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Introduction To SociologyNorthern perspectives, Northern ResourcesHow the Current Education System in Nunavut May Still be Perpetuating Social Inequality and How it Relates to the Social Issues that Inuit are Facing Today.Lena EllsworthMy objective was to look at how the current education system may still be perpetuating social inequality and how it relates to the social issues that Inuit are facing today. The questions I proposed to look at were: Are past experiences still influencing the current status and roles of the Inuit today? Is there still stereotyping? What kinds of stereotypes are there; consciously, subconsciously and what are the impacts? I have long been interested in learning more about the "real Inuit history", including the other First Peoples of Canada. I had always been puzzled as to why Inuit society is facing social issues today such as; addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling etc., suicide rates, violence, different attitudes towards education, employment and unemployment rates. Personally coming from both Inuit and Qallunat descent, I have in my life experienced a sense of identity crisis. For some time, Inuit culture had remained somewhat of a mystery for me. From talking with others, I have found that I am not alone. Only recently do I feel that I have a better understanding of who we are, after reading material and hearing personal accounts relating to the Introduction of religion and education, Relocation of the Inuit, the Dog Team Slayings, the first Residential & Federal Day school experiences and Elders stories covering different areas of past daily life and struggles, in short, learning the "Real Inuit History". I will be examining these points from the aspect of the Social-Conflict and Structural-Functional paradigm theories. Looking mainly at the current and past education system, old myths and beliefs. Perhaps we can then make changes in areas such as; Education and Language rights, rights that are enjoyed by our fellow Oui-oui'ks and Qallunaat Canadians. To develop this project, I read through the following resources: Bibliography
2 *Dogmatic QallunaatFor this section, I decided that a good place to start was to first look at the old beliefs and stereotypes. It was not that long ago in history that these ideas were presumed and communicated. I believe that, to some degree these have been passed on to the present generations, subconsciously and consciously. And that the majority of the population, mostly unaware, are still playing these roles. When you look up dogmatic in the dictionary, it says: arbitrary(despotic-totalitarian-arrogant-oppressive, unreasonable, inconsistent, irrational, tyrannical), authoritative, canonical, categorical, close-minded, dictorial, didatic, emphatic, doctrinaire, fanatical, imperious, inflexible, magisterial, narrow, narrow-minded, opinionated, overbearing, rigid ,pontifical(preachy, pretentious, self-important, condescending), peremptory (bossy, domineering). After reading through, "Indians of North America", by Harold E.Driver,I couldn't help myself but to give this section this title. In this book, Chapter 24: "Personality and Culture," the subtitles read: The Controversial Pueblos, The Egocentric Northwest Coast Men, The Manly-Hearted Plains People, The Pseudo-Apollians of the Sub-Arctic, The Aggressive but Insecure Iroquoians, The Ambivalent Eskimo, The Negative Meso-American Commoners. In this second edition, it is said that he had made extensive revisions in content and organization, incorporating many new discoveries and interpretations in archeology and related fields. This book was also stated to be, "impressively detailed, clear and authoritative. And that it was already firmly established as an excellent text and reference for students. (Driver, Harold E. 1970: BC) From what I read in this book, my impression is that his opinions were based mainly on preconceptions and from visiting one family for one day and then went on to stereotype those people as a whole. From my findings in this one book, it would unfair for me to say that's how they all thought, so to be fair, I've decided to include more of the following writings: From "The People's Land" I found: "He (an Inuit) does not think" and that, "Intellectual exchange can scarcely be carried on with an Eskimo. He is not accustomed to analyse and coordinate his thoughts...In his mind, far from being close together, the ideas labourouly follow one another, one giving place to the other... More than once I ask an Eskimo an explanation of his way of acting, of a rule in grammer, etc... an explanation calling for an intellectual effort on his part.