Photo: Nunavut youth fish for traditional skills

A group of Kugaaruk youth set nets outside the Kitikmeot community last month as part of a new on-the-land program. Kugaaruk’s hamlet secured a grant from the Government of Nunavut’s Food Secure Initiative, which paired elders and experienced hunters with Grade 7, 8 and 9 students last month on three different outings. Students learned how to set nets and cut holes in the ice for jigging. “There seems to be a fear—not just here, but Nunavut-wide—that traditional skills are being lost,” said Cathie Rutter, a hamlet volunteer who secured the grant. “Kugaaruk is a very young community and there’s a bit of a gap. There aren’t that many elders left and I think there’s a keen desire to pass that onto the kids.” (PHOTO COURTESY OF HAMLET OF KUGAARUK)