I graduated in the summer of 2011 from the Jackson School of International Studies with a major in International Studies and a minor in Latin American Studies. I am currently enrolled as a Master’s student in comparative politics at McGill University. I always had an interest in indigenous politics but my participation in the Arctic Governance Task Force, carried out by the International and Canadian Studies Centers at the University of Washington, redirected my research and my career from Latin America to the Arctic. I came to be very interested in important developments happening in my home province of Québec, and the close relationship the government is building with its Inuit people. Since the beginning of the Task Force in 2010, I have received tremendous support from the Canadian Studies Center which has helped advance both my research and professional skills. Most notably, the Center gave me the opportunity to meet, learn from and build relationships with important Inuit and Québécois political figures, as well as the opportunity to present my research at the biennial Association for Canadian Studies in the United States conference in Ottawa. I have also received an invitation to publish my work in the American Review of Canadian Studies. Recently, I was offered an internship at the Secretariat aux Affaires Autochtones du Québec. I will be working on maintaining and improving ties between the Inuit of Nunavik and the Government of Québec. To this end, I will participate in negotiations and assist in the implementation of various agreements. Needless to say, this is an incredible career opportunity and I am immensely grateful to the Canada Studies Center for helping me get there!
By Dominic Maltais, International Studies (2011)