Calysta Lucas-Kudlak

SUPPORTING YOUTH IN SACHS HARBOUR AND BEYOND

My childhood was very interesting and fun—I was always outside playing with my friends or bothering my 3 sisters to play with them. There was a lot of people here growing up, but as the years went on, everyone moved away for school, work, or just to get out of Sachs. I also moved away at the age of 9 because my parents went back to school at Yukon College. I lived in Whitehorse until I was 13. It was hard at first—getting used to living in a way bigger town than Sachs. Having more kids in your school than your hometown was very overwhelming at first. My younger sister and I got bullied almost all of the years of living in Whitehorse as well. We had each other’s backs and would always stick up for one another, but after they got to know us, they wanted to be our friends.

My dad and younger sister moved back about 6 months before my mother and I did. After we moved back to Sachs Harbour in 2013, I finished grade 8 and 9. I had a part-time job at the Coop in Sachs Harbour as well. I scored that job with my older sister’s help. When everyone was going to Inuvik to school, the manager needed workers and my sister mentioned my name. I started working in 2013 and I finally quit in 2015 when my boss moved back to his hometown. I did lots working at Ikaahuk Co-op—I worked for the gas station, helping with offloading planes and unloading it into the store, and in the office as well. I worked almost every day and every summer up until 2015, and everyday at the store.

I moved to Inuvik for high school in 2015. It took me 4 years to finish high school. I always felt so horrible for being held back a grade, but my dad always told me, "It's not a race, take your time and do your work as best as you can". During this time, I tried to stay connected with my family in every way possible. I would phone, text, message, ‘Facetime’ them whenever I needed help with anything. My favourite moment was when they would come to Inuvik for trips. I would go see them right away—sometimes even wait at the hotel for them. It was very hard to be away from home for most of the year and not come home to your parents every day after school, but I needed to get my education. I think that is where our youth struggle—when they go off to the mainland to finish high school. They get homesick, feel alone, and think nobody is there for them because their family is a 2-hour plane ride away. Or, they get mixed up in the wrong group of people, so one of the biggest things our youth from Sachs struggle with is bullying. So much of the kids have come back home because of it. Sometimes, the schools and cops don’t do anything about it and they feel so alone. They harm themselves and their parents don’t even know about it until something bad happens. Personally it has never happened to me, but I have seen it happen to some of the kids from here, and my heart breaks for them. I wish I was able to help everyone.

But there are still many more reasons why going to Inuvik for school is the hardest thing our youth have to go through.

I graduated in January of 2019, but waited until June to get my diploma with everyone else. The first few months, I didn’t go out as much—just to go to the store or out visiting but that was very often. I started babysitting for my younger sister’s homestay parents and that kept me on my toes. I babysat until June. I moved back to Sachs Harbour in the middle of July. I was only supposed to come home for a visit and go back to Inuvik, but I stayed for a few months more than planned. I heard that the school here needed some help with staff, so I went up to the school and asked the Principal if they needed workers—he helped me with all of the paperwork and talked me through it. I've been working since the middle of September. I think it's very important for the kids to get educated so they can use that in their future career, or in everyday life. I think that it helps them get prepared to go to Inuvik for high school as well.

Working with middle school kids is a rollercoaster. Some days are good and some days are bad, but everything weighs out. There are 12 kids in the school in total, but 5 of them are in middle school. It's not that bad—I enjoy working one on one with kids and helping them understand things in their own way. Being the support assistant, I work one-on-one with some of the kids, and I am there whenever they need help or their teacher is busy. The teacher position is very different than the support assistant. The teacher is constantly teaching, and I am just there whenever the kids need help with work, or if the teacher is busy working with another student and they need help with a question. I know for a fact that these kids are capable of so much if they put their minds to it. They are all smart, bright young kids, and having a positive support system is the key to achieve great things. That's what all youth need— and I am here for them if they ever need help with anything.

In the future, I plan on going to college and studying early childhood and care. I want to become a primary teacher or a daycare owner. One of my dreams is coming back to Sachs Harbour when I am done my schooling to open my own daycare or something to do with the youth.