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MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET - Elders and youth in Pond Inlet plan to join together on Feb. 28 to celebrate the return of sunlight to their community.

Tununiq Aqsarniit Theatre Group is organizing the first annual Return of the Sun Celebration on the last day of the month. The day-long festival features iglu-building, storytelling, drum songs, throatsinging, Inuit games and displays of traditional caribou skin clothing. Frozen caribou, seal and maqtaq will be served in the afternoon, as well.

Elisapee Ootova lights the qulliq. Ootova will share stories and legends in a freshly constructed iglu during a festival being organized on Feb. 28 by the Tununiq Aqsarniit Theatre Group in Pond Inlet. - photo courtesy of Sheena Akoomalik

"February is the time when the sun starts shining again in our (community) so we're really happy that the sun is back," said organizer Sheena Akoomalik. "(In February) you find you have more energy and you want to be outside a little bit more, whereas when it was 24-hour darkness you just want to hibernate in your house and stay in the warmth."

The celebration begins in the morning with the construction of two iglus along the riverbank near the high school. Elders will lead youth through the building process, Akoomalik said. Each iglu accommodates about 10 people.

Elisapee Ootova and other elders will invite young people to join them in the iglus to hear some Inuit myths and legends, Akoomalik said.

Local sponsors donated first, second and third prizes for a caribou clothing competition scheduled for the afternoon. Anyone with local caribou clothing can model their own designs to compete for the three honours.

Tununiq Aqsarniit applied to perform at the Alianait! Festival in Iqaluit again this summer. Akoomalik is currently doing research for an upcoming play she is writing for the group to perform.