Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal July/August 2011

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Canada’s Arctic Journal

JULY/AUGUST 2011 • $ 5.95

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Unikkausivut Restoring Cultural Treasures

Weather Explorations at Clyde River Northwords Writers Festival

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Westfest’s Qaggiq Showcase Featured on

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D E D I C A T E D

T O

your SEALIFT NEEDS

in Nunavik

We serve you as a partner. We are proud of your success! wvJ3SA5 WoEctŒ4v5b. sWAh4SA5 vJy5yx3ymi5y8i4¡

6565, Hébert Boulevard, Ste-Catherine, Québec J5C 1B5

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Tel: (450) 635-0833

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Fax: (450) 635-5126

— TOLL FREE 1(866) SEA-LIFT — www.arcticsealift.com —

First Air Focus ᕗᔅ ᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑕᑯᒋᐊᕐᓂᖅ

featuring Simon Hiqiniq

ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᕼᐃᕿᓂᖅ Our team is the reason First Air excels at being The Airline of the North and we are proud to recognize and thank those who show such dedication. One exceptional First Air employee is Simon Hiqiniq Born in Yellowknife and raised in Gjoa Haven, Simon began his career as a Station Agent with First Air in May 2007. After only one year of working on a casual basis, his easy going personality, eagerness to learn and desire to succeed secured him a permanent part time position.

As one of First Air’s youngest Customer Service Station Agents, Simon is responsible for handling incoming and outgoing cargo as well as assisting all aspects of passenger travel. When required, Simon steps up to the Station Coordinator position, assuming the duties and responsibilities of a supervisory role in addition to the day-to-day station operations.

First Air Customer Service Station Agents are responsible for all aspects of First Air operations in the communities we serve. Strong communication and problem solving skills when dealing with customers, and the ability to work well under pressure are key criteria for this dynamic role.

Simon’s ability to go above and beyond to demonstrate superior customer service is appreciated by customers and his coworkers. While always greeting our customers with a smile, he is often seen around Gjoa Haven helping our customers load and transport their shipments and deliver them directly to our cargo facility. Simon’s organization skills and willingness to help out often takes him to assist at other stations, so don’t be surprised if you see him while visiting other Western Nunavut communities.

In addition to Simon’s dedication to the First Air Team, he is a devoted family man who enjoys spending quality time with his common law wife and three boys.

Simon is an avid hockey player and loves to travel throughout the Kitikmeot region and Yellowknife to attend hockey tournaments.

We value training, personal development and encourage career advancement within First Air. If you share our commitment to safety and service, we encourage you to join our team. To learn more about employment opportunities within First Air Customer Service or any other role, visit firstair.ca/employment.

ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᕆᔭᕗᑦ ᐱᑦᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᔪᓐᖏᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᓪᓗᐊᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᒃᑯᒍᓱᑉᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᖅᓯᔪᓐᓇᕋᑦᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᔭᒋᓪᓗᑎᒍᓗ ᑕᒪᑐᒧᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᐃᓚᖓ ᐊᒃᓱᓪᓚᕆᐊᓗᒃ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᐊᕙᒋᔭᖓ ᑖᓐᓇ ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᕼᐃᕿᓂᖅ. ᐃᓅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᔨᐊᓗᓇᐃᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑑᒥ, ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕆᐊᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᒪᐃ 2007-ᐸᒥ. ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᕐᕌᒍ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑕᐃᓐᓇᐅᓗᓂ,ᑐᓐᖓᓇᕐᓂᖓ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒋᔭᒃᓴᐅᑎᐊᕐᓂᖓ,ᐃᓕᒍᒪᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᒍᒪᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓ ᐅᓪᓘᑉ ᐊᕐᕙᖓᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᐃᓐᓇᓂᐊᕐᓕᕐᓗᓂ. ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓅᓱᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓛᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᑦᑎᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᑉᐳᖅ ᑎᑭᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᓪᓗ ᐅᓯᔭᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗᒃᑕᐅᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑕᕆᐊᖃᕋᐃᒐᒥ, ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓕᑲᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᒥᔪᖅ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖑᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕕᒻᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ. ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐃᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᖏᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᒻᒪᑦ ᐃᓘᓇᓕᒫᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᓐᓂ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᓕᐅᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᔪᓐᓇᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅᑕᖃᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᕗᑦ ᑖᒃᓱᒧᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᒧᑦ. ᓴᐅᒪᐅᑉ ᐊᔪᓐᖏᓐᓂᕆᔭᖓ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᐃᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓗᒃ ᖁᔭᒋᔭᐅᕗᖅ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᖁᖓᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᓕᕋᐃᒐᒥ, ᑕᑯᔭᐅᒐᔪᒃᑐᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑑᒥ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓯᓕᐅᔾᔨᓇᓱᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑭᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒃ ᐋᑎᕆᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓯᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓂᒋᑦ ᑕᐃᑯᖓᓪᓚᑦᑖᖅ ᐅᓯᔭᒃᓴᓄᑦ ᐃᓂᐅᕙᑦᑐᒧᑦ. ᓴᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕆᔭᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᓂᖓ ᐊᑐᖅᑐᓂᐅᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᓕᖃᑦᑕᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᕕᐅᔪᓂᒃ,ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒻᒪᑦ ᖁᐊᖅᓵᖅᑕᐃᓖᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓂᕈᕕᐅᒃ ᐊᓯᐊᓄᑦ ᐳᓛᕆᐊᖅᓯᒪᑎᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᐅᐊᖕᓕᓂᕐᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖏᓐᓂ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᐱᓕᕆᓇᓱᐊᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕆᔭᖓᓄᑦ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᐃᓚᒥᓂᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐃᑉᐱᒋᔭᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᑦᑐᓂᓗ ᐃᓚᖃᕆᐊᔅᓴᖅ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᕐᓂᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖓᓱᒃ ᐃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᓴᐃᒪᓐ ᕼᐋᑭᑦᑎᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᑦᑐᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᖃᑦᑕᕆᐊᔅᓴᖅ ᕿᑎᕐᒥᐅᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔨᐊᓗᓇᐃᒧᑦ ᕼᐋᑭᕆᐊᕐᓗᓂ. ᐱᒻᒪᕆᒋᔭᖃᕋᑦᑕ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᔅᓴᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᐃᒻᒥᒧᑦ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓪᓗᑕ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᕗᒧᐊᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓱᒪᖃᕈᕕᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᔪᒪᓂᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᓇᐃᖅᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ, ᑎᓕᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓕᖁᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ. ᖃᐅᔨᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᒪᒍᕕᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᕘᔅᑎᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᓂᒃ, ᑕᑯᓂᐊᓚᐅᕐᕆᑦ ᐅᒦᖓ firstair.ca/employment

Scott Bateman / y√5 Xw5m8 President & C.E.O., First Air xzJ6√6 x7m xsM5tp7mE, {5 wsf8k5 Le président et directeur général, First Air

Pita Aatami / „b ≈bu President, Makivik Corporation & Chairman, First Air xzJ6√6, mrF4 fxS‰nzk5 x7m w4y?sb6, {5 wsf8k5 Président, Corporation Makivik et président du conseil, First Air

Welcome aboard First Air “Airline of the North” This summer travellers will notice new branding appearing at First Air stations as we begin to introduce our partners Sakku First Aviation and Qikiqtani First Aviation. New co-branded signage has already been installed in Winnipeg, Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit airports. These brands will continue to roll out at First Air stations in the Kivalliq and Qikiqtaaluk regions.

Our partners Sakku First Aviation (SFAL) and Qikiqtani First Aviation (QFAL) are also active in sponsorships and events this summer. Our focus on being the primary sponsor of key educational, recreational, sporting and cultural events in the North is stronger than ever.

Through sponsorships of many key events in the North, First Air is well-established in the communities we serve. That dedication and support of the communities is further enhanced through SFAL and QFAL. Sharing our vision for increasing northern employment, Sakku First Aviation, Qikiqtani First Aviation, and First Air continue to build on our successful Sivurariaqnik employment program. This summer will launch our first job training course — Airline Foundations.

The Airline Foundations course will provide a general overview of aviation customer service careers and pre-employment training.

Taking place this July at Nunavut Arctic College, the program is developed to provide basic knowledge and training that will assist those seeking employment in the airline industry. I encourage anyone interested in enhancing their skills or exploring a career in aviation, to visit sivurariaqnik.ca for more information.

Working with our partners SFAL and QFAL, First Air will continue to provide competitive air transportation products and services. We are working hard to provide tangible benefits to the communities we serve, as evidenced in our recent change to country food rates and increased frequency on Rankin Inlet - Winnipeg.

Our focus on skills training and career development, community support and special Beneficiary air transportation solutions, continues to set us apart. Our dynamic new partnerships are committed to delivering employment and economic opportunities to our constituents; together with our partners we continue to be “The Airline of the North”.

ᑐᓐᖓᓱᒋᔅᓯ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᔪᖅᓲᖁᑎᖓᓐᓄᑦ “ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᐊᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ”

Bienvenue à bord de First Air, la ligne aérienne du Nord

Cet été, les voyageurs remarqueront de nouveaux marquages aux escales de First Air, alors que nous présentons nos partenaires Sakku First Aviation et Qikiqtani First Aviation. De nouvelles affiches conjointes ᑕᒫᓂ ᐊᐅᔭᕐᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓂᐊᓕᕆᕗᑦ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ont déjà été installées aux aéroports de Winnipeg, Rankin Inlet et ᓴᖅᑭᖅᑎᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᑖᕐᕕᖏᓐᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎ- Iqaluit. Ces marques continueront d’être présentées aux escales de ᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖁᑎᖃᖃᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕ- First Air dans les régions de Kivalliq et de Qikiqtaaluk. ᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ. ᓄᑖᑦ Nos partenaires Sakku First Aviation (SFAL) et Qikiqtani First Aviation ᑎᑎᖅᑲᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᐃᓂᐱᒡᒥ, ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ (QFAL) participent aussi à des parrainages et des événements cet été. ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᒥᕝᕕᖏᓐᓂ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖁᑎᖃᖃᑎᕗᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑉ- Nous redoublons d’efforts pour continuer à être les principaux ᐸᓪᓕᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᑖᕐᕕᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ commanditaires d’activités culturelles, sportives, récréatives et ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᖕᒥ. éducatives dans le Nord. First Air est bien établie dans les collectivités ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖁᑎᖃᖃᑦᑎᕗᑦ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ (SFAL) ᐊᒻᒪ qu’elle dessert grâce à son parrainage de nombreux événements dans ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ (QFAL) ᐱᓕᕆᒻᒪᕆᒃᐳᑦᑕᐅᖅ le Nord. Ce dévouement et cet appui envers les collectivités sont accrus ᑕᒫᓂ ᐊᐅᔭᒥ ᓴᖅᑭᑖᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᖏᒍᑦ. ᐱᓇᓱᐊᒐ- par la participation de SFAL et QFAL. ᕆᓗᐊᖅᑐᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᑭᓖᖃᑕᐅᓃᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᓄᑦ, Partageant une vision commune d’augmenter les emplois dans le ᐱᓐᖑᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᕿᑐᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᑭᐅNord, Sakku First Aviation, Qikiqtani First Aviation et First Air ᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ. ᐊᑭᓖᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ, ᕘᔅᑎcontinuent à miser sur notre programme d’emploi Sivurariaqnik qui ᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᑎᑭᕝᕕᒋᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ.ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ réussit bien. Nous entreprendrons cet été notre premier cours de ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ. formation professionnelle — Les fondements des compagnies aériennes. ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᖅᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ, ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕ- Le cours sur les fondements des compagnies aériennes offre un survol ᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᓯᕗᕋᕆᐊᖅ des carrières en service à la clientèle de l’industrie aéronautique et ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ. ᑕᒫᓂ ᐊᐅᔭᒥ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅ de la formation préalable à l’emploi. Offert en juillet prochain au ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎ — ᖃᖓᑕ- Collège de l’Arctique du Nunavut, le programme comprendra des connaissances et une formation de base pour les personnes ᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅᓯᐅᑎ ᐃᓕᓐᓪᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅᓯᐅᑎ ᐃᓕᓐᓪᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᒃ intéressées à un emploi dans l’industrie aéronautique. J’encourage ᐃᓕᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᔾᔪᑕᐅᒍᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ toute personne intéressée à améliorer ses compétences ou à explorer ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᒍᑎᓂᒃ. ᐱᒋᐊᓛᖅᑐᖅ ᔪᓚᐃᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ une carrière dans ce domaine à visiter le site sivurariaqnik.ca pour ᓯᓚᑦᑐᓴᕐᕕᖕᒥ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂ- plus de renseignements. ᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕈᒪᔪᓄᑦ.ᑭᒃᑯ- En collaboration avec ses partenaires SFAL et QFAL, First Air continuera ᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᒍᒪᔪᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᓂ- à fournir des produits et des services concurrentiels en transport ᐊᖁᕙᒃᑲ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ sivurariaqnik.ca ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ. aérien. Nous nous efforçons d’offrir des avantages réels aux ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖃᖃᑎᕗᑦ ᓴᒃᑯ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ collectivités que nous desservons, comme en témoignent nos récents ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ, ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑭᑭᓈᖅ- changements aux tarifs des mets traditionnels et à l’augmentation ᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᓯᑲᖅᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᖓᑕᖃᑦ- des vols entre Rankin Inlet et Winnipeg. ᑕᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ.ᐱᓇᓱᐊᒻᒪᕆᒃᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑎᓇᓱᒃᑐᑕ Nous continuons de nous distinguer par notre orientation axée sur ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᑎᑭᕝᕕᒋᖃᑦᑕᖅᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑲᓐᓂᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ l’acquisition des compétences, la formation et le perfectionnement ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᑭᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅprofessionnel, le soutien communautaire et les solutions spéciales en ᓴᐅᓕᓐᓂᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐃᓂᐱᒡᒧᑦ. transport aérien pour les prestataires. Nos nouveaux partenariats ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓐᓂdynamiques visent la prestation d’emplois et de possibilités ᐊᕈᑎᓂᒃ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᖕᓂᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑎᖃᖃᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ économiques à notre bassin de population; en collaboration avec nos ᓄᓇᕘᑖᕈᑎᒥ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᒃᑯᑦ, ᐊᔾᔨᐅᓐᖏᔾᔪᑎᒋᕙᕗᑦ ᖃᖓᑕpartenaires, nous continuons d’être « la ligne aérienne du Nord ». ᓲᓕᕆᔨᓂᑦ. ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖁᑎᖃᖃᑎᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓕᐅᕋᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᖕᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ; ᐱᖃᑎᒋᓗᑎᒍᑦ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖁᑎᖃᖃᑎᕗᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᐊᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ “ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖑᓂᕗᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ”.

