Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal 2020 | 03

The Inflight Magazine for Canadian North

MAYJUN 2020 | 03 Yours to Keep

In the Days Before Kuujjuaq

Heart-Healthy traditional Inuit Diet

pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada

Celebrating the Return of the Sun

PM40050872

o www.arcticjournal.ca

Dear Guest ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ,

Since my last message, we have all seen many unprecedented changes in our lives as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. As your airline, our role is to connect you with the people and things that matter the most to you, so this has been a challenging time for our team and everyone we serve. We have been able to maintain safe and uninterrupted air service for everyone who depends on us because of exceptional cooperation from all parts of our team and close coordination with Inuit organizations, the Federal, Territorial and Municipal governments and our customers, partners and friends.

Some of the temporary steps we have taken, such as revisions to our flight schedule, staff reductions and changes to our inflight amenities have been extremely difficult but ultimately necessary to complete. We are thankful to everyone who has not only been patient and understanding of these changes but has shown exceptional kindness and support to our team members. The past few months have reinforced how proud our team is to serve you. We are confident that we will emerge from this crisis as a stronger airline and are looking ahead to a return to more normal operations.

In the meantime, we are very pleased to see that our partners in the Territorial governments have already began to implement the first steps of their gradual recovery plans. We have been supportive of all of the precautions they have taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will continue to do our part in supporting all of their guidelines and directives. While it may still be some time before we see many of you on board our aircraft, please know that we are thinking of you and will devote all of our resources, energy and care to maintaining the essential air services that you depend on for all aspects of your lives.

On behalf of all of us at Canadian North, thank you for your friendship and support. It is deeply appreciated.

Chris Avery President and CEO Canadian North

Chris Avery fE{ ∑KE

Johnny Adams ÷i ≈bu Executive Chairman of the Board, Canadian North ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᕆᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓂ, ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ

ᑭᖑᓪᓕᕐᐹᒥᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᓴᕆᔭᓐᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑮᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᕐᓂᓐᓂᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᓯᒪᓗᒃᑖᓕᕋᑦᑕ ᐊᒥᓱᐃᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᖏᑕ ᐃᓅᓯᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐳᕝᕕᕆᓇᖅᑐᐊᓗᒃ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᒥᑦ (COVID-19) ᓯᐊᒻᒪᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂᑦ ᑐᐊᕕᐅᕐᓇᖅᓯᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᑕ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑕ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᒐᑦᑕ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᓕᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᔭᒃᓴᑲᓪᓚᖃᖅᐸᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᒥᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᒋᔭᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᓕᒫᖅ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᕙᒃᑕᕗᑦ. ᑲᔪᓯᑎᓐᑎᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᒪᔪᒍᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᓂᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓇᖖᒋᑦᑐᒦᑎᑦᑎᓗᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᖃᕋᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᑎᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᓗᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᒻᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᖃᑎᒌᒃᓯᒪᓂᖏᓂᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᖃᑎᖃᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᓂᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓂ, ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖃᑎᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖃᑎᐊᓗᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᐊᑕᐃᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐊᕋᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑕ, ᓲᕐᓗ ᐋᖅᑮᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑦᑕ ᐊᒥᓲᔪᓐᓃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᓱᓇᖁᑎᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᕙᓐᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᒻᒥᒃ ᐊᔪᕐᓇᓕᕈᑎᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓗ ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. ᖁᔭᓕᕗᒍᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᓕᒫᖅ ᕿᓄᐃᖅᓵᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᑭᓯᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓗ ᐱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑑᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᑦᓯᐊᖅᑑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ. ᑕᖅᑭᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᓴᖖᒋᒃᑎᒋᐊᕈᑎᒋᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᒋᔭᑦᑕ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓪᓚᕆᒃᓱᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒥᓐᓂ. ᖁᓚᖖᒋᓚᒍᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᑕᒪᑐᒪᖖᖓᑦ ᑐᐊᕕᐅᕐᓇᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥᑦ ᓴᖖᒋᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕐᓗᑕ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᖃᓕᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕋᑦᑕ ᐊᔾᔨᒋᓪᓚᑦᑖᖖᒋᒃᑲᓗᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ.

ᓵᓐᓇᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍᓕ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑦᑐᒍᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᔭᑦᑕ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᕐᓂᖏᑕ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᕐᓯᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᓕᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓱᒃᑲᓕᓗᐊᖖᒋᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓂᒃ. ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᖏᓐᓇᖅᓯᒪᕗᒍᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᔾᔨᖅᓱᑦᑎᐊᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᐊᒻᒪᒃᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖁᓇᒍ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ (COVID-19) ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓂᕐᓂ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒍᑎᒃᓴᕆᔭᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᓕᐅᕆᓯᒪᔾᔪᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᐃᓛᓗ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᖅᓱᑕ ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᓕᕈᒫᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᓯ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦᑎᓐᓂ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᐊᖅᐳᓯ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᐅᒐᑦᓯ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᐃᑎᒍᑦ ᑮᓴᐅᔭᖁᑎᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᑦᑎᒍᑦ, ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑑᓗᑕ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᓂᖃᕐᓂᐊᕋᑦᑕ ᑕᒪᐃᒪᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᓪᓚᕆᒃᓱᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᐅᑎᖃᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᑦᓯᓐᓂ. ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓯᒪᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᒪᑦᑕᐅᓪᓗᑕ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᑦ, ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᖅᐸᑦᓯ ᑐᖖᒐᓇᕐᑑᓂᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ. ᖁᔭᓕᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᒍᑦ.

ᑯᕆᔅ ᐄᕗᕆ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᔭᐅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ

Employee Spotlight | Iqqanaijaqtiup Ujjirijautitauninga

ᓯᓐᑎ ᑐᐊᕐᑎᓐ | Cindy Twerdin ᐸᓐᓂᖅᑑᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑕᕕᓂᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᓯᓐᑎ ᑐᐊᕐᑎᓐ

Originally

ᓯᒪᓕᕐᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᕐᓱᓂ.

living and working in Iqaluit since

ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᖁᕝᕙᓯᒃᓯᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓕᓚᐅᕐᑐᖅ

After high school graduation,

ᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᑦ 23-ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᖅᓯᒪ-

education by taking many training

ᑕᐃᒪᖖᖓᓂ 1988-ᒥᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᓂᓗ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂᕐᒥᐅᖑ-

from

Pangnirtung,

Nunavut, Cindy Twerdin has been 1988 with her family.

ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᓯᒪᓕᕋᒥ, ᓯᓐᑎ

ᐊᒥᓱᐃᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᕆᔭᐅᖃᑦ-

Cindy continued to upgrade her

ᓕᕐᓂᒥᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ. ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᔭᐅᓯᒪᒻᒥᔪᖅ

courses in her 23 years of working

(ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᐅᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᖓᑦ).

leadership courses with CMC

1997-ᒥ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᐅᓪᓗᓂ.

