Integrating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: Resource Manual for Nunavut School Food Program

Abstract

This portfolio examines school food programs at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit as a case study for addressing food insecurity and advancing Inuit food sovereignty through culturally grounded education. Drawing on experience as a school food coordinator, it analyzes breakfast, lunch, Grab and Go, and in-school food bank programs to identify best practices, barriers, and scalable solutions rooted in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). The guiding question asks how Nunavut schools can address food insecurity while supporting food sovereignty through student-centered programs. This question frames a 120-page resource that includes a literature review, program mapping across Nunavut communities, and a Nunavut School Food Program Resource Manual. The manual outlines standards and expectations, policies, the Inuit Calendar Year, health protocols, implementation challenges, recipe ideas, and funding strategies. Situated within Nunavut’s 46.6 percent household food insecurity rate, the portfolio contextualizes current challenges within the ongoing impacts of colonial disruption to Inuit food systems. It contrasts Canada’s Food Guide with the culturally grounded Nunavut Food Guide, emphasizing country foods such as caribou and seal. The integration of IQ is highlighted through Elders’ knowledge, harvesting practices, and intergenerational learning, alongside persistent barriers including climate-related constraints and infrastructure gaps. School food programs are positioned as critical sites for improving nutrition, strengthening attendance, and supporting cultural continuity, aligning with national policy directions such as the National School Food Program. The resource manual offers practical, adaptable tools for educators while prioritizing community self-determination, nutritional equity, and resilience.