Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 08/00) - Fifteen students in Rankin Inlet learned a bit of tradition last week that just might save their lives some day.

The group of upgrading students from the Community Learning Centre and the Reclaiming Our Sinew program were shown how to build an iglu by elders Moses Aliyak and Jerome Tattuinee.

Angie Kubluitok is the Inuktitut instructor at the learning centre.

She says Inuit culture should be included as part of her program and that's why the exercise has become an annual event for her students.

"None of these students were skilled at all in iglu building. They were trying it out for the first time," says Kubluitok.

"It's very important to integrate these types of activities into our curriculum because we, as Inuit, don't want to lose our culture."

Local educators take every opportunity to include Inuit culture as part of their various programs, but Kubluitok says more needs to be done.

"We have to combine our culture as much as possible with Inuktitut literacy."

As important as the cultural aspect of iglu building is, there is also a very practical side to it.

In the Kivalliq, knowing how to build a proper iglu could save your life.

Kubluitok says once one of the students has learned to build an iglu, an elder will inspect it both from the outside and the inside.

Once they see it's done right, there is a sense of accomplishment and relief. The elders know the young man or woman has some skill to survive on the land.

"The pana (snow knife) is the Kivalliq version of the American Express Card -- you should never leave home without it," Kubluitok says with a laugh.

"It's your survival gear. You're making a big mistake if you think food and clothing are the only important things you need going out on the land.

"The pana will keep you warm and give you shelter if you get stranded on the land.

A lot of these students seen an iglu actually being built for the first time and they were just amazed.

"It was good to see the students practising themselves for the first time."