ᐱᒻᒪᕿᐅᑎᑦᑕᕗᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓯ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐅᒃᑯᑦ, ᖃᖓᑕᔫᖁᑎᖓᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᑕᖅᑐᒥᑦ.

We value your support and thank you for making First Air, THE AIRLINE OF THE NORTH. Nous apprécions votre soutien et vous remercions de votre appui à First Air, LA LIGNE AÉRIENNE DU NORD.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

above&beyond Publisher & Editor Tom Koelbel Advertising Doris Ohlmann (Ottawa) 613-257-4999 Circulation Patt Hunter Design Robert Hoselton, Beat Studios Inuktitut translation Innirvik Support Services Ltd. Read online: www.arcticjournal.ca email: info@arcticjournal.ca Toll Free: 877-2ARCTIC (227-2842) PO Box 683, Mahone Bay, NS B0J 2E0 Volume 23, No. 4

July/August 2011

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Restoring Cultural Treasures NFB Project Resurrects Inuit Film Archive “Unikkausivut” means “sharing our stories” in Inuktitut, the name of a National Film Board initiative that is bringing Inuit stories to all Canadians. Documentaries, animations, and historical dramas of life in the North, from 1942 to today, will soon find new life on DVDs and the World Wide Web. — Tim Lougheed

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Inuit have noted many changes in weather over the past few decades. Among other things, they report that the weather is harder to predict than it used to be. This complaint echoes observations I’ve heard from Alaska (where I live), Canada’s western Arctic, Nunavut, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Something is undoubtedly going on.

— Henry Huntington

TANYA TAGAQ PERFORMS AT OTTAWA’S WESTFEST QAGGIQ SHOWCASE © JEN FILE

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arcticjournal.ca Celebrating 23 years as the popular in-flight magazine for First Air, The Airline of the North.

Publishing 6 times per year, Above & Beyond is featured on all First Air flights. Reproduction of any or all, without written consent of the publisher is prohibited. Above & Beyond is a registered trademark.

Exploring the Weather at Clyde River

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Special Arctic Bay Photography Workshop

15 About the North 31 Exotica Westfest’s Qaggiq Showcase Photography by Jen File

41 Arts, Culture & Education Northwords Writers Festival

55 Field Notes The Return of the Swans

by Claus Vogel

47 Summer Life Sailing on Great Slave Lake

by J.S. Fullerton

58 Inuit Forum Changing the “Back to School” Experience

by Mary Simon

53 Northern Bookshelf

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July/August 2011

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Photo by Mosie Pudloo.

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Arctic Bay Photography Workshop Nurturing Business and Arts Development n a beautiful spring week featuring cloudless skies and twenty-four hours of sunlight, a group of established and up-and-coming Inuit photographers came together from a number of Nunavut communities for a historic event: a professional level photography workshop.

The workshop, designed to not only expand the photography skill set of the participants but the economic opportunities of the participants as well, “may be the first time a professional workshop has ever been offered exclusively to Nunavut photographers,” mused Arctic Bay photographer and hamlet mayor Niore Iqalukjuak. “I can’t recall another one that I’ve ever heard of. There’s been video workshops … and workshops for other arts, but photography? I think this is the first.”

The workshop was lead by Yellowknife-based professional photographer (and frequent above&beyond contributor), Dave Brosha, a former resident of Nunavut and a photographer who has travelled and photographed extensively Canada’s North.

“When I first got the email in the autumn of 2010 asking if I would ever be interested in conducting a photography workshop in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, not only was I intrigued — I was really excited about the opportunity to teach in what is known as one of the most beautiful communities in Canada’s Arctic — but I was really hopeful, as well, that it would work out logistically.

“Having lived in Nunavut, spending two years north of Arctic Bay in the tiny hamlet of Resolute Bay, I knew firsthand the challenges that could be faced when trying to plan something which revolved around a specific date — in conjunction with the coordination of travel for multiple people. From weather delays to the cost of travel, I knew that for the workshop to actually happen would take a lot of coordination, funding from various partners, and good old-fashioned luck.”

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© DAVE BROSHA

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The Arctic Bay photography workshop ensemble.

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© DAVE BROSHA

Capturing the elements of Arctic beauty.

Titled: I’m talkin’. Photo by Leo Eecherk

The idea behind — and the (ultimately successful) coordination — of the workshop fell to one man, Arctic Bay Economic Development Officer Clare Kines. “I wanted this to be for photographers from Nunavut to develop skills and the mindset to start or improve a photography business. Too often, the stories being told in magazines through photos and photojournalism are being told from people outside Nunavut. I think there should be more of our voices and our visions telling that. Beyond photos in magazines and on websites, there is a dearth of photographers doing portrait or studio (photography) here, and the workshop was intended to develop these skills as well. The goal is to give people in the communities places to go where they can get professional family portraits and the like done, someone who people can turn to if they want wedding photos or professional photos of their newborns.

Aspiring Iqaluit photographer Mosie Pudloo was vocal in the benefits she felt the workshop offered. “I felt it was important for Nunavummiut, as it sharpened our skills and knowledge. We learned from the expert but also from other (Nunavut) photographers.”

The workshop, held over the period of one week in May in both classroom and outdoor environments, covered a wide range of subjects, including exposure and composition techniques, reading light effectively, portraiture and landscape photography, studio basics, and off-camera flash. Throughout the week, business opportunities and marketing techniques remained a constant focus.

“I have taught dozens of workshops,” states Brosha, “but one of the things I found most intriguing about this particular workshop was being able to focus on the business side of photography — a subject that I think is so important for anyone wanting to do this part or full-time.”

Portrait by Niore Iqalukjuak.

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Portrait by Mosie Pudloo.

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© DAVE BROSHA

Lighting is a key element.

He continues, “To do this for a living, you have to have some degree of talent (and this talent will only grow stronger the busier you are and the more you dedicate yourself as a photographer), you have to have business skills, and — most importantly — you have to work your butt off. I wanted to try to share this message with this great group of talented photographers, and to try to inspire them a little, too. It’s not impossible to achieve whatever their goals happen to be in photography, whether that’s to get published in magazines, make a supplemental income, or set up a home studio.

“I myself have only been doing this for five or six years seriously, having gotten my start while living in Nunavut, progressing to a tiny home studio while working full-time, and then finally taking ‘the plunge’ to follow my passion and make photography my career. Whether or not that happens with any of the photographers from this workshop remains to be seen, but I think some strong seeds have been planted.”

The workshop, which attracted participants from communities including Pangnirtung, Clyde River, Pond Inlet, Iqaluit, and Arctic Bay, was funded through a partnership of stakeholders, including the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Economic Development (through their Arts and Crafts Development Fund), the Kakivak Association, and the Hamlet of Arctic Bay’s Economic Development Committee. The Nunavut photographers who came together were very grateful for the opportunity.

Nathanael Ningiuk, a Grise Fiord-born photographer who currently resides in Pond Inlet, was enthusiastic about what he took away from the week. “The course was important because it gave us a chance to learn how to take a picture correctly and see what is involved in starting a business in photography.” When asked about his favourite aspect of the week, Ningiuk says, “the highlight was when we were outdoors doing a photo shoot with a model; it really showed me how good photos can be with lighting equipment.”

Photo by Clare Kines.

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Photo by David Kilabuk.

As a finale to the week’s instruction, the group chose a location with stunning scenery a short drive from the hamlet and photographed a local model, Arctic Bay resident Hershie Enoogo, who wore a range of modern and traditional clothing for the participants to practice field lighting and portraiture techniques. “This might be the most northern fashion shoot ever,” laughs Brosha.

The ‘cap’ to the week also stood out to Pudloo, who found many other highlights in the workshop, which included “learning new techniques, meeting other great photographers, seeing the greatest landscape in Nunavut, and having a prominent instructor.”

Kines echoed these thoughts, saying that the “entire week was incredible, from being able to tap into Dave’s mad skills, to seeing the incredible talent that the other photographer’s have. There wasn’t a low point in the course.”

As one of the main goals of the workshop was to nurture business and arts development in the communities, “time will tell as to the ultimate impact,” says Brosha, “but I’m really excited (talking to the different participants) about the impact I think this will have. Already I’m hearing a strong interest to go back to their homes and giving portraits, commercial, and even wedding photography a try… when perhaps there was a hesitation before. I’ve told the participants to stay in touch, and hopefully this time next year there will be stories of success.”

To Pudloo, who was a self-stated ‘landscape’ photographer who previously shied away from photographing people, this workshop has caused her to reconsider photographing portraits — partially due to the strong portraiture she produced the week of the workshop, which Brosha called “incredible — she has a real gift for capturing emotion which isn’t that easy to do in portraiture”.

“I hope I can return again some day in the future to do something similar,” Brosha explains. “But then again, how fantastic would it be a few years down the road to have a Nunavummiut leading a professional photography workshop for other Nunavummiut, instead of me? That is my real goal from this week — and I think it will happen!”

Photo by Peter Iqalukjuak.

July/August 2011

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July/August 2011

About the North

Gjoa Haven and Fort Simpson Pegged for Grass Roots Funding With governments and financial institutions focused on major economic challenges, small, but worthy educational and cultural projects that would make a real difference to the lives of people at the community level never see the light of day due to a lack in funding.

Under a unique national in scope concept organized by the Small Change Fund and its partners, the Canada’s Seven Small Wonders Project, aims to micro-finance a broad range Š SMALLCHANGE FUND.ORG

of community-specific projects across the country by involving the general public, the internet, and social media, to raise charitable contributions to fund local initiatives.

In the North, several projects are already flying under the Seven Small Wonders Project they need, including one in Fort Simpson, NWT,

Trio Awarded NorthWords Prize

(River Journey: The Berger Inquiry Revisited) and

Two well-known Northwest Territories writers, Pete Enzoe and

a five-day Drum Dance Festival hosted by the

Mindy Willet, along with fellow northerner, photographer,

Nunavut community of Gjoa Haven early

Tessa Macintosh, were awarded the 2011 NorthWords Prize for

this July.

their collaborative book, The Caribou Feed Our Soul at the June 4

banner and pegged to receive the support

The Small Change Fund, with a host of

evening of the NorthWords Festival, De Beers Gala Readings.

national projects on the go already fully or

This, the sixth book in The Land is Our Storybook series,

partially funded, is all about the gift of people

(previously featured in above&beyond) sheds light on the

helping people. To find out how to give to

intense spiritual relationship between the Chipewyan Dene

the fund, or to suggest a project for your

and caribou both past and present and on the significant

community, visit: www.smallchangefund.org.

place caribou hold in the creation stories of their people.

