INUVIK - Richard Stewart, 11, is a restless sort of kid.

He can be spotted on any given afternoon wheeling up and down Mackenzie Road on his bike or playing street hockey or just passing time with his buddies outside the youth centre.

On Thursday afternoon none of his buddies were around while he sat in a tiny room at the back of the centre hunched over a tiny pair of nearly finished sealskin mitts.

Richard Stewart, 11, shows off two pairs of sealskin mitts he's making at the youth centre's sewing class. He's making one pair for himself while the other is for his baby cousin. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photos

He was carefully sewing both sides of each mitten together.

"They're for my baby cousin," he said

Beside him two young girls made beaded necklaces.

His sewing teacher Ruth Wright sat nearby offering assistance only when needed. Since the Christmas break she's been at the centre teaching about 25 youths, ages eight to 18, the basics of sewing. Like Stewart they've all been making their own sealskin mittens. Most are either finished or nearly there.

"This is about the youths taking back some of their cultural practices," said Wright. "This is about giving and trying to share.

"Sure they can buy a pair of mitts. But here they've gone through the effort of making their own. They get more self-esteem from this. They have a voice now."

Though he's not one to gush about culture and the importance of family, Stewart has a pretty good idea of how important sewing was to his late grandfather, in particular.

"He did it a lot, when he was out on the land," he said.

The Gwich'in boy said he's proud to carry on the tradition.

Every afternoon, other than Sundays, Wright holds her self-described "artsy fartsy" classes from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Often kids stick around anywhere from 6 to 9 p.m., depending on what's happening.

It's a pretty relaxed atmosphere where the group puts on some music and catches up on current events.

Starting this weekend, Wright will be hosting a Saturday morning cooking class where participants will learn how to make traditional foods.

Plenty of other things are being planned, including photography classes - any unwanted digital cameras can be dropped off at the centre. Lots of on-the-land trips are being organized where kids can put their photography and cooking skills to the test.

After the centre moves to its new location on Gwich'in Road kids will have their very own garden for themselves. In fact they already looking after their own composter.

Wright is also hoping to get a few moose hides, which cost about $1,500 a piece, so the crew can make mukluks.

For Wright it's all about empowering the youth.

"I want them to know that they can do anything they put their mind to and it doesn't have to be something big," she said. "Everything counts."