Prepared by Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo Willox

IlikKuset-Ilingannet!

Culture-Connect!

A cultural mentorship program in Rigolet, Makkovik, and Postville,

Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada

Final Project Report

Background

How it All Started

This project was developed to support and foster mental

health and wellness in Rigolet, Makkovik, and Postville,

Nunatsiavut, Labrador, in order to develop resilience to

changes in the communities, including climate change.

From research conducted in Rigolet from 2009-2012

(Changing Climate, Changing Health, Changing Stories

project), and in Rigolet, Makkovik, Postville, Hopedale,

and Nain from 2012-2013 (Inuit Mental Health and

Adaptation to Climate Change project), residents reported

that observed changes in precipitation, ice coverage and

stability, storm patterns, temperature fluctuations, and

changes in wildlife and vegetation related to climate

change were negatively affecting mental and emotional

health and well-being, due to decreased access to the

land and land-based activities.

Participants also indicated that these changes in climate

and environment also interacted with other mental health

stressors, including loss of livelihoods, sense of self and

culture, addictions, family stress, previous trauma, and

already-present mental health challenges.

“For me, the best part was the youth taking an

interest in our local traditions or cultural

connections, and seeing them get excited about

accomplishing a craft or skill.”

Background

“For me, I didn’t have anyone showing me skills

when I was younger. ...The program is really good

because it shows more skills to more people, instead

of waiting for the skills to die out because they are

not getting taught by Elders or family members.”

Rationale Finding strategies to support mental health in ways

that reflect and celebrate Inuit culture is a priority.

One of the key findings from these previous research

projects was the strong request by participants in all

communities to have more opportunities to learn

cultural skills and participate in cultural activities.

Many people suggested that if land-based activities

were going to be disrupted by climate-related changes,

having other opportunities to feel connected to

culture and to ensure that skills get passed on

through generations, could be a valuable way to

support mental health and promote positive activities

in town, while simultaneously filling empty time.

Youth also requested to have the opportunity to

spend time with, and learn from, positive adult role

models. Many youth indicated that while they value

spending time with Elders and seniors, there isn’t

always the opportunity to spend time with adults in

the middle generation—something which the youth

identified as valuable and important to their

community connectedness.

Project Description The IlikKuset-Ilingannet! / Culture-Connect! program

was a pilot initiative that ran in Rigolet, Makkovik,

and Postville , Nunatsiavut, Labrador, from October

2013 to March 2014.

It provided the opportunity for youth (15-25) to work

with adult role models (35+) to learn cultural skills,

such as hunting, trapping, sewing, art, carving,

snowshoe making, music, and wild food preparation.

The Pilot

How it Worked

There were 5 youth and 5 mentors in each

community. Each mentor was hired to provide

mentorship in one skill to all five youth. Each youth

had the opportunity to learn from each mentor,

resulting in learning five different culturally-based

skills. Some sessions were conducted one-on-one,

and some were done in small groups. Mentors and

youth spent approximately 5-7 hours per week

together, working on the skill and developing

relationships. All materials were provided, free of

charge, to complete the activities.

“When you are down in the nitty-gritty with them

[the mentors]...it gives them the opportunity to tell

you their story about how they learned [their skill]

and how hard they worked at it and how many years

they put into it. You can’t help but really admire a

person when you know the sweat and blood and

pain that has gone into their craft.”

Program Organization The IlikKuset-Ilingannet! / Culture-Connect! Program was

coordinated by a Local Coordinator in each community.

The Local Coordinators worked with the youth and

mentors to introduce the program, organized the

scheduling, oversaw ordering of supplies, and organized

regular youth gatherings and Open Houses.

The Pilot

Other Activities

During the activities, the youth and Local Coordinators

also took photographs and videos to document their

experiences. These photos and videos were combined

together to create a project video during a youth

gathering in Rigolet to celebrate the end of the project.

Each community also held an Open House and program

celebration to share what the youth had made and

learned and to demonstrate some of the skills.

