UQSUQTUUQ/GJOA HAVEN - A new youth group in Gjoa Haven has students and elders looking to their community's history, all the way to Norway.

The Gjoa Haven Traditional Club. Back row, from left, Nessa Ann Sallerina, Miriam Aglukkaq, Joanni Sallerina, Sheneil Quqshuun, Vanessa Aglukkaq and Naya Oogak. Front row, from left, George Sallerina, Angus Hiqiniq, Ellen Oogak, Dinah Aaluk. Missing club members are Jamie Takkiruq, Leanne Beaulieu, Roseanne Ruben and Amos Oogak. - photo courtesy of Trina Sallerina

The students are working hard to raise $60,000 by next May to visit the Gjoa, the ship with which Roald Amundsen made the first successful traverse of the Northwest Passage, and which gave their community its name. The Gjoa, which was iced in from 1903 to 1905 at the harbour site Inuit call Uqsuqtuuq, now resides at the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo.

Started by married teacher duo Joanni and Trina Sallerina, the traditional knowledge group in both Gjoa Haven schools is bringing the youth and elders of the community together.

"The elders are sharing their knowledge and the youth are learning how to use that knowledge in their everyday lives," said Trina.

The students want to learn where Gjoa Haven came from, Trina said, so they are raising money to see Amundsen's famous ship.

"This project is an extremely motivating one because it has developed to outside the community," said Joanni Sallerina.

"The students are determined to fundraise enough money so that they can travel to Oslo, Norway and see the Gjoa ship for themselves."

That is the big project. The students are also dedicated to their ongoing cultural activities. The group meets every week with elders Miriam Aglukkaq and Bob Konana who volunteer their time to help the students, both at Quqshuun and Qiqirtaq Ilihakvik schools. The two teach the young people to use the drums, sing traditional drum dance songs and also make tools like ulus, panas (snow knives) and kakivaks, Trina said.

"It's really, really fun," said George Sallerina, 13. "It's important to do these activities so we can learn more about our cultures and know how our grandparents lived."

Elders Mary Kamookak, Mary Oogak and Mary Takkiruq, grandmothers of four of the students in the group, are teaching the students how to prepare skins to sew rabbit and caribou mitts through an after school program at Quqshuun Ilihakvik.

"It's important to spend time with our elders so we can hear them speak our language and learn more about it," said Jamie Takkiruq, 10, adding, "We learn stuff that's not on TV."

The elders also tell the kids stories in their own language.

"It makes me happy because we can learn a lot from our elders," said Vanessa Aglukkaq, 14.

To financially support the group, the students are constantly fundraising by holding events each week, including a hotdog day each Friday. Families are invited and it's been a big hit with the community, Trina said.

"The most we've sold is 120 in one day."

Students in the club do all the work, she said, preparing the hotdogs, cleaning up and even supervising the gym as the other students play before returning to class.

"We are trying to model values such as leadership, responsibility and volunteerism as well as provide the students with life experiences," she said.

The club is focusing on events that bring the community together in a healthy way, while raising funds at the same time, Sallerina said.

They even had cheeseburgers freighted in, in mid-October.

"We sold 350 cheeseburgers, it was wonderful. Some kids have never tasted a McDonald's cheeseburger."

Their more recent event was a Halloween bazaar with games and activities for the community. If they raise enough money for the trip, the students plan on visiting schools in Norway to perform the drum dance songs they have learned this year.

"We're excited to do that because we want to show them about our culture," said Takkiruq.

One of the elders, Bob Konana is a grandson of Amundsen. When asked if he would travel with the students to Norway, he simply said, "I've always wanted to go to there."

--with files from Trina Sallerina