Canadian Rural Partnership
Community Decision-Making Toolkit

Sanikiluaq Community Story

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1. Background
2. Process
3. Lessons Learned

1. Background:

1.1. Description of the Community

Nunavut's southernmost Inuit community, the Hamlet of Sanikiluaq, is located on the Belcher Islands in the southeastern corner of Hudson Bay. With a current population of 790, the Inuit have inhabited these islands for over 3000 years - remaining relatively isolated from European influence until the early 1900s. The islands are strongly Anglican, without the religious rivalry that exists in many other Nunavut communities.

Food sources for the community include ring seals, eider ducks, geese, belugas, arctic char, whitefish, sea urchins, mussels and sea cucumbers. Reindeer were successfully introduced to the islands in 1978 and continue to thrive, numbering as high as 1000 head. The community Hunters and Trappers Association (HTA) controls all harvesting, annually allowing up to 25 polar bears to be hunted in late winter.

With income derived primarily through government jobs and income support, the local economy struggles to achieve diversity. The Nunavut government's decision to decentralize many government departments to smaller communities did not result in additional jobs for Sanikiluaq. Unfortunately, the area also lacks a significant tourism industry. Dog teams have all but vanished from the Belchers, and a recent attempt to develop an outfitting business failed, in part, to increased logistical expenses and insurance costs after the events of 9/11. A bright spot is the soapstone industry supported by the Mitiq Co-Op, although income varies according to the market demand for crafts.

The school system began on the southern part of the Belchers in the early 1960's, and in 1986 Sanikiluaq built a new K-12 school named "Nuiyak". Although between 17 and 28 children enter Kindergarten each year, an average of only 5 students graduate. The heaviest dropout occurs after the first year of Grade 10, when the challenges of the Alberta curriculum become too burdensome - especially for males. This seems to be a growing social problem in all Nunavut communities requiring new strategies and solutions.

Few students leave the community for further studies, and none have attended a southern university. Locally however, a recent teacher program resulted in 7 teachers achieving their Bachelors of Education. These individuals are presently making significant contributions in the school and a continuation of this program is planned.

1.2. Issues

This case study describes the creation and evolution of Najuqsivik, a community-driven organization meaning “daycare”. Initially very narrow in focus, this association eventually developed broader community goals. The following narrative highlights Najuqsivik’s achievements in providing better opportunities for the people of Sanikiluaq.

The Beginnings of Community Action
In the fall of 1997, several community members contacted the school principal to ask for assistance in establishing a daycare. A radio announcement was made resulting in approximately 8 people meeting with the principal during an evening assembly. Also in attendance was a Northwest Territories (NWT) representative from Early Childhood Education. The process of establishing a non-profit society was outlined and a board of directors was elected. The necessary paperwork was completed and forwarded to Yellowknife to be registered with Legal Registry.

Becoming a legal entity on January 28, 1998, Najuqsivik applied to Pauktuutik for capital funds to build a daycare. This action resulted in $5,000 for planning purposes, with an additional $200,000 earmarked for the project. The building was completed by September 1998 but, due to delays in accessibility to the fire inspector, was not opened until June 1999. Despite this, Najuqsivik enrolled 10 participants in Phase 1 of the Early Childhood Education Program. Subsequently, the Board applied for and received a bingo license for the building, providing additional revenue for initiating projects.

The Najuqsivik society was slightly different from other community committees in that no honorarium was paid to volunteers. Most society members were already involved in various community committees and expressed a genuine desire to assist. When community development suggestions were proposed at monthly meetings, they received support and the ‘daycare mission’ started to expand.

Moving Beyond a Daycare
A first project was to develop and operate a new local communication channel. While the existing hamlet-run radio station is often used as a “complaint centre”, the Board envisaged a station that could broadcast “positive” radio. Informed by Pauktuutik that additional funds were available, an application was made to establish a community radio station in the daycare. The CRTC granted a license, and through a contract with CBC North, Kunnie Kunnie Radio was born. Kunnie Kunnie (designated CKJJ, 105.1 FM) means “kiss, kiss”, symbolizing friendliness. Comprised of volunteers, Kunnie Kunnie does not compete with local radio, as it only runs programs when the hamlet station is off the air.

