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KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
A large number of Rankin Inlet youths were heavily engaged with various activities through the Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre and Kivalliq Counselling and Support Services (KCSS) earlier this summer.

Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre executive director George Dunkerley checks the work done at the local graveyard by youths in a program funded through Kivalliq Counselling and Support Services earlier this summer in Rankin Inlet. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Palaarvik Kablu executive director George Dunkerley said one of the most consistent programs run through the centre each summer is funded through KCSS.

Dunkerley said the program saw a group of selected youth working to get other youths in the hamlet involved with community activities.

He said the three youth employees from the friendship centre involved about 40 to 50 different youths with activities in the community during the duration of the program.

“We had some people who had some community service time to get done, as well, so we did some work cleaning up around the graveyard," said Dunkerley.

The group repainted the names on the crosses of those that had the names worn off or didn't have names on them in the first place, Dunkerley said.

"We cleaned up all-around the graves, got the garbage out of there, put the flowers up and just ... did a good general all-around cleanup of the area and making it look presentable,” he said. "They got about halfway through the entire graveyard, which isn't bad."

Dunkerlay said the hamlet has to do some work at the graveyard in the near future because there's some graves now that are actually outside the fence.

He said moving the fence and work of that nature was beyond what the centre's group of youths could accomplish.

"The youths also worked with the Kivalliq Counselling and Support Services to do an elder's appreciation gathering out at the elder's cabin.

"We put a bunch of elders in the school bus and took them out to the cabin for the gathering and that was very-well received by the elders,” he said. "They also did basic clean-up work around the community's outdoor hockey rink and where the soccer field used to be located.

"We didn't know it was going to be all torn apart when we cleaned it, but, at least, they didn't have to worry about a bunch of garbage over there when they were working at the site."

Dunkerley said a number of Rankin youths also attended the Suicide Prevention Walk, organized and run by the community of Baker Lake.

He said the centre also sent its experienced counselling support staff to assist at the Baker event, including Hannah Benoit, Jackie Nakoolak of Coral Harbour, and Chartlotte and Peter Kattegatsiak of Chesterfield Inlet.

"We always strive hard to offer that program through the KCSS to get youth involved with the community every summer, but it's always different from summer to summer.

"Three years ago we brought Lorie Tagoona in to help us co-ordinate the big soccer camp we held.

"We actually got that started and, the following year, it was taken over by the hamlet and one of the mining companies.

"So, with them handling the soccer camp the following year, we worked with the kids at the drop-in centre and the people who were in Rankin with Canada World Youth."

Dunkerley said the program receives a lot of support from the youth of the community when they get them involved with various activities.

He said, this year, an extra focus was placed on involving some youths in the community who needed community service time to clear-up their probation terms.

"That works really well because we get some things done in the community that should have been done a longtime ago and they get to work off their community-service hours.

"Most of them appreciate the chance to work off those hours with our group, but we do contact the odd one who, for one reason or another, just doesn't want to do anything.

"But, to be honest, we run into that with pretty much everything we do and you can't force people to get involved.

"But with this summer program, we have youth working with youth and that makes it a little easier than having adult supervisors going to drag them out of bed and then trying to force them to do stuff."

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