By Sal Kennedy, Digital Skills Educator – Community Travel Team, Ampere
Pond Inlet and Resolute Bay are two of the most northern communities in Nunavut, both located in the High Arctic.
Pond Inlet – Mittimatalik (“the place where Mittima was”) is nestled between glaciers and snow capped mountains. It is home to a diverse range of marine and terrestrial wildlife, the Nattinnak Cultural Centre, the Qiqitani School Operations headquarters, the local tourism industry, a military base and a growing population of 1500+ people. It’s a real metropolis in relation to other “nearby” communities!
Pond – Mittimatalik has a special relationship to Resolute Bay – Qausuittuq (“the place with no dawn”). Its people are descendants of forced migrants from Inukjuak, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), relocated by the Canadian Government during the Cold War to establish sovereignty of the North, as well as the descendants of three families from Pond who were sent to teach the Inukjuaq Inuit how to survive in the High Arctic.
Experiencing three months of both total darkness and midnight sun, Resolute Bay’s 183 permanent residents are as famed for their resilience in the face of extreme cold and polar bears as they are for their hospitality as a tightly knit community. Regardless of size, we met successful self-taught entrepreneurs, brilliant teachers, lifelong learners, and Elders who held great Knowledge, who all contribute daily to the health of this special community.
Visiting both hamlets this September, the Community Delivery Team was reminded of how meaningful engagement is built over years, and how much our return can mean for individuals.
We spent our days delivering the Danielle Moore Ocean Conservation Kit in schools and Adult Digital Skills in the community. Our evenings, however, were for deepening relationships.
While spending time with returning participants from previous workshops, we hiked, hunted, swam, sang and laughed until well after dark. We also sat in grief with those who had recently lost loved ones – folks that we had met – and shared memories that brought tears and joy.
These experiences were undeniably granted because returning to the communities showed our commitment to friendships, birthing new depths to two-way learning. We had never felt more like members of a northern community, even if only part-time, and we look forward to continuing to find ways to support one and others‘ growth moving forward.
Ampere’s Lifecycle
Have you heard about Ampere’s Lifecycle? It illustrates how we support learners in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities at every stage of life and learning. Our Lifecycle includes:
- Advocacy – Showing up for rural, remote, and Indigenous communities
- Mentorship – Amplifying voices and building capacity
- Production – Enabling creators and leaders
- Education – Delivering hands-on, tech-driven learning
- Resources – Providing fair access for all learners
- Employment – Developing local, sustainable STEAM careers
In Pond Inlet and Resolute Bay the Community Delivery Team provided Advocacy, Mentorship, Education, and Resources to local learners during their September visit!