“I think it’s kind of an innate thing [to do cultural

activities]...I think it’s kind of an inborn thing,

something that’s just in you to do...I saw in everybody a

real connection to a certain thing, and it was just magic

to watch it unfold and to watch the youth and mentor

connect over this one thing. ...They realized what was

absent and what almost they were destined to do.”

Youth-Mentor Hours Each youth spent approximately 30 hours with each

mentor, for a total of approximately 150 hours of

programming for each youth. In total, the program

provided approximately 2,250 youth-mentor hours.

Program Impacts The IlikKuset-Ilingannet! / Culture-Connect! program was,

by all measurements, an incredible success and a very

positive and well-supported program. 100% of

participants stated it was one of the best activities in

which they ever participated, and 100% of the youth and

mentors said that, without a doubt, it should continue.

Youth and mentors cited many positive benefits:

• increased pride and confidence;

• strengthened relationships with youth and mentors;

• increased knowledge transmission and sharing;

• decreased stress and anxiety; and

• increased happiness and self-esteem.

In addition, everyone connected with the program

indicated that it was a great way for people to fill time in a

positive and enriching manner, while gaining valuable

skills and ensuring that knowledge is passed down to the

generations.

All of the responses indicated that this program has

positive benefits for mental health, and fosters and

supports many protective factors.

Testimonies

“It’s a sense of self, it’s important, it’s a part of your

cultural identity. It makes you proud to be an Inuit

person and it makes you proud to be from Labrador.

It makes you proud, and shows pride and hard work

and it shows that you’re dedicated to sustaining

your life in the North.”

Participant Suggestions Since this was a pilot program, we had the opportunity to

evaluate the program, and ask participants how to strengthen

the program for future iterations:

1. Increase the length of time to September to May for

seasonal variations and to give more time for each skill

2. Increase the number of youth in each community from 5

to at least 8-10 to provide more youth with the

opportunity to participate

3. Consider adding an additional mentor if the program is

lengthened to encourage more skills learning

4. Have more small-group sessions (rather than one-on-one)

5. Incorporate opportunities to gain specific accreditation,

such as with a Trapping Course or the Bear Safety course

6. Add hunting to the skills in each community (especially if

the program is lengthened)

7. Have more participant gatherings throughout the

program (just youth, just mentors, youth and mentors)

8. Have a dedicated space for some of the activities in each

community, rather than mentors’ homes

Improvements

“Awesome! I really, really enjoyed it! I don’t

know what I’m going to do once it’s done. The

experience has been great, and I hope it can

happen in the future so others can enjoy it

too!”

Local Coordinators Inez Shiwak, Rigolet

Gemma Andersen, Makkovik

Rebecca Brennen, Postville

Youth Rigolet Makkovik

Pam Campbell Megan Andersen

Kerry Pottle Cassie Jararuse

Anita Rich Ocean Lane

Melinda Rich Maddie McNeill

Dillon Shiwak Jacqueline Winters

Postville

Alanna Edmunds

Grant Gear

Jenelle Gear

Greg Jacque

Jordan Sheppard

Participants

“When you start a program like this, and when you teach

somebody something, you’re always building them up, you’re

always improving their self-esteem and their mental health.

When someone learns something, it only betters them. ...They

became people who had a place to go and were respected and

were admired and people were proud of them and they were

put to hard work. ...They came to build them up, instead of

going somewhere where they could be torn down.”

Participants

Mentors

Rigolet

Paul Jararuse, Wood Carving

Derrick Pottle, Carving

Jane Shiwak, Sewing

Jason Shiwak, Sealskin Art

David Wolfrey, Trapping

Makkovik

Tony Andersen, Wild food cooking

Katie Haye, Inuttitut

Henry Jacque, Snowshoe making

Ryan Pottle, Trapping

Blanche Winters, Sewing

Postville

Bryce Gear, Outdoor living

Polly Jacque, Sewing

Ruth Jacque, Music

Samantha Jacque, Snowshoe making

Jennifer Jacque-Pool, Cooking

“For mentors, I think it was something that they could teach...I

think it gave them a lot of pride. It was someone stopping and

taking notice that ‘hey you can do this’, and we respect you for

what you can do, we’re grateful you can teach us, we think a lot

of your skill, and we’re glad you’re taking the time out of your

day to teach us.”

