Ikayuqatigiinuk: Working together for a common goal

By way of introduction I will explain the title I have chosen for my thesis. Ee-kay-ook-at-ee-gee-nik is a concept the Inuit practice similar to a group of people working together for a common goal. It is a concept that includes the idea of organizing groups to learn how to improve situations or to solve problems rather than individuals working in isolation or at odds with each other. It coincides with my idea of what it is to be Inuit. It incorporates the values and beliefs of the Inuit culture and it speaks to the fact that Inuktitut is not just a language but a way of being.

This thesis represents a critical narrative, an autobiographical reflection on my teaching in the north. I chose critical narrative because I wanted to present my story, but within a framework that touches upon academia. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).