1) 603-101-CL: English – Circumpolar Literature (60 hours)

There is a growing body of Inuit literature that has either been written by Inuit in English or translated from Inuktitut into English. In this course, students will investigate common themes and literary devices that appear in various bodies of literature written by Inuit: legends that have been translated, short stories, novels, poetry, and film. Much of this literature is related to the history of the Arctic and deals with historical themes: contact, colonization and resurgence. Students will be challenged to make these connections and think critically about how the works that they study fit into the historical context.

2) 345-101-MQ: Humanities – Knowledge and History in Nunavik: Archives and Oral Traditions (60 hours)

In this course, students will investigate two ways in which historians reconstruct the past: archival research and oral history. Students will examine archives and work with Avataq’s archivist to uncover what can be known about the past by investigating primary documents. Also, we intend to have visiting elders who can provide students with oral histories and consider how we formulate knowledge from stories handed down over generations. Students will also consider how these records inform, contradict and complement each other, and ultimately build a critical perspective on how knowledge is constructed.

3) 614-103-03: Aboriginal Languages: Inuktitut and Identity (60 hours)

Inuktitut language courses are the most important part of your Nunavik Sivunitsavut
college program. It is the latest step undertaken by the Inuit of Nunavik to counter the corrosive effects on Inuktitut and Inuit institutions of a hundred and twenty-five years of colonialism, marked by English-only classrooms and Residential Schools. The goal of Inuktitut courses under the Nunavik Sivunitsavut Program is to provide Inuit students with the necessary resources to restore the fundamental role of their mother tongue in shaping their individual and collective ambitions and identities in the modern world while continuing to provide a vibrant link to the past. It will allow them to take the lead in the revitalization of Inuktitut.

4) 109-101-MQ: Physical Education – Inuit Games (30 hours)

Traditional Inuit games require skills that were absolutely necessary for everyday survival in the Arctic. Some of these games have been practiced for thousands of years, while others have been developed over the course of the past few hundred years. There are regional, national and international competitions in Inuit games, such as the biennial Arctic Winter Games. Taken together, Inuit games provide a workout that tests participants’ strength, agility and endurance. In this course, gaining knowledge about how to develop healthy habits will be incredibly important at the beginning of the year as students acclimatize to living in the city and the increased number of lifestyle choices available to them.

5) 360-NSP-AB: Complementary – Cultural Performance for Nunavimmiut (45 hours)

Students will take part in workshops animated by Inuit cultural performers and artists, and create works and performances of their own. Since it is an experiential course, a large part of the course will consist in rehearsing traditional dances, music, games, and practices that can be presented to the general public. Ultimately, the goal of this course is to celebrate the vibrancy of the Nunavik Inuit culture and give students the opportunity to build cultural confidence and personal development.

1) 603-102-MQ: English – Current Circumpolar Issues (60 hours)

In this course, students will be introduced to several different genres of non-fiction literature in English (memoir, documentary, news article, etc.). The content of the course will focus on issues that are important in contemporary Nunavik and the circumpolar world. Students will learn to analyze and produce non-fiction texts.

2) 345-102-MQ: World Views – Rights, Self-Determination, and the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (60 hours)

The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) governs modern Nunavik. It was signed in 1975 between the Inuit and Cree of Northern Quebec, the provincial government and the federal government. In addition, there were Inuit in Northern Quebec, who were opposed to the signing and implementation of this Agreement. The interaction of all of these different world views in the 1970s and 1980s made for the most dynamic period in Nunavik’s recent history. Since then, the Inuit of the region have continued to struggle for self-determination. In this course, students will investigate each of these world views that contributed to the signing of the JBNQA, its implementation and the Inuit struggle for rights and 
self- determination over the last half-century.

3) 614-203-03: Aboriginal Languages – Inuktitut and Modernity (60 hours)

We expect this course to encourage students to reflect on two important questions: “Who am I (personally) in this modern age?” and “Who are we (as Inuit) in this modern age?” These questions will serve as the guiding principles students will need to explore the current affairs affecting their culture and the potential that their collective culture holds in a modern world. The course will focus for the most part on the present, and to a lesser extent on the future.

4) 109-102-MQ: Physical Education – Traditional Skills (30 hours)

This course will run much like the John Abbott College Outdoor Education course (Phys. Ed.) that incorporates pre-camp planning and preparation, and promotes the use of traditional tools and techniques such as, the construction of modern and traditional shelters. The expedition will take place over a one-week intensive period on land near one of the communities in Nunavik. This course will help students gain cultural confidence by demonstrating traditional roles not often recognized by formal education, and provide them with access to traditional survival knowledge that is not always available to them.

5) 360-CEN-AB: Cultural Exploration for Nunavimmiut (45 hours)

In this course, students will be introduced to various Inuit cultural practices, focused primarily on the visual and performance arts. They will visit exhibits, attend shows, visit Avataq’s reserve, and take part in cultural workshops. The course is designed to bolster cultural confidence in the students. They will also take part in cultural workshops in order to learn some of the traditional performance and visual arts. These talents will then be put on display through presentations to schools, government, organizations working in Nunavik, and the general public.