Educators build iglus and fish nets
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Repulse Bay (Mar 12/01) - A group of teachers in Repulse Bay decided to stick closer to home this year to expand their knowledge.
February is usually when teachers leave the region to attend numerous conferences, says Repulse teacher Leonie Aissaoui.
But five teachers signed up for the professional development, Kivalliq style, this year.
"We had some teacher assistants join us and even the school janitor and secretary took part when we were scraping the skins on the kitchen floor," says Aissaoui.
"It was really neat."
The group started their PD days learning carving skills. From there it was out on the land with local guides for two days, where they learned how to build an iglu and put a fish net under the ice.
Aissaoui says teachers also learned how to navigate using a global positioning system and, tan caribou skin and cook bannock, caribou stew and arctic char. She says not only did the PD days give the teachers new skills, they also served as a way of better understanding each other's cultures.
"I think this idea was wonderful because it brought Inuit and non-Inuit closer together.
"By doing something like this, people talk, joke, laugh and share things about themselves with the group.
"People from down south get to learn more about Inuit culture, which results in them being able to better understand the kids here.
"I think we should hold something like this every year we have a new teacher come into Repulse."
Aissaoui says some teachers may continue on with a skill or two they learned during the four-day program.
"Some did produce a carving piece and I think the women will probably continue on with their sewing because we didn't have time to finish with our skins.
"I've all ready made bannock at home."
The two days the teachers spent on the land gave them a new appreciation for the traditional Inuit lifestyle.
"We learned a lot about how difficult a lifestyle Inuit had in the old days.
"Now, if you get cold, you just go home and curl up in front of the TV, but, back then, it was a very harsh life, and now we understand more about it and respect the skills they had to live such a demanding life."
