Thoughts on Education, the Training of Arctic Scientists and Arctic Research - The Changing Arctic Environment: The Arctic Messenger - page 321

(those responsible for delivering education in Nunavut). It set up a National Committee
on Inuit Education (chaired by Mary) that was tasked with developing a national strategy
on Inuit education. The strategy was published in 2011. It includes a pragmatic set of re-
commendations that strike a good balance between initiatives that preserve Inuit unique-
ness, such as language and culture, with a more typically mainstream Canadian education.
The blend of these two aspects should appeal to young Inuit and better prepare them for
occupying all levels of society in Arctic Canada. Particular attention is paid to very early
childhood education. I think the strategy is a perfect example of the type of initiative that
could dramatically improve the high school graduation rate. Of course, to succeed, it will
require strong and sustained financial and political support.
There is no limit to the age at which schoolchildren can become absorbed with Arctic
science. Most Arctic countries have programmes to address this early intellectual appet-
ite, but the only country for which I have some knowledge is Canada. In the early to
mid-1990s, my colleagues and I faced the problem of explaining to Inuit how Arctic foods
had become contaminated as a result of radionuclide and contaminant releases at mid- and
low latitudes. One of our actions was to fund indigenous peoples' organisations in the Arc-
tic and territorial governments to develop and deliver school units explaining the risks and
benefitsofconsumingornotconsumingtheseotherwiseveryhealthytraditionalfoods.The
curriculum units encompassed many educational age groups and the children were eager
participants. More recently ArcticNet, the main institution now funding Arctic science in
Canada (under the care of Martin Fortier), has integrated northern educational outreach in-
toits portfolio ofactivities. Onacircumpolar scale, this theme was also prominent inIPY-4
and many of the initiatives born at that time survive today.
4. The availability of university-level education in the Arctic region : Although there are
several well-established universities in Arctic Scandinavia, Alaska and Russia, there are
none in Arctic Canada. Instead, higher education is available through community colleges
(such as Yukon College, Aurora College and Nunavut College). These are excellent insti-
tutions, but they do not at present provide an education that can lead to and deliver post-
graduate studies. They are not yet equipped to prepare Arctic indigenous peoples with the