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WHATI/LAC LA MARTRE
Recently, 20-year-old Bryan Nitsiza travelled to the Arctic Winter Games as a youth ambassador representing the Northwest Territories.

He was in Whitehorse from March 3 to 11 and, even while he was surrounded by all of the excitement and talented athletes, he said his favourite part of the event was assisting and interacting with people he'd never met before.

"It really was a good experience," Nitsiza said. "My favourite memory was helping an older woman carry some stuff to her truck. It was too heavy for her so I helped her carry it. She was really happy and said 'thank-you.' That felt really good."

Serving as a youth ambassador at a major athletic event put Nitsiza right into his element. At home in Whati, he spends a lot of his free time volunteering in athletics, something he feels is very important for Whati youth.

"Sports programs are important for the community," he said. "Because it keeps kids away from drugs and alcohol."

Nitsiza was born in Edmonton, but his family moved to Whati when he was still very young. Living in the small community, Nitsiza said sports were a big part of his life and sees them as a positive contribution to his development as an adult. Now, he'd like the chance to give those same opportunities back to the next generation.

"I want to be a recreation assistant and eventually a recreation co-ordinator so that I can make things better for kids, help them be more active," he said. "I'd like to study business so I can apply it to developing the sports programs in Whati."

The community's current recreation co-ordinator, Doreen Nitsiza, is happy to give him the experience.

"He is a really independent person," said Doreen, who is also Bryan's second cousin. "You can count on him. If you tell him to do things, he knows how to do it. You don't have to stand over him. He's a really good person, very reliable.

"On March Break he came to see me and asked what could he could do. He is all about volunteering."

As an unofficial assistant to the recreation co-ordinator, Bryan has organized countless sporting events, supervised skating events at the arena, and chaperoned children wanting to play or watch sports in other communities.

Dawn Moses, youth volunteer officer for the GNWT Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, said volunteer experience was one of the many things they look for when choosing an Arctic Winter Games youth ambassador.

"Whenever we're looking to start a program we put out a call for applicants across the territory," Moses said. "For the youth ambassadors, we ask youth to submit a letter detailing where they're from, their volunteer experience, education, what they want out of the experience and references. From that, the ambassadors are selected."

With the Games over, Bryan is on his way back to Whati, but rest and relaxation hardly get a moment's consideration. His mind is already on the next new experience, the Canadian Armed Forces RAVEN program for aboriginal youth. "Right now I'm going to go home and relax," he said. "Then in two weeks time I'll be going to the Canadian Forces for three weeks of training."

Doreen might have different plans.

"I would get him to work right now," she said when she heard he was on his way back to Whati from Yellowknife, where he's been working security since returning from Whitehorse. "He'd be helping me with the (Whati Spring Carnival) this weekend."

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