A talent show in Baker Lake wasn’t just an opportunity for the community to enjoy some of its residents’ skills, but part of the hamlet’s new youth council’s efforts to provide meaningful and engaging activities in town.
Youth coordinator Rachel Tagoona-Tapatai, 21, had been envisioning the council for some time and was finally able to put it together this year. Grade 11 student Rick Aningaat is one of the 10-or-so members.
“As a youth of Baker Lake I see that there are some youth that have nothing to do, just hanging around the buildings, talking around or just hanging out with friends and having very little events to do,” he told Kivalliq News.
“As Rachel started up this youth council, I see that this is an opportunity for the youth of Baker Lake to do something and keep the community busy.”
Now that the council is moving along, Tagoona-Tapatai says she’s getting more and more requests from youth to join. The goal for the group is not just to host events, but also operate as a mini-hamlet council under the guidance of Mayor Richard Aksawnee.
“My mission for this youth council and as my job as youth coordinator, I want to be able to find safe and substance-free activities for youth in Baker,” said Tagoona-Tapatai.
She had come up with the idea of hosting a talent show and brought it to the council for approval.
“I just haven’t seen a talent show or anything like this happen in Baker since I was like 12, and I’m 21 now, so that’s quite a few years,” said Tagoona-Tapatai.
About 10 people had registered to perform in the show, held Aug. 9, and others walked on the stage during the event. Several dozen community members joined the crowd, filling up the hall to take in the acts.
“I’m glad we got to have this opportunity to have something for the community to come in and enjoy and show off their amazing talents, because everyone has a voice and a talent to show,” said Aningaat.
He was one of the performers, putting on a throat singing show with partner Naomi Itkilik.
“It was pretty much amazing to be throat singing to the community of Baker Lake,” he said, adding he’s been practising the craft since he was in Grade 3.
Aningaat was just glad to see how many people went up on stage.
“They’re actually all my favourites,” he said when asked about what acts he liked most, “because there were some people who were nervous to go up on stage, but I’m glad they went on stage even if they were nervous.”
The talent show may become a regular thing after its successful first event. Tagoona-Tapatai said the council is planning to hold another one during Festival by the Lake in early September.
ᖁᖏᐊᕈᓘᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐊᔪᖏᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᓂ ᖁᖏᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᑐᐃᓇᐅᓚᐅᖏᒻᒪᑦ ᐊᔪᙱᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ,’ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓚᖓ Hᐊᒪᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓕᕆᔨᖏᑕᑦ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᕈᓘᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ.
ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᖦᖓᑦ ᕆᑐ ᑕᒍᖕᓇ-ᑕᐸᑕᐃ, 21, ᐊᑯᙳᐊᖏᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕋᒥ ᒪᒃᑯᑦᑐᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐋᕿᒃᓯᓂᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᕋᒍᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᒃ 11 ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᕆᒃ ᐊᓂᖓᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᔪᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓕᕆᔨᓂ 10ᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ.
‘ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᖢᖓ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᓂ ᑕᑯᕙᒃᑲᒪ ᖃᓄᐃᓂᐅᒐᒃᓴᖃᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᒪᑯᒃᑑᖃᑎᒃᑲᓂᒃ, ᑕᒪᓂᕆᕈᓘᔭᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᑕ, ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒌᕈᓗᔭᑐᑦ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕇᒃ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐊᒐᒃᓴᖃᓗᐊᖏᑦᑐᑦ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᖅ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓕᕆᔨ.
‘ᕆᑐ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓂᒃ ᒪᒃᑯᑦᑐᓂᒃ, ᑕᑯᔭᕋ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᑭᐱᖑᐃᔭᐃᕈᓘᔭᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ.’
ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᑕᒍᕐᓇ-ᑕᐸᑕᐃ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓚᐅᔪᒪᔪᖃᑲᑕᓕᕐᒪᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᐱᔪᒪᔪᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐱᖑᐊᖅᑎᑎᓂᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᒨᖏᑦᑐᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᑲᒪᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑲᑎᓴᔨᕋᓛᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓗᑕ ᒪᐃᔭᒧᑦ ᕆᑐᑦ ᐊᒃᓴᓐᓂ.
‘’ᑐᕌᖅᑐᖓ ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᓪᓗᒍ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓂᓐᓂ, ᑐᓂᓯᔪᒪᓪᓗᖓ ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᙱᑦᑐᒥᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᖑᐊᕈᓘᔭᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᒍᓇ-ᑕᐸᑕᐃ.
ᑕᑯᕋᓐᓇᕈᓘᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐊᕆᓚᐅᖅᐸᒐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᖏᖅᑕᐅᔾᔪᑎᒥᒃ ᐊᕿᒃᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓄᑦ. ‘ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖏᓐᓇᒪ ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂᑦ 12 ᐊᕋᒍᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒐᒪ, 21ᓂᒃ ᐊᕋᒍᖃᓕᖅᑐᖓ, ᐊᑯᓂᕈᓘᔪᖅ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᒍᕐᓈ-
ᑕᐸᑕᐃ.
10 ᖁᖏᐊᕈᓘᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᒪᔪᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᔪᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖁᖏᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ, ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒍᓯ ᓪ,
ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐱᓱᒃᖢᑎᒃ, ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ, ᐱᖑᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᑕᑕᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᖁᖏᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᓄᑦ. ‘ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᕙᕋ ᑕᒪᓇ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒋᕈᓗᔭᖅᖢᒋᒃ ᑕᑯᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᔪᙱᑕᒥᓂᒃ, ᓱᖃᐃᒻᒪ
ᑭᓇᓕᒪᖅ ᐊᔪᖏᑕᖃᕐᒪᑦ ᓂᐱᖏᑎᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᕈᓘᔭᕈᓐᓇᖅᖢᑎᒃ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᓂᙵᑦ.
ᖁᖏᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, ᑲᑕᔾᔭᖃᑎᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᓇᐃᔪᒥ ᐃᑦᑭᓕᖕᒥ.
‘ᖁᕕᐊᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᑕᔾᔭᖅᖢᓂ ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᕐᒥᐅᓄ,’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ, ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᖅᓴᐃᓐᓇᕋᒥ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᒃ 3-ᒥᓱᖓᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ.
ᐊᓂᙵᑦ ᐱᑯᒍᓱᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᖁᖏᐊᕆᐊᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ.
‘ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᑯᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒃᑲ,’ ᐊᐱᕆᔭᐅᒐᒥ ᑭᓱ ᐱᑯᒋᓛᕆᓚᐅᕐᒪᖔᔾᔪᒃ, ‘ᓱᖃᐃᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᑲᙳᓱᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᓴᕿᑦᑕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐱᒃᑯᒋᕙᒃᑲ ᓴᕿᒃᑐᓐᓇᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᖁᖏᐊᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᑲᙳᓱᒃᑲᓗᐊᕐᒪᑕ.’
ᖁᖏᐊᕈᓘᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᓇᑐᐃᓇᕆᐊᖃᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᐃᑦᑎᐊᓵᕋᑦᑕ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᒥ. ᑕᒍᓇ-ᑕᐸᑕᐃ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᓯᔪᒪᖕᒪᑕ ᑲᑎᔩᑦ ᐱᖑᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᕈᓘᔭᕐᓂᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᓯᑎᐱᕆ ᐱᒋᐊᓴᖅᐸᑦ.
