The Challenges and Difficulties Facing the Inuit Mothers

Inuit confront the highest cost of living with the lowest national income 

Traditionally, women were responsible for maintaining their families and social order while the traditional roles of men as hunters and providers made them derive satisfaction from being able to take care of their family.

Despite the significant progress made in communities, Inuit continue to confront the highest cost of living with the lowest national income.

The erosion of traditional culture has taken a toll on family practices

The rapid changes in their lifestyle have accentuated the erosion of traditional culture, knowledge, practices, lifestyles, and roles within the family and community.

Inuit combat the issues of alcohol and drug abuse 

While their nomadic lifestyle on the tundra represented many challenges and times of great hardship, strong bonds of kinship and greater equality between the genders, the Inuit knew they could turn to one another in times of hardship. Today’s Inuit have to combat the issues of alcohol and drug abuse and the unfortunate events that are products of that abuse, including misuse of firearms. Kinship is taking a second place as their traditional family structure is disrupted, robbing parents of their authority, replacing Inuktitut with English, and leaving young people aimlessly stranded between English and Inuit cultures.

The aim of parenting is to nurture, protect and observe 

Children are still revered by their families and communities. It is a rejoicing event as they bend their heads over the little ones and kiss their cheeks avidly. One fascinating aspect of raising children within the communities is that the Inuit are not anxious like we are. The children are in their mothers’ amauti until the end of their second year. Inherent in the process of raising children is a set of role expectations for those connected with the child. In the Inuit way, the aim of parenting is to nurture, protect and observe so as to create a path in life that is uniquely fitted to that child.

Men and women feel expropriated from their traditional roles

The dislocation into modern facilities, our western models of governance, the introduction of the wage economy, the imposition of an education and health and social service delivery, has many men and women feel expropriated from their traditional roles.

The role of forced attendance at residential Schools

Many Inuit have had the experiences of forced attendance at Residential Schools. This forced education away from their homes has prevented those children from learning about positive parenting from their own parents and therefore many have experienced difficulty parenting their own children as adults.

The challenges and difficulties facing the Inuit mothers

Major factors such as inadequate and overcrowded housing, high rates of unemployment and poverty, low educational attainment, food insecurity and problems such as substance abuse, the high rates of suicide have contributed to Inuit regions having the highest rates of violence in Canada. Abusive behavior takes many forms: verbal, mental, physical.


The domestic violence, the inequalities between men and women, the lack of employment opportunities and training are all factors which contribute to a heightened rate of depression, trauma symptoms, and self-harm of mothers and children. Should anyone live in such circumstances, the experience of a loss of control in mothering would appear difficult to do at best and totally distressing at times.

Raising awareness of the unique circumstances and priorities of Inuit women

My project aims at raising awareness to the unique circumstances and priorities of Inuit women. In the Nunavik communities, the mothers who have children have to work around the fact that they often live in a house with 10-15 people and are viewed as responsible for the safety of their children. Think about it: how do you think raising children would evolve if we were to live in such a crowded space?

In that context, there are various risks factors. The Inuit mothers meet challenges and difficulties associated with these circumstances. Inadequate living conditions as in overcrowding (12-15 people in a two-bedroom unit) fuel other social conditions. Women, and children, who are experiencing violence and abuse in their homes seldom have another place in their community to seek safety.


When mothers who are financially dependent upon abusive spousal partners face losing their ability to provide house, food and losing custody of their children to child services, they will be reluctant to disclose their victimization. Not surprisingly, this increases their reluctance to seek help for themselves or their children.



No Child Should Take the Long Way Home is a grassroots initiative to help children in need of loving care, of a protective and stable environment to meet their basic needs in a safe house/respite home in their own community. Children, mother, and communities are the object of the project No Child Should Take the Long Way Home.  The people who will make this happen will stay focused on the North for the long-term. After all, every child is born with the right to have a better chance at a life free from abuse and violence.  

Children belong to their family and their community

Children belong to their family and their community. When they are removed not only from their families but from their community, children lose out on being raised by their own families, in their own communities. As a result, there are increased numbers of Inuit children in child and foster care.