July/August 2011

above & beyond

15

Š LEE NARRAWAY

Northwest Passage Kite-Skiing Adventurers Arrive Surviving what can best be described as the worst Canada’s Arctic can deliver, including a frightening middle-of-the-night visit to their tent by a hungry polar bear, abysmal weather and unpredictable ice conditions, amazing Nunavummiut adventurers, Sarah McNairLandry and brother Eric, arrived safely to a warm welcome in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, in early June.

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About the North

Arviat Eco-Tourism Goes to Market The Arviat Community Ecotourism (ACE) initiative took another giant step forward in May. Five tour operators — four Canadians

Peter Mikeeuneak and Mary Okatsiak welcome Matthew Bradley-Swan, company representative from Adventure Canada, to their traditional camp demonstration.

plus one from Britain — came to visit, their express purpose to see what Arviat has to offer. They were impressed. These guests were from companies which sell high-end, specialtymarket, small-group tours to off-the-beatentrack locations around the world. So enthusiastic were they that already three small groups of paying tourists are scheduled to visit Arviat later this year. Two of the five operators have since indicated a readiness to include Arviat in their catalogue of weeklong packages on

© JOSH PEARLMAN (3)

offer for 2012.

Arviamiut have worked hard on this project

The visitors were all taken for a short but thrilling ride by a local dog-team.

over the past two-and-a-half years. Numerous

to Churchill, especially during the fall polar

If developing the product is a challenge,

members of the community have received

bear season. They see Arviat as a natural

getting it successfully to market is an even

training in the diverse elements of successful

extension of their current program. Another

bigger hurdle, especially for a remote Arctic

tourism. An array of in-town cultural events is

company, Arctic Kingdom, has been running

community. Arviat is now poised on the brink

now ready to be showcased, and a group of

high-end adventure trips in various parts of

of success for both sides of this tourism coin.

guides is now ready to take visitors out on the

Canada’s Arctic for many years, so embracing

land for wildlife-viewing expeditions. There is

what Arviat now has to offer is a natural fit.

To follow the development of tourism opportunities in Arviat, go to: www.visitarviat.ca.

more work to be done, to be sure, but the ACE team has reached a point where the visiting tour operators could readily see the promise.

Every one of them offered a glowing report of their five days in Arviat. “An amazing trip — thank you for sharing such an amazing destination with passion and pride,” said Sue Grimwood, a company representative from Steppes Travel in London, England.The others echoed her words, expressing confidence that their clients would find great appeal in what Arviat has to offer.

Two of the Canadian companies, Frontiers North and Churchill Wild, already bring groups July/August 2011

above & beyond

17

About the North

Extreme? Yes, Definitely!

Ottawa’s Museum of Nature is featuring an imaginative diorama exhibit produced by the American Museum of Natural History (New York) and titled, Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time.

The impressive exhibit officially opened June 14, and featured a reconstruction of a 2007 fossil find in Canada’s High Arctic. This tooth© COURTESY CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE

some but gorgeous fellow shown here, a Coryphodon, ostensibly from Ellesmere Island, is sure to delight all who may meet him during the life of the outstanding, thought-provoking exhibition.

Positive Force for Northern Youth Key corporate partners, including First Air, The Airline of the North and

Arctic Kaleidoscope photographic collection, exhibited at the Canadian

the National Hockey League Players Association - Dreams & Goals Fund,

Museum of Nature this past March through May, more children than

along with Project North organizers rallied together to raise significant

ever in the North will have the opportunity to hone their hockey skills

funds ($50,000) toward the purchase and delivery of hockey equipment

and to enjoy and play the game safely. Project North has provided

to youngsters in the North.

hockey equipment to children in 10 Nunavut communities including

With substantial donations from First Air and the NHLPA added to the proceeds from the sale of Ottawa photographer Michelle Valberg’s

Pond Inlet and Igloolik.

Visit www.projectnorth.ca

Fabulous Creations by the Artisans of Nunavik

Kuujjuaq, QC Box 729 J0M 1C0 CANADA | Tel: 819-964-1848 Fax: 819-964-1950 | e-mail: info@nunavikcreations.com | online shopping: www.nunavikcreations.com

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July/August 2011

D E D I C A T E D

T O

your SEALIFT NEEDS

in Nunavut

We serve you as a partner. We are proud of your success! wvJ3SA5 WoEctŒ4v5b. sWAh4SA5 vJy5yx3ymi5y8i4¡ Partnership Built on Common Sense

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1121, Mivvik Street, P.O. Box 697, Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 | Tel: (867) 979-3799 | Fax:(867) 979-2535

— TOLL FREE 1(866) SEA-LIFT — www.arcticsealift.com —

AB_JA11_20-40_Layout 1 6/23/11 9:22 AM Page 21

st6t5yi6 Restoring wo6fy4f5 Cultural W8NE/sJi4 Treasures

NFB Project Resurrects Inuit Film Archive

vNboμu bf8NZ5noEp3Jx4f5 vNbu NFB vmQ/sJ6 n6rv8iDbsJ6 wk8i4 bf8NZ5ni4 w5b3inc3Fs2 g6f6bsFxi5

By Tim Lougheed / t7 ˜[Bw5

“Unikkausivut” means “sharing our stories” in Inuktitut, the name of a National Film Board initiative that is bringing Inuit stories to all Canadians. “ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ” ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᕐᓗᒍ “ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ”, ᑕᐃᒎᓯᖓ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᖓ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᓯᒍᑕᐅᕙᑦᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ

© 2008 VIRAGE PRODUCTIONS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᓕᒫᓄᑦ.

Martha of the North Directed by Marquise Lepage Produced by Marcel Simard (VIRAGE) Image of: Martha Flaherty Photo by: Évangéline De Pas ᒫᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᖅ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒫᑭᔅ ᓕᐸᐃᔾ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᒫᓱᕐ ᓯᒫᑦ (VIRAGE) ᐊᑦᔨᓐᖑᐊᖓ: ᒫᑕ ᕕᓕᐅᕆᑎ ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᒐᖓ: ᐃᕚᓐᔨᓖᓐ ᑎ ᐹᔅ

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he image is simple, arresting, and iconic. An Inuit hunter lies on the ice, spear tucked closely by his side. He croaks out a seal call, sounding authentic enough to earn a response from an actual seal nearby, perched next to a hole in the ice. Slowly, patiently, and above all seal-like, the hunter works his way toward the animal, which continues to answer his calls, and even raises a flipper when he raises his arm.

Finally, the man’s gradual movements are rewarded, when he is close enough to rise up and capture his prey.

This entire drama, which took place decades ago, was captured on film in black-and-white. The camera work is plain and unremarkable, especially for anyone accustomed to the dynamic standards of today’s multimedia imagery.

Given the quality of camera equipment that might have been available at the time, the harsh conditions in which that equipment had to function, and the sheer difficulty of getting it to the Arctic at all, the clarity of the finished product undoubtedly represents a monumental amount of effort. Even so, this work and many others like it have remained tucked away in a Montreal film vault, seldom, if ever, being seen by anyone.

Now this cinematic obscurity is coming to an end. Over the past year, such films have been systematically resurrected from the Montreal archives of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Seemingly straightforward scenes like the hunter on the ice have been bringing tears to the eyes of audience members young and old — kindling fond memories of a vanishing way of life, coupled with the pride of knowing the remarkable features of Inuit culture have been preserved for everyone to see.

T

ᐃ

ᓄᐃᑦ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ, ᑭᒡᒐᖅᑐᐃᔪᑦ 160 ᑕᐅᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᓂ, ᐊᓛᔅᑲᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓛᓴᒃᑯᓐᓂ, ᐋᖅᑭᑦᓱᐃᔪᑦ ᐃᓘᓐᓇᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᕿᓚᒥᐊᓗᒃ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓂᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᑦᓯᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑑᑉ ᐃᒪᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒥᒃ. ᑕᑯᓐᓇᓐᖑᐊᒐᑦᓴᑦᓯᐊᖅ, ᑎᒍᔭᐅᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐸᐃᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ. ᐃᓄᒃ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᑦᑎ ᓯᑯᒥ ᓇᓪᓚᖓᓪᓗᓂ, ᐅᓈᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓴᓂᒥᐅᑕᓕᒃ. ᓂᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᓂ ᓇᑦᓯᐅᖑᐊᖅᑐᖅ, ᓇᑦᓯᕐᕙᓗᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓂᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᑭᐅᔭᐅᒌᖅᑐᖅ ᓇᑦᓯᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓂᒋᔮᓃᑦᑐᒧᑦ, ᐊᓪᓗᒥᓃᑦᑐᒧᑦ. ᓱᒃᑲᐃᑦᑐᑯᓘᓪᓗᓂ, ᑐᐊᕕᓐᖏᓯᐊᖅᑐᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᑦᓯᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᓂ, ᐊᖑᓇᓱᑦᑎ ᐆᒪᔪᒧᑦ ᖃᓪᓕᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ, ᓱᓕ ᑭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᓇᑦᓯᐅᖑᐊᕐᕕᒋᒐᐃᒻᒪᒍ, ᐊᓪᓛᑦ ᑕᓕᕈᖓ ᐃᓵᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᓕᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᑕᓕᕈᓐᖑᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᓵᒐᐃᒻᒪᒍ. ᐊᓱᐃᓛᒃ, ᐊᖑᑎᐅᑉ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᖓ ᐊᑭᓕᐅᑎᕗᖅ, ᖃᓪᓕᑦᓯᐊᕋᒥ ᓂᑯᕕᒍᓐᓇᖅᓯᒐᒥ ᒪᑭᓵᖅᑐᓂ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᖑᕗᖅ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᐊᖑᔪᖅ, ᐅᕙᑦᓯᐊᕈᐊᓗᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᒥᓂᐅᔪᖅ, ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᓚᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᒧᑦ. ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᒐᖅ ᓱᕐᕋᑦᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐸᐃᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᓯᐅᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕈᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᕙᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᔪᒃᓴᓂᒃ. ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕈᑏᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᒪᔪᐹᓘᑎᓐᓇᒋᑦ ᑕᐃᑦᓱᒪᓂ, ᐃᒃᑮᓇᖅᑐᐊᓘᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᖁᐊᑦᑕᐃᓕᒪᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᓱᒋᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕆᔪᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔭᕐᓂᖏᑦᑐᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒨᕋᓱᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᓪᓛᑦ, ᓴᖅᑭᔮᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᒐᖅ ᖁᓚᕐᓇᕋᓂ ᐱᔭᕐᓂᖏᑦᑐᕐᔪᐊᕌᓗᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖓ. ᐊᓪᓛᑦ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓯᒪᓂᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᕿᑲᖅᑎᐊᖑᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᒪᓐᑐᕆᐊᓪ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᒃᑯᕕᖓᓂ, ᐃᓛᓐᓃᓐᓇᖅ, ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᓂᖅᐸᑕ, ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᓪᓚᑦᑖᖅᑐᑦ. ᐅᑭᐅᖑᖅᑲᐅᔪᒥ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᖅᑕᐅᑲᓐᓂᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᒪᑭᑎᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᒪᓐᑐᕆᐊᓪᒥ ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓴᖃᕐᕕᖓᓂᒃ ᑐᖅᑯᖅᑐᐃᓯᒪᕕᖕᒥᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᐊᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᑯᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᑭᑦᑐᒥᓂᕈᓘᔮᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᑦᑎ ᓯᑯᒥ ᐅᐹᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᕈᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᑦᑐᓄᓪᓗ ᐃᓐᓇᓄᓪᓗ — ᐃᖅᑲᐃᒍᑕᐅᕙᑦᑐᑎᒃ ᑲᔾᔮᓇ-

The Last Days of Okak Directed by Anne Budgell, Nigel Markham Produced by Kent Martin Image taken from the production

© 1985 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᖏᑦ ᐅᑳᐅᑉ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐋᓐ ᐸᑦᔪᓪ, ᓇᐃᔪᓪ ᒫᒃᕼᐋᒻ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᑭᐊᓐᑦ ᒫᕐᑎᓐ ᐊᑦᔨᓐᖑᐊᖅ ᐱᔭᐅᓂᑯ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ

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© 1985 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

© 1972 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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NFB Assistant Commissioner Claude Joli-Coeur has repeatedly witnessed both the tears and the pride, which together have reinforced his enthusiasm for a project that is assembling an unprecedented collection of films portraying aspects of Inuit life, past and present. Documentaries, animations, and historical dramas of life in the North, from 1942 to today, will find new life on DVDs and the World Wide Web. A total of 110 movies, all NFB productions and co-productions, will become accessible in this fashion over the next few years. And future offerings from emerging Inuit filmmakers will likewise be added.

