Tuktoyaktuk (Mar 03/03) - The family of well-known Inuvialuit elder Lena Anikina was shocked when the 67-year-old passed away suddenly on Feb. 15.

Well-known Inuvialuit elder Lena Anikina died of cancer on Feb. 15. Her family was shocked, since doctors said just 10 days prior that she had nine months to live. - photo courtesy of Clara Bates

Anikina died of complications at the Cross Cancer Institute just 11 days after she was admitted for cancer treatment. She was 67.

Anikina was diagnosed with lung cancer at Inuvik Regional Hospital on Christmas Eve. On Feb. 4, her daughters Clara Bates and Lily Bastian and two other family members travelled to the Edmonton hospital with her for treatment.

The following day, Bates said, cancer specialists told Anikina and her family that she had nine months to live.

"And from the test results they found out that it was slow-growing cancer so they were going to give her radiation treatment, but then there was all kinds of complications," said Bates.

"We spent a lot of time with her around the clock just about. It sure was good to spend that time with her."

Last week, Anikina was named one of the 2003 Wise Women Award recipients by the NWT Status of Women Council. She was nominated for the award before her death.

Anikina is being honoured for her hard work in preserving the Inuvialuit language and culture by translating oral histories, recording traditional place names, and also for her work on the Inuvialuktun dictionary.

Bates said her mother "was always busy, always happy, and always thinking the whole world is just beautiful."

Anikina had a very unique hobby.

She collected rocks from all over the world.

"She's got a really good collection of rocks," said Bates.

Besides her friends in Tuktoyaktuk and neighbouring communities in the Beaufort Delta, Anikina will be missed by her pen pals all over the world.

"She used to get letters from Guatemala, Australia, England, New Zealand and Mexico. She knew people all over the place," said Bates.

Anikina is survived by two sisters, two brothers, 10 children, 22 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Anikina were held Feb. 26 at Kitty Hall in Tuktoyaktuk. Friends and relatives travelled all the way from Fort Smith, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Aklavik, Sachs Harbour, Nanaimo, B.C., Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie, Alta., just to name a few.

"She was loved very much," said Bates.