Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Daly Bay (Jun 13/01) - The time for heading out on the land and learning from elders is growing near once again for Kiv-alliq youth.
Pijunnaq-siniq 2001, the fourth annual Culture Camp for Inuit Youth, will be held at Kuugaaluk-Daly Bay this August.
This year's camp, situated northeast of Chesterfield Inlet, will once again offer Kivalliq youth the opportunity to acquire first-hand knowledge of their traditional culture by spending time on the land with their elders. It is sponsored by the Kivalliq Inuit Association
Social development co-ordinator Bernadette Dean says youth will learn marine and land mammal hunting skills, the preparation and use of the mammals' skin, and traditional food preparation and preservation.
Dean says other activities include traditional story-telling, drum construction, dancing, life skills, healing sessions and talking and sharing sessions.
"People coming to the camp can expect lots of fun and learning," says Dean. "They'll probably also experience lots of different weather conditions."
Originally planned for two youth from each Kivalliq hamlet to accompany a group of elders, the camp has continued to grow in popularity each year, with 44 elders and youth taking part in the 2000 camp near Repulse Bay.
The camps have been successful in putting youth more in touch with their language and culture.
So much so that this year's camp will be attended by members of the National Inuit Youth Council under Inuit Tapiriiksat Kanatami (Inuit Tapirisat of Canada).
The council includes Inuit from the Western Arctic, Labrador, northern Quebec and, of course, Nunavut.
"They'll be attending the camp at their own expense to learn what we do and how we do it," says Dean.
"After the camp, we'll host a National Inuit Youth Council meeting here in Rankin, so we're excited about that."
The application deadline for Pijunnaqsiniq 2001 is July 25. They can be faxed, mailed or delivered to the KIA in Rankin Inlet.
