INUVIK
Robert Kuptana, an elder from Ulukhaktok, remembers the advice he got as a child.

Robert Kuptana, from Ulukhaktok, takes part in the Hakuringniq Katillugu: Gathering Strength symposium last week. - photo courtesy of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation

"When we were young, our elders, our ancestors, our grandparents... (taught us about) our culture, tell us what to do, tell us what not to do," said Kuptana. "They taught us."

He was taking part in Hakuringniq Katillugu: Gathering Strength, a symposium for Inuvialuit youth held in Inuvik last week.

A goal of the symposium was to bring in elders to give their advice to youth.

"We advise them. that our ancestors had a culture and society and way of life even before (the) white man came around here," said Kuptana.

"And they could survive out there. You could go 200 to 300 miles with (almost) nothing, maybe one food (item) to bring, maybe one dog, maybe if they were lucky they had a caribou skin, a snow knife.

"Maybe first couple of days they never eat nothing and just make an igloo and stay in there. And then go along with the dog and find a seal hole."

He explained the process of how his ancestors survived in traditional ways.

Dez Loreen spoke in front of the audience on the last day of the symposium.

"There's a good 10-year chunk of my young life. where I could have been better," he said.

Loreen recounted how he left high school without much of a goal and squandered years drinking.

"I've seen so many people, they get lost," he said. "They're not bad people - making bad decisions, sure. That was totally me at points."

He eventually learned to start treating himself and others better, focusing his mindset on the positive aspects of life, he said.

'I think I was afraid to'

Now with a wife, daughter, great job and lots of opportunities to pursue his passions, he feels like he's in a much better place.

"I really feel like I owe it now to myself, to my family, to my daughter," said Loreen.

Lesa Semmler also spoke to the audience, made up of about 20 people.

"It took me a while to figure out where my voice was and to speak," she said. "I think I was afraid to."

She emphasized to youth that they are the next generation and if anyone's going to bring change to their communities, it's going to be them.

She also told youth there are lots of funds available for projects and initiatives and encouraged them to pursue those opportunities.

The symposium, which ran March 13-16, involved workshops, guest speakers and a field trip to Reindeer Station.

Jennifer Rafferty, capacity advisor at Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, said the purpose of the symposium was to bring people from across the Inuvialuit Settlement Region together to connect.

"Especially when you're living in more remote communities, it's harder to connect with your peers," she said.

"This was seen as a chance to bring everybody together and look at all the strengths that the youth have and the strength that can be found in Inuvialuit traditions."

The group talked about a variety of subjects, from how to be a good role model to building resilience as an Inuvialuit person.

"The elders have a lot to say about the Inuvialuit Final Agreement and how it's now the responsibility of the youth to become familiar with it and use that as a guide moving forward when they are making decisions and leading their lives," said Rafferty.

It was the first symposium of its kind the IRC has hosted. Rafferty said youth and elders alike asked if it could be repeated in the future.

"We were very lucky to have a lot of strong Inuvialuit role models in the community and we were glad a lot of them could take part, come and speak, share their experience but also listen to what the youth and elders had to say," she said.

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