I am the youngest of seven children and I am originally from a small outpost camp, Bay Chimo, Nunavut, south of Cambridge Bay. It is here that I first began school in a small one room school house. All of us children required a translator at first as none of us spoke English. After grade five I was forced to leave home to a residential school in Cambridge Bay in order to finish my education. It was a dark and lonely experience to have to face as a young child. Though, high school was a more positive experience I still missed home. Eventually when I did returned to my community I was shocked to realize that after years in Residential schools, I had forgotten many of my traditional skills.

That is why my husband, Allan, with whom I have four wonderful children, is the most important part of my family. He and his family accepted and were patient with me, teaching me all that I had forgotten. It was only after I had relearned everything I needed to know about being on the land that I decided to move to Cambridge Bay and pursue my Bachelor of Education. My first assignment was teaching a grade six class, they were frightened about facing high school the following year and asked if I would join them and teach them there. I did and while over the years I have held different positions at the high school, I had the privilege to address the graduating class of 2010, who were my original grade six class.