Rankin Inlet (May 16/05) - The drums of tradition were sounding long and loud this past month in Rankin Inlet, as that community hosted the 2005 Nunavut Drum Dance Festival.

The festival attracted more than 70 participants from across Nunavut.

Gjoa Haven's Allen Aglukkaq is the chairperson for the Nunavut Qilautinut Society, which forms the committee to oversee the festival.

Aglukkaq said it costs more than $100,000 to stage the annual event, with the vast majority of the festival's budget eaten up by airfares.

He said, as society chair, he was quite pleased with the way the Rankin festival went this year, with one notable exception.

"I really felt the time we had for actual meetings among the performers was kind of short," said Aglukkaq.

"We have to plan better for next year so that we're better organized, and have more time away from performing to meet and discuss various issues surrounding drum dancing."

Aglukkaq said a lot of the meeting time in Rankin was spent discussing the budget for the 2006 Nunavut Drum Dance Festival.

He said the society found it difficult hosting the festival during the first month of the Nunavut government's fiscal year.

"There were a lot of headaches with the budget, but everything else went well.

"We're expecting even more performers in 2006, so the travel costs associated with that will demand and even bigger budget."

The Nunavut Qilautinut Society will meet via teleconference in the near future to beginning planning the October 2006 festival, which will be in Taloyoak.

Aglukkaq said it's extremely important to Inuit culture for the festival to be held every year.

He said it's up to Nunavut youth to keep Inuit songs and drum dancing alive.

"The elders have to pass on the knowledge they have about our songs and drum dancing while they're still around.

"And, the next generations have to learn while we still have elders to teach us.

"I was happy about the number of younger participants who were involved in this year's event and we have to keep that going.

"The continuation of our traditions is in their hands."