Developing Skills through Construction
Inspired by a successful school program in 1999 and with support from the Department of Education’s Career Development office, Najuqsivik developed a construction trades course in 2001. In it, participants spent half of the day in class, with the other half-day spent on constructing an addition to the daycare building. A journeyman carpenter/teacher from Nuiyak School was employed as the course instructor. He led participants through the 4-month course were they worked towards taking a pre-trades exam at its conclusion. Kakivak, an Inuit organization responsible for daycare funding, provided a $25,000 grant for capital improvement to expand the daycare by 800 square feet. Career Development, through Income Support, enrolled 10 participants, with the school adding another 5 students for the project.

Using a similar funding strategy, Najuqsivik developed a picture-framing course in the school’s art portable. Two picture framers spent 4 weeks instructing income support adults and senior students how to construct frames from basic materials. Funds were made available to completely outfit the shop, which was eventually moved to the new daycare extension after its completion. Because the school foyer was declared a community museum in the 1980’s, and with the framing shop now in operation, Najuqsivik applied to Canadian Heritage under the Museum Assistance Program. Funding was received to frame cultural artifacts for the museum, and to conduct community programming on traditional Inuit toys and games.

Perhaps the greatest Najuqsivik success was the development of a student co-operative construction program. A truly joint venture, Nunavut Housing Corporation supplied the building package, site and materials; Nuiyak School provided a journeyman carpenter/teacher and the co-op students; the Qammaq Housing Association supplied a building inspector; the Department of Economic Development provided financial support for tools; and Najuqsivik paid for additional costs associated with the project. At the end of the course, 10 students constructed a 1,064 square foot, 3-bedroom building. This successful project continues with 10 girls and 10 boys constructing an infant centre building from Kakivak.

Fully Utilizing Local Resources
The Najuqsivik board has looked at diverse ways to help the community. Although Sanikiluaq annually harvests 25 bears, hunters have traditionally sold these bears to a local store for little money. The hides were subsequently sent south for tanning, providing little economic return to the community. To address this, Career Development funded Najuqsivik to develop a 5-day course on polar bear taxidermy. The money was used to recruit two southern instructors and purchase materials to make rug mounts. With additional support from Career Development to train participants on income support, the class became a tremendous success.

Building on this initiative, Career Development funded another 5-day course on preparing full-sized polar bear mounts. This taxidermy class has also been very successful, progressing to arctic foxes and seals. The cultural instructor in the school now teaches students from Grades 7 to 12 the complete process for making rug mounts, and will soon instruct on the preparation of full mounts.

Sanikiluaq is now positioned to become the polar bear capital of Nunavut. In the first two years of operation, Najuqsivik purchased 45 hides, with over 30 rugged bears having been sold - including to the Premier’s office in Iqaluit. Additional polar bear products have been developed including Nanook flakes (Christmas tree ornaments), kumak sticks (sticks with polar bear hair on the tip used to eliminate fleas and lice on humans), parkas and pants. Polar bear tuftings are being created, with artists producing both the art and the framing. As the 2006 polar bear season begins, Najuqsivik hopes to purchase the great majority of available hides. The only limitation to growth is the number of polar bear tags available through the Sanikiluaq Hunters and Trappers Association. Najuqsivik continues to work towards raising this quota.

Improving Communications
Najuqsivik applied and received funding for two youth intern positions through Industry Canada’s Community Access Program. In addition to these positions, the grant allowed for the purchase of computers and videoconferencing equipment. This resource has been used by elders to communicate in “real time” to elders in other communities.

Najuqsivik further utilized the technical equipment by adding a modulator and a direct cable link to the cable head. As a result, Najuqsivik now operates SCTV (Sanikiluaq Community Television) channel 3, a student-run community television station. This station features elders programming, advertising, children reading sessions and, perhaps the most interesting, live videoconferencing into every house in the community. When there are medical emergencies, such as flu outbreaks, SCTV is used to inform the entire community. The Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth has been financially supportive of the television station and videoconferencing.

In 2004, Najuqsivik received a $50,000 grant from Canadian Heritage’s Gateway program to teach five young adults website design using the program, Dreamweaver. As an outcome these students established the Najuqsivik Daycare website, www.najuqsivik.com. Also in 2004, Najuqsivik received 3-year funding from Industry Canada’s Office of Learning Technology to create an intern outreach position. This position was designed to facilitate increased contact between the community and the intern through workshops. Additionally, the intern would learn new software programs such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop, InDesign CS2, PowerPoint and iMovie.

