Purpose: To provide lasting recognition and gratitude towards those who contribute to the preservation and promotion of cultures and heritage in the Northwest Territories. The Cultural Circle helps build awareness amongst all northerners about the importance of promoting, protecting, preserving and celebrating our unique culture, heritage and ways of life.

Eligible Recipients:
Youth Category - Youth, 25 years of age and under, who demonstrate a strong commitment to engaging in the arts, cultural learning and cultural practices.

August 22, 2011 - Minister of ECE Jackson Lafferty announced the launching of a new recognition ceremony called the Cultural Circle. The Cultural Cirlce helps build awareness about the importance of promoting, protecting and preserving our unique culture and heritage.

August 19, 2011 - Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty speaks on the Aboriginal Student Achievement Awards, the importance of having early childhood education and the support from all levels of the community throughout the entire education process to ensure Aboriginal children's healthy development.

August 19, 2011 - The Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) will honour the first recipients of the Minister’s Cultural Circle Awards on Monday, August 22, 2011.

The Minister’s Cultural Circle celebrates those individuals that have made significant contributions to preserve and promote the cultures in the Northwest Territories.

August 18, 2011 - Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty highlights some of the details in the plans to improve the use of Aboriginal languages through both Government and non-government means. The Minister also speaks about how the GNWT is planning on improving the use of French through services provided by the Government.

July 20, 2011 - Aboriginal leaders in the NWT are providing unprecedented support for the Education Partnership Declaration (EDP), a GNWT initiative spearheaded by Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Jackson Lafferty. The EPD marks the first time Aboriginal leaders have united in such a strong show of support for education.

July 19, 2011 - Sylvia Clement of Tulita has been awarded this year’s Council of the Federation (CoF) Literacy Award for the Northwest Territories.

Presented annually to one individual from each of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, the award celebrates outstanding achievement, innovative practice and excellence in literacy across the entire spectrum of the field of literacy, including: family, Aboriginal, health, workplace and community.

July 14, 2011 - Monday marked the start of the second annual NWT Aboriginal Languages Summer Institute. A partnership between the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) and the University of Victoria Certificate Program in Aboriginal Language Revitalization, the two-week Institute runs from July 11th to the 23rd, 2011 and brings together 19 participants from across the NWT.

June 30, 2011 - The ministers responsible for education in Canada’s three territories signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to express their mutual interests and goals in exploring approaches for university development in Canada’s North.

June 29, 2011 - The National Strategy on Inuit Education has officially been released. The strategy, developed in association with the GNWT’s Department of Education Culture and Employment (ECE), includes a series of bold new recommendations to empower parents, expand early childhood programs and gather detailed research data.

The ultimate goal of the strategy is to increasing graduation rates and opportunities amongst the Inuit population in the Canadian Arctic.