Melody Teddy

Melody Teddy

My name is Melody Teddy and I’m from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories.

I can speak the basics of Inuvialuktun, and I’m trying my best to learn more now that I’ve moved back home. I’m trying to make it normal for me to use instead of being ashamed because I only know so much.

Before, I was more hesitant to speak the language, but now I see that the only way to get better is to speak to elders who know it and use those little words in my daily life. I’m trying my best.

In 2016, I went south and took a bridge program at Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa. We learned about Inuit history, contemporary issues, different types of land claim agreements, the rights Inuit have to their traditional territory and the implementation of those rights. It also served as a bridge to university, where I eventually want to get into teaching.

After I was done my two years there, I moved back home to be more closely connected with the youth and culture here, not learning it from books but from my own elders.

As a young Inuvialuk, I am trying my best to represent and advocate for Inuvialuit. I am the chair of the regional youth advisory board for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and I’m the Inuvialuit representative on the National Inuit Youth Council.

When I was younger, I was shy and not as outspoken. I hung out with my group of friends but that was it. Eventually I realized that we as Inuvialuit youth didn’t have many people we could approach with issues in our region. We didn’t have a youth body to bring concerns to, so I started to get more involved.

We had our first regional youth advisory board meeting in 2017. It has two representatives from each community, plus the chair. For the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, there are all sorts of ways we can improve life for our youth.

First of all would be removing some of the negative stigmas enforced on Indigenous. We need to educate Inuvialuit youth properly on the different issues we face, such as politics, education, alcohol, safe sex and drugs, for a start. Then we need to move into social equity in order to have a good lifestyle that can be found in the south with all their education, health and mental health resources.

I’m 22 now and when I’m much older I want to become a Canadian history teacher specializing in Indigenous history. I want to indigenize the way we teach history, bringing in Indigenous perspectives and teaching in a way Indigenous people might better understand. I’m taking this time at home to get back in touch with my culture and save money so I go to university well prepared.

Above two photos courtesy of Melody Teddy.