Jennifer Geens
Northern News Services

Cambridge Bay (Apr 12/04) - Poet Margo Button's real motive for journeying to Cambridge Bay wasn't professional, it was personal.

Her son, who had schizophrenia, committed suicide in 1994. Though years had passed, in 2000 she was still grieving her loss. And through her niece Natasha Thorpe's work interviewing elders in the Kitikmeot region, Button had heard about the high suicide rates among Arctic youth. That's when she decided a trip North would help her heal.

"Natasha had told me how many people had lost children to suicide," she said.

Button hoped that by talking to elders in Cambridge Bay who had lost children to suicide, she could put her grief in perspective.

"The people are wise," she said. "I can learn from them."

From her conversations with the elders came The Elders' Palace, a book of poetry. The poems were translated into Inuinnaqtun for the elders by Mary Kaosoni.

But Button said the feelings shared cut across language barriers.

"It was comforting," she said.

"When it happens, your first reaction is 'Why me?' You need to put that grief in perspective. It has happened to all kinds of other people who have gone on to find a purpose in life."

Button was honoured that elders in the community would speak so openly to a stranger, but her niece had spent years talking to elders, gathering their knowledge of the land for environmental studies. Thorpe's connections, plus Button's own age (at 65, she could be called an elder herself), opened doors.

"For anyone to open up is a gift," said Button.

The conversations weren't all grim. Button said there were lots of laughs, too, as the older women talked about their children, and about the differences in having babies on the land and in hospitals.

"This is a chick book," Button said, laughing.