Cindy began working at First Air in

ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ CMC-ᑯᓐᓂᑦ

for the airline. She has also taken (Canadian Management Centre).

ᓯᓐᑎ ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᒪᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ

ᓅᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ

ᓕᒐᓯ

ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ

ᓄᐊᔅᑯᓐᓄᑦ

1997 as a ticket counter agent. She

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑏᑦ

in 2010 working as Manager Sales,

2010ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᐅᓕᖅᓱᓂ ᓂᐅᕝᕈᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂ-

ᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ,

ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ

ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕙᓐᓂᓕᕆᔨᖏᓂ.

ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

moved to Legacy Canadian North

ᐃᓱᒪᑕᖖᒍᖅᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᕐᑐᖅ

Medical and Duty Travel. She

ᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᓇᓐᓇᖓᓂ 2015-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑎᑭᑦᓱᒍ ᔪᓚᐃ

Cargo Operations East in 2015

ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕕᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᐅ-

became Director of Airports and

2019-ᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᖖᒍᕋᒥ ᓂᐅᕝᕈᑎᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᒥ

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᓄᑦ

until July 2019 when she became

ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ

ᓄᐊᔅᑯᓐᓄᑦ. ᓯᓐᑎ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖄᓚᕝᕕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ/ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓕᐊᖅᑐᑦ

Director of Sales and Community

Relations with Canadian North. Cindy works closely with the Inuktitut

ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕙᓐᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᓪᓚᕕᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᐅᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑎ-

call centre/medical travel office in Iqaluit and is passionate about

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ

The people — customers and her colleagues — are what Cindy likes

ᒋᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᓕᖁᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ.

—

ᓂᐅᕕᖅᐸᒃᑐᑦ

ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᓂᒃ

ᐱᐅᒋᓂᖅᐹᕆᕙᐃᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᓂ.

ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᒋᔭᓂ

—

ᓯᓐᑎᐅᑉ

providing this service to Canadian North customers. best about her job.

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓇᓂ ᐃᓱᓕᓯᒪᓕᕌᖓᑦ, ᓯᓐᑎ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᓲᖅ ᓯᓚᒦᑦᑕᕆᐊᒃᓴᒥᓂᒃ: ᓄᓇᓕᐊᖅᓯᒪᓗᓂ, In her down time, Cindy loves spending time outdoors: camping,

ᐃᖃᓪᓕᐊᕆᐊᖅᓯᒪᓗᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓂᕙᔭᖅᑐᕆᐊᒥᒃ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ, ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᓗᐊᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᕼᐋᑭᖅᑐᓂᒃ

fishing, and berry picking. As well, she loves watching hockey.

ᓯᓐᑎ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᒥᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓇᔭᕈᓂ, ᐱᓯᒪᒍᒪᓇᔭᕐᑐᖅ ᒪᒥᓴᐃᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ.

If Cindy could have any superpower, it would be to heal.

ᑕᑯᓐᓇᕆᐊᒥᒃ ᑕᓚᕕᓴᑎᒍᑦ. “ᕼᐋᑭᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᖃᕋᒪ; ᐊᐃᑉᐸᕋ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓂᒃᑲ ᕼᐋᑭᖅᑎᐅᒻᒪᑕ.”

“I come from a hockey family; my husband and daughters play hockey.”

From the Flight Deck Is the air in the cabin safe?

Given the current events around the world, there are lots of questions about the risk of spread of COVID-19. I am often asked about those risks as they relate to aircraft cabins and air travel.

There are lots of surfaces on the aircraft that are touched regularly. In that sense, an aircraft is not unlike many other public places or businesses. We have always had a rigid cleaning schedule for the aircraft cabins and, much like every business did when the outbreak started, we immediately increased the frequency and extent of those cleaning cycles. We also conducted a review of the cleaning products that we use. High touch surfaces throughout the cabin are wiped down more often – and are thoroughly cleaned each time the aircraft passes through one of our main bases. All of the aircraft undergo an enhanced deep cleaning process every night (as well as whenever we have extended ground times between flights that allow sufficient time). We have confirmed that all cleaning products we use are recognized by Health Canada as being appropriate to combat COVID-19. As you can also appreciate, there are a large number of different surfaces and materials on board the aircraft that are cleaned during this process so we have also ensured that these products have been approved by the aircraft manufacturer for use on our aircraft.

One of the more specific questions that I hear revolves around the risk of the virus spreading in the air in the aircraft cabin.

Many people, incorrectly, assume that the risk is relatively high given that they see an aircraft as a bunch of people sitting inside a large metal tube. While that is an easy assumption to make, if we look at what happens to the air in the aircraft cabin, we can see that the risk is actually quite low.

Many people believe that the air in the aircraft cabin is actually trapped in the airplane and we spend the entire flight breathing the same parcel of air for a long time. This isn’t true. New air is always being drawn in from outside the aircraft. That air gets compressed (since the air pressure outside the aircraft in cruise is too low to allow us to breathe the air) and it is then directed into the cabin.

There is a limit to how much new air we can pump into the aircraft at a time so there is a small amount of cabin air that needs to be mixed with this new air. Since the B737 flies at higher altitudes (where the outside air pressure is even lower) and has a much larger cabin (so requires more air) than our turboprop aircraft, a larger amount of air needs to be recycled. Given the larger amount of air that is recycled on those aircraft, that air first passes through HEPA filters (like you would find used in hospitals) before being returned to the cabin. Regardless of the aircraft type, the cabin air is completely replaced every five to seven minutes. (As a comparison, this is the same rate as occurs at medical offices.

Hospital operating theatres replace the air every four minutes.)

The airflow in the aircraft cabin also helps to prevent the spread of airborne particles too.

The air doesn’t move from front to back in the cabin but instead enters the cabin at the ceiling and flows downward and then leaves the cabin at floor level. As a result, there isn’t very much forward or aft movement of the air, so this limits the circulation of exhaled breath from one passenger towards another.

Additionally, the seat backs further enhance the downward flow of air. The seat backs form a channel to funnel the air downward and even cause it to accelerate to enhance the downward flow. Additionally, given that their height extends above most peoples’ heads or mouths, they serve as physical barriers between passengers in different rows.

Amanda Fox wears a face mask, in keeping with the Government of Canada directive that all travellers must have a removable non-medical mask or face covering large enough to cover their mouth and nose during their travel through Canadian airports and in-flight. © Amanda Fox

Before boarding our aircraft, each passenger is asked about their health status and is confirmed to not be exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms. Our crew members also continuously monitor themselves and remain at home if they display any symptoms. While on board the aircraft, all passengers and crew members are also required to wear face coverings. That also further reduces the risk on board.

As you can see, despite the aircraft cabin being a relatively confined space, travelling on board our aircraft is quite safe, even with the ongoing concerns surrounding COVID-19.

Captain Aaron Speer Vice President, Flight Operations Canadian North

If you are curious about a specific topic regarding flying and aircraft operations, let us know what you’d like to learn about and we’ll try to include it in a future column. Email: editor@arcticjournal.ca

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Contents

The Inflight Magazine for Canadian North

MAYJUN 2020 | 03 YOURS TO KEEP

In the Days Before Kuujjuaq

Heart­Healthy Tradi onal Inuit Diet

Pauktuu t Inuit Women of Canada

May | June 2020 Volume 32, No. 3

8 24

Celebrating the Return of the Sun

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Inuvik youth participate in a Traditional Hoop Dancing workshop with Theland Kicknosway. © Weronika Murray

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Features

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Celebrating the Return of the Sun

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Heart-Healthy Traditional Inuit Diet

The iconic three-day Inuvik Sunrise Festival celebrates the return of the sun to the Arctic.

