Kivalliq author writes tales of Northern life
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Rankin Inlet (Nov 27/00) - Sharing your personal experiences with others plays a large role in the life of a Northern writer, says children's author Michael Kusugak.
The Rankin Inlet Community Learning Centre invited Kusugak to teach creative writing courses to its students this month.
While in Rankin, Kusugak also held a creative writing course open to the public and attended the Nunavut Literacy Council's Family Literacy Workshop.
"I've been living in Alberta for the past few months, so I wanted to come a little early to visit, see what was happening on the literacy front and get involved where I could," says Kusugak.
It's been a while since Kusugak has been able to take his own writings into Northern classrooms and interact with the students.
Kusugak was well known in the past for touring communities in Nunavut, northern Quebec and Labrador.
"I miss that aspect. I was able to read my writings and tell a number of Inuit legends to students in various schools."
Kusugak says children have always liked to have Northern writers visit their schools and see their communities.
He says this seems to be especially true of writers who have written about their own Northern experiences.
"I've been asked by many Northerners to visit their communities because they want me to share my personal experiences with their students.
"It's not every day you get a Northern person who writes their stories and travels around the North sharing those experiences with the children."
Kusugak says the role-model tag is often attached to successful Northerners.
He says while he's aware of the fact children often look up to him -- and the importance of Inuit youth having positive role models -- he doesn't go out of his way to fit the bill.
"Parents should be the students' role models. But, if you are a writer who truly enjoys what you do, it comes with the territory that you go out and share what you do, and try and encourage other people, especially the kids."
