Perhaps Kuneluk does not feel isolated at his Nunavut camp because living creatures surround him. Kuneluk shares his workspace with “wolves, [caribou], foxes, rabbits, ducks - pretty soon, squirrels, and [grizzly] bears later on,” he said.

“I’ve never had an encounter yet with a bear,” says a relieved Kuneluk, explaining that the crew does not carry guns to defend themselves against the hairy giants. “We normally have bear bangers and we have flares on us in case it gets dark,” he said. A bear banger cartridge travels 40 meters then explodes with a loud bang, alerting potential predators to humans in the area.

For seven years, Kuneluk has contracted for KCEI - ever since the company snapped him up from the Lupin Gold Mine. “The first years I started off, my training was in Lupin,” he said. “I was in the middle of my course there when a company by the name of Kennecott came and interviewed me. For some reason I took that interview and that’s where I got hired on.”

Kuneluk is glad he took that interview; KCEI suits his lifestyle

and he is building a promising career. “I love working outside,” he said. “I’ve been basically coming up since 1997. I have a lot of experience in fieldwork and in camp work. It’s a good thing to get into.” The job not only pays the bills, says Kuneluk, but it keeps him in shape, “You get a lot of physical work out of yourself,” he said.

At camp, Kuneluk spends time with others from his hometown Kuguluktuk; he would like to see more youth from his community come on board. “I am hoping for all the youngsters to get into mineral exploration,” he said. “It’s great working for exploration camps and it’s a good thing to get into.”

Only in his twenties himself, Kuneluk plans to stay with KCEI long term. “I would love to carry on more and more,” he said. “I’ve thought about it and I figure that I still have more years of myself getting into this business because I’m still young and fit.”

If he stays on, Kuneluk can expect further promotions. The company provides its employees with training opportunities so that they can continue to advance. “They gave me a First Aid Training Certificate and a Snowmobile Driver’s Education Program Permit to operate in the camp. They also gave me camp manager and assistant camp manager training,” he said. So far, says Kuneluk, “I’ve held the camp manager’s assistant and a field technician assistant [positions.]”

Today Kuneluk is an exploration Field Assistant to geophysical or geological crews, a position he has held since April 1998. He also works as a camp manager in some field camps.

Named after his father and adopted by his grandmother, the young “John Junior” expected to follow in his father’s footsteps - working for a housing corporation. “I thought I’d grow up being a housing maintainer as he did,” said Kuneluk. “I never expected this. But it’s a good thing that it did [happen.]”

As a child, Kuneluk had little opportunity to learn cultural traditions; he had sacrificed tradition for education in an English-dominated school. “I was interested [in cultural traditions] when I was younger, but I thought that a good education might get me far,” he said. Now, says Kuneluk, “I am starting to catch on [to those traditions] slowly.”

In the meantime, he said, “I enjoy hunting [caribou], hanging out with friends, and taking it easy.” Kuneluk fishes for lake trout and Arctic char and, “I believe the duck season would be coming up soon. I’ll be heading out in no time,” he said.

Kennecott Canada Exploration Inc. is a member of the Rio Tinto group of companies. Rio Tinto focuses on exploration for copper, gold, zinc, nickel, diamonds and energy minerals. KCEI operates from six locations in North America. For more information about these companies, visit www.kennecottexploration.com and www.riotinto.com.