— Photos by Weronika Murray

How do those who follow a traditional Inuit diet rich in animal fat and containing few vegetables remain one of the healthiest populations in the world? — Ivan Boychuk

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In the Days Before Kuujjuaq

Fort Chimo was originally an Inuit camp site from which migrating families caught and dried Arctic char from the Koksoak River during the summer months and hunted seal in nearby Ungava Bay. — Text and photos by James G. Brown

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Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada

Thirty-five years later, Pauktuutit is still addressing critical issues for Inuit women in Northern communities and encouraging Inuit women’s full participation in life in Canada.

— Season Osborne

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11 Living Above&Beyond 18 Resources 34 Adventure Resolution Island — Nick Newbery

36 Farewell Friend Nick Newbery 38 Culture Life on the (Floe) Edge 40 Arts Tusarnaarniq Sivumut Association Music for the Future 42 Recipe 43 Bookshelf 44 Arctic Trivia Quiz 46 Inuit Forum — Natan Obed President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

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Fireworks illuminate the sky celebrating the return of the sun for the first time in 2020. © Weronika Murray (7)

Theland Kicknosway performs at the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Inuvik Sunrise Festival.

Celebrating the Return of the Sun The annual Inuvik Sunrise Festival took place January 3 to 5, 2020 with opening

ceremonies at East Three School. Attendees were treated to a Taste of Inuvik with

country food samples, drumming and dancing performances, ice skating parties, an

Arctic craft market, outdoor family events, lantern making, snow carving, hoop dancing,

quilt and sewing workshops, free children’s dog sledding, and movie screenings. The

three-day event celebrated the return of the sun to the Arctic, culminating in the iconic Inuvik Sunrise Festival giant bonfire and fireworks display.

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Opposite top left: Town Councillors served pancakes, like these, to the community at the annual Pancake Breakfast.

Opposite middle left: Traditional crafts at the Arctic Market are always a hit at the Sunrise Festival.

Opposite middle right: Joe Nasogaluak brings the Ice Village to life with his incredible snow carvings.

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Traditional LED Hoop Dancer, Theland Kicknosway, performs at the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Inuvik Sunrise Festival.

The Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and Aklavik Drummers and Dancers perform at the Sunrise Festival Opening Ceremony.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

L to R: Team 6, Aipilie Qumaluk (p), Aisa Surusilak (m), second place; Team 4, Willie Cain (m), Ken Labbe (p), first place; Team 1, Janimarik Beaulne (m), and Peter Angutik Novalinga (p), 3rd place. M stands for Musher. P stands for Partner. © Makivik Corporation

Defending champs take home the cup The annual Ivakkak husky dog race took off February 25, 2020 from Kangirsuk, Nunavik. The route continued through Nuluartalik, Qasigiarsiuvik, Kuujjuaq, Tunullik and Kangiqsualujjuaq, finishing March 7 after approximately 478 km.

The closing ceremony was held March 8 in the Kangiqsualujjuaq community gym.

Team #4, Willie Cain and Ken Labbe (defending champions from Tasiujaq) won the

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race with a time of 43:11:33. The Race was close with Teams 6 and 1, both Teams from Puvirnituq, coming in second and third place respectively, with times of 43:21:52 and 43:22:38.

Race officials and participants were saddened this year when the race was stopped approximately an hour after it started due to the unfortunate death of one of the participants.

The musher who passed away was 24-year-old

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Willia Qullialuk (Team 7) of Kangiqsujuaq, who was originally from Akulivik. Partner for the race Sandy Jaaka continued the race in honour of his former teammate but did not place in the top three winners.

Congratulations to all winners and participants.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

The Sea Monster — a mythical Kraken sea monster devours a fishing shack. Team Alaska, L to R: Ken Graham, Phillip Clark and Michael Yee. © Bill Braden (2)

Two carving teams tie for first place Six teams participated in the Snowking's 6th Annual International Snow Carving Competition February 19-22, 2020 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, with Team Alberta/Manitoba and Team Alaska tying for first place.

Team New Friends from Alberta and Manitoba included Jodin Pratt from Winnipeg carving with artist friends Dawn Detarando and partner Brian McArthur, both from Red Deer.

Team Alaska included Master Carvers Michael Yee, Phillip Clark, and Ken Graham, all from Skagway.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

The Astronaut — an homage to Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Team New Friends, L to R: Jodin Pratt, Brian McArthur and Dawn Detarando.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Nunavik native receives award Alicia Aragutak receives her Indspire Award for Youth - Inuit. © Indspire

Alicia Aragutak from Umiujaq, Quebec, is the 2020 Inuit Youth Indspire Award winner. She accepted her award at the Indspire banquet in Ottawa, Ontario, March 6, 2020 at the National Arts Centre.

Aragutak has travelled to Peru, New Zealand, and South Africa to speak about the vital importance of Indigenous culture. During her tenure as the founder and first President of the Qarjuit Youth Council, she held Inuit youth consultations for all 14 Nunavik communities, creating pioneering programs to bring youth and elders together. She served as a Youth Ambassador for the Qanuilirpitaa? survey initiative that examined the health of the Nunavik population, and engaged in a regional Arctic Policy Framework roundtable, helping to build a long-term vision for the Canadian and circumpolar Arctic.

In her current position as Executive Director of the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre, Aragutak helps facilitate a culturally sensitive treatment and healing process that addresses the role intergenerational trauma plays in addiction, grounding patient recovery in traditional Inuit practices.

The Indspire Awards represent the highest honour the Indigenous community bestows upon its own people.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Diesel fuel alternative to be assessed

A view up the meteorological tower installed in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, showing the 40m, 50m, and 60m sensor booms.

Aurora College’s research division, Aurora Research Institute (ARI), has been awarded $170,375 through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s College-Industry Innovation Fund to conduct wind assessment research with a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) wind monitoring unit.

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A ZX300 Lidar unit deployed at the Western Arctic Research Centre in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, for crew training. © Patrick Gall, Aurora College (2)

LiDAR technology is ideal for use in remote and northern locations as it is mobile and can be deployed more quickly and at less cost than the wind towers traditionally used for site assessment studies.

Wind energy holds a great deal of promise as a more economical and environmentally

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friendly electricity-generating option than the current diesel-powered generation plants in remote communities across the Northwest Territories and much of northern Canada. This investment will help to further understand the benefits of using LiDAR technology for wind studies in remote and northern conditions.

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Map version adapted for the magazine from original map:

Nunatop Maps - Communities Collection: Kuujjuaq Original Scale: 1:50.000 Alphabet: Roman + Syllabic Original Dimensions: 24" tall x 29" wide (61 cm x 74 cm) Cartographer: Marta Benito - Avataq Cultural Institute © www.nunatop.com

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Nunavik gets new Inuit place name maps

The Avataq Cultural Institute has released a new collection of maps for Nunavik that include traditional names of places written in Roman orthography and syllabics. All 14 Nunavik

communities and their surrounding areas, as well as Chisasibi, are included.

