Cambridge Bay (Mar 08/04) - Sarah Jancke, 15, grew up in Cambridge Bay, so she knows what true cold feels like, and all too well how bad the weather can get in February.

But she was surprised by the force of the blizzard, characterized by gusts of -53 degrees celsius, that whipped the Ikaluktutiak Camp for Elders and Youth. The storm hit just as campers arrived at their destination, about 30 km outside of Cambridge Bay at Wellington Bay on Feb. 9, for the five-day session.

In many ways, it was fitting that a survival camp designed to bring elders and youth together to learn the old ways took place under such truly Northern conditions.

"The weather was bad," she said. "But we got to interact with the elders. They told stories about how it used to be. They told us when there's a storm, you just have to be patient."

Seven elders and 15 youth took part in the program, sponsored by the Kitikmeot Inuit Association and the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay.

More winter camps

"Elders were saying we need more winter camps," said Jason Tologanak, regional elders and youth co-ordinator for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association.

"This year it was a younger crowd," he said. "That was really good to see."

This is the second year such a camp was organized and campers were as young as 10 years old.

"They absorb everything. They have patience and focus," he said.

"It keeps traditions strong," said participant Ivor Mala, 15. "It's a good experience to go out on the land. It's how my grandparents grew up," he said. "I'd like to grow up like them."

The elders, also called guides, told stories of Wellington Bay, once a common place for families to go in spring because of all the fish and wildlife.

When the elders showed how to trap and skin a fox, the youth gathered around anxiously to learn.

A muskox hunt and fishing trip the group planned were halted by the weather, but the crew built emergency shelters, told stories late into the night and ate traditional foods, including fish stew.

"It is good for them to go out," said Suzanne Kamoayok, a cook helper at the camp.

Kamoayok spent her early years on the land herself, and knows how tough it can be.

She thinks it is important for Cambridge Bay youth to soak in as many traditional skills as possible during these camps. She fears the traditional ways could be lost if kids do not learn them now.

How the elders lived

"This way, they know how the elders lived," she said.

"It's important so that our culture doesn't go away."

Funding in total was $32,000 for two camps. The second will be held in April.