'You become a better overall citizen'
Two long-time Army cadets share their experiences as they age out of the program
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 2, 2014
RANKIN INLET
There's a running bet between Desiree Autut and Lewis Sammurtok to see who will join the RCMP or the military first.
Sgt. Tatonya Autut of the 3019 Royal Canadian Army Cadet corps in Rankin Inlet, left, her sister, master warrant officer Desiree Autut, and friend George Dunkerley III celebrate the Autut sisters' presentation with the best uniform award in 2013. - photo courtesy of Dorothy Tootoo |
Autut and Sammurtok graduated from Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik this year and also aged out of the Army cadet program, having been cadets in the 3019 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Rankin Inlet since their early teens.
"I joined because I saw how much fun my friends were having, and seeing them go off for the summer to camps made me feel left behind, so I decided to join," Autut said.
She joined when she was 14, and said it was weird at first having to take orders from her friends who held higher ranks than her.
"The first year felt kind of weird because I had to listen to them, but it was pretty fun and I caught up quickly," she said.
From a lowly cadet to her final rank of master warrant officer, the third-highest rank in the Army cadet system, Autut had many experiences with her fellow cadets, including trips to Whitehorse for the annual biathalon and a trip to the International Cadet Exchange in Halifax, N.S., In 2011.
At the corps in Rankin, she excelled in teaching other cadets about drill, uniforms, etiquette and all of the other things that make up the Army cadet experience.
"I'd say my favourite thing was probably teaching and helping the other cadets," she said. "Throughout the years I learned more about leadership and teaching the younger ones how to do things, which ways to do things were good and which weren't, how to be a good role model - it was pretty fun."
Along with being a good teacher, she was also a good shot. Although she knew how to shoot before joining cadets, the experience helped her improve her skills with rifles. Autut also had the best-looking uniform out of all of the cadets, she said, and when her sister Tatonya joined after her, she kept her uniform to Autut standards.
"I was probably better than any of them because none of the other cadets really cared until I started showing up," she joked. "I showed up with the second shiniest boots (Sammurtok had the first) and then everyone started shining their boots."
While Sammurtok joined to spend time with his friends, especially his best friend George Dunkerley III who was already in the corps, he said he joined for other reasons too.
"I wanted something new because I did the same stuff every day," he said. "I joined and I was surprised by how fun and challenging it was. In my first year, it was hard but it was a great experience. It taught me that I can do what I want, when I want and how I want to do it - that's why I stuck around cadets. You learn new things every year."
He had friends that held higher ranks than him too, but said he tried to think of it in a different way than his friends telling him what to do.
"I didn't think of them like commanders, more like a supporter, the person that will help you," Sammurtok said.
He slowly worked his way up along the ranks and at the time of graduation was a chief warrant officer, the second-highest rank available in the Army cadets, and the only one in his corps to hold the rank.
"Getting that rank puts a lot of things on your shoulders but I overcame it," he said. "When I got the rank it made me feel like I had a responsibility to give back what I was taught. It just drove me to be a better cadet, and every time you get a promotion you feel like you've done something right."
For those young ones considering joining the Army cadet corps, Autut and Sammurtok absolutely recommend it.
"I'd say join because it's a lot of fun, you can travel, make new friends, go away for the summer camps and improve your shooting," Autut said.
"It's a great program. You learn new skills, meet people and with those people make the best memories you could ever have in your life," Sammurtok added. "You get to do a lot more things than with any other activity here in Nunavut. It's challenging, but if you have the right mindset and are determined, go for it - you become a better overall citizen."
Both Autut and Sammurtok will travel to Ottawa in early September to take the Nunavut Sivuniksavut training program, an eight-month course held at the University of Ottawa which teaches Inuit studies and focuses on culture, history and land claims.
