Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services
Monday, February 26, 2007

GJOA HAVEN - Betsy Ross, eat your heart out.

Students at Quqshuun Ilihakvik in Gjoa Haven tried their hand at flag making to honour Feb 15, Canada's official flag day, and showed they can keep pace with the world's nations.

Each class was assigned a group in the community.

They went to that group's place of business, and with assistance from the staff, designed a flag that represents the group.

"That got the whole community involved, and that was nice," said co-principal Susan Hillier.

"The flags are now posted in the school, and the winners had a pizza party, and they invited the RCMP," said Grade 4 teacher Melissa Giesler.

The Grade 3 students were not just trying to score points with the community police force - their winning flag was for the RCMP.

"The judges were impressed that they used the RCMP colours, and put pictures of both of the officers on the flag. The flag is hanging in the school, so the kids get familiar with the officers," said Hillier.

Grade 6 students went to First Air, and made a flag for the airline. They used luggage tags and stickers, but the highlight was a Nunavut icon.

"We put an inuksuk in the middle, and we spent about one hour on it," said Grade 6 student George Sallerina.

"I liked it, we got to colour and not get in trouble," added the practical Sallerina.

Deciding what to do with the flag was an example of consensus decision making.

"One of the students said, 'How about an inuksuk?' and that's what we did. We put all our names on it. The First Air guys helped us," said Vanessa Aglukkaq, a classmate of Sallerina.

Grade 4 kids went to the hamlet and decided on a more dubious Nunavut icon for their masterpiece.

"We did one for the hamlet, and we put the water truck on it. The people at the hamlet were cool. They have a flag already, and I like theirs better," said Gina Aglukkaq, a Grade 4 student.

Every grade made a flag, and according to one participant, they were all great.

"They were all nice flags, and everybody did a good job," said Vanessa Aglukkaq.

"We are calling it the 'first annual' and we want to do it again next year," said Hillier.