IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY - Twenty-one year old Sarah Olayok Jancke has a message for those concerned about aboriginal languages being lost by younger generations of Inuit: "We're trying."

Sarah Jancke, 21, stands in front of Kitikmeot Inuit Association building in Cambridge Bay on Oct. 5. Jancke is attempting to learn both Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun. - photo courtesy of Joey Evalik

Jancke was Cambridge Bay's youth representative during the Uqauhivut Atauhiujjutivut ?Kitikmeot Round Table meeting, which took place in the community from Sept. 23 to 25. The meeting was held to discuss how to plan for Nunavut's new Official Languages Act.

Jancke said her message was simple.

"I just gave my input as a youth from Cambridge Bay; how we’re struggling with our language, but we are trying and it's not unattainable," she said. "I tried to stay positive and let the elders know that we are trying and it's possible."

Jancke has begun taking both Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun lessons online; a task she says is important because her family is from different areas of Nunavut and members speak different languages.

"Part of my family speaks Inuktitut and the other half of my family in Cambridge Bay all speak Inuinnaqtun," she said. "I’d like to learn both."

Jancke said she felt it was time for her to take action and learn.

"We promote it a lot. We talk about youth needing to learn language and needing to strengthen our language. I just want to stop talking about it and show people that it's possible," she said.

Jancke's motivation doesn’t end with attempting to master two languages; she is also actively involved in her community. After finishing her first year at Nunavut Sivuniksavut in 2007, Jancke took a year off. She substitute taught at the high school and volunteered at various organizations in Cambridge Bay. During that time, she began teaching children to throat sing and drum dance using songs and information she received while at NS.

"Twice a week I'd get a classroom after school and teach drum dancing and throat singing to anyone who wanted to try," she said.

Jancke said her time at NS was a great experience for her.

"I loved the program. I'm still in contact with them every time I go to Ottawa I go to see them," she said. "I think every single Inuit youth should have the opportunity. They have the opportunity to take it and I think they should."

Jancke also helped to successfully lobby for a youth centre in Cambridge Bay. She also participated in the Canada World Youth Program in the fall of 2008 until March 2009.

While in the CWY program, Jancke travelled to Tyendinaga, a Mohawk territory in Ontario where she volunteered at the local elementary school for three months. Then the group went to Cuba for another three months.

The trip wasn't Jancke's first time overseas. She travelled to Peru with her fellow NS classmates for their cultural exchange trip.

"It was just amazing to see the native people in Peru and to share our similarities as Inuit with them," she said. "It’s really crazy how they are the exact opposite of us. They have trees and jungles and they've never seen ice or snow. There are so many similarities in beliefs and lifestyles, it's just amazing."

Jancke recently became a program co-ordinator intern with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. She said she hopes to be speaking Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun before long.

"Right now I'm making it a priority in my life so I'll be speaking more soon," she said.