(Father Jean Philippe [1947] cited in Brody, Hugh 1974: 33) Another finding in "The People's Land", Gontran De Poncins writes: "There is no learning to know the Eskimo through an exchange of ideas. Properly speaking, the Eskimo does not think at all. He has no capacity for generalization. He cannot explain himself to you, nor can he explain his people." (De Poncins [1941 Kabloona] cited in Brody, Hugh 1974: 115). From, "Hints to Travellers, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Royal Geographic Society" : "Testing the mental powers of races is interesting; some races are inferior to others in volume and complexity of brain, Australians and Africans being in this respect below Europeans, and the question is to determine what differences of mind may correspond. To compare the capacity of two races is made difficult by their different training. One of the best tests is the progress made by children in colonial or missionary schools; it is commonly stated that children of African or American tribes learn as fast as or faster than European children up to about twelve, but then fall behind. The subject is of great importance, both scientifically and as bearing on practical government." (Royal Geographic Society 1938: 356)Interestingly enough, inside this book I came across was stamped in red ink, "Post HBC Library". Here is another embarrassing, condescending, excerpt that I found from "The Book of Knowledge", while reading through, "A History of the Original Peoples of Northern Canada". This "Book of Knowledge" was printed in an attempt to educate adult Inuit; "The Book of Knowledge is a token of friendship provided for you...and for your family by the Governor of the Company. He is a man of great understanding and wisdom who decides difficult problems of the Company and directs the traders in their duties. Being a good citizen, loyal to the King and to those who rule the British Empire for the King, he wishes that you and your children, who are also citizens of the British Empire, should learn more of this Empire to which you belong, so that you may fully share our pride in the King who lives in the Mother Country far beyond the seas; and he wishes that you should also share the King's pride in those parts of the British Empire called Canada and Labrador of which you inhabit the northern regions. Furthermore he wishes that by your good actions and by your mode of life you should add your share of honour to the British Empire. Being also a happy man rejoicing in his children and in the love of his family, he shares with you the cares and the joys of your family; and by this Book of Knowledge he will surely diminish the cares of your family and add to your joys, if you are wise enough to pay heed to his advice. In the first part of this book the Company will tell you and your children about the British Empire and about Canada and Labrador and how you are entitled to the privilege of regarding our King as your King. In the second part of the book the Company, which has consulted with many Traders and the most learned Doctors and the Men of God, will explain to you the change which has come to your mode of living and will show you by what means you will bring better health and therefore greater happiness to your children and to yourselves. In the third part of this Book of Knowledge will be shown to you the means whereby you may gain greater possession in trade for the benefit of your children and yourselves. Let those of you who can read, recite the book to those who cannot read. In your camps discuss the book; talk of it in your igloos at night when your pipes are lit. It is a good book and a true book - this Book of Knowledge. The Whalers came to your country; the Men of God came and the Traders of the Company came. They altered the conditions of your lives. The bows and arrows which your father used, you have discarded for rifles: the kayak and umiak which your fathers used, many of you have discarded for the wooden boats with engines: the rich seal meat and the deer meat which were the life blood of all your people, some of you have discarded for White Man's flour. When you first see a hunter very far away on the ice with his dogs, it is some time before you can tell for certain in which direction he is moving. It was the same way with the officers of the Government and with the officers of the Company who could not tell at first whether your people derived good or evil from the use of the things which the White Men brought to your country. In those days also White Men knew not of the things which are likely to happen when a people such as yourselves suddenly begins to use things which White Men gradually learned to use over a great period of time. Take heed to what is written here, all you men and women of the North. Your people have not derived good from the use which you have made of the White Men's things. The things which have been brought to you are good things in themselves, but you have misused some of these things, so that to-day you are a feebler people than in the old days when your fathers did not know the White Men. Your sons are less hardy, your wives bring forth fewer children. There is sickness among some of you. Here you shall learn how you have brought this weakness about. ( Eskimo Book of Knowledge, Hudson's Bay Company, 1931 cited in Crowe, Keith J. 1974). 