Daniel T'seleie
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (June 08/05) - Rankin Inlet's Jordin Tootoo completed a lightning tour of the Kitikmeot on Friday.

Visiting five communities in as many days, the Inuk hockey star delivered a message of opportunities through education to cheering crowds, which were often comprised of the entire community.

"It was good to meet him," said Madelen Ihakkaq, a Grade 9 student at Kugaardjuq school in Kugaaruk. "He's an Inuk."

The tour was organized by Nunasi Corp. and Canadian North owner Norterra Inc.. to help make the students aware of opportunities within the Inuit-owned companies.

Tootoo tried to impress upon students the importance of staying in school.

"If you don't have a Grade 12 education nowadays, it's kind of hard to get a job," Tootoo said from Cambridge Bay, adding kids who grow up in healthy environments are more likely to want to be successful.

During this year's NHL lockout, the Nashville Predators player spent the season in the AHL in Milwaukee.

"I played a lot more minutes," Tootoo said of the past season.

"Which is only going to improve my game."

Tootoo's status as a hockey star made the kids interested in his message on the importance of education, Kugaardjuk principal Sidney Rodnunsky said.

For the most part, people were just excited to meet the NHLer.

Tootoo planned on visiting the school for one hour, but stayed three times as long to sign autographs for nearly everyone there, Ihakkaq said.

"It was like 5,000 famished sharks around one poor, little, bleeding lamb," said Ian Critchley, principal of Qiqirtak high school in Gjoa Haven, where Tootoo was also swarmed by autograph seekers.

He handled it well, and was, "very nice, very pleasant, very patient," Critchley said.

Though he does not think the negative opinions some students may have towards school were changed greatly, Critchley says Tootoo was an "excellent motivator."

Tootoo's tour began in Cambridge Bay on Monday, May 30 and took him through the other Kitikmeot communities during the rest of the week.

Poor weather in Kugluktuk forced the group's plane to fly over the community Thursday morning. The plan was to try another landing, Thursday afternoon.

- with files from Brent Reaney