IGLULIK - While it's not clear exactly how old she is - family members say she is at least 108 - there is no denying Iglulik elder Rachel Uyarasuk has experienced more in her lifetime than most people will ever see.

Rachel Uyarasuk at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School in Iglulik on Nov. 4. Community members celebrated her birthday on Nov. 20. Her family members say she is at least 108 years old. - photo courtesy of Nancy Kadlutsiak

Rachel's daughter Kanadaise Uyarasuk said the family estimates Rachel's age based on documents from medical trips to Hamilton and Toronto in the 1950s.

Uyarasuk said Rachel was already over 50 years old when she made the trips.

But Rachel's exact age didn't matter to the community members who helped her celebrate her birthday during a party at Ataguttaaluk Elementary School on Nov. 20.

"She had a real good time, that was the whole idea," assistant senior administrative officer Celestino Uyarak said. "It was just amazing how people just showed up."

Uyarak said nearly 600 community members came to the school for cake and games to honour their eldest community member.

The department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth helped to fund the party, which was planned by the hamlet, Uyarak said.

Local singer Dominic Angutimarik led the crowd in singing "happy birthday" in both Inuktitut and English and refreshments were provided by Iglulik's Tujurmivik Hotel.

Prizes were given to game winners, Uyarak said. The most coveted prize was a pair of sealskin mitts sewed by Rachel.

"Everyone wanted these mittens, they were her handmade sealskin mittens," Uyarak said.

Rachel's great-granddaughter Cora Akittirq agreed.

"Everyone wants her mitts," she said.

Despite her failing sight and the difficult task of sewing sealskin, Rachel still loves to sew, Akittirq said.

"She loves to sew still, she can't stop sewing," Akittirq said. "She attends a ladies sewing group, it's at her house because she can't really go out normally now."

Rachel lived in Clyde River and Pond Inlet before moving to an outpost camp outside of Iglulik, Uyarasuk said.

Starvation in the area prompted RCMP members to move the family into town in 1967, she said.

"The dogs were starving and we had no more food and got hungry," Uyarasuk said. "The RCMP moved us here to Iglulik."

Rachel and her family left almost everything behind when they moved.

"She brought her bibles, that's it," Uyarasuk said.

Living in town was extremely difficult in the beginning.

"When we first moved here they took us to a matchbox house with no electricity, with no heating fuel," she said. "I had to go to school the next day."

Life was undeniably hard, but Rachel's spirit kept her family going.

"She never gave up, she was very strong," Uyarasuk said. "She was always sewing making parkas, making kamiks, mittens, caribou skin parkas, caribou skin pants."

"She used to knit and cook meals for us even though we didn't have much food to eat."

Uyarasuk said Rachel enjoyed her party, but said she didn't want any presents this year.

"She was happy to have cake and something to eat with us, but she was asking me not to give her any presents this year because she's getting too old," she said.

Uyarasuk said during her party, Rachel laughed and said "I think I'll never die now."

Uyarasuk said she is grateful for her mother.

"I am so happy that she is my mother and I was so happy that I was adopted by her."