The maps are the result of decades of work to gather and catalogue traditional place names across the region. The project began with an elders’ conference in 1981 but the current project, called the Nunatop 50K Collection, started in 1983 through the Avataq Cultural Institute.

Between 2012 and 2014, Nicolas PertiDuplessis, a project lead with Avataq, and Elsa Cencig, an Avataq archeologist, travelled to 11 communities speaking with elders, hunters and community members about traditional place names. The project was funded by Makivik Corp.

A digital version of the maps, complete with an app to be used with GPS, is in the works.

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

“Together at a Distance”

Lessons from living online, the environment, and COVID-19

By Neil Burgess

My formative years were spent growing up in Angola with very busy medical missionary parents. Non-traditional schooling and work were my normal, and a typical day consisted of completing a few correspondence modules, then sneaking outside early to play and explore.

My favourite subject was Social Studies, especially lessons on the Indigenous peoples of Canada. It’s no surprise then, that years after moving and establishing a comfortable career teaching high school in St. John’s, Newfoundland, one tiny advertisement in the local paper for a science teacher position in the Kitikmeot was the catalyst that took me to what was then Coppermine, now Kugluktuk, Nunavut.

Fast forward and I was fortunate to work for the Government of Nunavut with a number of incredible people. Several exciting projects eventually led to formation of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation, which in turn led to the Qiniq network, the first provider of internet access to all 25 Nunavut communities.

With a network in place, we leveraged federal government funding to launch a three-year pan-Arctic collaborative project from 2007 to 2010 called, “Together at a Distance” (T@D).

T@D combined global best practices for online learning with expertise from adult educators, subject matter experts, and Elders. Although the T@D project is no longer running, it continues to provide the theoretical and practical base from which to adapt for new technologies and requirements in the North.

My interest in communication technologies, a background in science, and Elder’s observations on environmental change propelled me further into online learning. I moved from the government to working with a company now called NVision Insight Group.

One of the challenges presented to us was the need to provide professional development without facing the traditional costs of sending participants to a central location. In-person courses required flights, hotels, meals, travel, time away from family, and disruption during storm days. How could we provide a costeffective, quality learning experience, while also reducing pollutants and greenhouse gases being emitted into this delicate environment?

Using T@D as the core model, courses were adapted for an online learning management system. Bi-weekly live sessions using the telephone M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 0 | 0 3

The author develops some new online modules for GN staff with Shasta, his faithful feline assistant. © Anna Joy Burgess

for audio and an application for screensharing allowed for teaching of courses using minimal bandwidth. In time, with significant improvements in bandwidth and increased participant digital literacy, this model led to dozens of courses being delivered online across Nunavut.

Recently, COVID-19 has radically changed how we work, conduct commerce, travel, communicate, consider our environment, and just live. Educators who are used to working in closer proximity must now create rich online

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learning experiences. There is a sudden interest in what we refer to as disruptive technologies that are used to help us become more efficient and communicate better with one another. Many northern communities have been adopting and adapting disruptive technologies for years.

There is a lot the North can teach the rest of the world and in this time of reflection, meaningful online connection will likely become an integral part of our new normal in life.

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RESOURCES

Kitikmeot Career Fair visits five communities It’s been said that young people are our greatest resource. And that’s certainly true for Nunavut where many of the territory’s population are school age. To learn just how important this treasure is, all you need to do is meet some students in one of the territory’s communities or even better join a career fair that goes to five communities in one week!

Last fall, a group of grown-up keeners set out to do just that. In November, the Kitikmeot Career Fair participants met youth in Cambridge Bay, Taloyoak, Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, and Kugluktuk. The Career Fair included 27 delegates from 25 organizations. Businesses, federal and territorial government departments, Inuit organizations, and educational institutions were represented. A few local organizations joined the event in their respective communities as well. About 700 young people participated, along with many community members.

A young attendee checks out a mine site digitally at the Kitikmeot Career Fair.

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RESOURCES

Young students were curious and asked questions at the many organizations featured at the Fair.

From the start, it was recommended promotional items be kept to a minimum. The goal was for delegates to bring a desire to engage and interact with students. And for their part, youth would bring their enthusiasm, and more than a few questions!

To make sure the event was interactive, Career Fair activities included a ‘passport’ which promoted discussions between students and delegates. Students were asked to visit eight or more organizations and ask at least one question at each booth. When complete, the passports were reviewed, and participants were eligible to enter their name into a draw. Prizes were donated by participating organizations. In Kugluktuk, the Career Fair included a ‘scavenger hunt’ activity.

For both tasks, questions focused on engaging with students.

Delegates commented that overall, the attendees were very interested in learning about careers and training opportunities and employment. Younger attendees were excited to talk about what they learned, and what they might want to be once they finished school.

Students in the high school grades were particularly interested in learning about options available to them, explains Michelle Buchan, manager of Inuit employment and training with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, and part of the steering committee tasked with the event.

Other committee members included Miranda Atatahak, Tracy Starnes, Marg Epp, Valter Botelho Resendes, Natalja Westwood, Junna Ehaoloak, and Cathy Aitaok.

“One grade 12 student said, ‘I think I found what I want to do,’ which was very encouraging to hear,” Buchan adds.

Logistically, the Career Fair was no easy task.

With community accommodations limited, the group chartered to and from communities daily.

Communities pitched in with transportation, gear handling and venues.

“The Career Fair was a great way to spark young people to explore more education ideas, and from a Chamber of Mines perspective, the mineral resources industry offers enormous training, jobs, and business opportunities for Nunavummiut,” says Doug Ashbury, public awareness manager with the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines. Mineral resources is the largest private sector contributor to Nunavut’s economy.

“A big goal for us is to be a partner in helping to build a strong economy, one that youth of M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 0 | 0 3

The Career Fair included 27 delegates from 25 organizations. Businesses, federal and territorial government departments, Inuit organizations, and educational institutions were represented. © NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines (3)

today will be in a position to benefit from in the years ahead. We want youth to know the mineral resources industry offers a bright future,” he adds. “This is a big reason why the Chamber was eager to participate in this Career Fair and highlight its Mining North Works! public awareness program.”

Finally, and very importantly, the Kitikmeot Career Fair’s success would not have been possible without sponsors, which included the KIA

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(CIRNAC), Pilimmaksaivik, Kitikmeot Corporation, Government of Nunavut Family Services and Economic Development and Transportation departments, Sabina Gold & Silver, Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corporation, NorthwesTel, Qulliq Energy Corporation, Rio Tinto Diavik, First Air (now Canadian North), and the five Kitikmeot communities.

Article submitted by the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines 19

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The Inuit Paradox The Heart-Healthy Traditional Inuit Diet

By Ivan Boychuk

The ingenuity of the traditional Inuit culture is simply astounding. They fashion kayaks to brave the surging waves of the often-ruthless Arctic Ocean. They domesticate dogs and build sleds to help traverse the harsh snow-covered terrain, and they make coats out of animal hides to protect themselves against the icy bite of the Arctic winds.

H

owever, impressive as these feats are, perhaps the most fascinating observation that can be made about this unique culture is their abnormally low rates of heart disease compared to others around the world.

