Arviat (Feb 10/03) - A program which helps bring the names of the past back to life has arrived in the Kivalliq.

Project Naming is a joint initiative of the National Archives of Canada, Nunavut's Department of Culture Language Elders and Youth (CLEY) and the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Training program (NSTP) in Ottawa.

The program is co-ordinated by the NSTP and funded by CLEY.

NSTP instructor Murray Angus says Project Naming is designed to bring elders and youth together with the common goal of identifying people in thousands of old photographs.

Angus says the National Archives (NA) has scanned the photographs so people no longer have to travel to Ottawa to view them.

The NA has about 50,000 photos from the Arctic.

"The photographs are put on a CD and participating youth receive a lap top to display them," says Angus.

"The youth are going around the various communities and pulling the pictures up for elders, and anyone else who might be able to identify the subjects, to view."

A pilot project was done this past year in Iglulik and Kugluktuk.

The success rate of identification was about 74 per cent in Iglulik and 78 per cent in Kugluktuk.

A similar program is also underway in Taloyoak.

The photos being worked with in Arviat are about 50 years old.

Angus says Qitiqliq High principal Fred Durant is overseeing the work of four Grade 12 students who have taken on the project.

The Arviat segment began yesterday (Feb. 4), featuring a collection of Richard Harrington photos taken in the Padlei area.

"Everybody over the age of 40 was invited to come view the pictures on a big screen and the youth sat and listened to what was said about the photos.

"Follow-up interviews will then be conducted with the elders who have some knowledge about the photos."

Angus says most of the funding dollars are funnelled into participating communities.

He says Project Naming is proving itself to be successful in both identifying the photos and bringing youth and elders together.

"It's sad to say, but the window is closing on being able to identify the people in these types of photographs.

"The project also sparks a lot of discussion between the youth and elders, which is another large plus this program offers."