Reinforcing Indigenous Teacher Education in Labrador
An Inuit and Innu Partnership
Nunatsiavut Government, Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education, and Memorial University | ITE Grant Recipient | $1,000,000 | Reinforce Stream
Region:
Across Labrador, Inuit and Innu communities are shaping a new path forward in Indigenous-led teacher education. Through a collaborative partnership with the Nunatsiavut Government, the Innu Nation, and Memorial University, the Indigenous Teacher Education Program – Labrador (ITEP-Lab) is an expanded and culturally grounded teacher education pathway designed to meet the needs of Labrador’s Indigenous students and communities. With support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Indigenous Teacher Education (ITE) Initiative, ITEP-Lab is strengthening local leadership and revitalizing language and culture in schools.
A New Model of Dual-Culture Indigenous Teacher Education
Building on the success of Memorial University’s Inuit Bachelor of Education (IBEd) program (2014–2019), ITEP-Lab marks the first joint Inuit and Innu-led teacher education initiative in the region. This five-year, 150-credit-hour program prepares 22 Indigenous teacher candidates, 11 Inuit and 11 Innu, through land-based learning, culturally embedded coursework, and Indigenous language instruction rooted in community leadership.
Delivered in Labrador through Memorial’s School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies and Faculty of Education, the program leads to two fully accredited degrees: a Bachelor of Arctic and Subarctic Interdisciplinary Studies and a Bachelor of Education After Degree, along with an Indigenous language certificate issued by either the Nunatsiavut Government or the Innu Nation.
Community-Governed, Culture-Driven Education
ITEP-Lab is shaped by an Indigenous-led steering committee and an Elder-in-Residence program to embed ceremony, cultural protocols, and Indigenous knowledge systems in daily learning. The program model affirms Indigenous control over education and draws on decades of collaboration between the Innu Nation, the Nunatsiavut Government, and Memorial University to ensure a truly community-embedded and decolonizing approach to educator preparation.
Key goals include:
- Increasing Indigenous teacher representation in K–12 schools across coastal Labrador.
- Revitalizing Indigenous languages through structured Inuktitut and Innu-aimun language learning.
- Ensuring long-term workforce sustainability through local educator training and certification.
Why This Matters
ITEP-Lab goes beyond teacher training, it strengthens communities, revitalizes culture, and creates lasting educational change across Labrador. Graduates will become certified to teach in Newfoundland and Labrador, serving as role models for Inuit and Innu students. Through Indigenous language courses offered to all participants, the program embeds language revitalization into every stage of learning.
Deliverables & Reach
- Teacher Candidates: 22 Indigenous educators trained (11 Innu, 11 Inuit)
- Staffing: 2 full-time instructors, 10 per-course instructors, 1 program coordinator
- Broader Impact: Hundreds of K–12 students reached over time; increased Indigenous language use in schools; strengthened community capacity and cultural continuity
Grounded in our cultures and languages, this program addresses the urgent need for teachers in our schools. It is an exciting time for education in Labrador, and we are grateful for the shared vision and support that makes this possible.
-Tom Evans, Nunatsiavut Government
About the Indigenous Teacher Education Initiative
The Rideau Hall Foundation launched the Indigenous Teacher Education Initiative to grow and support a representative, culturally rooted Indigenous education workforce. Through a national Open Call, projects were selected through a rigorous peer-review process led by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis education experts.
Two funding streams—Reinforce and Retain—respond to urgent priorities in Indigenous teacher education, from scaling successful training programs to improving teacher retention and support. This project was selected under the Reinforce Stream, which provides funding of up to $1 million for long-term, Indigenous-led expansion of teacher education across Canada—ensuring that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis educators can access, complete, and thrive in their pathways to teaching.
Learn More
Discover how Indigenous educators across the country are transforming classrooms, strengthening language, and leading change.
This is just one of many regions taking bold steps. Read more about other ITE grant recipients.