Sanikiluaq (Mar 06/06) - Out of all the Inuit traditions, iglu making seems like one that could be lost. With the demand for Inuit art, craftsmen are in demand.

The inuksuk has been appropriated by southern culture as a Canadian symbol, and hunters still roam the land.

Except as an emergency shelter on the land, there is no practical reason for igluit to be made, but they still are, to pass along the knowledge.

In Sanikiluaq, students at Nuiyak school are learning that lesson, and are learning the reality of the old days, when sleeping in an iglu wasn't a fun sleepover, it was a matter of life.

With the help of community members, two large igluit were made just outside the school. Each student is getting a chance to spend the night in one.

"It smelled so much like qulliq. It was really cold when you took off your clothes. It was sorta fun, but kinda cold," said 12-year-old Kelly Fraser, one of the students who took part.

Fraser came ready. She had five blankets and was able to share with some of her less-prepared classmates. When her class tried out the iglu, there were 14 girls. Some of them didn't make it through the night.

"Some of the girls got cold. They only brought a few blankets. They were cold when the qulliq burns down," said Fraser.

Elder Sarah Kudluarok was one of the people staying with the students. She speaks Inuktitut, so Elizabeth Bovalinga provided the translation.

"I'm happy because the kids have to learn about the old ways so they aren't lost. It is very important," said Kudluarok.

She was proud of the way the kids handled the cold, and was happy to teach them a little traditional culture.

"Nowadays, the kids are not like in the old days. They are learning more stuff from TV. I don't want them to watch TV all the time. It isn't good like that," said Kudluarok.