Elders pass on traditional knowledge
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Repulse Bay (Apr 04/01) - It's off to class for some elders in Repulse Bay.
They aren't sitting behind a desk, they're teaching traditional knowledge to adult students in the literacy and technology program at Nunavut Arctic College.
Paul Mablik, one of four Inuit instructors at the college in Repulse, says elders join the class every morning and afternoon to tell traditional stories, teach land skills and talk about how their family members educated them.
"We are learning our traditional background almost from scratch," says Mablik.
"We are learning to survive in harsh weather, respect elders of all races, how to work with each other and how to make tools and hunting equipment.
"Some of our unemployed would be able to earn money to support their families if we had funding to support the making of these traditional tools and hunting equipment."
Adult educator Earl Dean says the students dedicate about 25 per cent of their day to the elders' participation, which has been woven into the program's curricula.
Dean says the students also pursue academic subjects, but a big part of their day has become consumed with the elders' tales.
"It's a big difference for our students to be listening to these stories as adults, rather than children," says Dean.
"You can see they're riveted by the tales, which have helped make the program a success by returning to an almost traditional way of teaching."
Course participant Tim Kringuk says he enjoys his time with the elders.
He has been particularly interested in learning aspects of Inuktitut he was not aware of, or which are not used on a daily basis.
"The historical stories they tell us have been passed down for countless generations," says Kringuk.
"We are trying to pass down traditional knowledge from the elders to the younger generation before they take it to the grave with them."
Dean says the elders' visits to the classroom are one way a local education program can help preserve Inuit culture and tradition.
"We tell our students to listen carefully when the elders speak because someday they're going to be telling these stories. Each story is a link in the chain to Inuit culture and tradition and once that chain gets broken, it's hard to resurrect it."
