RANKIN INLET
Five members of the Rankin Inlet Patrol of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group were recognized this past week for their years of dedicated service and completing a recent patrol in Rankin.
The patrolcompletion certificates and service medals were presented to the Rangers by Nunavut Commissioner Nellie Taptaqut Kusugak.
Ranger Sgt. Nellie Scharer and Rangers Herbert (Herb) Scharer, Wayne Ussak, Siatiak Ussak and Samuel Ayaruak received their patrol certificates, while Ayaruak, Sgt. Scharer and Herb also received longservice medals.
Sgt. Scharer said the course was held over six days.
She said training focused on learning new skills, reinforcing sovereignty and improving survival skills on the land, including first aid and making a makeshift runway.
"We did one day of training on the land and the rest was done during evening classes," said Sgt. Scharer.
"Officially we have three female Rangers on the Rankin Patrol, but most of the time it's only me.
"I've been a Ranger for 13 years and I love learning new things from the guys.
"I want the guys to look at me as another Ranger, not as a female, because I don't want to be treated any differently than anyone else, except for being a sergeant."
Sgt. Scharer said the male Rangers in the Rankin Inlet Patrol are pretty good in honouring her request, and are quick to teach her new skills whenever she asks.
She said as Sergeant, it's important to her that every Ranger has their say when it comes to what the patrol does.
"I try very hard to be a good sergeant to my guys.
"I don't want to be seen as pushy, and I try to have the patrol do whatever they want, as long as everyone respects me and my rank.
"I do speak up any time they want to do something I don't agree with, and they're usually pretty good in respecting my decisions."
Sgt. Scharer said one of the things she loves most about being a Ranger is travelling out on the land.
She said she doesn't really care what time of year they go out on the land, but she doesn't want to see any more November patrols.
"The snow is just too powdery and there's too much snow for the Quad, but not enough for the snowmachine.
"Two of us were thrown off our machines during our recent patrol because of the snow conditions.
"I bruised up my knee a bit, but I'm good."
Herb was the Rankin Patrol's sergeant from 2007 until 2014.
He said he enjoyed the experience, but after seven years he decided it was time to let someone else give it a try.
"I'm just a plain Ranger now," laughed Herb.
"The patrol is like a democracy, so I can choose to step down, somebody else can choose to step up, and it's all voted on.
"I've been a Ranger for 13 years and I'm dedicated to it because I like to help people and my community.
"Being a Ranger is fun, and I like it when we go out on the land and enjoy ourselves."
Herb said the Rangers still have an important role.
He said part of the patrol exercise is about sovereignty, and flying the Canadian flag over the land to keep it claimed as our own.
"That's our most important role for Canada, and we have to keep that up. Some of us help with search and rescue when we can, but we do that as individual volunteers, not as Rangers."
Herb said the number of active Rangers on the Rankin Patrol has fallen dramatically in the past decade.
He said, hopefully, the numbers will rise again in the near future and restore the patrol back to its former glory.
"We're down to approximately 12 Rangers now.
"The numbers keep falling and there doesn't seem to be many people interested in joining, although I'm not sure why.
"Almost everyone on our patrol has a fulltime job and sometimes it's hard for us to be able to take time off, so we'd really like to see some people join who don't work full-time.
"When Nellie and I joined the Rangers 13 years ago, there were more than 30 people involved and it was a lot of fun with a lot of good people, so, hopefully, we'll see the numbers rise again.
"I'm confident they will if the right people step in and bring more and more of their friends along."