Promoting Sanikiluaq
To promote the community, Najuqsivik purchases, displays and sells crafts from artisans. Craft materials such as fish skins from Pangnirtung and grass from Great Whale River are purchased and resold at cost to craftspeople when needed. Since the community does not have a craft shop for visitors, and since the local Co-op purchases and ships crafts quickly, Najuqsivik provides a small service to local craftspeople. Najuqsivik also promotes the community by producing postcards, playing cards, and a CD of the Novalinga Family, featuring throat singing.

Najuqsivik has supported youth entries into the Business Development Bank of Canada’s E-spirit Aboriginal Youth Business Plan Competition, where the students have won awards in three of the competitions.

Najuqsivik, through the Sanikiluaq Hunter and Trappers Association, has received a research grant from Canadian Wildlife Services to study yearly changes in the edible weight of sea urchins. Hunters are hired to gather the urchins each month near Katapik, where students are paid to measure the whole, test and edible weights. Building on this project, Najuqsivik has approached the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to examine regulations for processing sea urchin roe. If the local freezer plant meets standards, Najuqsivik will apply for funding to test the demand for roe in Montreal, Ottawa and other potential markets.

Leveraging Resources
Space is frequently an issue in Sanikiluaq, and Najuqsivik has worked to provide solutions when possible. When an old government building was no longer in use, Najuqsivik obtained it for $1 from the Department of Public Works. Spending $50,000 on renovations, the Board has leased the building to Arctic College for their teacher education program.

However not all initiatives have met with sustained success. Sanikiluaq lacks a small engine repair shop, requiring repairs to be made in small, unheated shacks or outside in the elements. Underutilized and appropriate buildings in towns were surveyed, but the hamlet and housing association were initially unwilling to assist converting a property. After much effort, the housing authority finally did allow Najuqsivik to run a small engine repair shop in an old power plant. Although small, this unused building had a concrete floor and metal walls. Najuqsivik cleaned up the property, paid for fuel and insurance costs, and provided a volunteer to facilitate access to the site. The repair shop went into immediate use and it was occupied from early morning to late at night. In addition, the school used the building to deliver a small engine repair course. Unfortunately, the housing authority opted to use the property for storage the following year and this opportunity was lost.

Community Social Involvement
Najuqsivik also provides assistance to community individuals and families. Whether donating money to a family whose home was destroyed by fire, helping relocate victims of abuse, or providing food at Christmas and other times of the year, Najuqsivik provides support in an inconspicuous way.

Najuqsivik’s next major project is construction of a women’s shelter. The plan is to build a triplex structure, allocating one-third for the shelter, one-third for a social worker and one-third for rental to a teacher. It is anticipated that the rental income will pay for most utility costs. As in previous projects, students will construct the building.

The Sanikiluaqmuit people are very social. Naming patterns show a complex system of relationships. Family trees are a focus for many people and past relationships are common discussions. With this information, Najuqsivk decided that it might be valuable to establish a community historical yearbook. Using rented equipment and student photographers, individual pictures of more than 500 people were taken for the yearbook. In addition, 15 rolls of film were sent to a Montreal company for processing, providing inexpensive photo packages of each community member. Other yearbook photographs included those submitted by individuals from the community, and 64 photographs of the Belchers from 1938 that were purchased from the Carnegie Museum.

Since the idea of a community historical yearbook was new, it took awhile for people to understand the concept. In 2000, free copies of the 320-page first edition were given out to all elders. Tears of joy resulted, especially when elders were able to discover never before seen pictures of their family and themselves from 1938. Several elders took the yearbook to bed and slept with it close to them. The book was also valuable for children since, for the first time, many saw pictures of people for which they were named. Production costs for each of 300 copies were $135 with the books being sold to the community for $50.

Najuqsivik is presently working on the fourth community historical yearbook, which has already amassed over 590 pictures of individuals and families. In fact, individual and family photo packages are provided to people free of charge with the only request being that the photographs are included in the yearbook.

2. Process:

2.1. Description of the Process

The Najuqsivik Daycare was originally established in response to an identified need by young mothers who wanted to return to school, but did not have a daycare for their children. Using the local radio station, members of the community called a meeting to come up with solutions. A government official from Iqualuit was invited to provide valuable input, which helped make the daycare a reality: The community was surprised when initial funding was easy to come by. The Najuqsivik Daycare initiative was the start of many projects that have served the Sanikiluaq community over the years. Although the Daycare was established through a fairly informal process, Najuqsivik now has board members who meet regularly and discuss ways to further their community growth and prosperity. The board members initiate and develop new programs and services to serve the people in the community.