3 *Assimilation"The Europeans did not consider that, prior to their contact, the First Nations (and Inuit) people had their own complex form of educating their children". (Khan, Iram. n.d) "Along with the arrival of the European settlers in the early sixteenth century, came the belief that the "white man" was superior to the Natives. Every aspect of Native life was looked down on." (Khan, Iram, n.d.) "The federal government was committed to assimilating, thus "civilizing the First Nations people. The First Nations people wanted the best for their children, so many of them agreed to send their children to school. In 1879, the federal government looked to the American system of separate residential schools. The Americans had concluded that Native children were better candidates for assimilation if they were taken away from the "bad" influences of family and community." (Khan, Iram. n.d) "In the eyes of the federal government, the further away the Native children were from their families, the better." (Khan, Iram. n.d) "Their (Christian Missionaries)main goal, along with ensuring the well being of the Europeans, was to convert the natives to a life of Catholicism or Protestantism. Along with this change of belief came the forceful change of the Native's language, political structures, and the education of their children. Basically, the road to conversion was seen as a way to "civilize" the First Nations people." (Khan, Iram. n.d). "Outsiders taking their children into frightening, foreign schools caused great suffering. Based as it was on southern conviction that aboriginal peoples were not able to raise children properly, this policy also inflicted humiliation." (Brody, Hugh,(1991 [1975]). 4 * Guaranteed Failure, Larger Broadly Political Forces?While attending G.R.E.C., now called Inukshuk High School in Iqauit, I noticed the marked differences in the ratio of Inuit and non-Inuit in the General and Academic classes. I asked several current high school students what the ratios are today and found that it is still the same. There are mainly Inuit in the "General" classes and mostly Qallunaat or "Inuit" with Qallunaat fathers in "higher ranking jobs", in the Academic classes. Also, about 15 years ago, while visiting the Nunavut Arctic College, I noticed a poster advertising a course for the Nunavut Teachers Education Program. On it, it listed the course duration, course outline and the passing mark of 60%. I thought training for more Inuit teachers, sounds great. Then I walked further down the hall and found a similar poster but for the NWT-Teachers Education Program. Same information was on it except that their passing grade was 85%. Hmmm...I wonder, what are they trying to say? “Inuit are not the only ones to be concerned about the future of their children and education in the north. More and more Qallunaat begin to question the quality of education their children are receiving. They are concerned that when they move back south, their children will be put behind a grade or two”. (Ajurnamat, ICI in Qitsualik 1979:8) Read also Jim Bells article called "Betrayal by Negligence", in the Nunatsiaq News, April 12, 2002; "Many white families with children of senior elementary and high school age try to transfer to Yellowknife, if they work for the GNWT, or move south, so that their children's education will not suffer during these critical years. As a consequence, the children of white parents often receive a much better education than their Inuit counterparts and are, therefore, able to successfully complete a program of higher education in southern Canada." As if the inferior education in the North compared to southern curriculums wasn't appalling enough, believe it or not, the students enrolled in the full time "Inuktitut classes" are receiving even less. “Many things could be taught in the school which reflect an Inuk philosophy and encourage young people to believe in themselves and their own heritage. This is far from being non-progressive. Even the text in our language, however limited, appear to Inuit as nothing more than comic book fashion stories. Even if these are taught by an “Inuk teacher”, they are still using the Qallunaat system and this is not an Inuk education.” (Ajurnamat, ICI in Qitsualik 1979: 9) 5 *If Nothing Changes - Will remain dependent.“The Social Conflict analysis argues that schools routinely provide learning according to students social background, thereby perpetuating social inequality”. (Macionis, John J., & Gerber, Linda M.. 2002: 508.) "Rather, it is increasingly recognized as something quite different - a source of oppression and racism, a regime which, because of its structures and biases, has often discriminated against women, children and other marginalized groups." (James, Frank & Kulchyski, Peter.1994:1, Preface). "If current trends continue, most of the Inuit living in the Arctic in the year 2025 will be second-generation wards of state, whose society, economy, and culture may have more in common with an urban slum than with the life their grandparents knew." (Irwin, Colin. 