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TALOYOAK/SPENCE BAY -At the age of 18, Peter Qayutinuak of Taloyoak is already an active volunteer and leader in his community.

In addition to his role as student council president at Netsilik school, Qayutinuak spends time out on the land with the Junior Canadian Rangers, passing along traditional skills and a spirit of giving that he acquired at a young age.

Peter Qayutinuak of Taloyoak is drawn to working with youth and passing on the traditions that have been imparted to him by his elders. - photo courtesy of Melissa Hunt

Learning from elders and giving back to their community is a large part of the junior rangers program, he said.

"We go out on the land with the elders and also get ice for the elders," said Qayutinuak. "It feels great, like for the people that can't go out on the land, we go out on the land for them and we show what we can do for the elders."

His commitment to the youth program stems from wanting to pass on the traditional knowledge, skills and wisdom of his elders to younger youth.

"It feels great to go hunt and learn more traditional stuff out on the land," Qayutinuak said. "It makes me feel like I should be learning (these skills) and be teaching them to the younger students."

Recently, he has been taking boxing lessons with the goal of eventually teaching the sport to troubled youth.

"I like to learn how to box so I can help others that are in trouble," said Qayutinuak.

In the spring, he will be headed to a boxing tournament in Newfoundland and Labrador, where he will be among the first athletes from Nunavut to represent the sport at the competition. Qayutinuak is also hoping he will have the opportunity to travel to Africa through the Northern Youth Abroad program. This past summer he participated in the first phase of the program, which included living with a host family in Ontario.

He is expecting to hear back this week whether he has been accepted for the second phase - a six-week volunteer work placement with a local charitable organization in Botswana.

"Hopefully, I'll be picked," he said. "I'd like to meet some new friends that went for the Canadian phase last year."