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Inuktalik enjoys her office work

Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sep 28/01) - Bessie Inuktalik likes working in an office.

"I have tried other kinds of work, but I've always come back to office work," Inuktalik said.

NNSL photo

Bessie Inuktalik, logistics co-ordinator at Inuvialuit Environmental and Geotechnical Ltd., says she enjoys her job and meeting new people. - Malcolm Gorrill/NNSL photo


"I've tried to work at a daycare, I've tried to work with social services."

Inuktalik, from Holman, has worked in many offices for 24 years. Last September she came to Inuvik, where she took the one-year office administration course at Aurora College.

"That really helped me a lot to understand how to work with computers," Inuktalik said.

For the last month of that course Inuktalik did on-the-job training with Inuvialuit Environmental and Geotechnical Inc. She liked it there and stayed on, and is now logistics co-ordinator.

She explained that she does accounting and other paperwork, and also arranges visits to here from employees at IEG's office in Calgary.

When community consultation visits are being planned, Inuktalik arranges charters and lets the hunters and trappers committees and community corporations know. She also takes care of such things as taxi pick ups, and refreshments at the meetings.

"There's a lot of different things I do," Inuktalik said.

"I'm always busy, phone calls, e-mails. I just enjoy it. It's challenging," she explained.

"It makes me feel good when I accomplish what has to be done," Inuktalik said.

"It seems like it's never the same every day. It's always a different day. It's not a routine. But it's busy so the time goes by fast."

Inuktalik, herself an Inuvialuit, said she likes being at IEG because she's helping build Inuvialuit businesses for future generations, and that she's glad IEG hired her.

"This is a very good work environment. I enjoy it very much, everybody helps each other out," she said.

"I enjoy meeting new people."

Inuktalik has been married for 24 years and has four children -- two boys and two girls -- ranging in age from 11 to 20.