HOLMAN - When graduates of Helen Kalvak school received their degrees on March 25, the ceremony featured a very traditional symbol.

It was a seal-oil lamp called a Qulliq, of the type which has been used for countless generations in the North.

Proud parents Barbara Memogana and Matthew Kuptana stand beside their daughter Susie Memogana (centre) who was pronounced Valedictorian of Ulukhaktok's 2007 graduation. They are illuminated by a Qulliq, or traditional seal-oil lamp, which belongs to the school and is used for special occasions. - Photo courtesy of Donna Bernhardt MAKING YOUR OWN MODERN DAY QULLIQ Materials: Heavy Duty Aluminium FoilCotton BallsPeanut or Vegetable OilSoup BowlMatches How To: 1) Make the Qulliq Cut two squares of aluminum foil and stack them together. Fold the foil squares in half diagonally to form a triangle with four layers of foil. Turn the soup bowl upside down and place the foil triangle on top. The folded edge of the foil should be in the centre of the bowl. Press the edges of the foil down around the sides of the bowl. Fold the three corners of the foil back and squeeze them to form "legs" for the qulliq as shown in the photo. Add additional foil to the legs for stiffness if required. Turn the qulliq right side up (remove the bowl) and adjust the shape so it stands well on its legs. 2) Make the Wicks Unroll a cotton ball and separate the cotton into 10-12 pieces. Roll each piece of cotton between your fingers to form a wick. Arrange the wicks along one edge of the qulliq. 3) Add the Fuel Pour a small amount of oil into the basin of the qulliq. Adjust the wicks so one end of each wick is in the oil. 4) Light the Qulliq Before lighting, make sure the qulliq is not near any flammable materials. Keep a fire extinguisher or baking soda close by. Do not leave unattended! Carefully light the wicks of your qulliq. Try toasting a marshmallow over the flames with a fondue fork or skewer!

Joanne Ogina, who is coordinator of Ulukhaktok's Aboriginal Healing Foundation, said the boat-shaped lamps are very significant.

"We always used them until the traders started coming, then we got the camp stove," she said.

Now, as in the past, Qulliqs remain a matriarchal precept of Northern culture, signifying the responsibility woman had in terms of caring for the family.

In the early days a girl could not be married until she was able to maintain her own Qulliq.

Although that tradition has faded into the obscurity of history, women still bear the responsibility of the Qulliq. They are still lit and maintained by women.

Ogina said as times changed, the lamps gained a new ceremonial purpose.

"Today, it's not used in everyday life, but on special occasions."

Cathy Cockney, of Inuvik's Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre, said Qulliqs are important symbols of traditional culture.

"We actually have one here," she said, explaining the group's Inuvik historical showcase borrowed a Qulliq from Yellowknife's Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

"It looks pretty authentic, so maybe it was made by someone from Ulukhaktok," she added with a laugh.

While calling a Qulliq a "lamp" is appropriate, Cockney said it can also provide heat for cooking and shelters.

She said this made seal oil lamps invaluable in traditional communities above the treeline, where combustibles were rare.

"In the eastern arctic, it was the only source of heat they had, because there was no wood. Sometimes they used moss but it wasn't as good for an open flame," she said.

Cockney added that Qulliq lamps require a type of arctic cotton plant to form a wick.

Thus, with a combination of stone, local plants and seal oil - carving, harvesting and hunting - one could say Qulliqs are a great northern symbol of traditional culture, representing, quite literally, the "eternal flame" of Arctic peoples.

So enshrined in Arctic history, especially among the Inuit people, is the Qulliq that the Government of Nunavut incorporated the traditional lamp into the territory's coat of arms. The symbol represents light and the warmth of family and community.

At Helen Kalvak school on May 25, all that tradition came to be celebrated during the graduation of ten students.

It was clearly an emotional day for families and grads in attendance.

Even valedictorian Susie Memogana fought to hold back tears during her address.

Charles "Chip" Bryant, a teacher at the school said the school keeps its Qulliq for special occasions, and none are more special than graduation.

"The decorations ended up looking spectacular, if I do say so myself," added fellow teacher Mark LeBourdais.

And while the Qulliq used by the school is indeed authentic - a symbol of ancestors' knowledge and resourcefulness illuminating graduates - Bryant said there was one important difference.

"Traditionally, it was seal oil, but we use cooking oil," he said.