and overcome difficult times in their lives.

“Makkuktuuvunga, upimmavunga – I am young, and I am proud” got youth talking about how they deal with problems, face challenges, and move forward. This episode shared some stories of promising programs and activities that are making a difference in the lives of Inuit youth.

What are our communications goals?

Our central message is that Inuit youth are strong and proud. Through “Makkuktuuvunga, upimmavunga – I am young, and I am proud”, we see footage of young people's opinions, thoughts and experiences. We show you examples of some motivating youth programs and activities. These activities are helping to build self-worth, self-reliance, cultural pride, skills, knowledge, and hope for the future in Inuit youth.

What will you see on this episode?

You will hear a lively discussion between a panel of youth and the viewers about young people’s opinions, thoughts and experiences. We show you examples of some motivating youth programs and activities. These activities are helping to build self-worth, self-reliance, cultural pride, skills, knowledge and hope for the future in Inuit youth.

You will see five, pre-recorded videos of inspiring youth programs and activities that are trying to improve the situation for Inuit youth. These are in the Inuit language, with English subtitles. They include:

Qanuippitali? Inuit Health Survey: Watch video clip here >>
See footage about the first major survey of the health of Inuit living in Nunavut, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Nunatsiavut. During the "Qanuippitali? Inuit Health Survey", health workers and researchers travelled by ship to Inuit communities to ask young people (18 years and older), adults and children about their health and wellness. You will see what the research ship was like and how the surveys were done. Also, members of the panel will talk about some of the questions that young people were asked, and how their answers to these questions can help shape youth programs.

Inuusivut Project - Inuit Youth Media: Watch video clip here >>
Through art, videos, music, photography and other multimedia, Inuit youth are finding new ways to express themselves. The Inuusivut Inuit Youth Media project is helping them to do this. The national Inuusivut Project was created by the Embrace Life Council in Nunavut, in partnership with the National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC) and now other partners in other regions of Inuit Nunaat. The program focuses on building strengths and coping skills among youth to help them positively deal with difficult times. You will see how Inuit youth use art, photographs, web videos and other methods to express themselves and share positive messages with other youth.

Project Life (Maniilaq, Alaska): Watch video clip here >>
Project Life is a youth wellness and suicide prevention program for the Maniilaq area of Alaska. It uses digital story-telling to help Alaskan Native youth to connect with and express their culture. It also helps the youth learn about leadership. These digital stories created by the youth allow them to explore their culture and interact with their elders by interviewing them and then sharing the interviews with the community. We will meet a young Inupiat woman whose life has been dramatically changed through the Project Life program and hear how this program hopes to impact many more youth.

Inuvik Youth Centre (Inuvik, NWT): Watch video clip here >>
The reality for many Inuit living in remote communities is the necessity to move to larger communities to continue their education. Young Inuit in the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories must live in Inuvik to attend high school or college,

leaving their families and support systems behind. Since 1996 the Inuvik Youth Centre has been running programs for local youth and students who live in Inuvik during the school year. A number of programs engage the youth in healthy activities. In this video, you will meet several of these youth as they cope with life away from their home with the help of the youth centre and its dedicated youth leaders.

Artcirq (Igloolik, Nunavut): Watch video clip here >>
In the summer of 1998, two teenagers committed suicide in Igloolik, Nunavut, once again devastating the community. At the same time Guillaume Saladin, a member of the “Inuusiq youth drama group”, was studying at the National Circus School of Montreal. He and eight young people, with assistance from Isuma Productions, created Artcirq to positively impact the lives of youth in the community. You will see how Artcirq helps youth to express themselves physically and spiritually through traditional Inuit themes and circus acts. Today this very successful youth program tours the world, yet continues to train youth in Igloolik to “join the circus”.

 

Watch the full 2-hour episode >> or Watch a 1-hour excerpt >>

Who was involved?

A working group made up of Inuit youth and people involved in youth issues helped the Inuit Tuttarvingat of the National Aboriginal Health Organization to develop the content for the two-hour episode. They included:

• Marie Belleau, Iqaluit, law student at Laval University
• Pujjuut Kusugak, Social Development Coordinator at Kivalliq Inuit Association, Rankin Inlet
• Shannon O'Hara, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation

Who should I contact if I have questions, comments or suggestions about the TV series?

Catherine Carry coordinated the TV series. Catherine is the Senior Program Officer at the Inuit Tuttarvingat of the National Aboriginal Health Organization.

Toll-free: 1-877-602-4445

Telephone: (613) 760-3515

E-mail: ccarry@naho.ca