Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (July 14/99) - The first trial camp for the Makkuktut Sangitilirput (Youth Becoming Stronger) group based out of Rankin Inlet was held at Diane Lake recently, with participants classing the event as mildly successful and a good stepping stone to future camps.

Makkuktut Sangitilirput is a division of the Rediscovery family, a group of people who come together in camps in order to strengthen community communication between youth, elders

and various community leaders. The program is structured to be a time of fun while learning out on the land.

James Howard was a driving force behind the creation of the program, delivered through the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre, and he says the program could go a long way towards opening communication between youth and elders.

"The general focus of the program is returning to the land, learning culture and tradition and bridging the gap between youth and elders," says Howard. "There's also the element of basic land skills -- learning how to survive on the land and respecting one's self, nature and the world around you.

"The camps help build self-esteem and confidence. Our first camp was a trial run and we learned a lot from our elders about how a traditional camp should run. The camps should improve

as the program moves along."

Inukshuk Aksalnik, 18, joins Howard, Bill Gowar and Johnny Aupilardjuk as program

leaders. She says she enjoyed the first camp and is looking forward to the second one to be held July 21-26 at Marble Island.

"I thought it was too bad our camp had to be shortened by a day because it was the first time in a long while I had communicated with elders and I was really enjoying it," says Aksalnik.

"It was what I expected because I want to learn more traditional things and I accomplished that."

During the group's four-day stay at the lake, participants were told elders' stories, learned about rocks from Gawor, spent some time fishing, learned the proper way to prepare pipsi and uujuq (boiled caribou) and visited the cabin of Mrs. Naukatsik.

Aksalnik says she found good interaction between the elders and the rest of the group and feels that interaction will only get better with time.

"Our first camp was a trial run camp, but we hope, with more advertising for our second camp which will be held on Marble Island, we'll have more youth involvement.

"The camps will really develop better communication between our youth and elders. We

can't lose our traditions because they're really important to us."

Aksalnik says she's just starting to learn to speak Inuktitut again and the camps also provide with her an opportunity to strengthen her native language skills.

"It's a great opportunity for me to learn Inuktitut by speaking directly with the elders. This program will help youth become more culture and land orientated and also make us feel more like

we fit into the community. Too often the youth are put off to the side.

"We have a good mix of leaders -- Inuit, non-Inuit, youth and elders. We all learn from each other."