KUGAARUK/PELLY BAY - Ten kids, six elders and a whole lot of wind and snow.

Left to right, Kugaaruk's Kimberly Ningark, Irene Kakkianuin, Leslie Marie Inuksaq, and Loranda Qirngnuq hang out in their tent in the evening. Some evenings were too snowy and cold to be outside and the elders told stories in the tents, the girls said. - photo courtesy Michael MacIntyre

Though it wasn't a good combination for caribou hunting it was the perfect recipe for good fishing and elder-student bonding.

The six-day camping trip near Kellet River was a chance for Kugaardjuk School students to practise traditional skills under the watchful guidance of community elders, said school principal Michael MacIntyre.

The trip, funded by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, takes place every year.

"The kids really look forward to it. It makes them bond a little closer to the elders," MacIntyre said.

The elders appreciate the excursion, this year held Oct. 13-18, as well, he said.

"They like those interactions and interactions with students aren't as much as they used to be," said MacIntyre.

The school's making an extra effort this year to keep close ties with the elders.

It's important to spend time around such wisdom, said the campers.

"Listening and learning," is the young people's role, said Kimberly Ningark, 13, one of the students chosen to go on the trip. "I like to learn about the elders, how they hunt, how they live," she said.

The original aim had been to do some caribou hunting as well, but the weather halted that plan. It snowed most of the week. "It was really windy," said Kenneth Akkak, 13. "The tent was up and nobody was inside and the tent fell down."

The students spend their trip cooking, fishing and making a fish box out of ice to keep their catch away from animal paws. Irene Kakkianuin, 15, said her favorite part of the week was "doing bannock, pulling the nets out and taking the fish out."

Elder Alice Inuksaq said she couldn't pick a favorite part.

"Everything," she said, through an interpretor. "From the moment I woke up to the time I went to sleep."

Elders and young people must spend time together, she said, adding, "it is the traditional way."

The school has been making an extra effort to make that happen this year, said MacIntyre, by putting the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) principles into practice.

"These IQ principles have been around for a few years but now that we understand it a little bit more, we're starting to implement it more in our school," he said.

The school is aiming to hold an event every month to bring elders into the school and help foster the connection between the students and their older counterparts. On Oct. 20 students held a bingo for the elders, serving them food and drinks as they played for prizes.

"One elder won three times but I think they all enjoyed it. If they didn't win they at least left full," said MacIntyre.