1989. Lords of the Arctic: Wards of the State)Nunatsiaq News April12, 2002). "In the western sub-arctic however, the missionary and educational endeavor has reaped its reward: some young adults are unable or unwilling to speak their own language, and their children are being brought up with only English. (Brody, Hugh, 1987:145) It is important, now more than ever, in this Credentialist world, that the Nunavut Government fulfill its promise, to have 85% Inuit in the government jobs by first delivering proper education and training that will prepare them for further grades and to become real leaders. The vicious cycle of Institutional Prejudice and Discrimination has to stop, otherwise we'll end up like, "South Africa, where whites still hold almost all the desirable jobs, while most blacks are consigned to manual labour and other low level service jobs." (Macionis, John J & Gerber Linda, M. 2002: 247). 6 *Enough is Enough"The Indian Acts of the 1876 and 1880 made it clear that self government for Natives was to be abolished, and finance and all social services, including education were to be placed under federal control. Lands that were given to the Natives were to be managed on their behalf until they were "civilized" enough to govern themselves". (Khan, Iram. n.d.). Inferior education of Inuit ensures that the roles and society do not change. We will always need Qallunaat. The schooling received does not prepare our children to govern themselves and take leading roles in management, government, etc. "Failure to adequately monitor and maintain the quality of education in the Arctic is, in my view, an act of negligence that has contributed more than any other single factor to the establishment of "structural racism". At the present time, parents blame teachers, and teachers blame parents, for educational failure. But testing identifies the good and poor students, among households and parents, among classes and teachers, among schools and principals, and among communities and regions. When testing is done, the failures can be corrected with knowledge gained from the successes". Here is another excerpt that was written in the year 1744 that I enjoyed, it was a Response of the Indians of the Six Nations to a suggestion that they send boys to an American college, Pennsylvania: it was an excellent response, even fitting for today: "But you, who are wise, must know that different Nations have different Conceptions of things and you will therefore not take it amiss, if our Ideas of this kind of Education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some Experience of it. Several of our young People were formerly brought up at the Colleges of the Northern Provinces: they were instructed in all your Sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad Runners, ignorant of every means of living in the woods... neither fit for Hunters, Warriors, nor Counsellors, they were totally good for nothing. We are however, not the less oblig'd by your kind Offer, tho' we decline to accept it; and, to show our grateful Sense of it, if the Gentlemen of Virginia will send us a Dozen of their Sons, we will take Care of their Education, instruct them in all we know, and make Men of them. - Response of the Indians of the Six Nations to a suggestion that they send boys to an American college, Pennsylvania, 1744. (Brody, Hugh. 1975) “Elders sometimes say that their children have had to learn the Canadian way in order to fight for the peoples’ rights, and to resist the expropriation of their lands and culture”. “A bitter irony of modern relations between parents and children in many parts of the Canadian north lies in a generation gap that represents parental loss of influence over children at precisely the time when parents most need to depend on their children’s new-found skills - skills that elders hope will protect the society according to their principles. Many now say they have indeed benefited from schooling, and that without skills in English and experience of southern culture, they would be completely unable to oppose changes that undermine their ways of life. Discontinuity is accepted as a price for continuity. For people who love their children with such passion, and treat them with respect that is underpinned by so many fundamental beliefs, this has been a terrible price to pay”.(Brody, Hugh.1987:pp. 145 &147). 7 *Hopeful SignsConfessions, regrets and calls for forgiveness have been made by Churches, for their cooperation with the Government of Canada to assimilate the Native peoples and for their insensitivity and deprivation of their traditional ways. "A lot of time and money is necessary for Natives to successfully take over the education of their own children. But, we have to continue to have faith, since the plight of the First Nations people is disgusting to see. This handover of control, if done properly with adequate funding and education, can work; especially since who best to teach First Nations children their own culture than First Nations schools?" (Khan, Iram, n.d.) “As a result of the information revealed by the SAIP test (School Achievement Indicators Program), Rich says Nunavut’s education department will take action