The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson is Patron of Staking The Claim Check out the last Newsletter
A Not for Profit Initiative
Contributors and Partners To Date	On their way to meet with the Her Excellency, the Right Honourable, Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General, (past) for advice on interviewing techniques and to request her patronage- click here for details contained in our June Newsletter "Learning about your past, you build pride. Being proud of your past, you gain faith. Without faith, there is no hope. And without hope, there is nothing." -- PJ Akeeagok Background In the early 1970s, a group of people came together from across the Northwest Territories, the northern reaches of Quebec and the coast of Labrador. Their purpose was simple: to discuss the need for certainty and control for Inuit. Their actions spawned a journey that would end by changing the course of Canadian history forever. Over the next thirty years, the settlement of Inuit land claims across the North would set precedents, change mindsets and (in the case of Nunavut) redraw the map of Canada. The story of the people and events that led Inuit on a quest for self-determination is a significant part of recent Canadian history. It is the story of aboriginal Canadians seeking to define a new relationship with their country. It is the story of a democratic nation with the political will to negotiate new approaches to governance. It is the story of a small group of Canadians (Inuit and non-Inuit) whose work has permanently changed socio-political structures and boundaries in our country. Yet very little learning material exists to provide an opportunity for Canadian students to learn about the events that have so changed the fabric of Canada. Staking The Claim takes a step towards filling that void by providing contemporary learning materials about events whose impacts are still being revealed. Benefits For Inuit youth: To know who you are, you must know where you come from. The importance of raising awareness and knowledge among young Inuit about their history and their people has been recognized by educators and Inuit Organizations alike. For example, Nunavut Sivuniksavut has repeatedly found that the benefits to their students of learning their story go far beyond knowledge gained and research & analytical skills learned. The most important benefits to the students are: pride in being Inuk; cultural self-esteem; a vision of where they fit among their people and within the world; and a sense of the possibilities their futures hold. For all youth: The experiences and events that have shaped Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut are a valuable part of our national identity. Helping southern Canadians learn about the contemporary history of Inuit in these northern lands can only benefit the future generations of all Canadians, Inuit and non-Inuit as they define and shape their own places within our society. Project Description Staking The Claim is creating video and print educational resources about the 30 year journey of a small group of Canadians (Inuit and non-Inuit) seeking to define a new relationship with their country through the negotiation of land claims agreements. The material examines historical experiences ranging from the Inuit quest for self-determination and its impacts on Inuit and Canadian culture; to the Canadian quest for certainty for the nation. Three mini-documentaries, each 20 minutes long, are the central launching point for the students' learning experience. Four young documentary guides (Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Tommy Akulukjuk, Pauloosie Akeeagok and David Joanasie) take the viewer on a journey as they discover the events and meet the people that have shaped their past and changed their future. The documentaries convey the words of the people involved through the conversations between the young documentary guides and negotiators (both Inuit and non-Inuit); media people of the times; interpreters; and others. There are no scripts, no outside interpretations - simply the voices of those who've played a part in shaping a legacy conversing with those who will inherit it. Nunavut Launch 2009 – National Launch - 2010
Department of Education
			WHAT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES WILL STAKING THE CLAIM PRODUCE? DVD - Documentaries Three x 20-minute documentaries: following Stacey Aglok, Tommy Akulukjuk, Paul Akeeagok and David Joanasie as they explore the claims by speaking with the stakeholders (government and Inuit negotiators, media, elders, etc.) Verbatim footage of selected interviews Video archival clip timeline Reference bibliography Sponsor recognition Section PRINT - Classroom Posters Timeline poster series (1900s - present) Artifact 'toolbox' containing reproductions of objects and documents Map of Canada showing Inuit regions Teachers' Guides with background material; lesson guides and learning activities for senior high school level students
Canadian Studies Program Supporters To Date Nancy Karetak Lindell Member of Parliament for Nunavut Tivi Incorporated, Kuujjuaq The Bayside B & B, Arviat Eskimo Point Lumber Supply Airport Services Ltd Aurora Northern Contractors
	For More Information or to find out how your organization can use this resource contact EnTheos Films or Nunavut Sivuniksavut:
	Kath Clarida Fry Marianne Demmer	Morley Hanson