This curious phenomenon is known as the Inuit Paradox and is largely considered to be the result of the Inuit’s unique dietary habits.

Like many indigenous groups, living off the land is a major part of their culture. However, the frigid climate and ice-covered land blanketing the Northern reaches of Canada and other Arctic regions prevent sufficient plant growth, resulting in the traditional Inuit people consuming an animal-based diet that is very high in fat.

Ironically (hence the paradox), a high-fat diet directly contradicts the World Health Organization’s recommendation that we should receive fewer than 30 per cent of our calories from dietary fat if we want to limit our risk of heart disease - the leading cause of death worldwide.

So, how do those who follow a traditional Inuit diet rich in animal fat and containing few vegetables remain one of the healthiest populations in the world?

As it turns out, it’s the type of fat that makes the greatest difference, not the quantity. For example, many of the foods that make up the traditional Inuit diet come from marine life. Animals like seals, fish, and whales have very high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids like omega 3’s and 6’s.

These are widely accepted as “healthy fats” which are considered by Health Canada to be some of the most important nutrients for reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood to promote a healthy heart.

The experts employed by Nunavut’s Department of Health recognize the overwhelming benefits associated with regular consumption of these healthy fats and have reflected this value in the Nunavut Food Guide and Country Food Handbook.

These resources provide information on many of the traditional heart-healthy foods that have been a part of the Inuit diet for hundreds of years and may hold the key to reducing the prevalence of health issues like heart disease. Here are just a few of the staples:

Black strips of seal meat hang on a rack to dry at a summer subsistence camp. © Western Arctic National Parklands / Flickr.com / filename: 8428812198_57717962b8_o seal meat drying M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 0 | 0 3

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A prepared dish of traditional Inuit Maktaaq glistens in the light. © Alan Levine / Flickr.com / filename: 10184839444_00eebd3164_o Maktaaq:

Beluga — the Inuit have hunted the mighty Beluga as a food source for hundreds of years. They utilize all parts of this majestic mammal in their diet, including the skin, blubber, oil, and even the intestines! Although there are different ways that Beluga can be prepared, one of the most popular is called maktaaq — an Inuit delicacy that consists of frozen skin or blubber.

Maktaaq can be eaten raw or fried, making it a great option for a meal or a convenient choice for a snack on the go to help sustain the demanding energy requirements of the physical Inuit lifestyle.

According to the Nunavut Food Guide, Beluga helps promote a healthy heart and fight infection by providing essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and vitamins A, D, E, and C. Just one Beluga can provide as much as 44 pounds of meat, 110 pounds of maktaaq, and 66 gallons of oil.

Seal — Ringed seals are the smallest - yet most plentiful — species of seal in the Arctic and make up a major component of the traditional Inuit diet. Much like Beluga, seal meat is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, helping to prevent heart disease and stave off infection.

Seal meat is also high in iron and folate — two nutrients that play an essential role in the circulatory system and the promotion of healthy blood.

Fish — Over two hundred species of fish have been discovered in the diverse waters of the Arctic Ocean, making them another staple of the traditional Inuit diet. One of the most popular is the Arctic Char, which is the number one source of omega-3 fatty acids for the indigenous residents of Nunavut - the second most populated Inuit region in Canada (behind Nunangat).

Not only are these fish rich in omega-3’s, but they also contain significant amounts of calcium, zinc, and an entire day’s worth of vitamin D in just a single serving.

Two Inuit elders enjoy a snack of fresh maktaaq. © Ansgar Walk / Wikimedia.org / filename: 3162px-Maktaaq_2_2002-08-10 Elders

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Fish like Arctic Char can be consumed as a fillet roasted over a fire, a dried and salted snack, or even in the form of pre-hatched eggs.

Mussels — Mussels are considered an Inuit delicacy and are often eaten raw, boiled, steamed, or fried.

Crustaceans (like mussels) are a fantastic source of minerals including zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium. They also contain heart-healthy fats and are a great source of protein.

The Inuit harvest mussels from underneath the ice during low tides which means that this process usually takes place during the full moon. Timing and efficiency are paramount as only a small window of time is available to maximize the harvest before the tide returns.

In addition to mussels, the Inuit also harvest and capture a variety of clams and shrimp — both of which are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids and minerals.

As you can see, the traditional Inuit diet is primarily composed of animal meat, however, that’s not to say there is a complete absence of plants. For example, they consume a moderate amount of seaweed, small wild green plants, and berries which provide a mix of important nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants.

A group of Arctic Char swim through the cold waters of the Arctic ocean. © Martin Cathrae / Flickr.com / filename: 3010032457_5f507f4f76_o arctic char

How can you learn from the Traditional Inuit Diet to improve your health?

If you don't have access to beluga or seal meat, you can choose to incorporate more omega-3 fatty acids into your diet.

Great sources for this nutrient include fish, oysters, walnuts, hemp, flax and many other foods.

Like the Inuit, you may also consider selecting foods that undergo minimal processing. For example, the Canada Food Guide recommends fresh, frozen, or canned fish that have not been breaded, battered, or excessively salted. In this way you’ll be able to ensure your food is free of chemicals, unhealthy fats, and other harmful ingredients.

Lastly, although not a dietary recommendation, be sure to get your daily recommended intake of physical activity. In combination with a diet that is rich in healthy fats, exercise can strengthen your heart muscles helping to further protect against heart disease.

With the rapid expansion of the western diet to all corners of the globe, we’ve seen a steady increase in the levels of heart disease and other dietary-related conditions. It’s important we take a step back and recognize the abundance of knowledge that can be gained by observing the traditional dietary practices of cultures like the Inuit.

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In the Days Before Kuujjuaq A learning experience Text and photos by James G. Brown Fort Chimo, 1964 Away, alone, at last.

No clock, no bell, Naught save the sun To track unbounded thought.

Whisper, Wind Speak, Stones Proclaim, Sea The peace not found in me.

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ay 10, 1964. It was just after dawn when the noisy old DC4 dropped out of the cloud cover and began its approach to Fort Chimo. I rubbed my eyes to clear them of too little sleep and looked out the small window. Below, the black spruce, short and thin at this latitude, were still lodged deep in snow. The plane banked to line up with the runway and the river that took up the whole window was a vast expanse of ice, with blocks the size of buildings rising in jagged pressure ridges.

With a thud, the landing gear extended and locked. Beneath my seat an electric motor cranked the flaps out to their final setting. After a few moments, runway lights began to flit past my window, reflecting off snowbanks in the still-faint morning light. The engines throttled back, and the bark of cold rubber on cold tarmac announced I had arrived in the North.

Located along the tree line about 1,500 km north of Montreal, Quebec, Fort Chimo was originally an Inuit camp site, the base from which migrating families caught and dried Arctic char from the Koksoak River during the summer months and hunted seal in nearby Ungava Bay. Later in the season they stalked caribou as the herds moved south to winter in the protection of the spruce forest.

The 19th century brought a Hudson Bay trading post to Chimo and the 20th century invaded the settlement in the form of a Lend-Lease Air Base and weather station, to serve the fighters and bombers being ferried to Europe in the Second World War. After the war, the Department of Transport continued to operate the weather station to support growing commercial air traffic over the North Atlantic. Fort Chimo became a re-supply point for the geodetic survey of Canada in the 1950s, and for private prospectors in the ’60s. By the time I arrived it had grown to a year-round community of about 200 Inuit, 30 whites and 300 sled dogs.

