KIMMIRUT/LAKE HARBOUR
For Mathewsie Mingeriak, a recent qamutik-making class in Kimmirut had a singular challenge.
Mathewsie Mingeriak said he struggled with knotting the ropes on his new qamutik; otherwise it "was easy". - photo courtesy of Petanie Pitsiulak |
"The ropes, putting the knots together, were the hardest," the 31-year-old said. "And pretty much everything (else) was easy. It was my first time (making one). I wanted to get an experience out of it. It was fun."
Mingeriak was one of six students in the class, funded by the Department of Economic Development and Transportation, that ran over 10 days in January and February.
The class's $20,000 budget was used for materials and to pay two instructors, but it also produced economic opportunities for the students.
"We wanted it to be beneficial," said economic development officer Petanie Pitsiulak, who organized the class as part of the hamlet's $100,000 annual grant from the department. "It's their own qamutik. I think most of them are keeping the qamutiit, but they also had the option to sell it to the local harvesters."
The course also grows the hamlet's capacity to find people who can teach how to make qamutiit.
"The next time we need an instructor, it could be one of those students who took part in the 10-day course," Pitsiulak said.
The funding package, which also includes traditional tool-making and stencil print-making classes, is intended to provide training for underemployed Kimmirummiut.
Mingeriak is confident he could make more sleds on his own now, and is keeping his first, which he's been happily using. But as of early-March, it is sitting idle.
"Right now, my machine is not working, so it's just sitting outside," he said.
People are complimenting him on it, but as he waits for repairs to his snowmobile, his children would like at least one improvement.
"It's as is right now, no box," he said, noting they'd like to see him put a box on. Otherwise, "they love it."
