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Pangnirtung spends a week on its youth

Gabriel Zarate
Northern News Services
Published Monday, March 2, 2009

PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG - A Pangnirtung healing group ran a week of activities recently to help young people think of choices when faced with depression.

Embrace Life Week included an array of workshops and activities by community groups to share ideas with students in Pangnirtung's two schools.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Annie Qappik, centre, shows students how to make bannock. - photo courtesy of David Kilabuk

"Rather than focus on the negative, let's celebrate life instead and let's look at different ways of celebrating life," said Emily Karpik of Pujuallussait, a healing organization in Pangnirtung.

Mental wellness counsellors, youth role models and even public servants shared their experiences with the youth.

Premier Eva Aariak and Pangnirtung MLA Adamee Komoartok spoke with students and explained how the government works, what their jobs are and how they got there.

"It is very important to show support to youth like that and for the youth to speak firsthand with some of the people that they will perhaps look up to," said Aariak.

Every day there were different activities for young people to take part in.

Elders gave workshops to share their traditional knowledge and told stories of the time before their families established the settled community of Pangnirtung.

There were sessions with traditional forms of expression such as drum dancing and throatsinging.

Outdoors, students had the opportunity to practice skiing, dog-sledding and para-skiing thanks to an instructor who is currently touring Nunavut communities.

Others learned to make illuvigaq, or igluit, on the undisturbed snow across the bay from the community.

Community members taught skills such as how to make Inuit dolls or how to properly scrape the fat off sealskin.

Pangnirtung's hip-hop dance crew put on a workshop as well as a show to demonstrate their skills and encourage interest among other youth.

Much of the direction of the activities was to show young people they are never alone and they always have choices.

"If you have these things in your life, the odds are you're not going to feel suicidal," said trauma therapist Jim Hall, who was in town for the week.

"You have to know there's somebody out there that cares about you."

Hall said many people feel guilty that they didn't stop someone from committing suicide, and that is unhealthy.

"There's a huge difference between guilt and regret," he said. "They take on guilt because it's better than helplessness."