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 15 th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Fairbanks Alaska, August 8, 2012
Transcript
Filming for Our futureSocio-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, CanadaPrimary 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
15th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Fairbanks Alaska, August 8, 2012
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
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)
Generational Gap
• Decreased interaction with Elders
• Impacts grasp of culturally, socially and geographically -relevant Inuit knowledge
Ahistorical Inuit Realities
• Limited understanding of Inuit history among youth
• Inuit history not taught in Nunavut (or southern Canada)
• Painful to talk about
Miscommunication
• Accurate understanding of Inuit realities
• Knowledge translation from community to programming & policy
• Day-day communication between southern researchers & Inuit community members
History & Identity
• Knowing one’s history to make sense of personal & community experiences
“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
Elders
• Cross-generational dialogue & understanding
• Culturally & socially reaffirming for Elders & youth
• Healing generational trauma
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
Filmmaking
Digital Media: Nanisiniq.tumblr.com
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
Acknowledgements
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
• Sivulinuut Elders Society • Nunavut Research Institute• Nunavut Arctic College
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/SuicidePrevention-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