The ice went off the river by the end of May. It left the lakes by the end of June and began to reappear in September. In the four months or so of relative warmth, plant and animal life flourished in the long days. Tufts of Arctic cotton covered the tundra. Ptarmigan shed their winter plumage and darted among the willows and spruce, cackling nervously. The Arctic owl and fox were usually Our campsite, with Claude tending the short-lived fire.

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Above: Fort Chimo, 1964.

content to hunt the less elusive lemmings but still the ptarmigan had to beware. Several times each summer a polar bear would wander into the area from the Bay or a black bear would come north out of the trees.

As June gave way to July, the talk among the local men was increasingly about seals. How many had been sighted in the Bay, how far offshore they were and when the first hunt would be planned.

Norman Ford was the son of an Inuit woman and a settler who, I gather, had stayed on in Chimo after a time with the Hudson Bay Company. He had grown up in Chimo, hunting and fishing with his mother’s people and helping around his father’s outfitting business. But he had gone to high school in the South so that, as his father put it, he could choose where to live when the time came. Norman had inherited his father’s quiet confidence and he moved as easily among officials at the Bay’s annual dinner as he did with an Inuit family in a two-room dwelling. Of medium height and build, he walked with a slightly head-down posture of modesty, but when he met someone, he engaged that person completely, his bright eyes and generous smile lighting the weathered face beneath a wind-blown crop of jet-black hair.

Norman occasionally dropped by the dormitory in the evenings to visit or shoot pool, and when he did, he didn't seem to mind all my questions about seal hunting. He explained that the men would travel in groups of two or three freight canoes, three men to a canoe. They had seal skins stretched on wooden hoops that they would raise as blinds when they drifted near the seals. They always used small-bore rifles because they were less likely to scare the seals off. This was open-water hunting, a lot trickier than the ice floe stuff.

A seal would pop up anywhere and you only had a few moments to aim and shoot. So be patient, and let the best man do the shooting.

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Claude was another student labourer like me, in Chimo for the summer with DOT to repair the runway. He was probably 18, a year younger than me, but he liked the outdoors as much as I did and gradually the idea formed between us that we would somehow join a seal hunt. The only realistic prospect of getting out onto the Bay was with Norman, so we began to work on him.

In Inuit culture it’s not polite to say ‘no’. It’s better to accede to direct requests as a matter of courtesy, and then expect that obstacles will come up to ensure that awkward requests need not be acted upon. But the obstacles that emerged in ensuing weeks Norman and friend setting a gill net north of Kuujjuaq.

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were not very onerous and Norman didn’t seem to be seriously trying to discourage us. Warnings like rain and wind, long hours and boredom didn’t faze us, and the day came when the three of us set off in the runabout for Ungava Bay. Warm clothes, extra fuel, a few food rations, knives, plastic bags and a rifle made the boat seem a lot smaller than it had looked on shore. As a last-minute addition, we threw in two fishing rods.

There was the occasional rain squall as we headed down river, but the sun appeared among the clouds often enough to allay any real weather concerns. The current added to the momentum of the outboard and we began to eat into the 40-kilometre trip at a reassuring rate.

A few kilometres out of town we overtook two freight canoes, also heading for the Bay. Dog-trimmed parkas framed faces that greeted us warmly. Seal skin blinds leaned against the gunnels and canvass packs between the seats rippled in the breeze as the long canoes cut reassuringly through the steady beat of waves served up by a quartering head wind. The hunt was on and the men were ready.

Even the renegade black spruce that one at a time tried to survive north of town had disappeared now. Early July and there were still snowbanks along the edge of the river, highlighting the glacial forms that still mark this land as freshly as they did in the millennium in which they were carved. Small pockets of scrub willow and dwarf summer flowers had begun to soften the landscape. From mid-stream, with the wind in my face, I saw only the broadest outline of this story, the impressionist’s interpretation with its bold strokes of tan and burnt umber, of blue and white, and the subtle washes of green and yellow.

We had been travelling for an hour or so when Norman commented on what we were secretly hoping he would ignore: The wind had come up, and the runabout was being tossed assertively by growing waves. Eighteen-inch waves in the river could mean a swell and three-foot white caps in the open water. It would be difficult enough for the freight canoes and they rode much more steadily than the runabout.

Norman watched the clouds and the water and continued down the river at half throttle, but when we dropped onto the leading edge of a wave that threatened to pop every rivet in the boat, he finally called it quits. Giving us a shrug and a wry smile,

he set up a long shallow turn that brought us close to the western shore. With its modicum of protection from the wind, we headed back upstream.

We were in no hurry now, so he didn’t bring the outboard back to full throttle. The current also worked to slow our progress, and the combined effect was to give us a longer look at the passing shoreline. My mind turned from seals to fish, and I began to judge the outcroppings and backwaters in terms of their appeal to Arctic char. Suddenly I had an idea.

“Hey, Norman,” I shouted, “What about putting us ashore here?”

They both looked curiously at me.

“Sure,” I said, “We’ll fish today and tomorrow and you can come back and collect us tomorrow night.”

Claude took to the plan immediately but Norman didn’t think it was such a good idea. My enthusiasm took a boost from Claude’s support, so I bantered on with arguments like us being willing to pay for Norm’s fuel. I ran a verbal check of necessities — fishing gear, parkas, matches… I made some comment about us both being experienced campers and threw in whatever else I could think of to convince him.

Though he was frowning with apparent concern, Norman didn’t say anything and at some point, he agreed.

He grounded the runabout on a shallow rock ledge that extended beneath the water and we carried whatever gear we thought we needed a few feet up from the water line. We agreed on a pick-up time and pushed the now-lighter boat back into the current.

The first thing I think about when I begin to set up camp is the fire. So Norman wasn’t even out of sight before I came to

Repairing the runway. James second from the right.

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a sick and obvious realization: Being above the treeline meant no firewood. What would we cook with? How would we stay warm when the temperature dropped below freezing that night?

Futile gestures to hail the figure fading up the river just added to the anxiety. I suspect that at that point, Claude was probably more concerned about me than about our predicament.

When I gave up and sat on a rock outcropping, the sounds of the land moved back in to fill the space around us. Waves lapped at the rock even in the lee of the shoreline and the wind hummed monotonously as it curled over the shallow ledge that protected our position. The intermittent sunshine now seemed more a tease than a reassurance. But as I recovered from the recognition of my own stupidity, I realized this was not a life-threatening situation.

My spirits began to lift, and a plan took shape. For fire, we’d make do with scrub willow from out on the tundra. We’d clean out a space under that rock ledge and put down fresh moss to sleep on. We’d live on fresh char and what we didn’t eat we’d keep alive on a gill line in the river for a triumphant return to town.

On a good day, what followed might be considered a learning experience.

Lesson No. 1: The willows that survive on the tundra are very small. They’re slow growing, too, so dead branches make up only a small portion of any plant. What that meant for us was that, after two hours of foraging, we had a pile of twigs that would not sustain the smallest fire for more than 30 minutes.

