Stronger When We Are Together: Inuit Mothers’ Visions for Child and Family Wellness in Nunavut, Canada

ABSTRACT

Drawing on research with Inuit mothers from Arviat, Nunavut, this article explores child welfare social services in Nunavut, Canada. Since its inception in the 1950s, the state’s model for child welfare has always been at odds with Nunavummiut life, culture, and beliefs. This article highlights how the design and execution of model of child welfare has provided the majority of decision-making power to Qallunaat (non-Inuit). Through an examination of the experiences of Arviarmiut mothers (Inuit mothers from Arviat, Nunavut), this article considers this model of child welfare in light of how it contributes to fear and a lack of understanding concerning child welfare involvement, as well as its impact on child and family well-being. Based within literature that supports the development of an alternative Indigenous model to child welfare, this study offers critical insights concerning child welfare within Inuit communities in Arctic Canada, and describes Arviarmiut mothers’ recommendations for an Inuit-developed and -led, culturally centered model of child and family wellness.

[Inuktitut: Paallirmiut dialect] ᑎᑎᕋᐅᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ:ᑕᐅᑐᒐᖃᕐᓗᓂᖃᐅᔨᕼᐊᐃᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᑦᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ, ᑖᒻᓇ ᑎᑎᖅᖃᖅ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᔪᖅ ᓄᑕᕋᐅᑉ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦᓄᓇᕗᑦ,ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ.ᑕᐃᒪ’ᖓᓂᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᕼᐃᒪᓕ’ᒪᑕ1950-ᖏᓐᓂᑦ,ᑖᑉᑯᐊᐊᑐᖅᑕᖓᑦᓄᑕᕋᐅᑉ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᒍᑕᐅᕼᐃᒪᙱᖃᑦᑕᖅᕼᐃᒪᔪᖅᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᓅᕼᐃᕆᔭᐅᔪᒧᑦ, ᐱᖁᖅᕼᐃᕆᔭᐅᔪᒧᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑎᑎᖅᖃᖅ ᑕᑯᒃᕼᐊᐅᑎᑦᑎᔪᖅᖃᓄᐃᖓᓂᕆᔭᖓᑕᐊᒻᒪᓗᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓᑕ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᓄᑕᕋᒥᒃ ᑲᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᓗᒃᑖᕐᓚᒃ ᐃᕼᐅᒪᓕᐅᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᕼᐊᙱᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᑦᖃᑉᓗᓈᑦ(ᐃᓅᖏᑦᑐᑦ). ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᑯᒋᕼᐃᒪᔭᐃᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᑦ (ᐃᓅᔪᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᑦ), ᑎᑎᖅᖃᖅ ᐃᕼᐅᒪᒋᔭᖃᖅᑐᖅᐊᑐᒐᐅᔪᒥᒃᓄᑕᕋᕐᒥᒃᑲᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᐃᓂᖃᖅᕼᐃᒪᓂᖃ’ᒪᖔᑦᑲᑉᐱᐊᕼᐅᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᑭᕼᐃᐊᓂᖄᓂᙱᓐᓂᖅᐱ’ᔪᑎᒋᑉᓗᒍᓄᖅᑕᕋᖅᑲᒪᔭᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ,ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᕼᐃᓂᕆᔭᖓ ᓄᑕᕋᐅᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᑕᙳ ᑎᒌᑦᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᐊᑐᖅᕼᐅᑎᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᖃᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔭᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᕼᐃᐊᒍᖔᖅ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᖄᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᓄᑕᕋᖅ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᕼᐊᐃᓂᖅ ᑐᓂᕼᐃᔪᖅᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᓂᒃᐃᕼᐅᒪᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃᓄᑕᕋᕐᒥᒃᑲᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᕼᐃᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᑦᐊᑐᖁᔭᖏ’ᓂᒃᐃᓅᔪᓄᑦ-ᐋᖅᕿᑕᐅᕼᐃᒪᔪᓂᒃᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ,ᐱᖅᖁᕼᐃᕆᔭᐅᔪᒃᑯᑦᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃᓄᑕᕋᐅᑉᐊᒻᒪᓗᖃᑕᙳᑎᒌᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ.

KEYWORDS:

• Inuit
• mothers
• child welfare
• family services
• Traditional Knowledge
• social services
• Nunavut
• Canada

Acknowledgments

We thank Nadine Alareak who helped conduct interviews, the mothers of Arivat, Nunavut, and the many individuals in Nunavut that were willing to share their time, energy, and thoughts concerning Arctic child welfare. We acknowledge funding from the Social Sciences Humanities Research Institute (SSHRC).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Government of Canada (# 169492).

Notes on contributors

Patricia Johnston

Patricia Johnston worked throughout Arctic Canada within the child welfare system in both Nunavut and the Northwest Territories and provides her critical insights and understanding related to child welfare research. As a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Washington, her work focuses on Inuit self-determination, Inuit child and family wellness, and examining colonial policies, systems, structures, and perspectives.

Shirley Tagalik

Shirley Tagalik, Aqqiumavvik Society board member, is a retired educator and active researcher and community health advocate. Her work focuses on researching Inuit knowledge with Elders, and informs areas of maternal child health, family wellness, culturally based curriculum, programs and resources designed for early years educators and families.

Rosanna Amarudjuak

Rosanna Amardjuak is Inuk from Arviat, Nunavut. As a community leader and mother, Rosanna possesses significant knowledge of Inuit ways of knowing and cultural ways of being. Raised by a well-respected Elder, Rosanna regularly offers her cultural knowledge and support to other mothers in the community.