The Najuqsivik society operates through openness and consensus. An agenda is provided for monthly meetings, with major initiatives being presented at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Approximately 30 days after the fiscal year ends on March 31st, Najuqsivik convenes the AGM in the school foyer. Past successes are announced, fiscal year financial statements provided, and new initiatives introduced. Feedback, comments and suggestions are actively solicited from attendees in an open forum.

The most exciting part is the election of a new board of officers. There is always strong competition with a good mix of elders and younger people. Once elected, the Board meets at least once a month. The current Director, Nellie Meeko has held her position since Najuqsivik’s inception and is the binding force for the group. She is the rallying point when issues develop requiring advice and a decision.

Najuqsivik has a social component. After Saturday bingos, many of the board members and other volunteers and their children meet at one house. Receipts are tabulated and material is prepared for next week. Food is served and there always seems to be interesting discussions. This core group divides the work, making reporting easier.

2.2 Tools Employed

2.2.1 Board Selection

Najuqsivik holds an AGM where board members are elected for the upcoming year. Anyone who is 16 years and older is eligible to vote, but the majority of attendees and voters are adults. The Board is currently comprised of seven females and one male, with five of the eight seats having been held by the same members since Najuqsivik’s inception in 1998. There is no formal campaign by the board candidates - they simply nominate themselves or are nominated by their peers. Meeting attendees are shown the names of all nominees and are asked to select eight board members, but it is rare for new candidates to be elected.

The Board discusses community issues and new projects for resolution, with the most common method of issue identification being the personal experiences of board members within the community. As well, community members will often provide suggestions, comments or concerns to the board members when they see them. This provides a very informal method of feedback.

One of the most important components of the AGM is getting the whole community together in one room. It also provides citizens with the opportunity to show their gratitude towards the Najuqsivik board members for all their hard work and dedication throughout the year. The citizens of Sanikiluaq extend enormous gratitude to the board members at this annual meeting, year after year.

2.2.2 Monthly Meetings

The Najuqsivik’s Board holds monthly public meetings that follow an agenda covering current projects and new initiatives. Feedback from the community includes praise for programs and services developed through Najuqsivik, as well as ideas and suggestions for what they would like to see happen next. The Board’s monthly meetings involve a lot of discussion and idea sharing. The members address issues and ideas through open-ended discussion, and brainstorm ways that Najuqsivik can meet the community’s needs. Decisions concerning current and new projects are reached through consensus.

2.2.3 Annual meeting

As we have already mentioned, Najuqsivik holds a general annual meeting that is attended by the majority of citizens, but mostly by adults and the elderly. Youth is represented by a much smaller number. The meeting serves to receive comments on activities undertaken by Najuqsivik over the past year, and the public is invited to suggest new initiatives it would like to see undertaken in the coming year. The annual meeting takes place 30 days after the end of the fiscal year, which is March 31. One of the most important elements of the annual meeting is the gathering of the entire community in one place. This meeting also serves as an opportunity for citizens to express their gratitude toward the members of the Council of Najuqsivik for the work they have accomplished and for their dedication throughout the year. Year after year, the citizens of Sanikiluaq have expressed a great deal of thanks to council members during this annual meeting.

2.2.4 New Initiatives

Following the start-up of the Najuqsivik nursery, more and more programs and services have begun to emerge, thanks to the Executive Council. The members of the council discuss the new initiative at their monthly meeting and agree on a course of action if one is needed to follow up on their ideas. The members each have a workload consisting of several projects or programs at once; they manage, because some are short-term and others, long-term.

With respect to idea generation, the Najuqsivik board members bring ideas, suggestions, comments and feedback based on their observations and experiences within the community and to each of their meetings. They then brainstorm ways to enable change and growth within the community. For example, the radio and television stations, along with the development of the student co-operative construction program are all apart of the Najuqsivik’s commitment to community growth and prosperity. It is through this process that new initiatives progress into programs and services that support the community, and enable learning and opportunities for the citizens.

Many of our youth take advantage of the wide variety of the programs and services provided by the Najuqsivik board. They also benefit by actively participating in the development and delivery of other Najuqsivik projects and programs. For example, some youth help run the Elders program and do a lot of work within the communities’ museum. Furthermore, the Sanikiluaq youth operate the local Community Access Program.

