ABOUT
Community Wellness
Arviat, Nunavut
The Aqqiumavvik Society is a community alliance of public, mental and community health groups in Arviat, Nunavut.
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Aqqiumavvik practices a Community Identified approach, meaning all research, services and programs are developed based on the needs as identified by the community itself.
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A key approach of the Aqqiumavvik Society is to use research to build good evidence for strong programming. We address community generated concerns by posing research questions that will enable us to seek useful solutions to improve our own situation. The emphasis is on unleashing the capacity within our community to achieve our wellness goals.
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Projects cover a wide range of wellness areas and target issues that are environmental, social, family, community, and health related. Often working together with other local organizations and always with the direction of Elders and community, the programming run through Aqqiumavvik is continually developing and adapting to needs and realities of Arviat.
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The Aqqiumavvik Society was once the Arviat Wellness Centre and continues to operate the programming previously run as well as new and expanded programs.
Our Elders say that information has no value if it is not shared. This emphasis that our Elders place on sharing of information is what helps us to be able to live sustainably as a community. When we share what we see, what we experience, what we think about, it creates opportunity to collectively build a better understanding. This is a responsibility for each of us if we are to continue to live successfully as a community.