send URL query variable to template?

about query variables: http://codex.ww.wp.xz.cn/Glossary#Q

is there a way to send query variables to a category template (or any template) with an URL query variable?

i am using a query string to display a year’s worth of posts in a specific category; but i want to be able to get to next/previous years. (and date archives are not working to limit to one category.)