RANKIN INLET/KIVALLIQ - The Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) is taking the lead in trying to convince the federal government not to cut funding to the Aboriginal People's Program.

President Jose Kusugak says the KIA won't let the program disappear without a fight.

The KIA has been holding summer and winter youth camps through the program, as well as media training and other various cultural programs such as the highly successful Somebody's Daughter.

President Jose Kusugak said the KIA won't let the program disappear without a fight.

"This program has done so much for the people of Kivalliq and there's a real possibility the federal government wants to put an end to it," said Kusugak.

"We (KIA) discussed this in great detail during our meetings in Rankin Inlet earlier this month, and we tabled a motion at Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.'s (NTI) annual general meeting in Iqaluit this past week to try and get NTI and the Government of Nunavut (GN) to try and push to make sure that program continues.

"This program works really well, so I've also lobbied Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Mary Simon to do the same so we don't lose it."

Kusugak said the KIA also has great interest in the detailed research done on a suicide prevention strategy for Nunavut by NTI and the GN.

He said a number of possible action plans were devised and one, in particular, has the KIA's support.

"We had a youth delegate, Appolina Manilak, at our assembly and she did an excellent presentation on some of the things she came across while talking with people who were actually thinking of committing suicide.

"She went through the various action plans and picked one that could really do something to help prevent possible suicides.

"So, we made a motion at NTI's meetings this past week to try and adopt the action plan she selected.

"The plan calls for a crisis line in every community, with a volunteer youth available to talk to and council other young people who may be contemplating committing suicide."