Peer-reviewed article
Naapinneq: strengthening Inuit maternal and child health through gathering Inuit from Kalaallit Nunaat and Nunavut.
Christine Ingemann, Nancy Mike, Ruth Montgomery-Andersen, Dina Berthelsen, Naja Riber Hougaard et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001The Naapinneq project brings together Inuit communities from Greenland and Nunavut, Canada to strengthen maternal and child health through culturally grounded parenting programs. The initiative uses community-based participatory research to document collaborative learning between the MANU program in Greenland and the Inunnguiniq Parenting program in Nunavut. Early findings show that culturally rooted programs can support healing and that language, land, and kinship are central to child-rearing in Inuit communities. Cross-border collaboration helped communities adapt programs to better reflect local realities and advocate for Indigenous approaches in early childhood services.
Key points
- Culturally grounded programs can support personal and collective healing in Inuit communities
- Language, land, and kinship are foundational elements of Inuit child-rearing practices
- Circumpolar collaboration accelerates practice change and innovation in parenting programs
- The MANU program was adapted to better reflect Kalaallit (Greenlandic) realities through this collaboration
- Grounding parenting programs in Indigenous relational paradigms strengthens cultural fit and community ownership
Limitations
This paper documents the initiation and early collaborative learning phase rather than evaluating outcomes for children or families. The study relies on qualitative insights from workshops and discussions with project group members, not on longitudinal data or measures of child well-being outcomes.
Abstract
This paper describes the initiation of the Naapinneq project and the first collaborative gathering in Iqaluit, Nunavut (Canada). While the broader project aims to revitalize culturally grounded parenting programs, this paper focuses on documenting its initiation and early collaborative learning. The focus was on the MANU program in Kalaallit Nunaat and the Inunnguiniq Parenting/Child‑rearing program in Nunavut. Using a community‑based participatory research approach, the paper draws on qualitative insights from the collaborative gathering-centered on participation in the Inunnguiniq facilitator workshop at the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre-and on a desk‑based comparison of core program documents. Reflections were documented through Sharing Circles, round‑table discussions, and a short questionnaire. Results highlight three interlinked insights: culturally grounded programs can support personal and collective healing; language, land, and kinship are foundational to child‑rearing; and circumpolar collaboration accelerates practice change and innovation. Project group members reported tangible changes, including adapting MANU to better reflect Kalaallit realities, initiating new collaborations, and advocating for culturally grounded approaches in early childhood and family services. Grounding parenting programs in Indigenous relational paradigms can strengthen cultural fit, community ownership, and sustained impact. Early learnings point to the healing potential of culturally grounded programs and to the value of cross‑border partnership for accelerating practice change.