Iqaluit (July 21/03) - Spending summers out on the land in Nunavut is getting increasingly difficult. From the rising cost of gas to responsibilities in the communities, one thing or another is tying people down.

Peter Irniq, Nunavut's commissioner, said he grew up with his family on the land.

"When I was growing up and becoming a young man in Repulse Bay, we used to go where the animals were. Today, we don't do that any more," he said.

When Irniq was young, Inuit walked everywhere. They had no Hondas, no TV, no radios. They had no telephones, no snowmobiles. All they had was a tent with enough room for all six members of the family.

"We walked a lot. I remember walking 60 miles from a small outpost camp to Repulse Bay when my father took very sick. I was 17 years old and it was in early July. It took me 25 hours to get some help for my father,"Irniq said.

Without ATVs and snowmobiles, there were no worries about being able to afford gas. Irniq said they just got up and travelled to where the animals were. Life was not easy - it was different and in a way simpler.

Irniq believes that the people of Nunavut were healthier when they lived on the land.

"Before we didn't get sick a lot because we ate a lot of country food. We didn't have any flavoured chips and coke. We had no chocolate bars or anything. We were very, very healthy people," he said.

As much as Irniq enjoyed life on the land, he understands why it's hard to maintain that lifestyle. "There's so many things that go on and we are occupied with one thing or another in the community," he said.

Irniq said people, today, get out as much as they can.

"We make up for it. We still go out on the land as much as possible on the weekends. There's fishing derbies in May, there is long weekends when we can go out to hunt caribou. It gives us something to look forward to."

He said that the Nunavut harvest support program gives people who can not afford a snowmobile or a canoe are given the chance to go out.

Rhoda Hiqiniq has been the manager of the Gjoa Haven Hunters and Trappers Association since 2001. She said the harvest support program is important to every community in Nunavut.

"A lot of people come here and say that they don't have a Skidoo or boat so it's hard for them to go out," she said.

With the harvest support program, Hiqiniq said anyone can apply to be put in a ballot draw for a snowmachine or canoe or ATV.

Depending on how much the person earns and how many dependents they have will decide how much money they must contribute towards the vehicle. Hiqiniq said the maximum is $1,500.

Hiqiniq said she only gets to go out once a year. In June, she takes two weeks vacation and she spends it on the mainland with her family visiting the same spot every year.

When they are out on the land, Hiqiniq said her husband does the hunting and she dries the skins or whatever else needs to be done.

"It's the only time I get to go out. I'd like to go more often," she said.