In the Inuit communities of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, and Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, language carries far more than words; it carries history, identity, culture, and the knowledge of generations. Yet as Inuinnaqtun, an endangered dialect of Inuktitut spoken by fewer than 500 people, faces an uncertain future, opportunities for young children to learn the language have become increasingly limited. Through her 2025 Fulbright Canada–Maple Leaf Foundation Community Action Program project, Anne-Michelle Engelstad sought to help change that reality.
Combining her expertise in education with the wisdom of local Elders, educators, and community partners, she developed culturally relevant bilingual learning resources that brought Inuinnaqtun to life through stories, play, and shared experiences. The result was a collaborative initiative that strengthened early literacy, supported language revitalization, and created new opportunities for children to connect with their culture from an early age.
A 2024–2025 Fulbright Canada Student from Harvard University, hosted by the University of Alberta, Engelstad designed her project around a pressing challenge facing many northern Inuit communities: the growing gap between Elders who speak Inuinnaqtun and younger generations who primarily speak English. As opportunities to use the language have declined, so too have opportunities to pass on the stories, traditions, and cultural knowledge that are deeply connected to it.
Recognizing that language learning is most meaningful when it is rooted in everyday experiences, Engelstad developed four bilingual Inuinnaqtun-English storybook kits for early childhood centres in Cambridge Bay and Ulukhaktok. More than simply books, these kits combined storytelling, imaginative play, and hands-on activities to help children build language, literacy, and social communication skills while engaging with stories that reflected their own communities and experiences.
The project was grounded in collaboration; elders and community language experts worked alongside Engelstad to translate stories and ensure that the language reflected authentic local usage and cultural understanding. Their contributions shaped every stage of the project, transforming it into a shared effort to preserve and celebrate a language that remains central to Inuit identity.
Each storybook kit was carefully designed to reflect northern life and Inuit culture. Stories explored familiar experiences such as preparing for time on the land, searching for food on the tundra, learning Inuinnaqtun counting words, and making bannock with family members. The accompanying learning materials, including miniature aalliaks (traditional sleds), toy ulus, counting activities, and dramatic play resources, allowed children to interact with culturally familiar objects while using Inuinnaqtun in meaningful, everyday contexts. Together, these resources transformed language learning into an engaging, hands-on experience that celebrated both culture and community.
The children's enthusiasm demonstrated the importance of seeing their own culture reflected in the classroom. Familiar objects and experiences sparked curiosity, conversation, and imaginative play, while educators gained access to high-quality bilingual resources tailored specifically to their communities. Engelstad also worked directly with teachers, demonstrating practical ways to integrate the story kits into everyday classroom activities and equipping educators with strategies that will continue supporting language development and early literacy long after the project's completion.
Just as importantly, the initiative strengthened relationships across generations. By contributing their language expertise, stories, and lived experiences, Elders helped ensure that the resources reflected authentic community knowledge while creating meaningful opportunities for children to engage with their cultural heritage. In doing so, the project created lasting pathways for Inuit knowledge to be shared with future generations.
Long after the project's completion, its legacy will continue in the classrooms of Cambridge Bay and Ulukhaktok. The bilingual storybook kits will remain in early childhood centres, giving children opportunities to encounter Inuinnaqtun through stories, play, and culturally familiar experiences, while providing educators with lasting resources that reflect the realities and traditions of northern Inuit life. By bringing together Elders, educators, translators, and community partners, Engelstad's project created more than just educational materials; it helped lay the foundation for preserving language, strengthening cultural identity, and supporting future generations of learners.
Engelstad's project is a powerful example of the impact made possible through the Fulbright Canada–Maple Leaf Foundation Community Action Program. By enabling Fulbright scholars and alums to work alongside communities to address locally identified priorities, the program supports collaborative, community-driven initiatives whose benefits continue long after a project concludes. Through partnerships like these, academic knowledge is translated into meaningful action, helping communities build on their own strengths and create lasting educational, cultural, and social impact.
Learn more about the Fulbright Canada Community Action Program:
https://www.fulbright.ca/alumni/program-opportunities/community-action-program