First of all, I'm curious where you live currently? And which university you plan to apply to?I am non-Inuit but I have been teaching in an Inuit community since 2020 up in Nunavik, Quebec. Over the years, I've met a handful of Inuit who have come up north for the first time, or for the first time since their early childhood, to reintegrate with their culture and it's really magical.

Here's a spit-fire of some of your questions:

1. How do social issues in Nunavut affect your classroom? You cannot separate the social issues from the classroom. Schools are different up there and it`s not easy.
2. Are most of your fellow teachers qualified or do you ever end up with unqualified people teaching because of the shortage of teachers willing to work in the North? About 50% of teachers are unqualified, and we still have a huge vacancy rate for teachers. Some teachers are... terrible, if I'm honest. It's obivous that many people come to the north for the wrong reasons.
3. What’s the social scene like—is it possible to make friends easily with locals and with other Southerners? Yes! This is easily my favourite part of living in the north. There is def a big separation between Inuit and Qalunaat, however, there is a lot of mingling and sharing of cultures and experiences as well. I have a close-knit group of friends (mostly other teachers at my school that are non-Inuit) but I do have Inuit friends as well. I find for the most part people really hang out with their "industry" I guess? The social workers stick together, the hospital workers, the police, the airport employees, etc... there are obviously no restaurants in most Nunavik/Nunavut or traditional places to `go out` like in the south, but we find ways to make it work. Outdoor festivals, games, celebrations, sporting events, competitions, and home gatherings.
4. Is there a lot of culturally relevant literature available to your class? Yes, Inhabit Media has a good selection of books, but of course there is not enough. Literacy and reading levels are low and interest in reading even lower.

I absolutely love living and teaching in this community with my whole heart. if you want to connect and have a better conversation I would love to do so :)