IKAAHUK/SACHS HARBOUR
Mariah Chooch Lucas had a unique job this past summer. The 18-year-old from Sachs Harbour spent the month of July helping with the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project.

Mariah Chooch Lucas from Sachs Harbour helps excavate an archaeological site outside the community this past summer. - photo courtesy of Lisa Hodgetts

Lucas spent the entire month camping on the land helping to dig for artifacts and identify animal bones at an excavation site about 25 kilometres east of the community.

Lucas loves spending time on the land. She goes camping every year with her family and said she jumped at the chance to work for an entire month outside the community.

"I enjoy camping, that's what I love to do," she said. "As soon as I heard I could get paid while out camping I thought, 'I would totally do that.'"

Lucas said she got involved in the project after the principal of East Three Secondary School recommended her to project leader Lisa Hodgetts.

Lucas graduated from East Three Secondary School in Inuvik at the end of last year.

While working on the project, Lucas was able to see a variety of different animals, including beluga whales, bowhead whales and polar bears.

"We saw six polar bears in one day," she said. "When you stay in town you barely see anything."

In addition to watching wildlife, Lucas helped excavate a dwelling site and learned how to input GPS co-ordinates to identify exactly where artifacts and dwellings were located.

From Hodgetts, she learned how to tell which bones came from which species of animal.

"I was so surprised because all the bones seemed the same to me, but after that whole month of being out there I had a bit of knowledge," Lucas said.

The group also found many ulu blades.

Since the project team wrapped up its field work, Hodgetts has been keeping Lucas updated by providing additional information about each of the items the group found.

"Now that I've finished, Lisa has been messaging me and telling me what it was," she said.

This was the second summer of fieldwork for the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project.

While it is expected to be a four-year project, this was likely the last season of fieldwork.

Next summer, Hodgetts said she plans to return to the community to share their findings.

Lucas has been working three jobs since the project ended.

She opens the community gym three evenings a week for the community's recreation department, works at the Ikaahuk Co-Op Store and also does work for the hamlet office.

She said she's saving up money for school, but said she hasn't yet narrowed down her options.

"I'm not too sure what I want to do yet," she said. "I'm thinking about arts school."

But, she said her job working with the archaeology team this summer showed her how interesting a career in that field could be.

"When I went out camping for that entire month, I realized I had more opportunities and different types of job options," she said. "I never really thought about it."

Lucas said she would definitely sign up if the project continued.

"I noticed that I miss it," she said.

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