MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
'Strong foundation': Elders, Aunties and Uncles Program to enrich connections across the Arctic

A Labrador Campus program is looking at ways to strengthen its relationships with the community.

Launched this fall, the Elders, Aunties and Uncles Program focuses on developing interactions between students, elders, faculty and the community, and bringing local ways of knowing, doing and being into the campus's teaching, learning and research.

Leading this work is Heather Angnatok, the new program co-ordinator who is a well-known and multi-talented artist from Nain.

Heather Angnatok making an aqulik pattern. (Photo: submitted)

In addition to having a long and successful career making art, Ms. Angnatok spent the past 20 years playing a pivotal role in building and supporting youth and elder initiatives and promoting education, language and cultural programming.

"I am excited to take on this role because I really enjoy planning and delivering cultural activities, providing leadership and cultural advice, and exploring ways to integrate Indigenous and traditional knowledge," she said. "I'm looking forward to establishing a strong foundation for the Labrador Campus and collaborating with universities and communities in the Arctic."

Ms. Angnatok's extensive experience includes facilitating and delivering language and cultural land-based camps, youth summits and leadership programs, elder gatherings, traditional sewing workshops, sea-ice survival skills-building, throat singing, drum-dancing and many other traditional activities.

She plans to bring the cultural content and knowledge to support and co-ordinate programs of interest for the campus and community.

"This will allow us to create relationships that connect people through projects of interest and bring life to the campus by involving elders, students, faculty and the community to support those aspects."

Ms. Angnatok will support and co-ordinate educational and community programming, Indigenous-led and community-based research and the integration of Indigenous knowledges, sciences, cultures and perspectives to Labrador Campus research, education and programming.

Arctic linkages

Developed by the Academic Council of the School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies, the Elders, Aunties and Uncles Program will support engagement and development initiatives to enhance campus connections with the community as well as Memorial University's visibility in the Arctic.

"The program was created to work more closely with a wide range of skilled and knowledgeable people in Labrador, so that we can learn from and with them as they share their knowledge and skills," said Dr. Sylvia Moore, dean of the School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies.

The program will be valuable to staff and students at the campus and the knowledge-keepers and community members who will participate in the activities offered.

"It provides a link between the Labrador Campus and Innu, Inuit and Indigenous communities, organizations, governments and partners," Dr. Moore added.

Another link established through Ms. Angnatok's role is that with the University of the Arctic (UArctic).

She was recently named as one of three UArctic fellows.

"The creation of this position builds upon the leadership and capacity of both Memorial University and UArctic to create meaningful connections and partnerships across Arctic communities." - Sheila Downer

With this dual capacity, not only will Ms. Angnatok play an important role within Labrador Campus and surrounding communities, but she will also play an important role in the UArctic network.

"With her wealth of experience and expertise, Heather Angnatok will make a tremendous contribution within Labrador and the broader Arctic community," said Sheila Downer, vice-president of northern community engagement with UArctic and strategic northern liaison with Memorial's Harris Centre.

UArctic fellows are selected for their expertise in various aspects of Indigenous knowledge and are part of the UArctic team, driving knowledge development and sharing on key issues of importance to Arctic communities.

"This role is extremely important for Memorial as it supports the place-based, northern-focused programming taking place at the Labrador Campus," Ms. Downer said. "The creation of this position builds upon the leadership and capacity of both Memorial University and UArctic to create meaningful connections and partnerships across Arctic communities."

Dr. Moore couldn't agree more.

"The connections with northern communities, academic institutions and researchers around the circumpolar North is imperative, as it enables us to build relationships with people and places that have similar needs, priorities and interests," she said. "This is also important in our ongoing work of decolonization and indigenization of the academy and reflects Memorial's commitment to reconciliation."

More information about Ms. Angnatok and the Elders, Aunties and Uncles Program will soon be available on the Labrador Campus website.