Budget This program is cost effective to run, and for

minimal investment (~$41,000 per

community), can yield large and long-lasting

benefits for the youth participants, the

mentors, and for the community in terms of

cultural skills and continuity, mental health,

wellbeing, and sense of pride and

connectedness. Since this project fosters

and supports these known protective

factors for youth mental health, this

program may also increase longer term

resilience and well-being.

The main budget items are salaries for the

Local Coordinators; supplies and materials;

honorariums for the adult mentors and the

youth; and administrative fees (room rental,

phone/fax, postage, and photocopying).

Costs

IlikKuset-Ilingannet!/Culture-Connect! Program Budget

Description Amount Number Totals

Salaries & Honorariums

Local Coordinators (25 hours per week at $15/hour for 36 weeks $15,000 3 $45,000

Mentor Honorariums (6 per community: $2000 honorarium + $500 bonus on completion) $2,500 18 $45,000

* Youth Honorariums (8 youth per community, $250 each) $250 8 $2,000

Materials and Supplies

Supplies per mentor (6 per community) $1,500 18 $27,000

Operating and Administration

Printing & Photocopying $150 3 $450

Postage & shipping $800 3 $2,400

Office supplies $500 3 $1,500

Phone Usage $500 3 $1,500

Room rental for Open Houses $150 6 $900

In-Kind Support (from pilot project)

Cameras $350 3 $1,050

Laptop computers $1,200 3 $3,600

Office space in each community $5,000 3 $15,000

Project Subtotal $125,750

Total In-Kind Support $19,650

Total Project Costs $145,400

TOTAL FUNDS REQUIRED $125,750

* This item could be removed. The pilot program included an honorarium of $500 per youth.

Participants agreed it could be lessened or removed.

“I think a lot of the youth came to my

house as part of the program rather

than drinking.”

Acknowledgements

A huge thank you to all the youth and mentors involved in

this program. Without you, nothing would have been

possible! This program would not have been possible

without the support and participation of the communities of

Rigolet, Makkovik, and Postville and the Inuit Community

Governments of Rigolet, Makkovik, and Postville. Special

thanks to Charlotte Wolfrey, Herb Jacque, Diane Gear, Chris

Brennen, Melva Williams, and Michele Wood for all your

project support, advice, and guidance. Thanks also to Jordan

Konek/Konek Productions for editing the final video and

Joanna Petrasek MacDonald for video assistance. All pictures

courtesy of the IlikKuset-Ilingannet! / Culture-Connect! Team

Funding

This research was supported through funding from Health

Canada’s Climate Change and Health Adaptation in Northern

First Nations and Inuit Communities program.

Complementary funding was received from the Nasivvik

Centre for Inuit Health and Changing Environments and the

Children and Youth in Challenging Contexts Network.

With Thanks

To view a video about the program, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAulcH3uXnc

Project Team

Community Leads & Partners

Charlotte Wolfrey, Rigolet Inuit Community

Government

Herb Jacque, Makkovik Inuit Community Government

Diane Gear, Postville Inuit Community Government

Principal Investigator

Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo Willox, Cape Breton University

Local Research Coordinators

Inez Shiwak, Rigolet

Gemma Andersen, Makkovik

Rebecca Brennen, Postville

For more information, please contact: Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo Willox

Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Healthy Communities Assistant Professor in Community Health

Cape Breton University E: ashlee_cunsolowillox@cbu.ca; P: 902-563-1949

IlikKuset-Ilingannet!

Culture-Connect!

A cultural mentorship program in Rigolet, Makkovik, and Postville,

Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada

“I think this is a program that should

definitely continue, because it’s one where it’s

showing the value of cultural activities. And

it’s not always just learning, it’s participating

and feeling involved in something cultural. It’s

important. It’s a mental health outlet. It’s

somewhere to go when maybe someone

doesn’t have somewhere to go. It’s a place

where you feel valued and you are respected

and we’re glad you’re there and you’re glad to

be there and it should be something that

continues.”