Sanikiluaq (Apr 11/05) - Nelly Meeko is one of those fearless people who goes polar bear hunting with the same energy she applies to teaching or rounding up volunteers for Saturday night bingo.

Nelly Meeko killed a 12-foot-long polar bear five years ago. This one, which hangs in the hamlet council chamber, isn't it. Meeko keeps busy out on the land, working a couple of jobs and volunteering in Sanikiluaq. - Kathleen Lippa/NNSL photo

"I love helping people," she said, standing in the empty council chambers at the Sanikiluaq hamlet office. "I like to share with people."

Meeko isn't kidding.

When she isn't filling in as a substitute teacher at Nuiyak school, she works as a part-time hamlet justice co-ordinator.

She also works at the health centre as a home care worker and does physiotherapy with patients.

She often serves as an Inuktitut-English interpreter/translator at the health centre, as well.

For the last 30 years she's been married to Johnny Meeko. Where has the time gone? she wonders.

Johnny is a teacher at Nuiyak school and offers her a tremendous amount of support when she's asked to teach.

Thrill of the hunt

But Nelly gets most animated when she talks about going out on the land and hunting.

Sanikiluaq has an abundance of fish - both salt and fresh water fish - because of the unique formation of the Belcher Islands that make up Sanikiluaq.

She goes fishing a lot, but is most proud of her polar bear kill five years ago.

She admits she was scared when she realized how large the animal was in her midst.

It was March 20, she recalled fondly, a sunny time of year on the islands when most people in the community of 700 people are anxiously going back out on to land after so many cold, dark months.

She shot the bear with a .22 hunting rifle. She explained that in Sanikiluaq, unlike in Northern Quebec where she was born, the women share polar bear cleaning duties once the skin is brought home. In Northern Quebec ladies do not share the task.

"Here, we share together and clean the skin," she said happily, casting her gaze onto the impressive polar bear wall hanging in the hamlet chambers.

Nelly was born in Kuujuuaraapik, but has lived in Sanikiluaq most of her life.

One area of life that she thinks needs more attention these days is volunteering.

"Volunteering is special to me because when we volunteer we get something special. I get paid somewhere else," she said, mentioning her many other jobs.

The daycare bingo every Saturday night is always looking for volunteers, she said.

"Sometimes I'm one of them," she said.

Sanikiluaq is the only place she will ever live. But it has its share of problems, she said.

So much to do, so little time.