INUVIK
Kylik Taylor has a vision of offering a steady stream of youth leadership camps to provide training in traditional skills.

Expert trapper Angus Alunik spent last week showing a group of youth from around the NWT his wealth of traditional skills, especially trapping. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Taylor, who operates the Inuvik-based Up North Tours, recently teamed up with Angus Alunik and Frieda Alunik, two elders who specialize in working with youth, and the Northern Youth Leadership Society to put on a winter camp last week.

The location was a bush camp operated by the Aluniks just north of Inuvik, which was the perfect place to immerse the youngsters in such on-the-land staples as trapping, ice fishing and archery.

The Aluniks have a long history of passing on their voluminous knowledge of life on the land to youth in the region. Currently, they have a partnership with the Inuvik justice committee and its youth and family support program. In the past, they've worked with a group home in Inuvik, giving them years of experience in youth-based programming.

Taylor was the liaison between the Aluniks and the leadership society, said Joanne McHugh, a staff member with the society.

"We're an organization that put on camps (all over) the NWT," she explained. "We try to have a range of camps, in the south and usually on the Mackenzie somewhere. This is the first winter camp we've done in the far North.

"We started out as an organization that just did a girls leadership camp called Taiga, but we've expanded with more funding. It's all about helping to empower the next generation of leaders in the North through outdoor activities, which lends itself to leadership."

The germ of the idea began with a 10-day paddling trip down the Mackenzie River to the Arctic coast. Taylor helped with the trip.

"We got to know Kylik last year, and we made the connection there and we talked about coming back to this area here and putting on a winter camp," McHugh said.

When the chance to host a camp locally popped up, Taylor said he immediately turned to the Aluniks for help. The details came together pretty quickly, he added.

"We like to pass along along our skills and knowledge," said Angus.

He's an expert trapper and outdoorsman who spent much of the week showing the youth skills they would need to survive in the bush.

"And we love meeting new people,"Frieda chipped in.

While Angus is a bit more town-oriented these days, Frieda remains committed to her life at her bush camp, which is where she spends most of her time. There's nowhere else she'd rather be.

Disappointingly, only three youth were able to attend, although nine more had signed up. The camp coincided with the Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks, Alaska, which took many of the interested youth away, Taylor said.

None of those youth were from the Inuvik area, with only Davey Inglangasuk of Tsiigehtchic being from the delta.

Leon Sheldon, originally from Wales, is currently living in Yellowknife, while Aela Beaulieu of Hay River was the third participant.

All said, they found the camp worthwhile.

"There's a lot more to do here than other camps I've been to," said Beaulieu.

Taylor said he has a vision of continuing such camps with the Aluniks, and eventually offering certificate courses in such things as firearms safety.