Joli-Coeur has had a front-row seat for the emergence of this ambitious undertaking. As a major production house that has turned out no fewer than 13,000 works since it was founded in 1939, NFB has built an unrivalled collection of films dealing with aspects of the country’s indigenous peoples. In particular, those dealing with the Inuit form what is arguably the most comprehensive such collection in the world.

The implications of this resource became apparent in 2009, when a new NFB account of the Franklin expedition premiered at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau. Those present included Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who responded with her own recollection of watching the NFB’s Netsilik Eskimos series in her youth.

She added that it would be nice to once again see these and

ᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᖑᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᐅᐱᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᑕᐸᐃᕐᓇᑐᕐᔪᐊᒥᓂᐊᓘᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖓ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᖓᓕᒫᖅ. ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᑯᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑲᒥᓯᓇᖓ ᑯᓘᑦ ᔫᓕ-ᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᓕᖅᑭᑦᑖᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᖁᕝᕕᐅᖅᑐᓂᓪᓗ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᑦᑐᓂᓪᓗ, ᑲᔪᓯᒍᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᖓ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᒪᓕᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᒍᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᒪᒍᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑎᑦᓯᒍᑎᒃᓴᒥᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓐᖔᓚᑦᑖᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᐊᕈᑎᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᓯᓚᑖᓃᓐᖔᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓄᐊᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᓂᒃ, ᑕᐃᑦᓱᒪᓂᕐᓂᓴᕐᓂᒃ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᒧᑦ. ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓰᑦ, ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᑦ ᑎᑎᖅᑐᒐᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᑦᓱᒪᓂᕐᓂᓴᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓚᑦᑖᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ, 1942-ᒥᒃ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᖅᑎᒍᑦ, ᓄᑖᓐᖑᖅᑎᑕᐅᒋᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᕿᓪᓕᖅᑐᒨᖅᑲᖅᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐆᒪᑎᑕᐅᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᔾᔪᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᒃᓴᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᓕᕐᓗᑎᒃ. ᑲᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ 110 ᑕᕐᕆᔭᐃᑦ, ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᖏᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᕕᒋᓯᒪᔭᖏᓪᓗ, ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᒍᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᑎᒎᓇ ᐅᑭᐅᖑᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᓂᖅᓴᖅ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᕗᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᓕᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᕆᔨᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᕙᓪᓕᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᕈᓐᓇᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ. ᔫᓕ-ᑯᐊ ᐃᑦᓯᕚᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᑦᓯᕙᐅᑕᕐᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓇᓐᖓᑦ. ᐊᖏᔪᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᒥ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᖅᑐᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓴᓇᕝᕕᐅᔪᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᓯᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᒥᑦᓯᑎᓐᓂᐅᖏᑦᑐᖅ 13,000 ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᖓᑦ ᐱᓐᖑᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒻᒪᓂᒃ 1939-ᒥ, ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᒃᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᐅᔪᕐᔪᐊᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᓄᐊᑦᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᖁᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᐅᓛᔫᓕᐊᖑᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᑎᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᖃᐃ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᐹᑦ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒥ. ᐱᔭᕐᓂᖏᑦᑐᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᕈᓐᓃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 2009, ᓄᑖᒥᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᓂᕐᒪᑕ

July/August 2011

The Netsilik Eskimo Today Directed by Gilles Blais Produced by John Friedman, François Séguillon ᓇᑦᓯᓕᒃᒥᐅᖅ ᐃᓄᒃ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒋᓕᔅ ᐸᓚᐃᔅ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᔮᓐ ᕗᕌᐃᑦᒪᓐ, ᕗᕌᓐᓯᔅ ᓯᒍᐃᓚᓐ

above & beyond

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© 2003 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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If The Weather Permits Directed by Elisapie Isaac Produced by Yves Bisaillon Image of Naalak Nappaaluk Photo by Alex Margineanu ᓯᓚ ᓈᒻᒪᑉᐸᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓴᐱ ᐊᐃᓴᒃ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᐄᕝ ᐸᐃᓴᓚᓐ ᐊᑦᔨᓐᖑᐊᖓ ᓈᓚᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᒐᖓ ᐋᓕᒃᔅ ᒫᕐᔨᓐᓃᓄ

© 2005 BIG RED BARN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

other films showcasing the northerly regions she calls home.

The timing of her comments was fortuitous, as the NFB had already been looking to new digital platforms as a way of making such works more widely available. A formal review of the archives followed, confirming what was there and what would be most worth showing. When more than 100 movies were deemed worthwhile, Joli-Coeur knew a big job lay ahead.

“We have a cultural treasure that we want to make accessible to the Inuit, and to all Canadians,” he says. “It’s a history of more than 70 years — filming of the Inuit, with or by the Inuit. This is invaluable.”

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arcticjournal.ca

ᕗᕌᖕᓕᓐ ᕿᓂᕐᓂᕕᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓄᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᒐᖃᕐᕕᔾᔪᐊᖓᓂ ᒑᑦᓅᒥ. ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᐃᑲᓃᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᖏᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒥᓂᔅᑕ ᓕᐅᓇ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᕐᓕ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓂᕆᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᒥᒍᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᑯᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᓇᑦᓯᓕᒃ ᐃᔅᑭᒨᔅ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕆᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᒃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᒪᒃᑯᓂᕐᒥᓂ. ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᑲᓐᓂᕈᒪᒐᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒨᖓᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᕆᓂᕋᕐᐸᑦᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ. ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᑕᕝᕗᓐᖓᖓᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᐸᐃᕐᓇᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᓈᓂᑦᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᓄᑖᑎᒍᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᒋᐊᖏᑦ ᓇᕿᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᓕᒻᒨᖃᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑰᕈᑎᒃᓴᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑐᓐᖓᕕᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᒪᓂᖅᓴᐅᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᕈᒪᔪᓄᑦ. ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓇᑦᑕᐅᓪᓚᑦᑖᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓴᖃᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᑐᖅᑯᖅᑐᐃᕕᖕᒦᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᐃᑲᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᓕᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓐᖑᖅᑎᑕᑦᓴᐅᒐᔭᕐᒪᖔᑕ.

100 ᐅᖓᑖᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᐅᔪᓐᓇᕋᔭᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᔫᓕ-ᑯᐊ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᓕᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓂᕐᒥ. “ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕐᒨᖓᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᓕᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᔪᒍᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᕈᖁᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ,ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᓕᒫᓄᑦ,”ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ.“ᐅᕙᑦᓯᐊᕈᕐᓂᓴᐃᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓂᒃ 70 ᐅᖓᑖᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ — ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ, ᐃᓅᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᓘᓐᓃᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑕᐸᐃᕐᓇᑐᕐᔪᐊᕌᓗᒃ.” ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᒎᓯᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ, “ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ” ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ. 2011 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᐊᑕ ᐃᓱᐊᓂ, ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᓐᑐᑦ ᓴᖅᑮᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒨᖅᑲᐃᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᖓᓱᓂᒃ ᕿᓪᓕᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓗᓕᓕᓐᓂᒃ 24-ᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᓯᑕᒪᓃᓐᖔᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᖏᓐᓂᒃ. 2015-ᒥ, ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ 110 ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅMy Father, My Teacher Directed by Dennis Allen, Ken Malenstyn Produced by Selwyn Jacob (NFB), Ken Malenstyn (Big Red Barn Media Group Inc.) Photo by: Ken Malenstyn

July/August 2011

ᐊᑖᑕᒐ, ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᒐ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑎᐊᓂᔅ ᐋᓕᓐ, ᑭᐊᓐ ᒪᓕᓐᓯᑎᓐ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᓯᓕᓐ ᔭᐃᑯᑉ (NFB), ᑭᐊᓐ ᒪᓕᓐᓯᑎᓐ (Big Red Barn Media Group Inc) ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᒐᖓ: ᑭᐊᓐ ᒪᓕᓐᓯᑎᓐ

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ᓯᒐᔭᓐᖑᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ. ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ ᑕᒪᑦᓱᒪ ᓯᕗᒧᐊᑦᓯᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖅᑑᑎᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᔪᑦᓴᓂᒃ ᓱᓕ ᕿᓂᖅᑐᒍᑦ. ᐊᑭᖃᓕᕈᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ ᒥᓕᔭᖏᓐᓃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔪᕐᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᑎᑕᐅᑉᐸᑕ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐃᓱᕐᕆᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᕐᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᑦᓴᐅᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ.

2011 ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᓃᓐᖔᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᑦᑐᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᖏᓐᓂ ᒪᓐᑐᕆᐊᓪᒥ ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑳᒃᑯᕕᖓᓂ ᐊᓪᓚᕝᕕᖕᒥ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑎᒍᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᕐᒥᒍᑦ ᐊᑲᐅᓐᖏᓪᓕᐅᕈᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒋᔭᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑐᖃᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᕐᓂᓴᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᐅᖅᑲᖅᑕᐅᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ. ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑎᒋᓗᒍ, ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᖅᑳᕆᐊᓕᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐋᖅᑭᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᐊᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᑦ, ᐸᕐᓇᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᑦ ᓇᕿᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᓕᒻᒨᖃᖅᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑰᑐᑦᓴᓄᑦ. ᓱᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ, ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᐱᖏᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑐᒻᒪᕆᐅᒍᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ, ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᕆᔩᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑎᒍᑦ. ᓂᐱᓕᕆᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒻᒪᑦ ᖃᓄᖅᑑᕈᑎᒃᓴᒥᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᓇᓱᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᓕᖅᑯᑦᓯᓯᒪᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᔭᒐᑦᑐᖃᖁᓇᒍ ᐃᓗᓕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᓂᐱᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᓴᓅᖅᑲᖅᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᓯᐅᑎᓄᑦ ᓂᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᓄᑦ. ᐊᓪᓛᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᐊᑲᐅᓐᖏᓪᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᓐᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᖏᑦᑐᑦ, ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᕆᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᒥᓃᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᐆᒪᑉᐸᑕ ᓱᓕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᓂᓯᔪᒪᒐᔭᖅᐸᑕ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᒻᒥᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᓄᑖᓅᖅᑲᖅᑕᐅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᑦᓱᕈᕐᓇᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᖅ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᓕᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᖏᑦ, ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᑕᖏᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓗᓕᖏᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᓕᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑐᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑎᖑᑦ ᓯᑕᒪᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᖏᓐᓃᖔᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᓕᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᑯᓂᐅ-

If The Weather Permits Directed by Elisapie Isaac Produced by Yves Bisaillon Image of Naalak Nappaaluk at Kangirsujuaq Photo by Alex Margineanu ᓯᓚ ᓈᒻᒪᑉᐸᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓴᐱ ᐊᐃᓴᒃ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᐄᕝ ᐸᐃᓴᓚᓐ ᐊᑦᔨᓐᖑᐊᖓ ᓈᓚᒃ ᓇᑉᐹᓗᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᓱᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᒐᖓ ᐋᓕᒃᔅ ᒫᕐᔨᓐᓃᓄ

© 2003 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

© 2003 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The undertaking was dubbed Unikkausivut, “sharing our stories” in Inuktitut. By the end of 2011, NFB plans to release a boxed set of three DVDs containing 24 films representing the four Inuit regions. By 2015, all 110 films should be available on-line. Making this happen will be far from straightforward, and financing partners are still being sought. Costs could run into millions of dollars as experts tackle some extraordinary technical challenges. Since the beginning of 2011, a diverse team at NFB’s Montreal headquarters has been coming to grips with the unique problems posed by turning old movies into 21st century media.

To begin with, the basic physical quality of the films had to be confirmed, and restored if necessary, in preparation for converting them to a digital format. Moreover, the original sound quality of those films can vary significantly, depending on the type of equipment that had been used by the filmmakers. Studio engineers therefore find themselves looking at ways of accurately preserving the content of these recordings while making them conform to the much higher standards of today’s sound systems.

Even the legal status of some films can be no less problematic, depending on whether filmmakers are still alive and willing to grant NFB the rights to distribute their work in new formats. Nevertheless, the greatest challenge is likely that of ensuring that each film is entirely dubbed in

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Inuktitut, so that the complete contents of these stories will be available in the Inuktitut dialects of the four Inuit regions. Since direct translations into that language often run much longer than the French or English equivalents, the Inuktitut version must be carefully composed and spoken so as to coincide with the correct images on the screen.

