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KITIKMEOT
Empowering elders and women in the Kitikmeot and providing them with support is the focus of two upcoming events.

Elders from Cambridge Bay, Taloyoak, Gjoa Haven, Kugluktuk and Kugaaruk are scheduled to attend a regional elders gathering in Kugluktuk from Nov. 26 to 30, said Julia Ogina, co-ordinator for language, culture and elders at the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA). The 25 participants, five from each community, will share stories and discuss their roles within their families during the Empowering and Supporting our Elders event, she said.

"They have been talking about regaining their leadership within their family unit, within their community," said Ogina, "and to revive language and culture within various target groups where they feel that connection is being lost."

Previous elder gatherings were held in Taloyoak in March 2011 and Kugaaruk in November 2011.

Elders have experienced rapid changes from the 1920s to today, from living a nomadic life to moving into a house, said Ogina, and elders will discuss how these changes affect where they are today and how the language and its fluency has changed.

"How much of that old lifestyle can we start to use again today? And how much of it is still used because a lot of it is still used by our elders," she said.

Early in the new year, Gjoa Haven will host the inaugural Empowering and Supporting our Women event from Jan. 7 to 11. Again, five women from each of the five Kitikmeot communities will network and update each other on their community, said Sarah Jancke, program co-ordinator for women and youth at KIA.

She added the event includes a fashion show to showcase the talented women in the region, throat singing and drum dancing. The approximately 25 women at the event will also discuss what it means to be a woman and empower each other, said Jancke.

"It really came from the women in the region. This is something the women wanted to have for a long time. We worked together to make it happen," she said. "Really have discussions about our culture and our language and how we can be together as women ,because there's so many strong women and we need to recognize that."

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