Yellowknife (Oct 20/03) - As a young man George Reilly walked and walked across the Belcher Islands.

When he stopped, he drew a map, still used by schools today.

Reilly was just 20 in 1959 and a student at the University of Western Ontario, when a summer job with the Geological Survey of Canada brought him to the Belcher Islands, now Sanikiluaq.

On Oct. 6, 2003 Reilly returned to the islands, as a 65-year-old retired geologist, with stories to share with students at Nuiyak School.

Winnie Arragutainaq, 15, was one of the Grade 10 students at Nuiyak school who attended Reilly's talk.

"He talked about our land, and gold, silver, copper and diamonds."

Arragutainaq thinks mining talk is great, even though she also recalls Reilly saying there isn't much gold or silver. She said people liked his talk, and students from many grades gathered to listen.

Her father taught her a great deal about Sanikiluaq, but Reilly's memories of the old days were fascinating.

She could feel his affection for the land, as he showed the students where he walked.

Reached at his home in Winnipeg, Reilly said he was impressed by the community he had not seen since 1959. While the deposits of gold, copper and silver on the islands are minimal, soapstone is abundant, and continues to be a major player in the economy for carvings. As for diamonds, "you never know," he said. In 1959 people on the islands were living in tents. There was no health care facility, and no school.

It may be a thoroughly modern community now, he said. But the character hasn't changed.

"People are still the same as I remember, warm and friendly," he said. "And they have retained their language, which I think is wonderful."