Our Philosophy

ᑲᔪᓯᒋᐊᕈᑎᒋᔭᕗᑦ Our Philosophy

ᓴᓐᖏᔫᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᖁᓰᑦ, ᐃᓚᒌᑦ, ᓄᓇᓖᑦ
Strong culture, strong families, strong community

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕗᑦ Our Mission

ᑕᐱᕆᓗᑎᒍ ᐊᖓᔪᖄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑦ, ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓄ, ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᒌᓄᑦ ᓴᓐᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᕆᒪᓇᕐᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ, ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᒌᓄᑦ ᑭᒡᒐᕐᑐᐃᓪᓗᑎᒃ.
In partnership with parents and the community the Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families fosters strong and proud Inuit children, youth and families.

ᑐᕌᖅᑕᕗᑦ Our Objectives

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᒡᓗ ᐊᕙᑎᕗᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᓕᕆᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᕐᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ; ᐊᖓᔪᒃᖄᖑᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᑎᒍᖅ; ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᕈᕐᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᒪᑐᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖁᓯᖓ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᕆᓂᖓ.
To provide Inuit children and youth with a welcoming environment that will enhance their overall development; to foster positive parenting through support and education; and to promote the retention of the Inuit culture and language.

ᑎᓕᔭᐅᓯᒪᓂᕗᑦ Our Mandate

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᓰᑦ, ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᐃᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᒌᑦ ᑭᒡᒐᕐᑐᕐᓗᑎᒍ.
To serve Inuit children, youth, and families.

ᐱᖁᓯᕗᑦ Our Values

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᑐᖃᖏᑦ ᐱᖁᓯᐅᔪᑦ “ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᔪᓯᖏᑎᒍ: ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂ, ᒫᓐᓇ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓯᕗᓂᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᑐᕐᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᖁᓯᖏᑦ ᐃᓄᓖᒫᓄᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᓇᕐᖢᑎᒃᓗ” ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᕐᓄᑦ, ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᒌᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᖁᓯᕆᔭᕗᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᔪᓯᐊᕆᔭᑦᑎᒍᑦ.
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit are the values that are understood to be “the Inuit way of doing things: the past, present and future knowledge, experience and values of Inuit society”. The Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families reflects these values in the way we work.

Inuuqatigiit Centre’s Theory of Change

Inuuqatigiit Centre supports Inuit children and youth in Ottawa, to be strong, healthy and proud community members with knowledge of their culture, connection to the local Inuit community, equitable access to services and supported by their families. We do this through culturally strength-based programs and individualized services for the children, youth and their families that improve their ability to live a good life. All of our programs and advocacy work are rooted in the components of head start and guided by the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles.

Click on the Inuuqatigiit Theory of Change to view the theory graphic.

ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅ | Inuuqatigiitsiarniq | Respecting others, relationships and caring for people.

ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᖅ | Tunnganarniq | Fostering good spirit by being open, welcoming and inclusive.

ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕐᓂᖅ | Pijitsirniq | Serving and providing for family and/or community.

ᐊᔩᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᖅ | Ajiiqatigiinniq | Decision making through discussion and consensus.

ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᕐᓂᖅ/ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖅᓴᕐᓂᖅ | Pilimmaksarniq / Pijariaqsarniq | Development of skills through observation, mentoring, practice, and effort.

ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖅ/ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᖅ | Piliriqatigiingniq / Ikajuqatigiingniq | Working together for a common cause.

ᖃᓄᖅᑑᕐᓂᖅ | Qanuqtuurniq | Being innovative and resourceful.

ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅ | Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq | Respect and care for the land, animals and the environment.

Our Partnerships with Families and the Greater Community

We are committed to building strength and resiliency within families and within the Inuit community. We believe that families who are healthy and strong are able to raise healthy and strong children.

Tapping into the strengths of families from a place of resiliency and capability is a philosophy that permeates all of Inuuqatigiit programs. The staff of the Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families supports the belief that it is a parent’s right and responsibility to be involved in all aspects of the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of their child’s programming.

The philosophy of the Inuuqatigiit is holistic, child-centred and community driven. We recognize that serving a child means serving a family. On a daily basis, we provide a multitude of family support services that includes but is not limited to one on one support, court accompaniment, Children’s Aid Society access visits, individual advocacy and referrals. Our approach is to support a family on their journey to physical, spiritual and emotional well-being by providing a caring, supportive and culturally based hub of services that meets their individual needs.

Advocacy

The staff of Inuuqatigiit participates on a variety of committees and networks to ensure that the perspective of Inuit children and families living in an urban setting is at the forefront of key decision making. The breadth of these activities illustrates the potential that the Inuuqatigiit offers as a valued contributor during municipal, provincial/territorial, and national discussions that involve Inuit and their children. These activities have provided the Inuuqatigiit with the opportunity to educate and to ensure that the voice of the Inuit urban community is heard when programs or policies are being developed.

Aboriginal Education Committee
Aboriginal Health Circle
Association of Early Childhood Educators
Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, Aboriginal/Inuit Liaison Committee
City of Ottawa Aboriginal Working Committee
City of Ottawa Child Care Stakeholders Committee
First Nations, Inuit, Métis Standing Committee, Best Start
Growing Up Great Committee
Integrated Plan of Care Steering CommitteeMinistry of Children and Youth Services Technical Table
Ministry of Education Francophone Table
Ontario Aboriginal Head Start Association
Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition
Ottawa Network for Children Services
Project North
Suicide Prevention Network

In terms of advocacy and outreach, Inuuqatigiit representatives have met:

Honourable Michael Bryant, MPP, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs,
Honourable Senator Charlie Watts,
Mary Simon, President of ITK,
the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children and Youth,
Recipients of the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education,
Jim Grieves, Assistant Deputy Minister, Early Learning Division of the Ministry of Education,
United Way “Seeing is Believing” tours,
His Worship, Mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, and many municipal councillors,
Regional Urban Aboriginal Conference in 2011,
Regional Office of the Ministry of Children and Youth,
Aboriginal Policy Research Conference (2008),
presented in Halifax and Toronto, in partnership with
the Urban Aboriginal Strategy,
Her Excellency Sharon Johnston, C.C.

Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, Associate Professor, University of Alberta and Director of FNCARES,
Princess Anne, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal,
Honourable Tracy MacCharles, MPP, Minister of Children and Youth Services, and
Honourable David Zimmer, MPP, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.