To-do lists and reminders of home: Students share advice for older Inuit attending post-secondary school

After years of dreaming of going back to university, Tracy Denniston is taking the leap and starting a masters degree in social work at Memorial University in St. John's, N.L. 

"I was excited, nervous, but very excited," Denniston said of being accepted and starting this fall. 

Going back to school has required that Denniston consider her finances carefully. She packed up and moved as many of her personal and household items as possible from Nain, N.L. Although she has received funding from the Nunatsiavut government, she has also been saving for years so that she can replace the necessities she couldn't fit in her luggage.

As post-secondary schools start back up for the fall, CBC News has spoken with two Inuit who've taken a risk and left home to go back to school as mature students.

Denniston's studies will focus on bringing Nunatsiavut traditional healing practices into supports for grief, trauma and crisis. She hopes to show the importance of having Inuit research Inuit practices.

"I wanted to reclaim our piece," she said. 

Staying connected through country food 

Denniston says for any Inuit in university, it's good to stay connected to home when possible. For her and her husband, this meant packing country food that they could enjoy throughout the year, almost 2,000 kilometres away in St. John's.  

"Some smoked fish and some dried pitsik and meat from the community freezer," Denniston said. "We're going to get hungry for our wild food here."

"That's makes us who we are. Like the land, food — our country food — is what makes us connected to our land, to our home," Denniston said. "It's who we are."

To-do lists and meal plans

Roxanne Nochasak from Makkovik, N.L., completed her Bachelor's between 2014 and 2018 in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, while raising several kids. What she learned during that time is still applicable, she said.

Her primary advice is to create budgets, keep lists and remember it's okay to not do everything.

Ahead of each week, Nochasak made meal plans. She had a schedule for paying bills, worked to budget all expenses, and kept a running to-do list. She also put effort into building strong connections with her teachers and classmates. 

"I pulled through and I think anybody else can do it too," she said. 

At the same time, Nochasak said it's important to acknowledge that it's a challenge for Inuit to leave their communities where they have deep cultural and historic connections. But there may be other options to make that easier, she said, pointing to online classes, as well as programs available in other Inuit communities throughout the north. 

For students who are also parents, Nochasak said it's important to recognize that you can't do it all. There were days, for example, when she didn't complete her homework, or when her older children put themselves to bed.

"It's OK. You're not failing, it's just some days you just need to go to sleep or not worry about the next day. It's just taking it day by day," she said. "They're OK and make sure you're OK."