in three areas: teacher training, curriculum development and the production of resource materials”, (“Nunavut Flunks National Math Test”, Bell, Jim in Nunatsiaq News, April 12, 2002) 8 *Need Social Change for Cultural SurvivalAlmost any chance I have, I share that I envision some day Our children will attend schools in our own language all the way through to University. The response that I usually encounter, even from “open-minded” people is, “Why!?”, or “It’ll never happen”, or “You want to set them up to fail?!”, and “No, you have to prepare them in case they ever want to leave Nunavut”. What I can understand from these comments is that, if you don’t teach them in full time English, eventually they will not be able to speak it properly or that none of these subjects could ever be taught or learnt in Inuktitut. This is an unrealized admittance that this too must then be the same for the Inuktitut language. We hear that, “Inuktitut is a very strong language and will never be lost” but we’re seeing evidence now in Iqaluit and other communities like Kuglugktuk and Gjoa Haven that this is not the case. I witness daily, children who are more inclined to speak English and with limited comprehension and communication in Inuktitut. I overheard not too long ago a child mockingly saying to my daughter, “Oo, you speak Inuktitut at home!? “, I asked her in Inuktitut, “What, you don’t?’. She replied, “No...I don’t know how to speak it”. I then said again in Inuktitut, “But you understand perfectly well when you’re spoken to”. Again she answered, “Yeah but I don’t know how”. I told her that I encourage all kids to speak it and we’re all practicing and allowed to make mistakes. At another time, I heard my daughter and visitors discussing what classes they attend and in which language. One stated that he goes to English and takes “Inuktitut” classes, my 4 year old nephew and daughter retorts, “Inuktitoot not Inuktitut!”. He too has fair comprehension and stated that he doesn’t know how to speak it. I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of it is unconscious shame and shaming from both sides that has leaked into our children’s psyche. As parents, grandparents and Nunavummiut, we have to start being stubborn and diligent in speaking in our language and encouraging all to communicate in the same. If we do not teach in our own language they will lose strength in thinking in that language and grammar and with each generation, it will get weaker and weaker til it becomes extinct. “In fact, colonial agencies - with the possible exception of missions - have imposed English upon peoples across the north. Those who have learned the aboriginal languages have usually done so to effect changes that would make people more like themselves. And, in recent times, most southerners who move to the North would never think that they could or should learn an indigenous language. Instead, the working assumption of new agencies has been that, with time and effort, all northern people will come to speak English. Attitude to local languages is a major indicator of how cultures view one another. In Canada this is reflected in the limited nature of available written materials. Comparison with other countries is also revealing. In Greenland, 19th century literature - including such classics as Jane Eyre - was translated into Greenlandic Eskimo. In 1966, fifty eight books, totalling over 56,000 copies, were available in Siberian Eskimo. The Siberian book included a mathematics textbook of high school level. The Siberian and Greenlandic evidence shows that Arctic languages are not limited or limiting in ways that would justify their displacement by English. The Canadian slowness to provide written materials, therefore, is a result of larger, broadly political forces. (Brody, Hugh. 1975: 163). The Nunavut Government does not have to continue being another empty promise. With this new government we have an opportunity to truly incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in areas that are relevant and applicable, like in amending our Education Act, Health Care and the Justice system. “Often you hear that it is the parents fault for not encouraging children to go on with their education. This is why the drop out rate is so high. Inuit find it hard to encourage a system that did make promises to children which couldn’t be realized.” (ICI in Qitsualik. 1979: 8) 9 *Closing and quotes.I have to admit that I was biased to begin with and naturally, I found what I was looking for. While reading through the different resources, I felt a sad sense of validation and would think, “Aha! See! I told you that we’re still living in social inequality, it was not that long ago that Qallunaat would openly express contempt of non-white, how could it not carry over ”. I have had to remind myself to look for the good that has come out of it too. I do recognize that there are people who have benefitted from the education system and that we would not have been able to work in this modern world without it. There are also those who are quite successful and have never entered the typical education system and those who might have made it up to grade 6. I have respect for and see the advantages of both worlds. I believe that we can deliver in the very near future, without complicating and procrastinating, an education, recognizing that there are different learning styles and interests. “An Inuk education has history, science, language, music, etc...All of these exist in Inuit culture and have been overlooked. And, it doesn’t mean that, “this system is not void of southern methods and technology”.