Coral Harbour camp a chance to heal How an idea 20 years ago created a tradition

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Local

In summer 2005, Sarah and Noah Matoo had an idea to help out some of the youth in Coral Harbour.

They had noticed a lot of youth were getting into trouble and “just kind of floating around” in the community with no obligations, so the husband-and-wife pair figured they could take about 10 of them to their camp, teach them how to fish, make pipsi and stay out of trouble.

By the time the camp weekend was coming up, the Matoos had 52 youth signed up to join. They had no way to accommodate all that interest, so volunteers in the community stepped right up to provide all the camping equipment, food, mattresses and Coleman stoves they could need, even letting youth stay in their cabins to sleep.

“There was a lot of healing being done,” remembers Sarah Matoo about that first camp. “They were talking, sharing, letting things go at the camp.”

It was initially going to be a weekend venture, but the group decided to stay an extra day – even though it wasn’t a long weekend – to continue the experience.

Since then, it’s become a staple of the community, with the Matoos fundraising for the celebration camp and running it each summer they can afford to. It has also become a six-day journey, full of games, counselling, time on the land, sharing, talent shows and challenges.

“There’s a balance,” said Matoo about the activities at camp. “We do a lot of talking, a lot of self-esteem building.”

And at the end of it, the Matoos walk with the youth all the way back to Coral Harbour – more than 42 kilometres, “just to show the kids that no matter how hard things get, you’re going to make your destination.”

“They’re bleeding, there’s blisters and limping, and even me, I’m having a hard time finishing the walk now because of my age and bum knee, but we make the walk,” said Sarah.

Noah Matoo, she said, came up with a ‘catwalk’ challenge where youth had to strut in front of their peers down a catwalk like a fashion model.

“I couldn’t believe that he came up with that, because he was one of the most shyest people I had ever met,” said Sarah. “He told me that if somebody had done that push for him, maybe he wouldn’t have been so shy for that long.”

That philosophy extends to the talent show, where youth have to put on some sort of act by the end of the camp.

ᐊᑲᐅᔪᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᕋᒥ ᑭᓇᓕᒪᕐᒧᑦ.

‘ᐃᓲᒪᓘᑏᑦ ᐊᓯᐅᓲᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ’ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᓯᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᓯᕈᓯᐊᓂᒃ.

ᒪᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑕᕿᑦᑎᓐᓂ, ᓯᐅᕋ ᑭᓇᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐊᖃᕈᑎᒃ ᑕᒪᑐᒪ

ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᑎᐅᓇᔭᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖁᔨᓪᓗᓂ. ‘ᑕᒪᑦᑕᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᒪᒥᓴᕐᓂᖃᕆᐊᖃᖂᕋᓗᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᖃᑯᒍᑭᐊᖅ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ. ᐃᓱᒪᒋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᑕᕗᑦ 10-ᓂ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᔪᒪᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᕈᔾᔨᓗᑕ. ᐊᑐᐊᓂᒃᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᔾᔮᕋᓱᒋᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᑦᑐᖓ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑉᐳᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕈᔪᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ. ᐃᓛᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᔾᔮᕋᓱᒋᙱᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᖁᓵᖅᐸᒃᐸᕗᑦ, ᐊᑲᐅᓂᖅᓴᒃᑯᕐᓇᖅᖢᓂᓗ.

ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ

Sarah said the camps are even helpful for herself, as the sharing people do helps the lighten the load for everyone.

“All the problems you thought you had are no longer huge like you thought they were in your own house,” she said about hearing what other people are going through.

As the Matoos prepare for another camp this month, Sarah encourages anyone with an idea that could benefit their community to pursue it.

“I think we all have some need for healing in one way or another,” she said. “And we didn’t know what we were stumbling into when we decided we were going to take those 10 kids to our camp. What became of this camp is something that we’ve never really even comprehended that it would happen that way, but it did, and it’s got a life of its own. Sometimes things we didn’t even expect to happen happen, and it’s always way better than what we anticipated.” ï·∆¿Í´ ≤áflúòî ÖÚÊéÔÒπØflî Ç≤úõ¿Ö≤ú Ö±Ø ÖéÍ≤ú áîéÖ≤Í´ú. íØêØ Äƒù‚ ÖÚÊéÔÒπØ≤Ò Ä¿íÒπÕ‰ÖÔÍ≤Í´ú í±ØÒíÇÀ≤ú Ö±Ø ÜÒïùÖÒπ¿Í≤Ò. íò∏≤Ê›î í±ØÒπØÀ´ú ï·∆¿Ò ≤áfl≤, ÇÔ¬∆¬éî Çflˆ (867) 645-3223 Ö±Ø

Did we get it wrong?

Kivalliq News is committed to getting facts and names right. With that goes a commitment to acknowledge mistakes and run corrections. If you spot an error in Kivalliq News, call (867) 6453223 and ask to speak to the editor, or email kivalliqnews@nnsl. com. We'll get a correction or clarification in as soon as we can. í±ØÍ≤ÒáíÔÄ?