Joli-Coeur notes that this daunting task and many others have been overcome through a rewarding partnership with the Inuit Relations Secretariat (IRS), created in 2006 within the department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada as a focal point for a federal body created in 2004 specifically to provide a voice for various Inuit governments and other organizations. The NFB and IRS formed an Inuit Advisory Committee composed of representatives from the major Inuit organizations, who together will guide the project.

“These organizations have the expertise and knowledge to make this project a success,” he concludes. “From the name of the project to the selection and translation of films, we have relied heavily on their guidance.”

Christopher Duschenes, the Secretariat’s Executive Director, acknowledges the many technical complexities generated by Unikkausivut. At the same time, like JoliCoeur, he has met with the powerful emotional currents this project has already stirred up. Those same currents have likewise drawn in a variety of supporters from governments, NGOs, and the private sector, as part of a strategy to make the outcome more inclusive than if funding were only to come from public sources. Each of the major Inuit organizations has signed enthusiastic letters of endorsement signalling their support and encouragement for others to join the project.

ᓂᖅᓴᐅᖃᑦᑕᓲᖑᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᐃᕖᑎᑑᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓇᐅᔭᖅᑐᓂᓪᓗ,ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐋᖅᑭᓱᖅᑕᐅᑦᓯᐊᕆᐊᖃᒻᒪᕆᒻᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᓕᒪᔭᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᓇᓕᖅᑯᑦᓯᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂ. ᔫᓕ-ᑯᐊ ᐅᖃᖅᒪᔪᖅ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᔭᕐᓂᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᒐᑦᓴᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᑦ ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓅᖓᔪᓂᒃ ᑐᖅᑲᑕᕐᕕᖓ (IRS), ᓴᖅᑭᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 2006-ᒥ ᐃᓄᓕᕆᔨᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᖓᕕᒃᓴᓕᐊᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓂᒃ ᑎᒥᐅᔪᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 2004-ᒥ ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᓂᐱᒋᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᓄᑦ.ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᖕᓅᖓᔪᓄᑦ ᑐᖅᑲᑕᕐᕕᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᓯᓚᐅᖅᑑᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔨᑕᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᕋᓛᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓐᖔᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᔫᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᕐᒥᒍᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒍᑎᒃᓴᓕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ. “ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔪᕐᔪᐊᖑᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᓖᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᓂᒃ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᓯᓂᕐᒥᒃ,”ᑭᖑᓪᓕᕐᐹᒥ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓ.“ᑕᐃᑲᓐᖓᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒎᓯᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᖓ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᓕᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ, ᑐᓐᖓᕕᒋᓪᓚᑦᑖᖅᓯᒪᔭᕗᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒃᑎᑦᓯᒍᑎᖏᑦ.” ᑯᕆᔅᑕᐸ ᑐᓴᐃᓐ, ᑐᖅᑲᑕᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᒻᒪᕆᖓ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᔪᖅ ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓱᕐᕆᐅᑎᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᔭᕐᓂᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑕᕝᕙᓐᖔᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᖓᓂᒃ, ᓲᕐᓗᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᔫᓕ-ᑯᐊ, ᑲᑎᓯᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᑉᐱᓇᖅᑐᕐᔪᐊᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᓐᓂᒃ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓐᖔᖅᓯᓴᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔾᔭᐃᓯᒪᔪᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᑉᐱᓇᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ. ᑖᒃᑯᓴᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᑦᓴᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑎᒍᓯᔾᔪᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᔪᓂᒃ ᒐᕙᒪᓂᒃ, ᑎᒥᓐᖑᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᕈᑎᑎᒍᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅᓱᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᐅᔪᓂᒃ,ᐃᓚᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒍᑎᒃᓴᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᓂᒍᐃᒍᑎᒃᓴᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᓯᒪᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᒍᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓐᖔᕋᔭᕐᓂᖅᐸᑕ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔫᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᐊᑐᓂᑦ ᐊᖏᔫᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑲᑦᓱᖓᐃᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑲᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᓯᒪᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓯᒪᒍᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᖏᖅᓴᐅᑎᑦᓴᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᒧᑦ.

Martha of the North Directed by Marquise Lepage Produced by Marcel Simard (VIRAGE) Image of: Grise Fiord, Ellesmere Island Photo by: Évangéline De Pas

© 2008 VIRAGE PRODUCTIONS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ᒫᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᖅ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᒫᑭᔅ ᓕᐸᐃᔾ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᒫᓱᕐ ᓯᒫᑦ (VIRAGE) ᐊᑦᔨᓐᖑᐊᖓ: ᐊᐅᓱᐃᑦᑐᖅ, ᐊᐅᓱᐃᑦᑑᑉ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᐊ ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᒐᖓ: ᐃᕚᓐᔨᓖᓐ ᑎ ᐹᔅ

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My Village in Nunavik Directed by Bobby Kenuajuak Produced by Nicole Lamothe Photo by: Martin F. Leblanc

© 1999 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ᓄᓇᒐ ᓄᓇᕕᒃᒥ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐹᐱ ᕿᓐᓄᐊᔪᐊᖅ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᓂᑰᓪ ᓚᒫᑦ ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᒐᖓ: ᒫᕐᑎᓐ F. ᓚᐸᓛᓐᒃ

“It’s a multi-partner approach,” he says. “It does make the process more complicated, but the end product and the needs that it meets are much more satisfying.”

Among those who should find it exceptionally satisfying is Martha Flaherty, an Inuk living in the National Capital region who speaks several Inuktitut dialects and has a demonstrable talent for the kind of skilled narration that Unikkausivut would demand. In addition to providing the essential narration for many of the older films, her own story has already provided the basis for one of the NFB’s latest offerings. She is the granddaughter of Joseph Flaherty, who in the 1920s produced the famous film Nanook of the North, which provided the world with one of the most enduring — if occasionally exaggerated or downright erroneous — depictions of Canada’s North.

The filmmaker never acknowledged fathering a child while he was in the Arctic, nor did he ever return to the region to confirm that he might even have known about any offspring. That child, Martha’s father, established a family that subsequently entered one of the darker chapters in the modern history of Canada’s North: the relocation of communities from northern Quebec into the more barren setting of Ellesmere Island in the 1950s.

In a 2008 film, Martha of the North, produced by Les Productions Virage in association with the NFB, she recounts the devastating impact of this transition on her family and others. The account offers a powerful testament to the Inuit role in an historic episode that could well have remained forgotten. And that account will become even more powerful within the context of Unikkausivut, which will present films embodying the colonial regard that Canada adopted toward the Inuit in the 1950s.

“ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ-ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ,” ᐅᖃᓚᖅᑐᖅ. “ᐊᐅᓚᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐱᔭᕐᓃᓂᖅᓴᐅᒍᑕᐅᔪᖅ,ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐃᓱᐊᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᓕᓐᓄᑦ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᒍᑕᐅᑉᐸ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᕈᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᖁᔭᓇᖅᑑᓗᓂ.” ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᓪᓚᑦᑖᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓚᕆᓐᓂᐊᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᒫᑕ ᕙᓚᐅᕋᑎ, ᐃᓄᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑳᒃᑯᕕᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᑯᑦᓴᓕᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᔪᓐᖏᓯᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᒍᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᓪᓚᑦᑖᖅᑕᖓᓂᒃ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖄᖓᒍᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᓕᐅᑉ ᓂᐱᓕᕆᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᓄᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᑐᖃᐅᓂᖅᓴᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ, ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅᑕᐅᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ ᐃᖕᒥᓃᓐᖔᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᓯᒫᓂᑦᑐᖅ ᑐᓐᖓᕕᒃᓴᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᓚᖓᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᒐᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᕐᔪᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᒪᓂᒪᑎᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᓂᒃ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥ. ᐃᕐᖑᑕᑯᓗᒋᒻᒪᒍ ᔫᓯᐱ ᕙᓚᐅᕋᑎ, 1920-ᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᕆᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᕐᔪᐊᖑᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᓇᓄᖅ (Nanook of the North), ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᔭᐅᒍᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ ᑕᐃᑲᓐᖓᓂᐊᓗᒃ — ᑕᐸᐃᖅᓯᒪᒍᑕᐅᓕᖅᑭᑦᑖᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑕᒻᒪᕈᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᑐᖄᓗᒻᒥᒃ — ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑑᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓ. ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᕆᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒃᑲᐃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᕿᑐᕐᖓᑖᖅᓯᒪᒋᐊᑦᓴᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᐅᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒐᓂᓗ ᓄᓇᖓᓄᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᒋᐊᖅᑐᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᖅᑎᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᓄᑕᕋ, ᒫᑕᐅᑉ ᐊᑖᑖ, ᐃᓚᒌᑦ ᑭᖑᓂᐊᒍᑦ ᑖᖅᑐᐊᓗᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓅᓇᓱᐊᕆᐊᖃᖅᓯᒪᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᕝᕙᓐᖓᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᓯᐅᑎᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓᓂ: ᓄᒃᑎᖅᑕᐅᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥᒃ ᑭᓱᖓᓐᖏᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅᐹᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᔪᐃᑦᑑᑉ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᖓᓄᑦ 1950-ᖏᓐᓂᒃ.

2008-ᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᖅ, ᒫᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᖅ, ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ Les Productions Virage,ᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᖅᓱᑎᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᒐᒃᓴᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓄᑦ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓅᒋᐊᖃᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᓪᓗ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓚᒌᓄᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᓪᓗ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᓴᖅᑭᐅᒪᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ ᓴᓐᖏᔪᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᒍᑎᒃᓴᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᑕᐅᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᑦᓱᒪᓂ ᐳᐃᒍᖅᑕᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᓚᖓᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᒍᓯᔾᔪᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓴᓐᖏᓂᖅᓴᒋᐊᓪᓚᑲᓐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ,

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Qimmit: A Clash of Two Truths Directed by Ole Gjerstad, Joelie Sanguya Produced by Charlotte De Wolff (Piksuk Media Inc.), Joe MacDonald (NFB) Image: Joelie Sanguya’s dog team.

Photo by: Peter Iqalukjuak

ᓴᖅᑭᐅᒪᒍᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐊᕆᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᓄᑦ ᑎᒍᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 1950-ᖏᓐᓂ. ᐊᑦᓱᕈᕐᓇᑐᕐᔪᐊᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᒐᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᓵᓐᖓᑦᓯᒋᐊᑦᓴᖅ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᑦᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᒥᑭᓪᓕᑎᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᓂᓪᓗ, ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔩᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑐᓐᖓᓴᐃᔪᑦ ᐱᕝᕕᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᓯᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ ᐊᖅᑯᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᑲᓐᓂᐅᓗᓂ. ᑳᑎ ᒪᒡᒍᕆᒍ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 38-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓂᒃ ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᓕᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᒍᑕᐅᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ. “ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓐᖏᒻᒪᑕ ᓯᕗᓕᖏᑕ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ;ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓐᖏᓯᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᑕᒪᑦᓱᒥᖓ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓃᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ, ᑎᒃᑯᐊᑐᖅᓱᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᑦᑎ ᓇᑦᓯᐅᖑᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᑯᒥ. “ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᓄᖅᑐᕐᔪᐊᕌᓗᐃᑦ ᐱᖕᒪᕆᐊᓘᔪᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᓖᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᓪᓗ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᓕᐅᒐᕐᓂ, ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᖅᑕᖏᑕ.” ᒪᒡᒍᕆᒐ ᒫᓐᓇ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᒻᒪᕆᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᓕᕆᕝᕕᖕᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖓᑕ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂ, ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᔭᐅᓕᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕗᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓᓂ. ᑕᑯᓐᓇᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔩᑦ ᐲᔭᐃᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕐᒥᒍᑦ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᕿᐊᖅᑕᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᓐᓇᓯᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑑᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂ. ᐱᔭᕆᐊᑐᔪᐊᓗᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᓯᓚᒃᑯᑦ, ᐊᓐᓇᓯᒪᓇᓱᐊᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᓂᑲᒍᓱᓐᓂᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᔪᖅ, ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᑐᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᕋᓵᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᑎᒍᓯᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᓂᐊᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᒫᓐᓇ ᖃᐅᔨᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᑕᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ. “ᒪᒃᑯᑦᑐᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᐅᓚᔾᔪᑎᒋᔭᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᕐᒥᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᒃᑯᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᓐᓇᓯᒪᕗᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ. “ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᓐᓇᓯᒪᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᕆᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕈᓐᓇᖅᑕᒥᒍᑦ, ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔪᓐᓇᑐᑦᓴᐅᒋᕗᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓂᒃ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᓐᓇᓯᒪᔾᔪᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ.”

