Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 22/05) - The third annual Somebody's Daughter camp brought women together from around the Kivalliq to learn traditional skills and express themselves through writing, from July 22 to Aug. 1.

Author Margaret Atwood, her daughter Jess Atwood Gibson and children's author Sheree Fitch participated in the 10-day camp on Southampton Island.

The group encountered a polar bear on the first night of the camp, said co-ordinator Bernadette Dean.

"I was too tired to be afraid so I just went to sleep," she said.

Two hunters accompanying the group stayed up on watch all night. The bear never came back, but there was lots of fog, rain and wind.

The women continued their work as scheduled in large tents.

"It was a wonderful experience again," said Dean. "Margaret told me she wouldn't have missed it for the world."