Rankin Inlet (Aug 14/06) - Vince Lang Sr. wasn't happy about the state of the Rankin Inlet cemetery, a weather-beaten plot on a hill overlooking the hamlet. So he approached senior administrative officer John Hodgson and offered to spruce up the area if the hamlet would supply the paint.

Vince Lang Sr. examines crosses that may be displaced from graves they are meant to mark at the Rankin Inlet cemetery. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

"I wasn't going to charge anything to fix the crosses and do a bit of painting, but the SAO asked me how many hours it would take to fix the whole site up and the project started from there," said Lang.

"Helen AbenReynen offered to help and we've seen a lot of smiles on people's faces since we started. We've also heard concerns from people who can't find a relative's grave."

AbenReynen has been painting and repairing crosses at the site, while Lang has been doing the heavier excavation work of digging and moving rocks and boulders.

The two are also trying to properly identify a number of misplaced graves for relatives of the deceased.

AbenReynen has begun mapping the site, and said people in the community have been quite helpful in supplying information. "I've approached people visiting the graveyard to let them know what we're doing, and others have phoned to tell me of people who need their names put on a grave, or to ask if we can move the cross closer because they'd like to put rocks around it, things of that nature," said AbenReynen.

"We've begun writing the names on the crosses in Inuktitut and English. Almost every person I've talked to has said they can't remember where at least one family member is buried."

The first 12 to 15 rows in the cemetery have a high percentage of unmarked crosses.

Lang and AbenReynen would like to develop a mapping system so people can easily find friends and family members. AbenReynen is marking the crosses by hand and noting the number in each row - including how many are unmarked - while Lange is exploring the site to identify the unmarked graves.

Another problem the two face is peeling paint.

AbenReynen said unless another way is devised to mark the graves, such as acrylic crosses, the need for repair will remain constant. "A better system would mean a one-time cost for the hamlet, which could then concentrate on improving the site in other ways."