© 2010 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ᕿᒻᒥᑦ: ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᓱᓕᔫᒃ ᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦᑑᒃ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᑦᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐆᓕ ᒋᐅᔅᑖᑦ, ᔪᐃᓕ ᓴᖑᔭ ᑕᕐᕆᔮᓕᐊᖓ ᓵᓚᑦ ᑎ ᕘᕝ (Piksuk Media Inc.), ᔫ ᒪᒃᑖᓄᑦ (NFB) ᐊᑦᔨᓐᖑᐊᖅ: ᔪᐃᓕ ᓴᖑᔭᖅ ᕿᒧᔅᓯᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᒐᖓ: ᐲᑕ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᔪᐊᖅ

As difficult as it may be for contemporary Inuit to face past injustice or prejudice, educators in the North are welcoming the opportunity Unikkausivut will allow to do that and much more. Cathy McGregor, who has taken part in Arctic education for 38 years, is anticipating these films as eye-opening experiences for students.

“They don’t know how their grandparents lived; they have no idea because they don’t live that life,” she says, pointing to the example of hunting by posing as a seal on the ice. “There’s all kinds of very important values and lessons in those films, beyond the specifics of what they’re seeing.”

McGregor now serves as Executive Director of Curriculum & School Services for the Government of Nunavut Department of Education, which has become a partner in Unikkausivut.

She can envision teachers extracting lessons about how Inuit traditionally solved critical problems of survival with ingenious use of available resources. In a harsh, unforgiving setting, she explains, these people were forced to adopt principles of sustainability that the rest of the world is only beginning to consider.

“Young people can understand that what is core to that old way of life actually gives Inuit an advantage for the future,” she explains. “Because they have lived a sustainable lifestyle, maybe they can teach people in the rest of the world how to be more sustainable in their lifestyle.”

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arctic exotica

Inuit Night in the City

Annual Westboro community Fest Wows!

Š COURTESY JEN FILE/VALBERG IMAGING

Photography by Jen File

Hugely talented singer/song-writer, Lucie Idlout, is always a crowd-pleaser.

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arctic exotica

Tumivut’s, Charlotte Qamaniq-Mason, enthralls with this musical project’s unique blend of Inuit throat-singing and contemporary music genres.

Although the calendar indicated it was June 10, so technically still spring, the weather was fine. Better than fine... the evening was warm, the skies crystal clear.

A typical summer’s night in the Capital actually, perfect for gathering up family and friends and hitting the streets for a stress-relieving bout of entertainment at week’s end. Westfest in Ottawa was a “picture perfect” night under the stars for wowing all who attended; a night that embraced the world-class talents of some of Canada’s finest northern artists.

Westfest’s Qaggiq showcase of Inuit performing arts, sponsored by First Air, The Airline of the North, transcended the broad, always evolving scope of northern music and stage arts genres. Audiences were entertained with drum dancing, hip-hop, throat-singing, spine-tingling hard rock vocals, and daring, colourful dance performances. It was a memorable night of amazing Inuit, solo and group performance art: EXOTICA. A night truly above&beyond.

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arctic exotica

Left: Nationally acclaimed Inuk-producer of electronic music, DJ Mad Eskimo, spins the goods between sets.

Š COURTESY JEN FILE/VALBERG IMAGING (4)

Below: Cousins Selina Kalluk (left) and Tanya Tagaq capture the audience with a throat-singing number.

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arctic exotica

Above: Imaginative and dynamic, best describe the performance art of Kaiva.

Right: 10-year-old Inuk drummer Nathan Kettler is already a well-known and seasoned performer.

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© COURTESY JEN FILE/VALBERG IMAGING (5)

arctic exotica Top Left: Thomas Clair joins Lucie on the stage.

Right: Kaiva makes a surprise appearance in dynamic Inuk rapper, M.O. (Eskimocentricity)’s act.

Left: David Serkoak, a cultural instructor at Nunavut Sivuniksavut in Ottawa, performs a drum-dance.

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Exploring the

Weather Clyde River at

Š HENRY HUNTINGTON (3)

By Henry Huntington

Unpacking materials for set-up of Akuliaqattak station.

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Esa Qillaq (right) and Jayko Ashevak towing our heavy equipment up to the site of our first weather station, Akuliaqattak, north of Clyde River.

t’s early May in Kangiqtugaapik, or Clyde River, Nunavut. Looking out the window of Shari Gearheard’s house, I see blue sky overhead. At ground level, however, the distant houses are hard to see in the blowing snow. A pennant flying from the neighbour’s roof is standing straight out for the third day in a row. Somehow this is fitting, as we are here to study the weather.

Inuit have noted many changes in weather over the past few decades. Among other things, they report that the weather is harder to predict than it used to be. This complaint echoes observations I’ve heard from Alaska (where I live), Canada’s western Arctic, Nunavut, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Something is undoubtedly going on.

What that means specifically is harder to pin down. Shari and I work with two meteorologists to compare Inuit observations of winds with data from the weather station at the Clyde River airport. The two records do not really agree, with Inuit reporting various changes that are largely undetectable from the wind instruments. We decide to probe deeper, enlisting the help of Glen Liston and Kelly Elder, scientists from Fort Collins, Colorado, who have looked at weather and snow throughout the world. Together, we secure a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to try to connect Inuit observations with weather instruments and models.

At the centre of the project are the Inuit with whom we are working. Esa Qillaq, Joelie Sanguya, Jayko Ashevak, Ilkoo Angutikjuak, and Laimikie Palluq are among those whose observations started the study. They christened our project team Silalirijiit, “those who study or care about weather.”

Our basic idea is that the weather varies greatly over the landscape surrounding Clyde River. The mountains, fjords, and sea all help shape patterns of temperature, wind, and snowfall. While Inuit travel and hunt all across the area, the weather station at the airport captures only one location. So we need to get more data, which means building and maintaining remote weather stations. And we need to better understand how Inuit see the weather. For example, is it wind that really matters, or the blowing snow that makes it hard to see?

I

Kelly Elder (left) and Esa Qillaq (right) are delighted to see that the maintenance work at the Ailaktalik station (south of Clyde River) is successful, with the data showing up correctly on the laptop screen.

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© HENRY HUNTINGTON (2)

Jayko Ashevak (left) and Esa Qillaq (right) drill into the rock to anchor one corner of the Akuliaqattak weather station.

With help from local experts, we selected three sites for the stations. Kelly designs the set-up and assembles the parts in Colorado, before shipping all the gear to Clyde River. We install the first in June 2010, and two more in September. Shari and Glen, working with our local partners, set up a website where the data are available in real-time.

In addition, Gordon Kattuk, from the Ittaq Heritage and Research Centre, records a weather message in Inuktitut twice daily during the week on a local phone line. Hunters and travellers use the information to supplement what they see when they look out their windows in Clyde River and plan their trips.

That is exactly what we are doing this morning in May 2011. The week before we visited our northern site, conducting routine maintenance and replacing the anemometers and the barometer. The weather was fine on that trip, but as we drew closer to Clyde River on our return, the clouds moved in, the light grew flat, and the wind started picking up. This is now the third morning we’ve been looking out the window at the blowing snow, wondering how much discomfort we’re willing to put up with to get to the two other stations.

Akuliaqattak station, ready for another year of operation.

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© SHARI GEARHEARD (3) © HENRY HUNTINGTON

Esa Qillaq and Ilkoo Angutikjuaq speaking to students at Poudre High School in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Visiting the campus at University of Colorado Boulder.

L-R: Igah Sanguya, Raygee Palituq, Glen Liston, Ilkoo Angutikjuaq, Esa Qillaq, Joelie Sanguya, Rosemary Sanguya.

Esa cuts slices of frozen Arctic char for lunch.

And, of course, we have been looking at the data coming from those stations to help us make up our minds. The station at the head of Clyde Inlet reports moderate winds (15 km/h), but to get there we have to travel over 100 km, starting in poor visibility here.

The station south of Clyde River is closer, and could easily be done in a day in good travelling weather. But it reports 40 km/h winds, and no doubt the conditions between here and there are much like they are in Clyde River.

So we practice patience, work on other things, and glance out the window every few minutes, hoping to see the cliffs in the distance or some other sign that perhaps we can head out today. As with so many aspects of life in the North, the weather is a huge influence on our activities, our plans, and even our moods. But we visitors also feel lucky to get to spend time on the land and in the company of our local colleagues, making the most of the down days by visiting and eating Arctic char, caribou, and bannock, and reminiscing about the visit the Inuit made to Colorado last October.

The purpose of the Colorado trip was to make the exchange of information and experience a two-way street. Rather than just having the scientists visit Clyde River and see what the locals do, we thought it important for the Inuit to see the working and living environment of the scientists, too. We took in the laboratories where Kelly and Glen work, visited their homes and spoke in the schools of Kelly’s kids, and, of course, took in a Colorado Avalanche game.

Just as the weather stations help give us a multi-dimensional picture of the weather in the Clyde River area, the social exchanges and visits back and forth among the Inuit and academic members of the Silalirijiit team help us understand one another beyond the common interest of meteorology. After all, weather is so often just the starting point, whether in conversation or in our interactions with the land and sea. The more time we spend looking at the same things, the better we are able to connect the ways we measure, talk about, and are affected by the weather.

And now the cliffs are in sight, the roof pennant is no longer straight out. Esa and Joelie say we can get going. Fire up the snow machines, we’re ready to go out to the next station!

While in Colorado, artists Ilkoo Angutikjuaq (right) and Esa Qillaq meet with fellow carver Steve Kestrel and tour his studio and workshop outside of Fort Collins.

Weather data from the stations are available at www.clyderiverweather.org. The recorded weather message in Inuktitut is available toll free at 1-855-924-6075.

July/August 2011

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IQALUIT, NUNAVUT

A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

Great Northern Canada Writing Contest Yellowknife’s NorthWords Festival winners

© JIRI HERIMAN/DE BEERS CANADA (2)

Yellowknife-born AmberLee Kolson reading from her first novel Wings of Glass at the De Beers Gala Readings.

BC Author Susan Juby reading from her hilarious novel The Woefield Poultry Collective at the De Beers Gala Readings.

ince its inception in 2006, the NorthWords Writers Festival, has continued to grow in popularity while in pursuit of its mandate to encourage creativity and craft in the literary arts in the Northwest Territories. Each year, the Yellowknife festival, with the help of its dedicated sponsors, honours the best in northern and aboriginal writing. (See Trio Awarded Northwords Prize, page15).

Along with providing a venue for readings where northern authors share the stage with established and successful Canadian authors, the festival also hosts workshops and mentorships and gives the general public an opportunity to learn more about the joys of books, reading and putting the written word to paper.

Each year, as part of the Festival activities, NorthWords holds its Great Northern Canada Writing Contest, awarding cash prizes (courtesy of De Beers Canada) for the First Place entry, selected by the organization’s judges, and also a special Emerging Writers prize to recognize a new previously unpublished writer.

In our role as NorthWords sponsors, the Festival’s official airline, First Air, The Airline of the North, and above&beyond, CANADA’S ARCTIC JOURNAL, carry on the annual tradition of sharing the winning entrants stories with our many readers.

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A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

Nowhere But North:

A Case for Cornbread and Wolverines

By Tim Irvin t is worth travelling 40 days alone by canoe on the tundra, if only to taste fresh cornbread on day 32.

This is what I am thinking the day I see the wolverine. Drifting midriver, savouring the fresh cornbread I baked that morning, I am deep in the throes of what my Dad calls a gastric orgasm. Somewhere downstream a wolverine is nosing its way in my direction. But I don't know that yet.

Zigzagging across mainland Nunavut, I have spent the preceding weeks paddling down one river, struggling up a second, then portaging four days to get here: the headwaters of the Western river. In about a week the river will spit me into Bathurst Inlet on the Arctic coast, where I will catch a floatplane back to Yellowknife. It is not the first summer I have spent on the tundra, but it is the first time I have gone alone.

The big advantage of solo travel is the ability to indulge in every whim, to follow my nose and explore anything that catches my fancy. Some days this means climbing up eskers, following caribou trails across the flowered dappled landscape. Other

© COURTESY TIM IRVIN

I Tim Irvin, winner First Prize Great Northern Canada Writing Contest.

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times I sit in the canoe, drifting with the current while plucking my ukulele, or set off on foot to sneak up on musk oxen, watching the wind whip their shaggy coats around their ankles.

One day I paddled into an ice-choked bay and discovered pans of rotten ice that tinkled like a music box in my wake. On the shoreline I spotted grizzly tracks in the mud and caribou scat in clusters of mountain avens. I laughed out loud at this: flowers and shit, together at last. Grabbing my camera bag, I hiked out through fragrant clusters of Arctic lupines, taking pictures until the sun faded well after midnight.

