Charlotte Siksik is one of Nunavut’s top role models for children and youth as a high-performing athlete and academic with roots deeply embedded in Inuk culture. Having maintained her forward position on a string of women’s ice hockey rosters, Charlotte recently completed her first year on the women’s hockey team for the NCAA Division III Arcadia Knights in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while majoring in biology at Arcadia University. As a young Nunavummiut, Charlotte’s hope for her Inuk community and hometown of Rankin Inlet is that “we will continue learning our culture in schools and find a way to support youth mental health. We need essential services and more Indigenous teachers, nurses and doctors, and encourage them to relocate to our communities so that there is consistency for our youth.” Charlotte believes National Indigenous History Month is important for awareness and education, as it’s part of the reconciliation journey. “It helps educate non-Indigenous people about a ...