Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Jun 14/00) - Students seem to enjoy school a little more when their math class is replaced with a seal hunting class.

At least it seemed that way when students at Rankin Inlet's Alaittuq high school took to the land two weeks ago in pursuit of the slippery sea mammal.

The one-day trip was spearheaded by school counsellor and Inuktitut teacher, Bernadette Henrie, who enjoys taking students out and teaching them traditional hunting skills, especially when the weather starts warming up.

With two guides and two harpoons of her own, Henrie and her fearless group of 10 Grade 9 students tried to bag a seal.

"They love going out hunting, some of the kids even brought their dad's harpoons," said Henrie, who also translates and interprets at the school.

"I like to teach them the cultural and traditional aspects of hunting, like using a harpoon."

The outdoor classes have become somewhat of a ritual at the school and Henrie says she took a Grade 10 and 11 class caribou hunting and fishing last fall and this spring.

"This year a student shot a caribou and we cut it up for him and he took it home. Two students also caught a fish each, but we weren't so lucky with the seal hunt, we didn't get anything."

Preparations for the eight- to nine-hour trips begin in the classroom, where the students are briefed on where they will go and how they will travel. In the case of the seal hunt, which was about 25 kilometres south of the community, the students learned what to do when they found a hole.

In addition to hunting techniques, the guides and Henrie teach the students how to survive should bad weather arise or they get lost.

"It's important to teach them to stay in one place and not to move until a rescue team gets to them. We also teach them about weather and winds and how to prepare if their snowmobile breaks down."

It was the first hunt for many and they loved it, she adds.