Classroom on the land
Tradition, skills, healing all part of KIA culture camp
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
NAUJAAT/KIVALLIQ
Participants from six of seven Kivalliq communities took part in the annual Kivalliq Inuit Association's (KIA) Pijunnaqsiniq Culture Camp at Niaquungut (North Pole River) on the land near Naujaat this past month.
Johnathan Pilakapsi of Rankin Inlet learned how to cut-and-gut fish for making pipsi (dried fish) during the Kivalliq Inuit Association's annual Pijunnaqsiniq Culture camp on the land near Naujaat in August of 2015. - photo courtesy of the KIA |
Participating in the annual camp were Kristina Tatty, Susanne Tartuk and Jonathan Pilakapsi from Rankin Inlet, Vicky Gibbons and Bernard Angootealuk of Coral Harbour, Sarah (Kitty) Iviksaq of Whale Cove, Hope (Yuuti) Tookoome of Baker Lake, April Kolit of Arviat, Edmond James Bruce and Dorianna Malliki of Naujaat.
The group was accompanied by elder instructors Susie Angootealuk of Coral Harbour and Paul Malliki, David Nuluk and Susan Nuluk of Naujaat, as well as camp cook Judy Eecherk of Rankin Inlet.
The culture camp is aimed at Inuit youths aged 15 to 29 from the Kivalliq region.
The elder instructors spend time with the youths, teaching them how to sew traditional Inuit clothing, prepare and use marine- and land-mammal skins, prepare and preserve traditional foods and learn survival skills out on the land.
The youths also learn about fishing and pipsi making, the harvesting and hunting of land and sea mammals, and how to conduct traditional Inuit weather observations.
Another important aspect of the Pijunnaqsiniq Culture Camp is having the participants take part in grief-and-loss and healing workshops with the elders.
Program co-ordinator Daisy Panika said the KIA tries to have at least two participants from each community take part every year, but whether it can accomplish that really depends on the number of camp applications it receives.
She said sometimes, for whatever reasons, the KIA receives few, if any, camp applications from Whale Cove or Chesterfield Inlet.
"I wasn't really involved with the camp this year due to personal reasons, but, from what I understand, it was very successful," said Panika.
"The female participants all completed their traditional kamiik, and the male participants were taught how to make a pana and an ulu.
"It's very important to pass along traditional knowledge and skills to our youths and the dialogue between them and the elders that takes place on storytelling, family values, healing and loss is just as important as the skills learning.
"When we sew, for example, we talk while we're sewing and that's when the counselling often comes up.
"That form of communication is an important part of the camp and what we (KIA) hope to accomplish with it."
