Arviat (Feb 16/05) - A program in Arviat combining literacy and traditional skills is drawing rave reviews from the community.

Female adult learners have attended traditional sewing classes at the Arviat Community Learning Centre on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for the past four months.

The course, being taught by instructors Elizabeth Alareak and Lucy Suluk Kirkwa, has focused on how to make caribou mitts and kamiks.

Adult educator Emil Arnalak terms the program a tremendous success.

Arnalak says the women knew when they began the course most of what they made would be donated to the local search-and-rescue (SAR) committee.

He says the women took such pride in providing SAR with nine pairs of caribou mitts and eight pairs of kamiks, they decided to take the idea a bit further.

"They talked about some of our elders who are still very active in providing for themselves and their families," says Arnalak.

"They were concerned some of the elders no longer have wives to sew, so they made a set of mitts and kamiks for a local elder who was just overjoyed when they were presented to him."

The course is funded by the National Literacy Secretariat and still has another few weeks to go.

Arnalak says the learning centre tries to feature something different each year to reach as many members of the community as possible.

He says with the last course focused on the making and identifying of maps with male students, it was time to concentrate on female students this time around.

"We still have some exciting programs to come, including a few weeks from now when we bring an elder into the learning centre to teach students how to make one-barb Inuit hooks.

"He will demonstrate how Inuit used to make the hooks, the proper material to use, the shape they're supposed to be and what should be used as bait.

"I'm sure the students will also take advantage of the course to ask where all the best spots for the big fish are, as we have another lake trout fishing derby coming up shortly."