Youths Speak Up Notaqat Oqangit

“Growing up I was a drum dancer. I also square danced. I was an arctic sports coach for Volleyball. I always volunteered at the Recreation department and when I became 18, I became qualified to chaperone kids. I brought children from Tuk to Inuvik for basketball camps. A couple of times I took out people who were older than me for volleyball tournaments. I won a NWTRPA (NWT Recreation and Parks Association) Youth Leadership Award. They flew me to Yellowknife and there was a big banquet.”

“I found I loved being around kids, coaching them and helping them out.”

Another milestone for

Photos: Holly and her two year old son.

Holly Ovayuak from Tuktoyaktuk has a winning smile and an outgoing personality, reflected by the volume of support she gets from her friends, family and instructors. She is parent to an adorable two year old, and juggles achieving her recreational coordinator certification with other commitments. It is obvious everyone wants to help the twenty-one year old do well. “My mum and sister moved up this year to help me. During class, if we have special events like the ones at Community Hall, you’ll see my baby in my strap. My classmates in first year will say, “Ok here let me have him for a minute, and you can go do something else.”

“Iwas always busy, even when I was pregnant. I rested for three months, but once it was over, I was an instructor at the pool in Tuk. I got my bronze medallion, and I still have to get my bronze cross.” Holly is always on the go, recovering from challenges to become stronger. When she completed her first year of the recreational coordinator course in Inuvik, she thought about going home for good. “It took awhile to adjust. Inuvik’s not all that big, but I missed my family.”

“But I noticed if I stay in Tuk, like if I was sitting there, ten years later I will still be doing the same thing. Inuvik seems to offer a healthier lifestyle and a lot more jobs and opportunities.”

“When I left Tuk, drum dancing wasn’t happening because we didn’t have funding for it. Here there is soccer and a gym, you can have people playing soccer and volleyball at the same time, and there is always enough people showing up. Back home, it was just enough for two teams sometimes. Growing up there was a lot to do, but I had to pressure my friends to do sports and some of them didn’t want to.”

“Iam just outgoing, I guess?” she said, surprised, when I asked if she might know why some of her peers and instructors have nominated her to be featured in Tusaayaksat.

Jana, a lady she worked with at Tuktoyaktuk’s recreation department told her she was made for the recreational coordinator program.

Now, Holly is becoming an expert at putting together budgets, doing lesson plans, learning about sports, doing presentations on smoking at the health center and organizing teen dances. She prefers practicums because they are hands on courses. “I’ve done three practicums, the last one was with Municipal and Community Affairs. The first practicum was 225 hours, the second was 450 hours. It’s not just the hours, we also have assignments to complete, such as competence in the budget process. We have to show that we know how to make a budget.”

She will graduate from the course in 9 weeks. There are many doors opening for her. “I can’t pick out what to do yet. My instructors would like me to get my lifeguard certification so I can be a swimming instructor in the little communities around here. That’s a lot of training and time. If not I will go back home…but I would also like to check out what the other communities have to offer. I’ve applied at a few places and got a call from Folks on the Rocks in Yellowknife, asking if I was interested. I’ve faxed them my resume. There are also a few more jobs coming up, one in Yellowknife and another in a reserve at Hay River…I still want to go back to school and get a bachelor in Physical Education. I already have some credits from my courses at Aurora College, so I won’t have to take some of the courses for the degree.”

“Iam going home soon for the Jamboree and I will be presenting the Canada Winter Games Torch as a Official Torch Relay Carrier.” Students from the Recreation Leaders Program have volunteered to undertake a challenging six-day, 160km Cross Country Ski Expedition between Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. Holly will be one of the students carrying the Canada Winter Games Torch. The expedition celebrates the spirit of the Canada Winter Games and the rich history of cross country skiing on the harsh but beautiful land, and is another milestone on Holly’s journey in life.