MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET - It was all caribou, all the time for a week at Nassivvik High School in Pond Inlet.

Left to right, Elijah Panipakoochoo, Jayko Alloloo, teacher Mosesi Koonark, and translator Titus Arnakallak share in a game to raise awareness of caribou. - photo courtesy of Don Kranz

Scientists, elders, the Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) and wildlife specialists joined up with students and teachers at the school from Oct. 5-9 to share new ideas and knowledge about caribou.

Activities were held every morning, teaching the students a range of skills connected to researching caribou. "The workshops were fun, hands on, totally cool," said student Patrick Idlout.

They learned purely scientific skills like how to collect data, develop research questions and plan caribou research programs, Kranz said. They also learned how to incorporate traditional knowledge on caribou parts and their use.

Debbie Jenkins, Baffin regional wildlife biologist, partnered with Department of Environment education specialist Sharina Dodsworth and University of Calgary caribou researcher Ryan Brook on the workshops for students.

There was a definite response from the kids, with attendance ranging between 20 and 28 students each day. As many students struggle to attend school regularly, these workshops helped to reverse that trend.

Nassivvik student Brent Atagootak said he enjoyed the week. "It was never boring," he said.

The week was part of the Baffin Region Caribou Health Monitoring Program, a community-based caribou sampling program that combines the resources of scientists and hunters to address information gaps on caribou.

They explored many of the dilemmas and critical issues that face harvesters, scientists and wildlife managers today. "It was really fun to debate what we could do for caribou in different situations,” said student Donna Pitseolak-Kublu.

Elders Paniloo Sangoya, Jayko Peterloosie, Annie Peterloosie, and HTO board member Elijah Panipakoochoo shared their knowledge on how to be respectful to caribou as well as the names of the different parts of the animal.

"It was really fun to hear the elders' stories and learn about caribou parts and their uses," said student Clara Tagak.

Brook, a caribou researcher from the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary, shared some of the resources he is developing for an anatomy atlas of caribou. The atlas will show muscles, bones, and organs from both a scientific and traditional perspective, including names of the caribou parts in Inuktitut and the scientific names. “It was exciting to see the images of caribou and their parts used to help elders and youth share information about caribou," Brook said, adding that information gathered during the week will be included in the atlas.

A recurring theme throughout the workshop was "working together for the future of caribou."

"We really tried to reinforce through this workshop that everyone has a role to play in caribou conservation – in ensuring that there are caribou around for future generations," said Jenkins.

“Developing a vision for the future of caribou in Nunavut involves youth."