Stephanie McDonald
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 12, 2007

CAMBRIDGE BAY - Relatives Jorgan Aitaok and David Analok from Cambridge Bay joined the Canadian Rangers out of a desire to be involved in the community and to help out where they could.

Analok, Aitaok's uncle, was born in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, but was raised in Cambridge Bay after his father was transferred to the community while working on the DEW Line site. Analok lived for a short while in British Columbia but soon found himself back in the North.

"Cambridge Bay has always been home," he said.

Analok books medical travel and accommodation with the Department of Health and Social Services, sending patients to either Yellowknife or Edmonton.

When not at work, Analok is kept busy caring for his six children, two boys and four girls.

"I think my hair is getting greyer every day," Analok joked.

He takes his oldest son out on weekends and teaches him how to hunt and skin wildlife.

Two weeks ago the two of them caught four caribou.

Analok is a Master Cpl. with the Cambridge Bay Rangers.

He said he was compelled to join the group in 1996 to be part of search and rescue operations.

He said that if a family or community member is lost "it encourages you to go out and look for him or her."

Aitaok has been a Ranger for four years. "I thought I'd give something back to my community," he said.

The former hamlet councillor, volunteer firefighter, and member of the local district education board has spent the greater part of his life in Cambridge Bay, but grew up on Perry Island, a little outpost camp.

His family spent each summer at the camp - located approximately 150 kilometres southeast of Cambridge Bay until Aitaok was around 10 years old.

Now married with four children, Aitaok works with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) doing GIS mapping in their lands department.

He previously worked at Lupin Mine, and when it shut down he took an environmental tech program, which had a section on GIS.

"It's different. You get to travel a little bit and see what's out there in terms of GIS mapping work, what other companies are doing in other countries," he said of his current job.

Like his uncle, Aitaok goes hunting when he can find the time.