For the past 12 years, the University of Manitoba has been running a six-week summer school in collaboration with the hamlet of Panniqtuuq (Pangnirtung), Nunavut, Canada.

The program offers four undergraduate courses for credit in Native Studies and Environmental Science. Most students come from other universities across Canada or abroad. Students learn about past and present Inuit culture, language, and interaction with the environment, while living in the small community of Panniqtuuq on Baffin Island in northern Canada.

In addition to more standard lectures, we also take a week-long hunting and fishing trip "on the land" with local families. Students participate in workshops with local elders and design their own community volunteer projects.

I've been both a student and an instructor on this program and I have learned so much in both capacities. From my experience, the program provides an excellent grounding in past and present issues affecting the Canadian North -- issues which are relevant to many other indigenous and northern cultures. Students learn about topics like the seal hunt controversy, arctic climate change, and the history of colonialism in the North in a deeply personal way.

There is a short video about the program. You can see the official website here. 

This year's application form is not up yet, but students can apply using last year's form. Airfare to Pang is very expensive, but U of M has made a real effort to keep other costs extremely reasonable.

For more inforamtion please contact:

Karen Routledge
PhD Candidate, Department of History, Rutgers University
Sessional Instructor, Panniqtuuq Summer School