ÇÔÍ›ùÀجü ÜÒïúªÄ«, Ç„·√∏≥î Ô‰íÇÕúòî ééËͬéî

Çflˆ kivalliqnews@nnsl.com. ÜÒïùÖ˪∏≤ÖÒíflî Ç„·√∏≥î ∂¬∂ĉÖͬü áÀ∏∂ÒπêÖÊçí.

AROUND Kivalliq with Stewart Burnett

ᐅᕋᐃᔭᓐ ᐅᑯᑕᖅ ᐊᖏᕋᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕿᐊᕋᓂᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖅᖢᓂ ᐳᕋᓐᔅ-ᒥᒃ ᐹᒥᓐᑎᓐᑯᑦ, ᑐᖓᓱᒃᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓴᓚᒃᓴᐅᓯᐊᕐᒥᓄᒃ ᐃᖏᕋᔭᒃᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᖓᔪᐊᑦ, ᔪᓚᐃ 26.

‘ᖃᓂᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᖂᑕᖅ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹ ᐃᖑᐊᕐᓂᕆᔭᖓᓂᒃ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒡᓗ. ᑐᐃᓐ ᕕᕕᒥ ᐱᖑᐊᖃᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐸᖕᓂᖅᑑᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᓵᓚᖃᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᒪᓂᑑᐸᒥᐅᑕᓂᒃ 21-18 ᐊᒻᒪᓗ 21-19 2-0 ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ. ᐅᖂᑕᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑐᐊᐃᓐ ᕕᕕᑯ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒋᓚᐅᕐᒪᑎᒃ ᐱᖑᐊᕐᓂᖅ

Rankin Inlet

The Government of Nunavut’s mental health division hosted an eight-hole golf tournament in Rankin Inlet Sunday, July 30.

Ten people participated with the top five earning prizes. The division also hosted a fishing derby the day before, which saw about 50 people attend.

Baker Lake

The Kivalliq Inuit Association announced that its next board of directors meeting will take place in Baker Lake Aug. 15-17, beginning in the mornings at the old community hall.

The last board meeting was in Coral Harbour, where the board discussed a variety of issues, including the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund and the work Sakku Innovative Building Solutions is doing in Arviat.

Rankin Inlet

The Hamlet of Rankin Inlet recently posted a public notice to remind the community about alcohol rules on hamlet property.

“Due to increasing incidents of alcoholic beverages at recreation venues and facilities, the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet would like to remind the community (that) alcohol is not permitted on any Hamlet properties,” wrote the municipality in an update on Facebook, adding that all sports fields, baseball diamonds, soccer turf, new arena and playgrounds are included.

“It is very important to keep our facilities a positive and safe place for the younger generations of Rankin Inlet. Keep garbage in its place. Please throw your garbage in supplied containers,” the Hamlet advised.

ᐱᖑᐊᕖᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᖅᑕᖃᓕᖅᐸᑦ 2024-ᒥ.

‘ᐱᑯᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᑎᐅᒪ ᐅᖁᑕᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐃᖏᕋᓯᓯᒋᐊᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᒃᑯᑦ

ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ.

‘ᐅᐃᒪᔮᖅᐳᒍᑦ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᖢᑕᑦ. ᖁᖏᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᖁᖏᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ.’

ᖁᕕᐊᓱᖃᑎᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᐃᓚᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒡᓗ ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᓂᖅᑕᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓗᐊᕕᒃᖢᓂ ᐱᖑᐊᖃᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᓂ, ᕕᕕ.

ᑕᒪᑭᓕᒪᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐱᑖᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓪ-ᓂᒃ, ᒻ ᐹᒥᑎᓐᒧᑦ. ᐄᑭ ᐊᕙᓛᖅ ᓴᓚᒃᓴᖅᖢᓂ ᐳᕌᓐᔅ-ᒥᑦ

ᐹᔭᐃᖃᑎᖃᖅᖢᓂ, ᑎᓇ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖃᑕᐅᒋᓪᓗᓂ ᐹᑦᒥᓐᑎᓐᒧᑦ. ᑕᐅᓗ ᑯᒪᒡᔪᐊᖅ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕆᕗᖅ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᐹᔩᓪᓗᓂ

ᓯᐅᕗᒥᒃ, ᓴᓪᓕᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ ᐊᓕ ᕈᐱ ᓂᖏᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᖃᑕᐅᒋᓪᓗᓂ ᓯᐅᕗᒥᒃ ᐹᑦᒥᓐᑎᓐᒧᑦ, ᑲᓪᓗᐊᓕᒡᓗ. ᕌᑦᓂ

ᐅᕋᐃᔭᓐ ᐅᑯᑕᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᑎᑦᑎᕗᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᖅᑯᑎᒥᒃ ᖃᑦᑎᕆᔨᐅᑉ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᐊᑕ ᖃᖓᓃᖦᖢᓂ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐃᖏᕋᓂᖃᖅᑎᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕐᓂᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᐳᕋᓐᔅ-ᑖᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᖑᖅᑕᒥᓄᒃ ᐹᑉᒥᓐᑎᓐ 2023 ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᓂᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ.