Inuit Language, Culture, and Parental Engagement in Schooling in One Nunavut Community

Abstract

This article explores findings on Inuit parental engagement in schooling drawn frominterviews with 74 Inuit adults and from four months of participant observation inone Nunavut community. It describes the many ways that Inuit parents supporttheir children's learning—ways that are sometimes different from those of astereotypically assertive middle-class Euro-Cananadian parent. It argues that it is amistake for teachers to expect Inuit parents to support schools as EuroCanadianparents might. Instead, to increase parental involvement, Nunavut schools shouldhonor Inuit wishes by bringing Inuit knowledge strongly into schooling. The desirefor more culture, more lnuktitut, and more Elders in schools was passionatelyexpressed by participants who also wanted higher academic standards. Althoughparticipants expressed support for schooling due to its role as a gateway to paidemployment, further support would result from making schooling in Nunavutsupportive of Inuit language and culture.