Youth Mental Health Canada (YMHC) is excited to announce a significant upcoming resource aimed at supporting the mental health of students, families, and educators in Nunavut. Our popular Sources of Strength for Mental Wellness will soon be translated into Inuktitut, with the goal of making this valuable resource more accessible to Inuit communities. We are proud to partner with Nunavut’s Ministry of Education to bring this initiative to life.
The Need for Inuktitut Resources
Nunavut is home to approximately 24,000 Inuit, and over 80% of the population speaks Inuktitut, including around 3,500 monolingual speakers. While the use of the language has stabilized and may even be increasing in Nunavut, young people still face unique challenges when accessing mental health resources in their native language. Providing culturally relevant, linguistically accessible materials can make a critical difference in the mental health outcomes of Inuit youth.
In 2021, youth in Iqaluit marched to the Nunavut Legislature, advocating for stronger suicide prevention efforts and improved mental health support in their communities. This demonstration highlighted the deep impact that suicide has had on the territory, where almost every family has experienced the loss of a loved one. Addressing these concerns requires a tailored approach, and YMHC’s Sources of Strength can be an important part of that solution.
About Sources of Strength for Mental Wellness
This workbook emphasizes building coping skills, understanding and managing stress, and fostering resilience. By focusing on self and community care, it empowers young people to manage their mental health and seek support when needed. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we aim to distribute the translated workbooks to schools across Nunavut, providing both students and educators with practical tools grounded in Inuit culture and values.
YMHC’s workbooks have been praised for their evidence-based approaches, incorporating international best practices in mental health, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Translating these materials into Inuktitut is a step toward ensuring that young people in Inuit communities have the mental health support they need in a format that resonates with their lived experiences.
Moving Forward with Support and Collaboration
By working alongside the Ministry of Education, we hope to ensure that these resources are not only translated but also reach those who need them most—students and families in remote and urban areas of Nunavut. This initiative is a testament to YMHC’s ongoing commitment to creating accessible, proactive mental health tools for all youth across Canada.
As we continue to advocate for more mental health support, we invite you to stay engaged with our work. For more information on Sources of Strength or to support YMHC’s projects, visit our website at YMHC.
Together, we can make mental wellness resources available to all youth, ensuring that language and cultural barriers do not stand in the way of access to life-saving support.