Maria Canton
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Nov 01/99) - At 15 years old, Fauna Kingdon is considered a veteran page in the Nunavut legislative assembly.

Between running messages from member to member and preparing the house before each sitting, Kingdon says being a page means learning a lot about politics in Nunavut.

"It's interesting and unique because Nunavut is still growing and it's going to take time," she said.

"I think as students it's important to know what's going on in our territory."

Kingdon, whose experience as a page comes from a stint in the NWT legislature, says having a high average in school and regular attendance are key to landing a job that means you can miss afternoons of class without penalty.

"Your teachers have to agree to you working too because you miss school -- that's why you have to have a good average," she says.

"And if you do well in school you'll do OK paging,"

Nunavut's pages are rotated from session to session, says Kingdon, so everyone will have a chance to work and not miss excessive amounts of school.

Six pages per session man the doors, flank the Speaker and watch the ropes while dressed in traditional outfits from each of the three regions -- the Kivalliq, Kitikmeot and Baffin.

"For the first sitting they brought in pages from the other regions," says Kingdon.

"They say they'll bring them in again for special occasions, but for now it's just us and we get to rotate the outfits."

Kingdon, who has had the distinct pleasure of meeting such political figures as the Prime Minister and the Governor General, says it's Nunavut's ministers and MLAs who are not only nice, but funny, too.

"We joke around with them," she says.

All humour aside, Kingdon has a few political aspirations of her own.

Political protocol demands pages don't read the notes they deliver between members, but she says that she is more than free to voice her views.

"I think it's very interesting and just because I'm a page doesn't mean I can't say my opinion, just not while they're in session," she adds.