Sanikiluaq (Mar 03/04) - Elders from Arviat and Sanikiluaq are embarking on an exciting new project.

Through a tele-conference, the two communities can interact with each other in real time.

"This is a great project. I think people here are really looking forward to this," said Eric Anoee, media specialist for the department of education.

The conference is being organized between the department of education in Arviat and the Najuqsivik Society in Sanikiluaq.

This is the first time elders from two communities will use tele-conferencing technology to communicate.

The elders in Arviat will use the telehealth system at the health centre.

Anoee said he hopes this is the start of a new trend in Nunavut.

"I would like to see more people taking advantage of the system," he said.

John Jamieson, member of the Najuqsivik Society in Sanikiluaq, said the elders in his community are looking forward to the conference.

The biggest positive from tele-communication is hopefully it will bring the people of Nunavut a little closer together, said Jamieson.

Population spread out

"We are spread out over a vast landscape," he said. "We're worried about losing our culture and dialects, but maybe if we started talking together we wouldn't lose it.'

Sanikiluaq has used the technology several times. One of the goals of the society is to help promote the system through Nunavut.

"I think elders can adapt to this system very quickly," he said.

"This could open some doors that we've never even thought about."

The two communities are planning to have the conference sometime in March.

They were supposed to come together in December but there were problems with the telehealth unit in Arviat.