This morning I would have thought it was raining if I didn’t know any better.

Warm and snug inside my tent, the pattering on the fly might have even put me at peace. But this was not the sound of rain. It was scores of black flies pinging off the nylon, looking for a way inside... looking for me.

If not for the pressure in my bladder I never would have ventured outside.

Leaping from the tent cocooned in my bug shirt, I walked briskly, simultaneously squirting my morning dew in spurts. The

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idea was to keep moving to reduce insect attacks on exposed organs, manoeuvring deftly to avoid pissing on my pants. The tactic was effective on both counts. Well, mostly.

After zipping up, I stood for a moment within the buzzing cloud of insects, morbidly fascinated by their staggering numbers. Even if it meant paddling into a headwind, I would welcome a stiff breeze to blow away this scourge. It struck me then, that everything is ravenous out here.

The bugs with their thirst for blood, the wolves I’ve seen snapping at moulting geese, the lake trout that smack my lures with the force of a heavy weight’s right hook, and me.

There is nothing like a calorie deficit to make eating consume your thoughts and turn food into taste bud Crack. And there is nothing like weeks of paddling, portaging and hiking with strict rations to create those conditions by deepening ones appetite and gobbling through body fat reserves.

To take my mind off food for a while I try to muse about other things like why this place — the northern Arctic tundra — is so irresistible for me. I think it has something to do with combining the excitement of paddling wild rapids, or encountering herds of migrating caribou with the sweetness of bug-free moments, sitting quietly by the gurgling river: the very stuff that makes life palpable.

Out on the river much later, I’m contemplating all this again when I reach for the cornbread. The taste washes over me, a flavour sucker-punch that merges all thoughts into one: it is worth it — the bugs, portages, blisters — if only for this.

The wolverine jolts me from my cornbread-induced reverie. Appearing just 150 metres downstream, it is the first wolverine I have seen in more than 5,000 km of northern canoe trips. Of all things wild and

© DOTWEB.DK / FOTOLIA.COM

A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

toothy, people know this in particular about wolverines: they live fiercely. Powerful, tireless and cagey, known to successfully challenge grizzly bears multiple times their size, wolverines are the very embodiment of wildness.

Gripping my binoculars, I can see its trademark see-sawing gait as it lopes up the shoreline, coarse brown fur rippling on its back, needles of light flashing off the streaks of blonde. Head down, sniffing as it moves, it stabs its jaws at something on the ground I cannot see, gulps it down and keeps moving.

With my attention riveted on the wolverine, I didn't notice the faint thumping sound coming from somewhere behind me. But when it crests the river valley, the sound of the low-flying helicopter fills my ears with an explosive roar, the whirling blades chopping the air, shredding the silence and my moment with the only wolverine I may ever see.

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For a month, I’ve seen nobody, heard only but the wind, water and birdsong around me. Then, somehow, in a space of 1.3 million square kilometres of wilderness, a canoeist, a wolverine and a helicopter intersect simultaneously in a baffling and infuriating coincidence.

Whirling on its hind legs, the wolverine bolts, its sharp claws tearing into the tundra as it bounds in the only sensible direction a threatened wolverine can go: North.

For where else but the North can a wolverine find the space to contain its snarling appetites and wild nature? And where else but the North can a person tap into that vestigial wildness we also harbour inside; that primal hunger and physicality that calms the mind, enlivens our spirit and heightens our senses to the point that one can achieve nirvana by simply eating cornbread?

Nowhere but North.

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Time Stood Still

By Dean Webb t all started with one phone call.

“Have you talked to your wife today?”

It was a friend of ours calling from Inuvik, Northwest Territories (NT).

My wife was pregnant, and at thirtysix weeks, had flown from Ulukhaktok, NT, to Inuvik, NT. “No, why?” I asked reluctantly.

“She was supposed to come over to our house for supper tonight,” the voice at the other end of the phone replied.

My heart immediately sunk. I knew something was wrong. My wife is one of the most reliable people I have ever met. I immediately began to panic. “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything is fine,” my friend replied. But I knew that something was not right, and started to think the worst.

My wife and I were transferred from Kelowna, British Columbia, to Deline, NT, in the fall of 2008. I am a member of the RCMP and this was our first stint in the

© COURTESY DEAN WEBB

I Dean Webb, Emerging Writer prize winner.

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North. After serving the community of Deline we transferred to Ulukhaktok. My wife and I were expecting our first born and excited at the opportunity to live in the Arctic.

I ran home and checked my Hotmail and Facebook hoping to have an explanation for why she had missed her dinner date.

Unfortunately there was no answer. Just then the phone rang. “I found her, she is here at the hospital and she is in labour!”

My wife picked up the phone and explained that she had been feeling “funny” and had went to the hospital to get checked out. It was after the doctor saw her that it was determined that she was in labour.

“Don’t worry, I am only two centimetres dilated. A woman can be two centimetres dilated for a few weeks. Try and get here as soon as you can, okay?”

I immediately phoned my boss and asked if I could fly out of the community on Wednesday. My wife had gone into labour three weeks premature and it was apparent that I needed to get there now.

My boss agreed and I booked my flight. It was Monday night and the hours were dragging slowly. I patiently waited for my wife to phone me. Nothing could have prepared me for the call that I received from her.

“Babe, the baby is coming.” Time stood still. “What do you mean?” I asked anxiously.

“I am six centimetres dilated, and in so much pain,” my wife sobbed. “The doctor said that I am going to have to start pushing soon.”

“I don’t know if I can make it there in time!” I replied. “I will try my best, but I don’t think that there is anything I can do.”

I hung up the phone and began to cry. I could not believe that I was going to miss the birth of my first child. I called my mother in Saskatchewan. “Hi Mom” is all that I could say. “What is wrong?” she immediately replied. I wiped away tears and explained that my wife was in labour

A R T S , C U LT U R E & E D U C AT I O N

and that there was no flights going to Inuvik tonight or tomorrow. It was almost midnight on Monday night, thirty-six hours from my booked flight.

I tried to get some sleep. No sleep came.

I went into the RCMP Detachment at 5 a.m. and called my boss. “Sir, I am so sorry to call you so early, but I’m freaking out!” I explained that my wife had gone into labour and could deliver our baby at any moment. My boss told me that he would see what he could do and to stay at the office. He phoned me back in forty-five minutes. Those forty-five minutes felt like hours. “I made some arrangements; the police plane is on the way to pick you up.”

As I looked into the room I saw my wife’s beautiful smiling face. Our family friend was at her bedside eagerly awaiting my arrival. Our baby had waited for me to arrive. I apologized to my wife for not being there for her. I kissed her head repeatedly.

She shrugged it off and told me that she was relieved that I was here.

Twenty-four hours later we welcomed our baby boy to the world. The birth of our son was the most amazing feeling in the world. I was so happy that I made it in time

to welcome him and his squished head to the world.

Being up North comes with sacrifices.

There is the extreme climate, the isolated communities, and being far away from family and friends. But, at the end of the day I will take it.

In twenty years when my boy is grown up and my wife and I are old and grey, we will joke about this story. I have no doubt that our time up North will be our fondest memories of all!

“Babe, the baby is coming.”

Time stood still. ...I hung up the phone and began to cry.

I could not believe that I was going to miss the birth of my first child.

I felt relieved for the moment, but knew that it would be hours before they got to the community, and another two hours before I arrived in Inuvik. I went home and packed. I drove out to the airport and began to pace. I began praying that my child would wait for my arrival.

The police plane came and picked me up. Unfortunately, there were three other communities that we had to stop in on the way to Inuvik. My mind was racing. I began to wonder if I would make it to Inuvik in time.

The police plane landed and I was whisked away to the hospital. I ran into the hospital as fast as I could. I was pointed in the right direction and sprinted down to the hall. A nurse saw me arrive and immediately knew who I was. I was told which room my wife was in, and nothing more.

I poked my head into the room, not knowing what I would see. Would my wife be holding my newborn child? Or had our baby waited for me to get here?

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SUMMER LIFE

Kevin Quinn shares a glorious Great Slave sunset.

A World Apart Slowing down while sailing on Great Slave Lake ne of the surprising characteristics of Yellowknife is just how fast-paced life is in a community of roughly 20,000 people. There are many more things to do than time to do them. Life sure is busy!

Sailing on Great Slave Lake offers a quiet counterpoint to the bustle of city life.

The lake — especially its East Arm — is a beautiful, unspoiled sailing destination that takes years to fully explore.

You don’t have to go far before there’s no cell service and no Internet. If you go farther still, there’s no Coast Guard radio coverage either. For emergencies and weather forecasts, smart sailors keep a SAT phone on board.

This is part of the beauty of sailing “the big lake” (one of the world’s largest): you have to slow down. You’re disconnected from the high-speed, instant-response demands of text messages, cell phones and email. You pay attention to the world around you. And what a lovely world it is!

© JAN FULLERTON (2)

O

Abigale Coad, on a shore run.

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© JAN FULLERTON (6)

SUMMER LIFE

(L-R) Dwayne Coad, mascot Jasmine, and Sea Bear crew, Danielle Patzer and Abigale Coad try to catch dinner.

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It is also a great opportunity to engage with kids on a different level. Once you strip away the electronics and Internet and packed activity schedule, you’re left with only each other for entertainment.

Our boat — a 35-foot Fantasia known as Sea Bear — is family-friendly. With its various amenities, we call it our “floating cottage.” We stock it with craft supplies and Archie comics and games and cards, as well as more food than we think we’ll need because there is only one place in the East Arm where you can buy provisions.

The small community of Lutsel K’e is a blessing for sailors. It can take five to seven days or more to get from Yellowknife to Lutsel K’e under sail. In this picturesque community of about 300, you can buy goods in the small store or arrange to have things like food or spare parts shipped from Yellowknife.

On one trip, we brought along my husband’s daughter, Abigale, and her friend, Danielle, both age 11. We had no idea what to expect from growing appetites on a sailboat for 17 days. Food was stuffed in every available nook and cranny. We had an overflowing box of craft supplies so the girls could make scrapbooks of their trip; it held photo paper, albums, decorations, glue and more, plus unrelated miscellany such as craft clay and drawing supplies. We had cameras, a laptop,

July/August 2011

This old boat lies forever silent in the calm of Moose Bay.

and a portable printer. The selection of electronics was something my husband and I spent some time discussing before the trip as we tried to figure out the right balance: both girls had never been on an extended sailing trip and we weren’t sure how they’d adjust to the slower pace.

Each morning, we’d have breakfast — perhaps blueberry pancakes or fruit salad and cereal, at least until the fresh fruit ran out.

We’d then clean up and carefully stow everything away – an absolute must on a sailboat.

After making the boat shipshape, we’d hoist the anchor and set off for our next destination. While under way, our crew would

SUMMER LIFE

read, do crafts, work on scrapbooks, work on the boat (sanding and varnishing), fish, take pictures, etc. Naps were also a popular pastime, especially on days characterized by warm sun and gentle waves.

Sometimes we’d find adventure along the way, stopping at a beach or island or other place that caught our attention or that we’d heard had something interesting to offer.

Other days we’d head for our evening anchorage, then go on-shore excursions. These trips were partly for exploring and partly for the dog, who chose from the beginning to never relieve herself on board Sea Bear.

The end of the day brought supper followed by evening activities. These often involved card games like Canasta, Cheat and Spoons (a violent sailboat game if ever one existed). Occasionally we included fellow sailors and had a party. Danielle celebrated her 12th birthday on board, complete with decorations, a birthday cake (made from a mix that day), games, company, and more.

On nights when all were weary, we’d watch a movie on the laptop instead (usually with fresh popcorn). Our days would end with another trip to shore with the dog, usually with a million-mosquito escort, then back to the boat at our dinghy’s top speed to leave the mosquitoes behind. We’d climb inside and stuff towels in any crevices that were known

The Seabear, gently adrift near the beautiful southside of Redcliff Island.

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SUMMER LIFE

Emma Tutton (left) and Abigale fully embrace summer life on Great Slave Lake.

mosquito access points. The nights were the only time we were bothered by mosquitoes.

It wasn’t every night, but they’re crafty devils and even with our best efforts, we were sometimes wakened by the persistent and perturbing whine of one that literally got through our net.

Mosquito-zapping rackets are an amazing invention.

That trip was our longest trip with young people, but we have done a number of shorter trips with various combinations of Dwayne’s children — who are really young adults — and their friends. Sometimes we go

out for a day, visit an island or inlet and are home that evening. Other trips, we go for several days to a place like Moose Bay or Drybones Bay and use that as a base point for hiking and exploring. The younger and more intrepid crew members even go swimming in Great Slave Lake’s frigid waters — much to the dog’s dismay, as she believes there is something fundamentally wrong with the kids jumping overboard. I can’t fault her instincts.

