WOLFVILLE, N.S. - One southern Canadian community definitely had Nunavut in mind as the territory marked its 11th year earlier this month.

Students, staff and community members at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., celebrated with a 24-hour event on March 31 to talk and learn about issues affecting the North.

David Serkoak, a former Iqaluit resident, teacher and a current instructor with Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa, participated in the event.

"I was very happy because someone south of 60 cared about the territory," said Serkoak.

Serkoak gave the key note speech at the event. He said he spoke of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) principles and values to show students how they relate to his life as an administrator, teacher, father, grandfather and husband.

"I don't see the principles as separate values, they are a part of me and a part of my upbringing," he said.

Other activities included the unveiling of an inuksuk on the campus, a round table discussion focused on the Year of the Inuit, film screenings and the launch of an interactive website called IQ Adventure (www.inuitq.ca) where visitors to the site can learn how IQ principles were applied in the past and can be used today in decision making.

There are five parts to the adventure where visitors are led by Inuit guides and learn about environmental stewardship, the traditional justice system, consensus-based decision making, the legend of Kiviuq the shaman and other lessons along the way.

Inuit leaders and residents of various communities were interviewed for the project, which has been five years in the making.

"The whole point of it is an opportunity to learn from Inuit," said political science professor Dr. Cynthia Alexander, who teaches at the university. Material on the website is available in Inuktitut and English.

The website was a partnership between the university, the Houston North Gallery, the GN's Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth and Nunavummiut.

This winter, Alexander taught a fourth-year political science course focusing on Nunavut. It was her class of students who took it upon themselves to organize the 24-hour event. She said what the students learned "came alive."

Fourth-year political science student Laura Lewis was one of the students who was involved in planning the day's activities. She said, at the beginning of the course, she and her fellow students did not know a whole lot about the North, Nunavut or Inuit. Now they are raising awareness about Northerner issues to others.

"It made everything that we have learned in textbooks and movies jump off the page," said Lewis.

She said she and her classmates used consensus based decision-making to run the entire event. They received a letter of support from ITK president Mary Simon. Lewis said it was really special to have Serkoak attend as well as other Inuit who moved from the territory to Nova Scotia.

In the evening, students erected a yurt on the campus to bring attention to the housing crisis in the territory, calling the activity "a camp out for change." Made out of wood and cloth, the structure is used in Central Asia by nomads.

Lewis said she and other students were told about the lack of housing in the territory. What is all comes to down is an "issue of human rights", said Lewis.

"The idea was to encourage the federal government that if we (in the south) can have access to adequate housing and affordable food then those rights should be extended to all Canadians no matter where they live," she said.

Two petitions encouraging the government to do something about the housing crisis were sent to local and federal politicians.

"The students wanted to celebrate what there is to learn from Inuit and wanted to stand in solidarity with Inuit because of the outstanding policy issues the federal government has failed to act on," said Alexander.

Also at the event, the university and Canadian North announced the establishment of the Canadian North Student Research Prize. It will be awarded to an undergraduate at the school who submits the best research essay or project focused on the North.

Serkoak said he was fortunate to attend the event and said he would be more than happy to come back again.

"I was really touched by what the students were (doing) just to say they are friends of Nunavut and understand the problems," said Serkoak.