CORAL HARBOUR - A group of seven representatives from Coral Harbour's Angutiit Makigiangninga (men rising up) will visit with men in Arviat this month.

Willie Eetuk, who attended a Biblical counselling course with Jenny Eetuk, first came up with the idea to form a men's group in Coral Harbour in January 2009. - photo courtesy of Noel Kaludjak

The group will spend four days in Arviat, beginning Feb. 12.

They will be joined by six men from Whale Cove and about 20 from Arviat.

Men's group spokesperson Noel Kaludjak said the visit was initiated by a call from an Arviat woman who asked the Coral men to meet with men in Arviat. He said the call shows news of the success of the Coral group is spreading across the region.

"She heard good things happened with some of the men who came to our group in Coral, and she called me to see if we could travel to Arviat to hold a small workshop," said Kaludjak.

"Hopefully, our visit will have the Arviat men wanting to start a support group for themselves."

Angutiit Makigiangninga held a feast this past month to celebrate its one-year anniversary.

The group was founded in January of 2009 when Willie Eetuk thought it would prove beneficial to the men of Coral after he went through a difficult time on his life.

The group meets every Tuesday for songs and Friday for discussion.

Kaludjak said the group is open to males only, aged 18 and up.

He said the men aren't prepared, at this point, to tackle adolescent problems.

"Some of the stuff we talk about is heavy and very personal.

"Someone too young may have difficulty handling some things we talk about.

"We know what we're doing while dealing with men's issues, but, if we get into juvenile problems, it might all get too complicated for us because we're too new at this and not properly trained for youth issues.

"We're staying focused on dealing with men's addictions, be it drugs, alcohol, gambling, or things of a sexual or abusive nature."

Kaludjak said sometimes the men go through a healing process, while, at other times, they may need help dealing with something that came along at their workplace or in their home.

He said the men seek advice and treat each other as a father or brother figure.

"We have about seven regular members who come to almost every meeting, and other guys come to meet with us who might be in trouble with the law or have been sent to us by their wives.

"Some men are harder to deal with than others, but no two men are the same.

"Everybody's different, so every situation has to be handled differently."

Kaludjak said the Coral group is worried about the news of the Kivalliq Outreach Program possibly losing its funding through the Aboriginal Healing Foundation on March 31.

He said Outreach has been a tremendous help to the success of their program.

"Without Kivalliq Outreach, it will be very difficult to find funding to bring in men from other communities like we did this past August.

"Outreach funded about 90 per cent of that men's retreat for us.

"That two-week gathering brought us a long way and helped spread the word about what we're doing.

"Outreach was also open to us taking young men out to introduce them to the traditional way of living on the land, and we were hoping to get that phase of our program started this spring."

Kaludjak said the group was also planning to go to Baker Lake, but that's up in the air due to the loss of funding.

He said whatever happens on March 31, the group will do its best to survive because the men feel they're really starting to make a difference.

"We were touched by the interest we've received from other communities and, if we were always available to go anywhere, I'm sure our phones would never stop.

"So many Inuit men are tired of living the way they do.

"They want to rise up and take responsibility for their families, households, community, region and territory.

"We have a bigger vision now, and it's time we become somebody instead of being drunks, dope heads and gamblers."