Dez Loreen
Northern News Services
Friday, February 2, 2007

INUVIK - Representatives from the Native Women's Association of the NWT say youth should be more involved in future conferences like the Caribou Summit.

Four women representing different regions in the North were at the summit to hear the discussions about the herds.

Karen Mitchell, vice president of the Native Women's Association of the NWT, said she is concerned that not enough women were involved in the summit.

"Women are affected by the caribou, we prepare the meat, sew with the hides," said Mitchell. "We should also be included in these talks. Women are also the ones that pass on knowledge to the youth."

Mitchell said she wants to close the gap between the youth and elders on the topic of caribou herds.

Agnes Kuptana of Ulukhaktok said she was there to gather information for the people in her community who did not attend the summit.

"I am concerned about the herd decline, because at one point we had so many caribou near the community," said Kuptana.

Now, Kuptana thinks the low caribou numbers are due to neighbouring muskoxen that may have pushed the caribou away, changing the migration patterns.

Kuptana was accompanied by youth representative Janine Olifie of the women's group.

Olifie said she is concerned that no other youth representatives were present at the conference.

"I am here to represent the youth that are not here and bring information back to them," said Olifie.

"I don't see any youth involvement at this summit. As youth we cannot make good decisions without the proper information."

Olifie said she would like to see youth present their thoughts about the herds but, more importantly, listen to the information that was presented over the past week.

"I think there is a big gap in the knowledge," said Olifie. "Facilitators of these conferences should be contacting youth co-ordinators in the small communities."

She said funding could probably be found to send a few youth to important conferences like the Caribou Summit.

"They should also be educating the youth in schools about the declining caribou herds," said Olifie.

Mackenzie Delta representative Ruth Wright said the conference was beneficial to her and she will share the information with others in town.

"Information is power and the more we have, the better our decisions in the region will be," said Wright.

"I learned about where the caribou migrate, what their patterns are and how they have changed."