Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 23/02) - You need genuine Inuit instruction if you're going to make a genuine Inuit kamik.

About 70 women are getting that instruction in Rankin Inlet as the sealskin kamik-making program enters its third year.

The program is sponsored by the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) through funding from the Nunavut Harvester's Support program.

KIA social development co-ordinator Bernadette Dean says the six-week course is held five evenings a week at the Community Learning Centre from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The course is well-equipped, with a bevy of qualified instructors this year, with Maggie Akerlik, Annie Netser, Catherine Pilakapsi, Bernadette Saumik and Mrs. Angidlik all taking part at one time or another.

Dean says not all of the 70 women make it every night, but the class is always pretty full.

"Before the actual kamik making began this year, we had one day of learning how to clean raw seal skins and dry them," says Dean.

"Once they dry, there's a tanning and conditioning stage before they can be cut and sewn.

"It's a gradual process. Learning these skills takes time and there are many women of many different skill levels who take the course."

Many participants are learning different Inuit terminologies for the first time and are raw recruits to cleaning seal skins.

Dean says another interesting part of the program for some of the women is learning to use thimbles.

"A lot of people sew without thimbles and that's very hard on the fingers," she notes.

Many beginners are often surprised at how hard the process is and how gratifying the work can be.

Dean says people sometimes don't realize how much effort goes into all the preparation before you can come up with the end product.

"It's all traditional tanning, which is very different from the commercially tanned products you buy at retail stores. Those products just won't do here. They've been treated with chemicals and tend to sag.

"The traditional Inuit way is all natural -- tried, tested and true."