IQALUIT - Climate change is personal for Alianai Niviatsak.

Alianai Niviatsak is hoping her and other Canadians' contributions to a climate change conference in Calgary will have an impact in Copenhagen. - Erika Sherk/NNSL photo

Niviatsak, 17, who attended the Worldwide Views on Climate Change conference in Calgary in late September, said that she wanted people to be aware of what Inuit are facing.

"We're not the only unique group of people but our culture is unique in Canada and I wanted them to know that we've been fighting so hard to keep it from disappearing and yet it's slipping through our fingers like sand because of all these changes."

Niviatsak was chosen to attend the conference because she had a strong application, said teacher Tanya Bjornson. "She has an amazing sense of knowledge," said Bjornson, "very much a role model for youth."

Niviatsak has been keeping an eye on climate change in the territory, she said.

"I can't say I'm voicing everyone's opinion but my opinion is that things are changing.

We'd love to be able to recycle and get cleaner, energy-efficient appliances but it's hard to get the funding and you have to fly everything up here, emitting a lot of carbon anyway," she said, during her lunch break in the cafeteria of Inuksuk School.

She applied to attend the conference to hear other peoples' perspectives and understand what the rest of the country thinks about climate change, she said.

It's important for Inuit to have a voice in the ongoing climate change dialogue, Niviatsak said. "We've been working so hard to preserve our way of life and teach the younger generations. It's getting harder and harder to teach them. We're not able to predict what the weather will be like or the environment, as in ice thickness and migration patterns."

Niviatsak, who is originally from Rankin Inlet, said she mostly listened at the meetings. About 100 people attended the conference, a cross-section of "regular" Canadians, from students to musicians to housewives.

"I think it's a really good idea seeing as we're in a democracy. We can't rely on the politicians, we need the feedback from the people," she said.

She and her Inuksuk classmate, Eden Tootoo, were possibly the youngest ones there, Niviatsak said, adding that everyone was interested in their views.

"It was nice to be heard and I appreciated that they took the time to listen to me and to hear what I thought about different things, to hear my suggestions and perspectives." She and Tootoo, were also able to bring a bit of Inuit culture to the event. Both members of the school choir, they brought their red choir amautis with them along with kamiiks and beaded headbands and performed throat-singing for all the attendees after dinner the first night.

Resolutions from the Canadian conference will be submitted to the CoP 15 conference in Copenhagen Dec. 7 to 18.

"I hope the leaders in Copenhagen will begin to balance emissions," Niviatsak said.