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ARVIAT- Old Man Winter did his best to play havoc with a cultural skills camp on the land near Arviat this past month.

The Ukiurmi Pijunnaqsiniq camp was held at Qi'nguraujaq, about 55 miles northwest of Arviat, and attracted six young men from Arviat and Rankin Inlet.

Donald Akammak Jr. works on a pana (snow knife) under the instruction of Roger Pilakapsi at Qitiqliq Middle School in Arviat this past month as part of the Ukiurmi Pijunnaqsiniq camp. - photo courtesy of Eugene Kabluitok

The camp was attended by Rick Ningeocheak, Casey Amarook and Israel Aliyak of Rankin, as well as Donald Akammak Jr., John Myles Kigusiutnak and Thomas Alareak of Arviat.

The participants were led by instructors David Nuluk of Repulse Bay, Roger Pilakapsi of Rankin and Louis Irkok Sr. of Arviat.

Arviat's Martha Okotak was camp cook.

The camp was funded by the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) and the Urban Multipurpose Aboriginal Youth Centre through the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Camp co-ordinator Eugene Kabluitok said the focus of the camp is to help young Inuit men aged 16 to 25 improve cultural skills such as hunting, iglu building, survival, traditional tool making, skin preparation and others.

He said the camp also features myth and storytelling, as well as counselling on healthy family living.

"The camp went very well, even though the weather was out for most of the time and we were only able to spend three full days at the land site," said Kabluitok.

"The rest of the time we visited with an Arviat elder, and the six participants learned the proper way to put rope on a qamutiik and spent a lot of time in the shop.

"We also got to go to the floe edge during the first couple of days, and that was a great learning experience for everyone.

"We held classroom-like sessions every night, and at the end of the camp, each participant said he learned a lot despite the bad weather."

Kabluitok said the traditional skills camps the KIA sponsors each year are still popular across the region.

He said bad weather and a lack of lead time kept the participation rate down for the latest one.

"We expected more applicants for this camp, but we didn't have much time to get the notice out and that kept the numbers down.

"These camps are important and we're going to continue them in the future.

"We owe thanks to the community of Arviat for the great hospitality during this camp, and, also, Ryan St. John, who was a big help to us."