ARVIAT - A large gathering was on hand for a special Remembrance Day assembly at John Arnalukjuak High School in Arviat this past month.

Kimberly Arualak, Patrick Sulurayok and Christopher Shamee, from left, took part in a presentation of Will I Kill You if I Have To? during a Remembrance Day assembly at John Arnalukjuak High School in Arviat this past month. - photo courtesy of Gord Billard

The assembly was organized by drama teacher Gord Billard, student support assistant Hannah Suluk and jewelry instructor Pierre Koomuk.

A total of 300 poppies were sent to Arviat from a Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion in Newfoundland, courtesy of Billard's dad, and the soldier uniforms worn by Patrick Sulurayok and Christopher Shamee in a dramatic skit were genuine articles obtained from the Thunder Bay Armoury in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Billard said the event gave students an understanding of the price of freedom, with a combined 112,168 Canadians having died in the First World War (66,573), Second World War (44,927), Korean War (516) and the war in Afghanistan (152).

"Keegan O'Toole played a haunting rendition of The Last Post on her saxophone, and a big screen showing a number of visuals, including a set of photos from Afghanistan presented as the song, From a Distance by Bette Midler, played over the speakers," said Billard.

"We had a photo on our steps of Emily Angalik's father, William Green, who died in Germany.

"He was known in Arviat as Titiraqti, and one of our Inuktitut teachers, Nancy (Kip) Uluadluak, who interpreted the assembly, has a family connection to William.

"Nancy's father and William's step-son, Donald Uluadluak, remembers Titiraqti dressed in his uniform, ready to go to war."

Billard distributed pamphlets on behalf of the Canadian Forces at the event.

He said Rev. Mike Gibbons of the Anglican Church opened the assembly with a prayer, and did a great job of speaking to the audience about his memories of the Second World War.

"He heard of the war from the Hudson's Bay Co. traders, who kept track with shortwave radios.

"Inuit were told to cover the ice windows in their iglus so enemy aircraft wouldn't see them.

"During Where Have All the Flowers Gone?, students came forward with paper poppies they'd written their names on and placed them on our little steps of remembrance.

"It was a simple gesture, but the red poppies on white cloth, and around Titiraqti's picture, were very effective and added to the atmosphere of the slide shows and music."

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