Nunavut Government and Inuit Values: The Tuttarviit

Clockwise from top: Siobhan Arnatsiaq-Murphy standing, Anne Mullin, Shuvinai Mike, June Shappa, Carmen Levi.

The Tuttarviit group is a bold response to a enormous challenge: how do you build traditional Inuit values and approaches (referred as Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or IQ) into the day-to-day management and governance of a modern Territory?

Tuttarviit consists of the IQ coordinators or departmental designates from all departments and agencies in the Government of Nunavut (GN). Since their creation they've developed a number of strategies to increase the impact of IQ on planning, policy development and decision making.  Aarluk was invited to design and facilitate a  strategic planning sessions to pull that work together and establish a long-term, comprehensive strategy.

The session took place in Iqaluit from September 20th to 22nd, 2011 at Nunattaq Suites, facilitated by  Victor Tootoo and Jimmy Jacquard, with research and design support from Terry Rudden. Victor reports:



"Although the weather was very nice last week, we managed to keep in check our urge to go boating or berry picking,  and made considerable progress with Tuttarviit’s Strategic Plan.

Because much of the content of this session centred around the concept of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), a concept is not well defined in the English language, all participants and facilitators took began by describing times in our professional lives when we encountered the principles of IQ being implemented. This sharing of stories from the heart set the stage for the next three days.

After a brief discussion on the strategic planning process, the group reviewed Tuttarviit's past accomplishments and plans for the future. For a group with only two dedicated resource people and a very modest budget, it was an impressive list, with extensive involvement in the shaping and development of key legislation.  The team then reviewed GN’s business and budget development cycle, in order to link their own operational planning with the larger planning process.

Day One finished off with an analysis of Tuttarviit’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats or SWOT analysis as it is colloquially termed.

The second day of the planning session focused on a review of the current goals and strategies, identifying new goals and strategies, and prioritizing the expanded list of goals. Tuttarviit agreed on a set of four new/modified and existing goals to be their priorities for the coming planning cycle. The group also laid out a number of strategies for each prioritized goal.

On the third and final day of the session, participants developed objectives for their highest priority goals and strategies. We ended our strategic planning session with a discussion of the mission of Tuttarviit, focusing on its real meaning and its importance.

The project will provide Tuttarviit with a strategic plan, a one-year implementation plan for its top two goals, and a renewed sense of Aajiiqatigiinniq – decision making through discussion and consensus. Participants left Nunattaq Suites with a justified sense of accomplishment."