Lesson No. 2: The moss and lichens that make up most of the ground cover on the tundra look soft. They feel soft under foot and appear dry, but they are in fact coarse enough to remove a miner’s calluses. It is impossible to collect completely dry moss, and what one does collect will be constantly on the lookout to scratch any skin exposed to it during the night.

Lesson No. 3: There is no connection between fishing conditions in different bodies of water, and certainly not between trout and char. My weekend trout fishing in lakes around Chimo may have been successful, but our char fishing expedition to the Koksoak River was a disaster. In the most part of two days, with two lines in the water, we caught exactly one 12-ounce fish.

Lesson No. 4: It doesn’t matter how comfortable you may feel moving around during daylight hours; lie still at night and you can freeze. Not literally, maybe, but every opening in your clothing becomes a vent and every conductive material a track for the cold.

Fully dressed in our parkas and jeans we took up more space than we had expected under the rock overhang. The guy in the back touched the roof of the cavity and the guy in front was exposed to the breeze. So we traded draft and claustrophobia periodically during the night, constantly rearranged the boots that served as our pillows, and we shivered.

Lesson No. 5: When it’s daylight at 2 am and you can’t sleep, 6 am is a long time coming. When you’re cold, tired and hungry, a rendezvous time can seem to take forever.

When Norman’s boat appeared on the horizon we were already packed and waiting.

He took the whole reunion very matter-of-factly, but his smile was really a laugh. He wanted to know where all the fish were, and he acted surprised when we complained about the cold. He shrugged when we talked about the fuel situation and he just grunted when he saw our shelter. Thinking back on it, the only flaw in his performance was the fact that he had arrived two hours early.

It's been over 50 years, Norman. I still find myself out of my element sometimes but, thanks to you, I can chuckle at my foolishness when I do.

Residents heading for the seal hunt.

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Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada

Empowering Inuit Women for 35 Years

By Season Osborne

At its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) in January 1985, Pauktuutit Inuit Women’s Association passed 20 significant resolutions. They included advocating for: Inuktitut translation services at hospitals, the Inuit position on sealing, and an inquiry into the death of a nursing student from Nain.

T

hese were no ordinary issues, and this was no ordinary women’s organization.

Thirty-five years later, Pauktuutit is still addressing critical issues for Inuit women in Northern communities. Its website highlights its mandate to “foster greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, advocate for equality and social improvements, and encourage Inuit women’s full participation in the community, regional and national life of Canada.”

The idea of an Inuit women’s organization originated at a meeting in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, in 1975.

“At the time, Inuit were focussed on land claim issues, but they also realized there were big health and social issues that needed to be addressed,” says Executive Director Tracy O’Hearn. “They tended to be priorities addressed by women in their families and communities. So Pauktuutit was created at the request of and with the support of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK).

Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada was incorporated as a not-for-profit on April 1, 1984. A 14-member board was elected with women representing communities across the Arctic. Head office was established in Ottawa where Inuit issues could be more easily promoted to the federal government.

Nearly 150 women attended the first AGM held in Igloolik — at least two delegates from each of the 53 communities in Labrador (Nunatsiavut), Northern Quebec (Nunavik), Baffin, Central Arctic (Kitikmeot), Keewatin (Kivalliq), and Western Arctic (Inuvialuit) regions.

Discussions focussed on economic development, such as how to start a small business and create ongoing employment in isolated communities. They also covered the wider social and health issues common in all the communities, such as alcohol abuse, family violence, and the need for midwives.

Living in remote, fly-in-only Northern communities poses many logistical challenges for women.

“The lack of access to healthcare is a huge issue,” says O’Hearn. “People have to be flown down south to have access to doctors — to have babies.”

In some cases, expectant mothers from Labrador had unknowingly signed forms that were not medical forms but agreements to give their baby up for adoption. Other women had been sterilized without properly being informed of the procedure.

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Pauktuutit developed this important guide to Inuit culture for people coming to and working in northern communities. © Lee Narraway (4)

“One of the challenges has been working with Inuit women who are very trusting, and also a lot of them still don’t know their human rights,” says Rebecca Kudloo, Pauktuutit’s President since 2014. “I think the more we do to raise awareness, the more they’ll learn their rights.”

These were big issues. Pauktuutit tackled them head on.

The delegates would bring their communities’ concerns to the AGMs. Often they revealed their own personal struggles.

Many women experienced the damage caused by residential schools, which had seeped into many aspects of their lives.

The AGMs became forums where they openly discussed issues they couldn’t with their own families.

“It was a safe place for them, where they finally had an opportunity to talk,” says former president Martha Flaherty.

“It was a chance for them to speak up. Even if they were not ready to talk, they’d just cry. We’d have group meetings, like on sexual abuse. After a lot of hard crying, sometimes they’d come out laughing, and feeling better.”

Flaherty explained that Pauktuutit ensured people were at the meetings who could offer counselling to the women. It brought up a need for better counselling in the communities.

So, Pauktuutit published a resource booklet to help Inuit discuss serious issues with each other.

Pauktuutit does not operate programs and services. It focusses instead on promotion, prevention, awareness, and advocacy. It achieves this by publishing resource toolkit materials, organizing seminars and conferences, and creating videos broadcast in the North that raise awareness of relevant and critical issues.

The organization has openly focussed on major social problems, such as family violence, child abuse, spousal assault, sexual health, HIV/AIDS, midwifery, healthy pregnancies, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, as well as other health issues of drug and alcohol addictions, smoking cessation, diabetes, cancer, and suicide prevention.

“Historically, we tread where others haven’t in promoting prevention, awareness of issues,” says Kudloo.

Pauktuutit frames its work around Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit or IQ principles: Respecting others, relationships and caring for people; fostering good spirit by being open, welcoming and inclusive; serving and providing for family, or community, or both; and decision-making through discussion and consensus.

Introducing southerners to these principles was the idea behind The Inuit Way, the booklet Pauktuutit published (in 1989 and then 2006) as a guide to Inuit culture for people coming to and working in northern communities, such as teachers, social workers, and nurses.

Pauktuutit plays an advocacy role, participating in policy and planning discussions with all levels of governments. Pauktuutit has a seat on the ITK board, but doesn’t have voting status, which is reserved for the land claim presidents.

Rebecca Kudloo has been Pauktuutit’s President since 2014.

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“We want to be a part of any legislation that affects us,” Kudloo says. “My goal is to sit there as an equal partner with all the other leaders.” Pauktuutit does not have a vote, only those involved in land claims do. However, she adds, “If I want something passed, I’ll voice it and it gets heard.”

One of the big milestones was the June 2017 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by Kudloo and Carolyn Bennett, Minister for CrownIndigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. The MOU established a relationship to jointly address priority areas for Inuit women and children, and includes Pauktuutit in drafting relevant legislation.

Pauktuutit has been the voice of Inuit women on the federal inquiries of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People, and Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

This January, it brought women from Inuit Nunangat’s four Arctic regions together to discuss co-developing the National Action Plan with the federal government in its efforts to address violence against Indigenous women and girls.

“At this event, the highlight for me was witnessing a panel of Inuit women strongly speaking up,” says Yvonne Niego, Deputy Minister of Family Services with the Government of Nunavut, who attended the conference. “Just the courage of conviction, the strength, the honesty, straightforwardness of these women — it was just such a highlight to witness.”

