REPULSE BAY - A 10-day winter survival skills camp held for young men near Repulse Bay this past month is being hailed as a success by the camp co-ordinator.

Bernadette Dean, of the Kivalliq Inuit Association, said the camp at Angmaluqtuq, about two hours northeast of Repulse by snowmobile, provided the nine participants with instruction on a variety of topics.

Hunter-instructor Joe Netser poses for a photo by the rock named Inukpaujaq near Repulse Bay this past month. - photo courtesy of Bernadette Dean

Dean said the young men learned how to build a snow house and shelter (including the ones they lived in at the camp), how to read the various conditions of snow, hunting techniques, meat preparation, and the necessary equipment they should have every time they go on the land, even if it's just a day trip.

She said people have to plan for things they hope won't happen when they go on the land, such as a machine breaking down or a storm coming up and forcing them to stay overnight.

"The young men also learned how to hunt seals and set fish nets through the ice, as well as how to read the weather by the conditions around them and to tell direction by the shape of a snowdrift," said Dean.

"The elders talked to them about how to be a better father and husband, and the role of Inuit men and the challenges they face.

"These were very intimate discussions amongst themselves in the evenings.

"They also made time for storytelling and discussing a legend or two."

The camp was funded through the Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centre (UMAYC) program. Dean said there were 28 applications for the nine available positions at the camp. She said with so much of the learning being hands-on instruction, they don't want the group to be too large.

"There's a lot of careful attention to detail that goes with this program, so we go more for quality versus quantity.

"You also have to take the environment and the conditions into consideration, from a safety perspective, when dealing with learning like this."

She said the UMAYC has funded a wide variety of programs, ranging from skills training to the Mike Thomas Hockey School and the Missoula Children's Theatre.

Dean said UMAYC funding has been a blessing over the years, but she's concerned about what the future may hold.

"When the new Conservative government came in, we were hit with about $30,000 in funding cuts.

"So, we're not too sure what the future may hold as far as some of the money we've been able to access in the past."