It is difficult and often too expensive for most aboriginal people to seek education in the more affluent regions of Southern Canada. Inuit students who attend Southern Canadian colleges must also overcome cultural differences and language barriers.
In an effort to increase educational opportunities in Nunavut Territory, a group of Canadian law schools developed the Akitsiraq Law School, which was located in Iqaluit, Nunavut. The school, funded by the Canadian and Nunavut governments, was a partnership of the Akitsiraq Law School Society, the University of Victoria Faculty of Law, and Nunavut Arctic College.
The law school offered Inuit students the unique opportunity to study law in their home environment. Students who participated in the one-time program earned Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degrees from the University of Victoria, and graduates have the same credentials as other Canadian law school graduates.
Faculty members of the University of Victoria Faculty of Law and other Canadian universities taught the courses. Since the Nunavut Territory is so geographically isolated, most professors had to take planes to the school each week. Each of the 15 students who enrolled received one-on-one mentoring and tutoring.
Over the course of four years, students at Akitsiraq Law School were taught both mainstream law and traditional Inuit law. First-year classes included legal research and writing, property law, aboriginal law and land claims, Inuktitut language, and peer counseling. The curriculum for the following three years focused on issues particularly relevant to the Inuit people and the communities of Canada's North.
Since many students had families to support, government funding was widely available. In return for funding, students worked for their sponsors during school breaks and for at least two years after graduation. In addition, students agreed to remain in the North for at least four years after graduation.
When the program began, there was only one Inuit lawyer in the entire Nunavut Territory, an area the size of Western Europe. Now that 11 students have graduated from the law school, that number has grown to 12.
"These graduates are likely to become the future leaders and builders of Nunavut," Andrew Petter, University of Victoria Law Dean, said at commencement, which took place on National Aboriginal Day—June 21, 2005.
"The government of Nunavut's participation in the Akitsiraq Law School represents a significant public investment in our people and our future, which will increase opportunities for individuals, as well as promoting Inuit societal values in all sectors of our society," Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik said at the ceremony.
The Nunavut Territory was created in 1999, and it is the largest native land-claim settlement in Canada. Since Inuit people make up most of Nunavut's population, they control the legislative assembly. Non-Inuit residents also vote for members of the assembly and the territory's 26 municipal governments.
In 2002, the Nunavut government passed the Nunavut Education Act (NEA), which set the framework for education in the Nunavut Territory. The act defines parents' and educators' responsibilities and establishes the financial accountability and duties of the District of Education Authorities (DEA). It also addresses issues such as language instruction, school attendance, and home-schooling.
While there is currently no plan to continue the Akitsiraq Law School in the future, the University of Victoria offers many other programs designed to increase the number of aboriginal college graduates. For instance, the school plans to build the First Peoples' House, which will reflect the traditional and modern values of the Coast and Straits Salish peoples. In addition, members of the First Nations Partnership Programs train community members in early childhood care and education. High school students can participate in the Aboriginal Student Mini-U Summer Camp, where they spend five days learning about university life. The school also offers the Indigenous Governance Program, a graduate program focusing on aboriginal political cultures.
