Paani Niego plays the guitar for the Baker Lake talent show that was put on by the community’s youth council earlier this month. The show was an opportunity for youth to demonstrate what skills and abilities they have. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Tagoona-Tapatai)
Baker Lake youth show their skills in talent show
Talent show organized by community’s youth council
This story was updated on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Residents of Baker Lake filled up the community hall on Sept. 2 to watch the community’s youth present their skills in throat singing, drum dancing and other abilities for a local talent show.
“It went so smoothly,” said David Kalluk, 13, who helped organize the show.
The crowd clapped and cheered for those who performed, he added.
The talent show was put on by the Baker Lake youth council, who are nine Baker Lake residents aged 13 to 17. The purpose of the council is to provide a unified voice for young people in the community through activities and initiatives, youth coordinator for the hamlet of Baker Lake Rachel Tagoona-Tapatai said.
Participants showed a range of skills for the crowd, such as Inuit throat singing and traditional drum dancing.
It was a show that was tied in with the Festival by the Lake, an annual Baker Lake festival that brings the community together for food, performances and activities. This year the festival was held Sept. 1 to 4.
The talent show happened after the community wellness coordinator approached the youth council about putting on a performance, Tagoona-Tapatai said.
Kalluk, who is deputy mayor for the youth council, said the council wanted to do a talent show because it was something new.
“We don’t really see talent shows in Baker and we know there are lots of people with hidden talents here,” Tagoona-Tapatai said.
“So we wanted to get people exposure and recognition.”
Outside of throat singing and drum dancing, one of the surprising performances was when a participant played the accordion, which is not an instrument most young people play, Tagoona-Tapatai said.
“I think that really stood out to people,” she added.
Outside of the talent show, being a part of the youth council has given its members a boost in confidence, as it gives them the opportunity to improve on skills such as by public speaking going on stage in front of the community, Tagoona-Tapatai said.
Future events the youth council is planning includes a gala, potentially in the fall or winter.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct David Kalluk’s age, the dates of the festival and the number of members in the youth council.
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