Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Kugaaruk (Jun 19/00) - A funding shortfall in Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay) means that the well-known marionette project will take a little longer than planned.

After learning this spring that they had been denied a grant from the Millennium fund, organizer Marla Limousin said plans for the project's summer schedule would have to be revised.

She had hoped that a film crew would begin filming the marionettes depicting the legend of Kiviuq this August, but a shortage of cash means the plans will be put off until next year.

"We didn't cut the grade, but (the Millennium fund) doesn't tell you why. It was a bummer. It means it's delayed again," said Limousin, who has been with the project from its inception nearly two years ago.

Designed to bring elders and youth together on a project that would preserve the culture and the legend of Kiviuq, the project hit its first serious roadblock last year when the marionettes were seized by U.S. Customs. The puppets, made of sealskin and whale bone, were on their way to American puppeteer Dan Butterworth for fine-tuning when border officials confiscated them under the Marine Mammals Protection Act.

The situation improved when the marionettes were returned to Canadian soil a few months later.

As well as managing to fly Butterworth to Kugaaruk to conduct puppeteering workshops with the project's participants, Limousin and company received a $77,000 grant from the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.

While the refusal from the Millennium fund was disappointing, Limousin said all was not lost. The delay, she said, would give everyone involved more time to hone their skills and prepare for the performance.

"The longer you take, the better the product is in the end. We'll take a little more time to work on all the details," said Limousin.

Along with recording the narration and musical portions of Kiviuq's legend, the finishing touches will be put on the marionettes and the script, the sets and props will be built and locations for filming will be scouted this summer.

Reached at his home in Rhode Island, Butterworth added that the elders and youth would operate the marionettes for the telling of the story.

"That'll be the most exciting thing," said Butterworth, who will fly to Kugaaruk in September to work with the community.

"We'll actually be starting to work out the story with people using the marionettes. After all this time, people will feel how it is to tell a story with the marionettes they've worked on," he said.

Butterworth also said he thought the financing problems would be easily overcome.

"So many people see this as worthy. If it's done right, it will preserve the legend and, if it's done right, it will travel to the rest of the world and show the world something about Inuit culture."

Proposals for funding have since sent to the Department of Sustainable Development and the Kitikmeot Corporation.