Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Jun 14/00) - The recent Canadian Heritage Fair enabled eight Arviat students to combine modern education with Inuit culture. The girls, who are all students at Qitiqliq secondary school, were divided into three groups. at the They produced traditional sewing projects, amautiks and did throat singing.

Belina Carter, who teaches grades 7-8 at the school, says more students applied to take part in the fair than she could accommodate.

"We offered participation in the Heritage Fair as acceptable as a practical arts course in the junior secondary division of the school," says Carter.

"The students get one elective per semester. I had more students interested in taking part, but we only had space available for eight."

The students researched their projects in books and then spent time with elders and family members to learn more.

Carter says the students spent hours outside of school working on the project, including a Saturday helping to design the Web page.

"It was very exciting to see these students start their research in books and then progress to elders and family members to learn more.

"They listened to what they were told, took what they learned and applied it themselves."

Web page design

Grade 7 students Amilia Alareak, Pasha Napayok and Cynthia Suluk worked on the sewing project.

Grade 8 students Lori Flynn and Olivia Tagalik worked on the amautiks, with a little sewing help from Chantelle Napayok, while Kailah Kalluak, Lisa Malla and Diana Owlijoot tackled throat singing.

"I really enjoyed spending time with the elders and Pasha enjoyed sewing her own wallhanging," says Suluk.

Flynn says she enjoyed the more technical aspects, especially helping to design the Web page.

"Taking the pictures we took with digital cameras and putting them on the Web site was the best," says Flynn.

Kalluak says she enjoyed the actual throat singing, but her favourite part was going up against students her own age.

"Getting the chance to compete with other people in Nunavut was the best part of the Heritage Fair," says Kalluak.

"That's the part I enjoyed the most."

Flynn and Tagalik took top honours with their amautiks project and will be travelling to Ottawa, Ont., July 10-17 for the Canada-wide fair.

They will be joined by two elementary school students from Arviat and one from Iqaluit.

Carter says this year's event was the first time Nunavut took part in the heritage fair and hopes more students get the chance next year.

"The kids going to the national fair will get to spend a whole week going to museums and learning about Canadian heritage.

"I think it's great for these kids to get the chance to meet other kids their own age from across Canada."