3. Lessons Learned:

3.1. What Worked Well/ What Didn't Work Well?

Community Co-operation is Critical
Many Najuqsivik projects have enjoyed success because of community co-operation and involvement. For example, the student construction co-operative project was only possible through commitments from the local Qammaq Housing Association, Department of Education office in Iqaluit, Nunavut Housing Corporation, Nuiyak School and Najuqsivik. As well, local inspector Art Lebsack, who took particular interest in training students and visiting the site, was a critical piece of this venture.

Committed Partnerships
The Nunavut Department of Education’s Career Development and Income Support sections must be given particular thanks for Najuqsivik’s success. This government department made a tremendous difference through their easy application/reporting processes and flexibility. For example, Income Support allowed Najuqsivik to include school students in projects involving Income Support participants, thereby enabling the students to become principle elements in continuing the projects.

3.2 Challenges

Government Funding
Although Najuqsivik’s success has largely been due to its ability to access territorial and federal government funding, there have been a number of challenges. These include:

• Disinterest by some government funding agencies who believed Najuqsivik was ‘biting off more than it could chew”.
• An occasional lack of risk taking by government officials who determine project funding.
• A lack of timeliness in approving and dispersing government funds.
• Minimal flexibility in the scheduling and allocation of federal funding.
• Minimal communication and disparate goals between multiple government departments funding the same project.
• Minimal notification of new government funding initiatives.

Space to Work
Although successful in initiating projects, Najuqsivik continually faces the problem of finding adequate workspace. In order to operate the polar bear and picture-framing courses, a school portable was used. This meant obtaining the school’s co-operation to reorganize classroom space for course equipment. When the polar bear taxidermy course moved to Najuqsivik’s daycare extension, the space was shared with the picture framing operation, community TV station, and high school media course. Najuqsivik needs to find additional project workspace.

Hamlet Council Approval
If a project impacts an entire community, it seems reasonable to obtain permission from an elected hamlet council before proceeding. Unfortunately, hamlet councils are often not representative of the entire community and can become dominated by family relationship. New initiatives are often met with council opposition. For example, when Najuqsivik applied for an FM radio station license at the daycare, the CRTC requested a letter of support from the hamlet council. Although the daycare radio station did not compete with the hamlet radio station, a letter of support was refused. Fortunately this did not impact the CRTC granting Najuqsivik a license.

Likewise, the hamlet council opposed the creation of Najuqsivik itself, with many of its members thinking it improper for working mothers or those who attend classes to put children in daycare. If hamlet council permission had been required for the daycare to proceed, it most likely would never have been established. The on-going incidence of council opposition to Najuqsivik initiatives continues to hobble future growth in the community.

Migratory Bird Regulations
Inuit on the Belcher Islands are known for their eider duck parkas, a traditional garment worn by local people until the 1970’s. In fact, the school supported a major project with the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1988 to create a series of these parkas for an exhibit that traveled across Canada. But while Inuit are allowed to harvest migratory birds and eggs during any season, they are not allowed to keep the hides. These contradictory policies waste a valuable resource. Making dolls from eider skins promotes culture and could be a source of income for a few craftspeople.

Finances
When Najuqsivik was established, there was little experience in payroll or accounting systems. Fortunately, David Dorward, auditor for the hamlet and housing authority, volunteered to establish a QuickBooks program and to train an Inuk to use it. Without his help, the society would have been lost. Financial accounting is the biggest hurdle a new organization faces.

Economic development requires one or more people with the skills, vision, and means to maintain an inventory of project materials. Unfortunately, non-profit groups cannot obtain a credit card, even if they guarantee to maintain a large deposit in the account. As a result, an individual must apply for a credit card on behalf of the non-profit group. The alternative method is for the non-profit to advance money to suppliers, waiting for the cheques to be cleared before materials are forwarded. However, this tactic is often too slow, and requires significant planning.

3.3 Outcomes

Whether through pure luck, a focused strategy, or some variation in between, Najuqsivik has endured. The most important factor in their success has been in attracting individuals who share the goal of helping the community. Maintaining this commitment however is precarious, and experience has shown that initiatives can falter when key players leave. New people must be engaged and allowed to develop the necessary skills to continue projects. If this can be achieved, Najuqsivik is well on its way to becoming a long-term endeavor.

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