A teacher saw something special in her and she became someone special in the education system. Maribeth Pokiak is Gwich'in and is originally from Fort McPherson but moved to Inuvik with her parents when she was three. That’s where she went to elementary and high school and made a home for herself. She works as the Regional Superintendent for the Beaufort Delta Education, Culture and Employment.

To get where she is today, Pokiak went to Aurora College in Inuvik where a special teacher saw potential in her. She upgraded her English and Biology, thinking she would pursue a career in nursing. She took the Nursing Access Program and then the Teacher Education Program. Later, she went to the University of Saskatchewan for her Bachelor of Education. She moved back to Inuvik and was hired as a Gwich'in language and grade four teacher at East Three Elementary, then moved on to become an Early Childhood Consultant with the department where she works now. Management saw potential in her and she started her MBA and her current role.

“I didn't realize how important my culture was until I had taken the B Ed program,” Pokiak reflects, remembering how she had realized how language and culture needed to be central to the education system. After being raised by her grandparents out on the land, it was meaningful for her to connect back to her culture as part of her education.

Her advice to Indigenous students leaving their home community to pursue their education is to connect with the Indigenous coordinators at the universities, something Pokiak did while pursuing her Bachelor of Education and her MBA. In doing so, she could gauge what the university was like and what support was available. What she found was often there are elders, tutors and the environment often feels like family, something that is very important when leaving family behind.

Pokiak also says, “A lot of people want indigenous representation within their universities, within their institutions, and it's almost like you have to interview them. Like, why do you want me? I'm a pretty important person, so why do you want me there? What can you offer me? What support do you have?”

One of the biggest obstacles Pokiak faced was financial. She talks about how many parents in the North don’t have education savings plans set up and building financial literacy is so important to be able to budget any funding you receive. Tuition outside of the Northwest Territories can be expensive and she’s found it’s worth applying for scholarships. Because she didn’t know how to budget, she had to learn to pay bills before buying other things and to have enough money to last through the month.

The next biggest obstacle Pokiak faced was imposter syndrome. In post secondary, she questioned herself a lot. “Am I really in the right place? Am I really worth it?” Encouragement from her professors helped alleviate her doubts.

If Pokiak could give a message to her younger self it would be about encouraging pride in her Indigeneity, saying, “Use that knowledge that you have within you, that your elders have taught you, and be proud of that. You're going to do amazing things with that background, with your cultural knowledge. Everybody's going to want you on their team, everybody's going to want you in their classroom, because you hold something that not a lot of people have.”

To balance her well being and mental health, Pokiak had an art therapist. Digging into her childhood trauma due to intergenerational impacts of residential school was transformative for her. Talking to family and friends helped too. She learned that friends will step up, support and be a listening ear. “They all want to see you succeed so everybody is going to gather around you and support you,” she shares.

When it comes to inspiration, Pokiak is inspired by leaders past and present, those who have negotiated land claims and those who step into big leadership roles. She is willing to make time for students or others who want to ask questions or who need help and welcomes people to reach out at any time.

After all, a teacher saw something special in her, and that’s how Maribeth Pokiak became someone special in the education system. Pursuing her studies in Education, she came to an understanding about the importance of language and culture in schools and is part of creating a nurturing environment for Indigenous students. After overcoming imposter syndrome, she’s stepped into leadership and is making a difference every day.

Thank you to Alison Tedford Seaweed for writing this article!