Beyond the Mine: Hannah Oolayou – Cultural Advisor

Our Inuit Cultural Advisor at Mary River, Elder Hannah Oolayou, first applied to Baffinland in 2019, for a job with HR. However, during her interview process, it became clear that Hannah’s knowledge of traditional Inuit culture and practices, as well as her work and life experience, would be an excellent resource at site, and we offered her the Cultural Advisor position, which she happily accepted.

Hannah has dedicated her life to helping other Inuit. She spent many years working in Ottawa for Inuit organizations, as a support worker, counsellor and interpreter. Now, she is available on call, around the clock while she’s working her rotation on site, for any employees who need her support or counsel.

She also offers cultural programming in the Country Kitchen, planning different activities for employees every month, ranging from Arts & Crafts to Country Food tastings. She shares that in June, “an Arctic Bay employee brought big chunks of freshly caught narwhal and beluga. We also had seal meat, dried meat, bannock, fish, caribou stew. We ate them cooked, fried, boiled and raw. The workers really enjoyed that tasting.”

Hannah says she appreciates working with Baffinland, and enjoys helping fellow Inuit and non-Inuit.

Her message for job-seekers: “Baffinland isn’t just for mining. We have health workers, kitchen staff, cultural advisors. It’s a combined workplace, and it’s fun. And all employees are lucky to get mental health support.”

We are excited to share some of the extraordinary employment opportunities Baffinland has to offer, beyond the traditional mining roles. Our new series, ‘Beyond the Mine,’ puts the spotlight on the diverse range of non-traditional mining jobs that support our operations, the people who do them, and the career paths that have brought them here. If you’re interested in working with us, visit our website for current job listings https://careers.baffinland.com/

ᐅᖓᑖᒍᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᓂᐅᑉ ᕼᐋᓇ ᐅᓛᔪ - ᐱᖅᑯᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔨᒋᐊᖅᑎ

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᓕᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔨᒋᐊᖅᑎᕗᑦ ᓄᓘᔮᖕᓂ, ᐃᓄᑐᖃᖅ ᕼᐋᓇ ᐅᓛᔪ, ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᖅᑖᕋᓱᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᓐᓂ 2019-ᒥ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄ, ᐊᐱᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓇᓗᓇᕈᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᕼᐋᓇᐅᑉ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᖃᕐᓂᖓ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖓᓂ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᓂᓪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐃᑲᔫᑎᒃᓴᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ, ᒪᓂᒻᒪᐃᕝᕕᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔨᒋᐊᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᒃ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᖢᓂ ᐊᖏᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ.

ᕼᐋᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᔪᒪᓪᓚᒍᒪᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓅᓯᐊᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ. ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒐᓴᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐋᑐᕚᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑖᓂ, ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᐃᓄᓕᕆᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᓵᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ. ᒫᓐᓇ, ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᓘᑎᒃᑯᑦ, ᖃᐅᑕᒫᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒧᐊᖅᑕᖅᖢᓂ, ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᕈᒪᔪᓂᒃ.

ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᑭᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᓂᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᖅᖠᐅᕐᑯᖓᓂ, ᐸᕐᓇᐃᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᑕᖅᑭᑕᒫᑦ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᑦᑑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᙳᐊᒐᕐᓂᑦ ᒥᖅᓱᒐᕐᓄᑦ ᓂᕿᓪᓚᑦᑖᓂᒡᓗ ᐆᒃᑐᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ. ᓂᕿᕆᖃᑎᒌᒍᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᔫᓐᒥ, “ᐃᒃᐱᐊᕐᔪᖕᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎ ᓇᒃᓴᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᖑᓂᒃᑕᐅᓵᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑑᒑᓕᖕᒥ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒥᒡᓗ. ᓇᑦᑎᖅᑕᖃᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ, ᒥᒃᑯᑦ, ᐸᓚᐅᒑᑦ, ᐃᖃᓗᒃ, ᐊᒡᒍᐊᓚᕿᓵᕐᒥᒡᓗ. ᓂᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐆᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᓯᕋᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃᑦ, ᐆᔪᓕᐅᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒥᑭᒐᐅᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ ᒪᒪᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ.”

ᕼᐋᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᖁᔭᓕᓯᒪᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᓐᓂ, ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒡᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒡᓗ. ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ: “ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᖏᑦᑐᖅ. ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖃᖅᑐᒍᑦ, ᓂᕿᓕᕆᕝᕕᖕᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖃᖅᑐᒍᑦ, ᐱᖅᑯᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔨᒋᐊᖅᑏᓪᓗ. ᑲᑎᙵᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᐅᕗᖅ, ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒃᑭᓪᓗᓂ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓕᒫᑦ ᐊᔪᖏᑎᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᖏᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ.”

ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᑎᑦᑎᔭᕆᐊᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᖅᑕᐅᖃᐅᕐᓂᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐᑯᓐᓂ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᐅᖓᑖᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ. ᓄᑖᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᓄᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᕌᒐᕆᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ,  ‘ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ’. ᓴᖅᑎᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᕈᓘᔭᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᐅᒐᔪᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᔪᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕙᒃᑕᖏᓐᓂᓪᓗᑦᑕᐅᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᒫᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖑᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᖅᑯᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᑎᑭᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᕝᕗᙵ. ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᒋᔪᒥᒋᒍᑦᑎᒍᑦ, ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᕗᑦ ᑕᑯᒋᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᑦ ᑎᑎᖃᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ https://careers.baffinland.com/.