‘I made friends that that will last a lifetime’: Nunavut youth reflect on boating trips with Ayalik Fund Slugline: LJI-NU-camp

By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Audrey Okpakok, 16, from Gjoa Haven went on her second canoe trip through the Ayalik Fund this July. She and the other Nunavummiut took a 11-day voyage with Jackpine Paddle near Yellowknife. “It was so awesome getting to be out there with people, like getting to know people,” Okpakok said. “I made friends that that will last a lifetime.” The girls canoed 10 km every day, which was exhausting, “but worth it,” according to Okpakok. Learning how to swim for the first time was one of the skills Okpakok picked up on her trip. It took her nearly a week to get the hang of it. “It was scary, but it was fun,” Okpakok said. She also learned how to…

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