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Tuktoyaktuk’s Mangilaluk School becomes Cultural Museum on May 31

School-wide cultural exhibit showcase allows students to mix traditional knowledge with curriculum
Eric Bowling
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A sculpture depicts people fishing as part of the Grade Nine contribution to the Mangilaluk Cultural Exhibit May 31. Each class worked on a project that taught both traditional knowledge and the school curriculum, turning the entire school into a museum. photo courtesy of Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council

From Kindergarten to Grade 12, students at Mangilaluk school in Tuktoyaktuk transformed their school into a museum of traditional knowledge May 31, with each class showing off a display of what they’ve learned over the year.

In a video published to YouTube, the children proudly display what they’ve learned, ranging from key phrases and nursery rhymes in Inuvialuktun to describing important plants and animals in the region.

“Each homeroom class created a cultural exhibit with Indigenized units of study ensuring traditional knowledge was the focus of the inquiry,” said Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council superintendent Devin Roberts. “Each class also infused Inuvialuktun language phrases and words in each exhibit.”

A 3D landscape of pingos and auroras put together by the Grade 4 class based on directions given by an Elder from Tuktoyaktuk. The Auroras move from side to side, emulating how they dance across the sky. photo courtesy of Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council
A 3D landscape of pingos and auroras put together by the Grade 4 class based on directions given by an Elder from Tuktoyaktuk. The Auroras move from side to side, emulating how they dance across the sky. photo courtesy of Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council

A clay sculpture of a Grizzly bear made by a third grade student as part of the cultural exhibit. Students not only learned about the biology of the Arctic Coast, they learned how to speak it in Inuvialuktun. photo courtesy of Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council
A clay sculpture of a Grizzly bear made by a third grade student as part of the cultural exhibit. Students not only learned about the biology of the Arctic Coast, they learned how to speak it in Inuvialuktun. photo courtesy of Beaufort Delta Divisional Education Council

Fourth graders constructed their own animated diorama of the Kiuryait, or Northern lights, using a video instruction from an Elder in Tuktoyaktuk. In Grade 5, the students made wall hangings of traditional scenes using cut out fabric to display animals, plants and landscapes. Grade six students each worked on an individual project, with exhibits of traditional sewing practices, the making of ookpiks, as well as traditionally inspired poetry and pencil drawings.

In grade seven, a full display of the plants and edible foods of the Arctic coast was displayed along the classroom wall. It included details on the life cycles of plants as well as samples of many items. Eighth graders each painted their own scene in watercolour depicting a traditional idea, ranging from the midnight sun to abstract images of ulus. The grade eight students also entered into a scientific study of how hunters would use refracted light to spear fish under the water. In the process, they learned about the different qualities of light.

Ninth graders made paintings of historical landscapes of their own to add to the exhibit. The students also were able to participate in a week of traditional games and on the land activities to get a better idea of how they connect with their culture, and finally made sculptures depicting their culture.

Finally, high school students made use of 3D printers to recreate traditional artifacts, learning both new and classic technology at the same time.

Watch the video:

About the Author: Eric Bowling

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