On our trips, we have seen a variety of plants, animals, and places. We’ve named many of the places too. The bay where we celebrated the twelfth anniversary of Danielle’s arrival on this earth became “Birthday Bay”; a largerthan-usual bluff we climbed in Wildbread Bay is now “Mount Danbie” to us — a hybrid of Danielle and Abbie’s names.

One of the best things about Great Slave Lake is that you can feel like explorers in a relatively uncharted world. While we were by no means the first to visit any place on Great Slave Lake, much of the lake is relatively undocumented. We had nautical charts and two cruising guides that have been compiled by sailors over the years, but the lake still holds many secrets and surprises.

One year we set out to reach Utsingi Point, but a strong and persistent east wind discouraged us from achieving this goal. We got as far east as Waterfall Bay on the south side of Blanchett Island, then gave up the fight and let the wind carry us west past the Caribou Islands. There were three sailboats travelling together — a Fraser 42, Sea Bear and a 24-foot Shark. The waves weren’t ferociously high.

Neither were they insignificant — running two and a half to three feet. If we had been

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perpendicular to the waves, this would have caused the boat to rock forward and back — a state of affairs that usually isn’t too hard on the stomach. However, the waves were hitting us at an angle from behind while the wind shoved us enthusiastically along, causing an erratic pitch and roll that left one feeling decidedly queasy.

There were no children along that time, but our fifty-pound dog was on board and she didn’t care for Sea Bear’s unpredictable motion. We had her bed on the cockpit floor by the helm — the space is just the right size and it keeps her from being tossed about below deck. She has a lifejacket, but we knew that it would be difficult if not impossible to rescue her in those conditions if she fell overboard. Every time the boat had a particularly violent lurch, Jasmine would scramble to her feet. The poor creature was immediately told to lie down! If needed, one of us would push her back down on her bed to ensure her safety. This went on for hours until we finally rounded the point of Wilson Island, where the island itself provided shelter from the relentless wind and waves.

It was along the final upwind sail to our Wilson Island anchorage that the lake held a secret — and reinforced the need to share information among sailors. We knew there was a rock awash somewhere nearby. A rock awash is a rock that lies almost even with the surface of the water so waves wash over it. In calm water, it can be very difficult to spot.

Fortunately, with any waves at all, the splash of the breaking waves can act as a beacon announcing its presence.

I went forward to provide a bow watch

“Moving Forward”

by Temela Aqpik, Kimmirut, Nunavut

© JAN FULLERTON (2)

Our story author, Jan Fullerton, with dinner!

while Dwayne manned the helm. I knew roughly where the rock should be, but couldn’t see any sign of it. As a sailor, you don’t worry as much about the dangers you can see as the ones you can’t — the ones that are lurking somewhere below the surface, sometimes unknown and unsuspected.

As we neared the mouth of the small bay, I finally saw it — much farther out than I expected and well clear of our path. I looked behind at our fellow sailors and saw that the smallest of our fleet, The Grail, was on a line that could put her in danger. We radioed her captain, who scanned the horizon until he confirmed the rock’s location, and the rest of the trip was without incident. This type of teamwork between boats — even those not travelling together — has helped avoid many issues, but most frequent sailors on the lake have had at least one unwelcome encounter with a hidden rock or reef.

Most of my sailing experiences have been in the North. I enjoy sailing elsewhere too, but I love the feel of adventure here. I love the rocky shores. I love watching for — and seeing — moose and bears as we cruise along and I love the small, wild orchids that surprise me with their beauty and delicacy in this rugged land. I love being miles and miles from civilization and going days without seeing anyone but my travel companions. I love feeling like I’m at the end of the earth. I love slowing down.

How lucky we are here on Great Slave Lake!

J.S. Fullerton July/August 2011

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NORTHERN BOOKSHELF

Great reads for all ages Last Days of the Arctic Ragnar Axelsson, Crymogea, 2011 Ragnar Axelsson has been travelling to the Arctic for almost three decades, drawn by a deep respect for the hunting communities of northern Greenland and Canada. For thousands of years the Inuit have built their communities based upon an understanding of the land and the frozen ocean. In Last Days of the Arctic, Axelsson documents, through nearly 200 images, how the Arctic is warming faster than any other region on earth. His gorgeous photographs, mostly in black and white, show vast glaciers, sleds gliding across ice, and houses mostly buried in snow, but they also depict how the Inuit’s way of life is transforming drastically as a result of climate change.

The Magnetic North Notes from the Arctic Circle Sara Wheeler, D&M Publishers Inc., Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011

Arctic Naturalist: The Life of J. Dewey Soper Anthony Dalton, Dundurn Press, 2010

In The Magnetic North, Sara Wheeler travels counter clockwise around the North Pole through the territories belonging to Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, marking the transformations of what once seemed an unchangeable landscape. Smashing through the Arctic Ocean with the crew of a Russian icebreaker, shadowing the endless Trans-Alaska Pipeline with a tough Idaho-born outdoorswoman, herding reindeer with the Lapps, and visiting the haunting, deceptively peaceful lands of the Gulag, Wheeler brings the Arctic’s many contradictions to life. The Magnetic North is an urgent, beautiful book, rich in dramatic description and vivid reporting.

Dewey Soper first travelled to the Arctic in 1923. During the next seven years he accepted three research postings on Baffin Island, each of which lasted between one and two years.

In 1929 he discovered the breeding grounds of the blue goose in the southwest corner of Baffin Island. He also charted the final unknown region of Baffin Island’s coastline. Later in life he worked in the western Arctic and also studied bison in Wood Buffalo National Park, documented bird life on the Prairies, and made a detailed study of small mammals in Alberta. Soper was the last of the great pioneer naturalists in Canada. He was also a skilled and meticulous explorer. As a naturalist, he was a major contributor to the National Museum of Canada, as well as to the University of Alberta and other museums across the country. In Arctic Naturalist, author and adventurer Anthony Dalton chronicles Soper’s adventures while investigating the flora and fauna of his natural surroundings, with the bulk of the text highlighting his Arctic explorations. Based on research gleaned from anecdotes from Soper’s family and archival photographs, Dalton provides an engaging read into the life of an ambitious naturalist and researcher.

AVERY COOPER FINANCIAL CORP

July/August 2011

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FIELD NOTES

The Return of the Swans ach year in early spring the Arctic plays host to countless birds who have travelled from afar to make the arduous journey northwards to mate, nest and rear young. Amongst the largest, and without a doubt the most graceful,

© CLAUS VOGEL (2)

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are the swans.

Canada’s Arctic is home to two species of swan: the more widespread tundra swan and its larger cousin, the trumpeter swan. Adults of both sexes sport identical white feathers whereas the young maintain their dusty-grey plumage for up to two years. The iron-rich marshes in some locations across the North are responsible for staining the heads and neck feathers of adults a rusty-red colour.

Both species spend the winter months in lower British Columbia and throughout the States. In late March they gather in large flocks to begin their journey northwards. Along the way they make a few refuelling stops wherever open water provides them with refuge, aquatic plants and invertebrates.

Within a matter of a few short weeks the swans will separate from the flock and fly off in pairs to their summer breeding grounds in the marshes and lakes throughout the High North.

Swans pair with mates for life, with pair bonding usually taking place in the autumn.

Nesting begins as soon as the snow has begun to melt. Both species prefer to build

nests on muskrat houses or on elevated hummocks adjacent to marshes or ponds. The male, referred to as the pen, is aggressive in defending his territory while the female (cob) incubates her clutch of four to six eggs for up to 40 days. The young (cygnets) are led to open water shortly after hatching. There, they begin to feed on aquatic insects and other invertebrates before switching their diet to aquatic plants. The cygnets will spend their first year with their parents and have been known to return with them the following spring.

What a sight it is to see the first of the swans return each year in spring. Their French

July/August 2011

horn like calls, their elegant flight displays and constant chattering signals the end of another winter in Canada’s North.

Claus Vogel The author would like to thank Sandra Cashin for her generosity in loaning him “Besty Lou”.

Without her, Claus would not have been able to photograph these impressive birds or have endured so many ‘misadventures’. Thank you Sandra.

More swan images can be seen on his website www.tradewindsphoto.ca.

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Come check out the newest Inuit Art Gallery!

Located at Tumiit Plaza, Carvings Nunavut has a spacious and elegant atmosphere.

Open Monday-Saturday from 10AM-6PM, evenings and weekends by appointment by calling 867-222-1949

Building 626, Tumiit Plaza, Iqaluit, Nunavut carvingsnunavut@gmail.com

www.nunavutcarvings.com

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INUIT FORUM

Changing the “Back to School” experience ummer is when we go boating, and fishing, spend beautiful moments out on the land, at camps, and lose track of time, before “Back to School” arrives in the fall.That time will come soon enough when our Inuit youth head back to a school desk.

Unfortunately, “the reality of Inuit education in Canada is such that too many of our children are not attending school, too few are graduating, and even some of our graduates are not equipped with an education that fully meets the Canadian standard.”

That quote is from the National Strategy on Inuit Education, launched on Parliament Hill last June. It’s from my Chairperson’s Message in the report, titled “First Canadians, Canadians First” — a tribute to former ITK President Jose Kusugak.

I have been working hard over the past several years to transform the “Back to School” experience for our Inuit youth. Long before the National Summit on Inuit education was held in Inuvik in April 2008, it was clear to me that our children must be better equipped to face an increasingly complex world. Inuit youth have additional challenges to face in this complex world: having to balance Inuit culture with Western culture, Inuit language versus English and French, and Hunting and gathering versus 9 to 5.

While many Inuit have succeeded at school, despite tremendous odds, the statistics show that too many do not complete school. Our research indicates that it is not only the education system that is falling short, but also the context in our Inuit communities, and, critically, support from parents. This is understandable. In many cases parents do not trust the “education” system, having suffered through the residential school process. So going “Back to School” is fraught with difficulty for both students and parents.

The National Strategy on Inuit Education had to grapple with these concepts head on.

We heard from parents, youth, education leaders and policy specialists from across Inuit Nunangat, and as far away as New Zealand.

Our national Inuit education committee concluded that the key to improving educational outcomes for Inuit lies in three core areas.

First, support children to help them stay in school. Second, provide a bilingual curriculum to achieve literacy in the Inuit language and English or French, and include relevancy to Inuit culture, history, and worldview. Thirdly, increase the number of education leaders and bilingual educators.

Our vision is to graduate bilingual Inuit children with the skills and knowledge to contribute with pride and confidence in the 21st century. Realistically, I know that no strategy will walk children to school, make sure they are well fed and rested, and help get their homework done. This falls to parents and guardians. We plan to support parents to achieve the results we are seeking.

The Strategy contains ten recommendations for core investments to improve outcomes in

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© MARCEL MASON / ITK

© PATRICIA D’SOUZA / ITK

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Inuit education.The first is addressed to parents.

We want to motivate and promote the role of parents. Our research shows a direct link between parental engagement and student success.

Other recommendations address early childhood education, standardizing the Inuit language writing system, creating a university in the Arctic, and increasing the number of bilingual educators.

The strategy is online at www.itk.ca and I encourage you to read it. In the years to come, when “Back to School” arrives in September, I want students, parents, and teachers to be full of excitement at that special time.

At the conclusion of the 2008 Education Summit in Inuvik, we coined the phrase, “I hear the sound of rolling thunder.” The thunder represents the transformation we are making together as Inuit to protect both our language and culture, but also ensure a brighter future for our children and youth. I hear that thunder again!

Mary Simon

ᓄᓇᓕᓐᓅᖓᔪᖅ, ᐊᑲᕐᕆᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᖅ

Nunallaat, Ihuarniq, Atuttiarniq Community, Comfort, Convenience

ᑲᓲᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᑉ ᖄᖓᒍᑦ

Haniliriikhutik Hilarjuap Qulaani Spanning the Top of the World

© above&beyond/PIERRE DUNNIGAN

Iglu Hotel, Baker Lake, Nunavut

www.InnsNorth.com ☎ 1-888-To-North ᓄᓇᓕᓐᓂ- ᓇᒻᒥᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᑐᔪᕐᒥᕖᑦ, ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᓕᒫᒥ.

Nunalinni-namminirijaujut tujurmiviit, kajjiqatigiittut upiuqtaqtulimaami.

Locally-owned hotels, working together across the Arctic.

AB_JA11_Cover_A&B July-August 2010 Cover 6/22/11 10:30 AM Page 60

Sakku First Aviation n4f yK9o6

Combining local expertise with over 60 years of airline experience. vt5tymJ5 kNø5 WJ8N3iq8i4 x7m ^) x3ÇJi4 czb˙oEpsi3u4.

Rankin Inlet Team Left to right: Natalya Branch-Popat, Dianna Owlijoot, Kimberly Makpah, Clayton Tartak, Michelle Jackson, James Connelly, Wayne Kusugak