Inuvik (Nov 10/06) - Youth from Samuel Hearne high school gathered to speak about problems that they face and brainstorm solutions.

The forum was an opportunity to discuss youth violence, vandalism and other problems that youth face in town.

Brook Land-Murphy, from the Inuvik youth centre, was one of the mediators during the event.

Land-Murphy said the meeting was successful and that many concerns were addressed.

"It is good to see the youth becoming involved in the process of fixing the problems in town," said Land-Murphy.

"You can see that they are impacted by the damage done. They don't like being labelled as worthless youth."

The youth forum stemmed from a meeting held last week that dealt with youth violence.

Land-Murphy worked with the school to bring in adults to listen to the youth and offer advice.

One of the concerns raised by Peter Lennie and his group of students was a lack of recreation.

While facilities exist, Lennie said he would like to see consistent programming.

"Young people are getting bored and are looking for other things to do," he said.

Andrew Greenland was another representative who spoke about the problems that come with drugs and alcohol.

"It is too easy to get drugs in town, too many young people are drinking as well," said Greenland.

Difficulty at home was another hot point for Greenland.

"Their problems could be stemmed back to problems at home, like parents drinking too much."

Of course, the youth were also full of commercial thought, like opening a mall in town to cater to their shopping habits.

Another student said a movie theatre would help the situation.

"You can't get in trouble if you are watching a movie," she said.

Diane Baxter was one of the parents who attended the event. Baxter said she heard that anger and boredom were on the top of the lists made by the young people.

"The kids want changes, like travelling for school and sports," said Baxter.

"Getting out on the land was another issue. They would like to see programs in place for the older students too."

Kenzie MacDonald took some time before his next class to tell the Drum about his issues with the youth and some problems he sees in school.

"There is a lack of discipline and accountability here," he said, speaking about youth and parents.

"A possible solution is that the kids should be responsible for the damage they cause."

Information from the forum will be collected by Land-Murphy and presented at a later meeting.