Presented at the 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, the following outlines the importance of history, inter-generational connectedness & participatory filmmaking as an approach to Inuit youth mental health and wellbeing, using the case study of the Nanisiniq Arviat History Project.

1. 15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Fairbanks Alaska, August 8, 2012
Filming for Our future
Socio-Historical, Cross-Generational and Multi-media Approaches to Inuit
Youth Mental Health and Well-being
Presenter: April Dutheil, BA (Hons.), Department of Sociology, University of British
Columbia School (UBC), Vancouver, Canada
Primary Investigator: Dr. Frank Tester, School of Social Work, UBC
Nanisiniq Arviat History Project Research Team: Martha Okotak, Silas Illungiayok, Tamar Mukyunik, Jordan
Konek, Curtis Kuunuaq, Amy Owingayak, Dr. Paule McNicoll & Mr. Peter Irniq

2. Nanisiniq Arviat History Project
• Inuit Elders & youth
from Arviat, Nunavut
• Two year multi-media
history project
• Participatory action
research
• Sivulinuut Elders
Society & University of
British Columbia School
of Social Work

3. Mental Health and Well-being
• Arviat: 74% of population
under 25 years old
compared to 35% for
general Canada
• Arviat: Highest national
birth rate
– 35/1,000
• Nunavut suicide eight times
the rate of suicide in
southern Canada
– 119.7/100,000 vs.
14/100,000
• Socio-historical trauma &
fractured identity/belonging
Hicks (2004); Tester & McNicoll (2004); White (2010)

4. Generational Gap
• Decreased interaction
with Elders
• Impacts grasp of
culturally, socially and
geographically -relevant
Inuit knowledge

5. Ahistorical Inuit Realities
• Limited understanding
of Inuit history among
youth
• Inuit history not taught
in Nunavut (or southern
Canada)
• Painful to talk about

6. Miscommunication
• Accurate understanding
of Inuit realities
• Knowledge translation
from community to
programming & policy
• Day-day
communication
between southern
researchers & Inuit
community members

7. History & Identity
• Knowing one’s history
to make sense of
personal & community
experiences
• Rediscovering,
celebrating & re-
enforcing identity

8. History & Resistance
“First of all I'd like to say that Inuit were treated back then as
if they were stupid. They knew how to hunt well and how to
survive on the land but then, what did they get? White
people writing them a book of wisdom which Inuit already
had! From reading the documents we have been looking at,
Inuit stayed quiet and tried to listen to the White
people...What the white
people did not know then was
Inuit were already smart enough
to live their lives...”
-Amy Owingayak, August 22 2010

9. Elders
• Cross-generational
dialogue &
understanding
• Culturally & socially
reaffirming for Elders &
youth
• Healing generational
trauma

10. Elders & Strength
“I'm amazed by these Elders I'm watching who were all
mistreated by the Canadian Government - Yet they still stand
strong. I'm even more amazed how they know the
environment around them. We're losing it.”
-Jordan Konek, August 2 2012

11. Filmmaking

12. Digital Media: Nanisiniq.tumblr.com

13. Preliminary Findings
• Working with a small group of youth impacted the
community at large, Arviat, Nunavut and southern
Canada
• History, reconnection & identity as an approach to
health
• Participatory learning good approach to Inuit
education
• Fun
• Two documentary & three publications in-progress

14. Acknowledgements
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada
• Sivulinuut Elders Society
• Nunavut Research Institute
• Nunavut Arctic College

15. References
• Hicks, J. (2004, January 24). Nunavut Kiglisiniaqtiit: Evaluation
and Statistics. Presentation to the Founding Conference of the
Nunavut Suicide Prevention Council, Iqaluit, NU.
• Korhonen, M. (2006). Suicide prevention: Inuit traditional
practices that encouraged resilience and coping. Retrieved
from the Ajunnginiq Centre, National Aboriginal Health
Organization website:
http://www.naho.ca/inuit/e/resources/documents/SuicidePr
evention-FinalEnglish_000.pdf
• Tester, F. J., & McNicoll, P. (2004). Isumagijaksaq: Mindful of
the state: Social constructions of inuit suicide. Social Science
& Medicine, 58(12):2625-2636.
• White, Patrick (2010, June 5). Inuit mothers fight for their
children’s health. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from
http://freeinternetpress.com/story.php?sid=25989

16. Questions
• Blog: Nanisiniq.tumblr.com
• Twitter: @NanisiniqArviat
• Email: Nanisiniq@yahoo.ca