(ICI in Qitsualik 1979) We will use and learn the best of both worlds and we will be the better for it, mentally and spiritually. "...We must remember this, where no people could have survived, our ancestors did, with a hope that some day we would be known to the other parts of the word, not as the people of present new day, but as the people of old who had great determination to live, to survive, and to learn the daily needs. Today if we can think like our ancestors and put to use what they have achieved for us, and adopt the white man's way of learning, at the same time, and keep our own, we will be further ahead. We should learn as much as we can from this new culture, but we must not forget our own culture which is important to all of us. The survival of the Eskimo people depends on the survival of the language. When people meet Eskimos, they are disappointed if they cannot show their knowledge of Eskimo ways...If the Eskimos themselves don't use their language more, it will be forgotten, and very soon the Eskimo will be a forgotten people. There are only very few Eskimos, but millions of whites, just like mosquitos. It is something very special and wonderful to be an Eskimo - they are like the snow geese. If an Eskimo forgets his language and Eskimo ways, he will be nothing but just another mosquito". (Okpik, Abraham 1962: cited in James, Frank & Kulchyski, Peter 1994: 357). “Respect for the old people is another law, since all the laws come from the teaching by our elders, from stories that give us pride in our culture, from training since we are young; we learn what is expected of us. Without this learning from the elders our culture will be destroyed”. (Barnaby, George: cited in Brody, Hugh. 1987: 124) “Using that little pencil. Hard going! Whites are amazing. They do so much work that doesn’t look like work at all. And I thought, even if I learn things at school, I’ll never be a real white man”. (Inukuluk, Paulussi (Pond Inlet): cited in, Brody, Hugh. 1987: 24). “When non-Dene came to our land, we saw them as curious strangers who had come to visit; we shared with them and helped them to survive. We could not conceive that they would not see the world as we do. We trusted what people said, for this was the way we had lived amongst ourselves. The Dene had no experience or understanding of a people who would try to control us, or who would say that somehow they owned the land we had always lived on”. (Kakfwi, Stephen [Fort Good Hope]: cited in, Brody, Hugh. 1987: 200) “For my part, I am of the opinion that so far as we have reason, we have a right to use it in determining what is right or wrong, and we should pursue that path we believe to be right”. (Black Hawk: cited in Martin, Patricia 1995: 39). “At the same time we hear these very people talking loudly about special rights. They seem not to be content with ordinary Canadian administration and schools; they want royalties from mineral extraction; they want assured income for hunters.” “Why can’t they make up their minds to be either traditional or modern? Either they should live like us, and take their inconspicious place within the general melting pot, or they should live in genuine, aboriginal isolation within reserve lands” (pp.173). “Perhaps this causes a demand that other, non-urban, ‘traditional’ peoples must take it or leave it; the idea that they might select the bits of modernity that suit their purposes, while rejecting the unpleasant concomitants, irritates us. We are jealous of their seeming freedom, and wish to deny them”. (Brody, Hugh 1987:179) Bibliography
Residential Schools - Time Line SUBMITTED BY Lena Ellsworth (Source: information collected by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation) *The terms "boarding school" and "hostel" were often used to describe institutions built prior to 1923. Nunavut
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Yukon
Ontario
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Alberta
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(Source: information collected by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation) QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FOR FINAL EXAM PLEASE CLICK HERE QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FOR MID-TERM QUIZ February 25, 2002
Chapter One QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FOR FINAL EXAM STUDENT'S SUBMISSIONS FOR TIMELINE ON THE TOPIC OF EX.(INUIT CULTURE)
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Last updated February, 2002.
MID-TERM QUIZ QUESTIONS