Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Resolute (Sep 05/05) - Brian Manning couldn't have been happier. He had an accomplished speaker talking to his students, and she was speaking in Inuktitut.

Lisa Koperqualuk visited Resolute to research a book about the relocation of Inuit people in the 1950's and 60's.

It wasn't the tale of re-location that the students were there to hear. It was the story of the first Inuk to travel to the base camp of Mount Everest that held the youth spellbound for an hour and a half.

"What better role model? It was wonderful, some of our elders came in and it went over extremely well," said Manning, the principal of Qarmartalik School in Resolute.

Koperqualuk is from Puvirnituq, Nunavik on Hudson's Bay, and her dialect was a treat for some of the community. Some of the people relocated to Resolute still use that southern dialect at home. Some of the students weren't as fluent as Koperqualuk in Inuktitut, and she did take questions in Inuktitut.

"I was surprised to see the children speaking in English. I thought it was sad," said Koperqualuk.

She explained how she was sitting at the Resolute airport and, in Inuktitut, asked a young Inuk woman if they were going to be flying through Arctic Bay.

"She kept looking at me with a very puzzled look," said Koperqualuk.

She had a great time speaking with students about her Everest adventure, however.

The kids heard a thrilling tale, filled with accomplishment, hard work and even death.

Koperqualuk was a part of Sean Egan's expedition. The 63-year-old University of Ottawa professor died on the mountain in April, on his quest to be the oldest man to climb Mount Everest.

She travelled with Egan as far as the Everest base camp.

Now she is working on her book about the relocation, and visited Grise Fiord and Resolute this week to talk to elders about their experience.

"There was nothing for them, they only had their basic belongings, tents, clothing and dogs. The government told them the reason they were moving them was because it was plentiful," said Koperqualuk.

The students were impressed. "She was excellent and the reception was satisfying," said Manning.