{"id":22063,"date":"2025-09-26T10:18:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T14:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kativik.qc.ca\/?p=22063"},"modified":"2025-12-04T16:52:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T21:52:20","slug":"ns-first-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kativik.qc.ca\/en\/ns-first-hand\/","title":{"rendered":"A Year of Growth and Culture: A Student\u2019s First-Hand Perspective of Nunavik Sivunitsavut"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Where Inuit youth come to reclaim their stories\u2014from Montreal to Nunavik.<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white” style=”dashed” border_width=”4″ el_width=”60″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””]Nunavik Sivunitsavut (NS) is more than just a program\u2014it\u2019s a transformative chapter for Inuit youth, and a unique opportunity to study their history, politics, and arts through an Inuit lens. This past April, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq visited the new NS location, in Montreal\u2019s Saint-Henri neighbourhood, to speak to a student from the 2024-2025 cohort and learn about her experience.<\/p>\n

For 19-year-old artist and throat singer Velesie Adams from Ivujivik, Montreal may feel like a different world, but it\u2019s exactly where she was meant to be. Her love for artistic expression finds a natural home at NS, where classes like garment-making and performance arts not only feed her creativity, but also teach her lifelong skills.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

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I get to make my own garments. You get to learn all the things about the circumpolar region. I like how we have a lot of performances; it brings out the confidence that you didn\u2019t know you had here at NS<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Velesie Adams<\/span> Nunavik Sivunitsavut 2024-2025 cohort<\/span> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””]Having previously participated in a variety of extracurricular activities, such as volleyball, circus training with Cirqiniq, and the Kativik Ilisarniliriniq art trips across Canada, Velesie was no stranger to taking on new challenges.<\/p>\n

Support from Kativik Ilisarniliriniq played a vital role in her journey. From housing to travel assistance, she credits the NS staff with helping her stay focused and grounded. The team of academic counsellors, student life coordinators, and social workers go above and beyond to meet the needs of all the students and their families.<\/p>\n

What stands out most for Velesie is the sense of identity and community she\u2019s discovered. Students learn about their history through the Inuit-centred curriculum, which includes subjects like Current Circumpolar Issues, Inuktitut and Identity, Cultural Performance for Nunavimmiut, and courses focused on traditional skills. This helps inspire the students and fuels their determination[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

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I\u2019m proud to be Inuk. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here at NS. I believe in myself, that I can finish the program, and I\u2019m proud of my classmates too. To anyone listening: follow your dreams. Never give up<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Velesie Adams<\/span> Nunavik Sivunitsavut 2024-2025 cohort<\/span> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n \"\"\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””]Above all, Velesie is proud to be Inuk. Her journey through NS is more than academic\u2014it\u2019s a story of self-discovery, cultural pride, and the power of perseverance. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we look forward to seeing where your adventures take you next!<\/p>\n

Want to know more about Nunavik Sivunitsavut? You might enjoy this story<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””] Where Inuit youth come to reclaim their stories\u2014from Montreal to Nunavik. [\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white” style=”dashed” border_width=”4″ el_width=”60″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/12″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”10\/12″][vc_column_text css=””]Nunavik Sivunitsavut (NS) is more than just a program\u2014it\u2019s a transformative chapter for Inuit youth, and a unique opportunity to study their history, politics, and arts through an Inuit lens. This past […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22076,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Year at Nunavik Sivunitsavut: A Student\u2019s Transformative Journey - Kativik<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Velesie Adams\u2019 inspiring year at Nunavik Sivunitsavut, where Inuit youth explore culture and confidence through an Inuit-centred program.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kativik.qc.ca\/en\/ns-first-hand\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Year at Nunavik Sivunitsavut: A Student\u2019s Transformative Journey - 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