Connect.
Inspire.
Educate.
The Kitikmeot Friendship Society is a Nunavut based organization that fosters community well-being and social justice through positive action and leadership
Creating meaningful relationships with communities across nunavut
The Kitikmeot Friendship Society provides a variety of community development services, activities and educational information to support you in finding your path forward. No matter where you are heading, our services & programs will help you get there.
Our Leaders
Kendall Aknavigak
“As a young girl growing up, I observed many challenges faced by my peers as well as the lack of community resources and support that were unavailable to us. I’ve had the opportunity to work in social settings and human service programs across the Kitikmeot Region and Territory-wide. From these experiences, I’ve noticed that theres a lot to be done through community-led initiatives to support our own Inuit people of all ages.”
— Kendall Aknavigak, President
Chanese Nakoyak
"Take things one step at a time. Do not rush anything, all things take precious time. You need to heal yourself and take care of yourself first! Look at you my friend, breaking so many cycles and still breathing. I'm proud of you! We are proud of you!"
— Chanese Nakoyak, Board Chairperson
Our Partners
Thank you to our funders who support our vision and make our work possible!
Services
Child & Youth Programming
Children and youth form an integral part of our community. Programs and services which facilitates confidence, capacity building, identifying intrinsic strength and worth are our speciality. Through collaborative and concerted efforts with community-based service providers, KFS has been able to inspire children and youth to take control and successfully manage their future with our support.
Mental & Social Health pROGRAMMING
We liaison with community organizations to actively engage residents in the areas of mental health development and human service related initiatives that will help our clients to achieve wellness.
Cultural programming has been shown to help revitalize communities by increasing economic investment and strengthening social ties among all community members. KFS is focused on rejuvenating the importance of cultural resiliency, language revitalization, healing and on the land programs.
Cultural Programming
Children and youth are amongst the most vulnerable people in our communities. KFS acknowledges these challenges and is focused on empowering children and youth to live a more balanced life. Utilizing all forms of activity - games, sport, performance, dance, art and music - we create lasting impact and provide children with the knowledge and skills to drive change in their lives, their families and their communities.
Recreational & Wellness programming
“We can work together to create a place where there is inclusiveness and support for one and all. your struggles are our struggles !”
— Kendall Aknavigak, President
Our Values
Family
Our practice is centred on family values and services that serve all intergenerational groups. Since culture and traditional beliefs are unequivocally important in Inuit communities, we use our social and clinical observations to provide services that supports the different family dynamics.
Client Centred Services
We focus on providing unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuine support in order to create an atmosphere in which clients can communicate their present thoughts and feelings with certainty that they are being understood rather than judged.
Integrity
KFS holds a high quality standard of addressing the impacts of intergenerational trauma. At our core we believe the challenges our community members face should be looked at through the lens of Inuit Elders, Knowledge Keepers and community stakeholders.