'It bothers me when the mothers don't buy anything for their children. They just go for the drugs instead of thinking of their kids'
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Cambridge Bay (Oct 30/00) - Around every corner and behind every door in Nunavut, the impact of social problems is felt.
Teenagers are not oblivious, and are often caught in the turbulence of alcohol, drugs and pregnancies that come too early.
Two young women from Cambridge Bay were in Iqaluit last week and spoke frankly about their lives and the challenges they face.
News/North: What's it like to be a teenager in Nunavut?
Elsie Bellerose: It's not bad. We mostly run around, stay home, do homework, work, hang-out.
News/North: Do you have a job Colleen?
Colleen Novoligak: Yes, at Northern. It's fun.
News/North: Is it hard to have a job and go to school?
Novoligak: No, I work after school.
News/North: What kind of stuff do you do with your friends when you hang out Elsie?
Bellerose: Play cards, listen to music, watch TV and movies, relax.
News/North: Do the teenagers in Cambridge Bay use drugs and alcohol?
Bellerose: Yes, they might be doing drugs.
News/North: Does that bother you?
Bellerose: Sometimes it does. (It bothers me when) the mothers don't buy anything for their children. They just go for the drugs instead of thinking of their kids.
News/North: Are lots of teenagers mothers in Cambridge Bay?
Bellerose: There are starting to be (a lot of teenage mothers).
News/North: Do you think you'll be mothers before you're done being a teenager?
Novoligak: No.
Bellerose: No. I'd rather finish high school and then get children.
News/North: Why is that important to you?
Bellerose: It might interfere with my education. It might be hard trying to do school and look after your baby. It might be hard to concentrate on both of them, on your homework and your baby growing up.
News/North: What about you Colleen? Is it important to finish school first?
Novoligak: I want to finish school first.
News/North: What do you want to do when you finish school?
Novoligak: Go to college, learn to be a teacher. I want to teach at the elementary school (in Cambridge Bay).
News/North: What do you want to do when you graduate?
Novoligak: Find a job and then go to college and get out of my hometown. I want to be a recreation coordinator.
News/North: Where do you want to be ten years from now Elsie, when you are 27-years old?
Bellerose: I want to be working at the hamlet (as recreation coordinator).
News/North: How else do you picture your life?
Bellerose: Hilarious. I will stay with my girlfriends, we'll go out, have a ball and enjoy life.
News/North: What about kids and a man and all that stuff?
Bellerose: Oh yeah, for sure. Maybe I'll get married. I don't know. Maybe I'll have one or two kids.
News/North: Colleen, in ten years when you're 24-years old, where do you think you'll be?
Novoligak: I think I'll be at Arctic College, studying and working.
News/North: Is it fun to be visiting Iqaluit or is it scary to be so far away from home?
Bellerose: It's fun. It's not bad, but once it gets lonely and quiet, you want to go home.
News/North: Are you hanging around teenagers from Iqaluit? Are they different than the kids at home?
Bellerose: They're way friendlier. They hug each other, they give smooches. They're just friendlier. They like to smile.
News/North: It's not like that at home?
Bellerose: Not really. There's hardly anybody friendly at home. But everybody talks to each other at home.
People talk really fast here, too.
News/North: Are you enjoying it here Colleen?
Novoligak: Yes, the teenagers are friendly and there's more to see than at home.
News/North: When you look around at all the things there are to do here, if you could pick one job what would it be?
Bellerose: Maybe an MLA for Cambridge Bay. I could put more events on, more special occasions, make them more exciting. It would help people enjoy it and there would be laughter.
News/North: What problems do you think adults face in Nunavut?
Bellerose: It's like teenagers, they run around too much instead of staying home and concentrating on one thing. It gets out of hand.
News/North: What about you Colleen?
Novoligak: They want kids to do creative stuff...there's hardly any things to do. There needs to be more activities.
News/North: What's the hardest part of being a teenager?
Bellerose: When you're told to do something by people other than your parents. Maybe it's hard at home too, when they ask you to do something and they could get up and get it for themselves, but they're lazy.
News/North: Will you do things differently when you have your own family?
Bellerose: Yes.
News/North: How will Nunavut look in ten years?
Bellerose: Hopefully, there will be a big change. There will hardly be any young ones smoking or caught places where they're not supposed to be.
Novoligak: There will be no drugs and alcohol.
News/North: What will make people want to stop using drugs and alcohol?
Bellerose: There will be more jobs. They could have apprenticeships and get a job. Jobs are the way to get people out of drinking and drugs.