Through its work, Pauktuutit has advanced the cause of Inuit women, highlighting the importance of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles.

Encouraging women in business has been important from the beginning.

Pauktuutit’s Inuit Women’s Business Network has grown from six to 140 women in communities across the North. Pauktuutit drew nation-wide attention to Inuit women’s traditional skills and talent with its fashion shows. The first, held in Iqaluit at Pauktuutit’s 1994 AGM, drew a crowd of 1,000 to watch Inuit women walk down the runway in their innovative clothing designs rooted in tradition.

Improving the health of women and children has been part of Pauktuutit’s mandate since the beginning.

Niego said Pauktuutit has inspired Inuit women “to examine themselves, figure out their role in today’s society and the environment, and find their place.”

Over the last three decades, Pauktuutit has raised awareness of critical Northern issues, and empowered Inuit women.

“Looking back at all that’s been accomplished.... The issues are tough, but I think that what helps is the opportunity to try to bring about change,” says Kudloo.

Pauktuutit publications courtesy of Anna Tyers, CommPassion Creative, and Don Runge, earthlore communications.

Education of children and youth, particularly instruction in Inuktitut that highlights Inuit traditions and values, is also a key priority for Pauktuutit.

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ADVENTURE

On the way to Resolution Island Text and photos by Nick Newbery Above: Ben Ell’s Peterhead whaling boat.

Ben Ell was an Iqaluit MLA and one summer he decided to put his Peterhead boat in the water to go check out the PCB clean-up taking place at Resolution Island, a former American radar site at the mouth of Frobisher Bay. Ben and his family didn’t rush their visit to the abandoned radar station; in the usual Inuit way, they hunted en route, encountering bears (we saw one climbing down a perpendicular cliff to get at birds’ eggs), watching fly-pasts of flocks of murres that almost darkened the sky when they flew near the boat, and took the chance to visit Ugaq Lake, requiring the carrying of a boat up over 100 feet to the place known for its enormous fish.

When we finally got to Resolution Island, we climbed the road, several kilometres long, to inspect the ex-radar site at the top, perched high on a precipice overlooking the bay. When we met those involved in the clean-up there, they were appalled to hear we had walked up all the way to the top of the cliff. Only that morning three bears had been encountered where we had wandered, unarmed, admiring the scenery!

Opposite: Jerry Ell going for the huge fish in Ugaq Lake.

Nick Newbery taught in several communities in Nunavut from 1976-2005.

The photos in this article are from Nick’s Arctic photo collection which can be found at www.newberyphotoarchives.ca and should be viewed from a historical perspective.

Nick passed away February 2020. We will continue to publish articles we have on file from Nick, with his permission.

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ADVENTURE

Top left: A flock of little auks doing a fly past beside the boat.

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Middle left: The American radar base on Resolution Island.

Top right: The Emperor’s Seat, on the north coast of Frobisher Bay.

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Middle right: The view from Ugaq Lake, looking east on south Baffin Island.

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FA R E W E L L F R I E N D

Nick Newbery 1944 – 2020 Long-time regular contributor to above&beyond Magazine, Nick Newbery passed away in February.

We at above&beyond Magazine were privileged to work with him over the years to help share his love of the Arctic through photo essays, articles and poetry.

Born and educated in England, Nick went on to complete his Arts and Education degrees at the Queen’s University of Belfast, where he became involved in the development of the People’s Democracy, the organization which worked with the Northern Ireland civil rights movement in the late 1960s. He emigrated to Canada in 1970, during which time he explored as much of Canada as possible, including hiking to the Arctic Ocean one summer.

He moved to the Canadian North in 1976, which he made his home for 30 years, teaching in Taloyoak (Spence Bay), Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq before moving to Iqaluit to run a cross-cultural program for Inuit youth. In Taloyoak he met his wife Terry, an outpost nurse/midwife.

With nothing much to do one Arctic winter evening they got married, kneeling on a polar bear rug to prevent getting cold feet. In 1985, he earned a bursary to complete his M.A. in Northern & Native studies at Carleton University. The following year he and Terry moved to Iqaluit, Nunavut, where for 17 years Nick developed and ran The Terry Fox Program for at-risk Inuit teenagers.

His published work, all of which related to the Eastern Arctic, included calendars, postcards, articles, poetry, a biography, photographs and a documentary film. Over the years he wrote 30 junior high resource manuals to help Northern teachers and to make programs more attractive for Inuit teenagers and in 2004 he was sent to every Nunavut community to in-service schools on his materials and methodology. In 2019, in Nova Scotia, he wrote his autobiography Never A Dull Moment, which he hoped people might find instructive, followed up with A Potpourri of Poems and Photographs.

Nick’s interest in photography took off after he went to the Arctic and he used his camera to record his fascination with everything North of Sixty. This resulted in three editions of a bestselling trilingual coffee table book produced with support from Branch 168 of the Royal Canadian Legion entitled Iqaluit, a project which was really an excuse to share his love of Nunavut with Northerners and visitors alike. His Northern photo collection was donated to the Government of Nunavut in 2015 and now has its own website (www.newberyphotoarchives.ca).

In 2005, he and Terry retired to Nova Scotia where he taught courses on the North at Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax from 2006-2019.

There he raised funding for scholarships for students interested in teaching in Nunavut to get on-the-ground Northern orientation. He returned to Baffin every year. In 2007, he was invited to join the board of directors of Katimavik (the pan-Canadian youth volunteer organization), an experience he found rewarding, particularly in that it afforded the opportunity to help re-open the program in the Canadian Arctic.

Nunavut and its people captured Nick’s soul.

He said that every day of the 30 years he spent in the Arctic was an adventure and that he felt privileged to have lived and worked there.

He found the opportunity to use his initiative in Northern education both refreshing and rewarding, he was captivated by the Inuit culture and by the kindness of the people he encountered and was always proud to say that he was from Nunavut. Nick died of prostate cancer. His final wish was to be remembered well by the people of Nunavut, a place where he spent so many happy years.

Nick at the launch of the Nick Newbery Photography Collection website April 2015. Nick was interested in donating his photos to the GN as a legacy, to share them with Nunavummiut via the website and as a thank you to Inuit for always making him feel welcome to record them and their culture. © Culture & Heritage GN

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C U LT U R E

Life on the (Floe) Edge Traditional knowledge and values combine with modern vessels and management to deliver world-leading Arctic sealift and resupply services.

On a typical sailing over Canada’s short Arctic shipping season, the MV Sinaa calls on as many as eight remote communities. The vessel reliably delivers essential goods from construction materials and heavy equipment needed for critical new housing projects, to the nutritious foods and inventory required to restock store shelves and warehouses.

‘Sinaa’ means “floe edge” in Inuktitut, the dynamic space where moving water meets ice that holds fast to the shore. This is a place

of annual change and where nature meets community. As spring turns to summer, and as ice melts and breaks away, another tradition takes place, the annual summer sealift.

“With every beach landing, in every community we serve, NEAS reliably delivers for our customers,” says Suzanne Paquin, President and CEO of The NEAS Group. “Arrival of a NEAS vessel is an annual summer tradition that people and communities welcome, season after season."

The NEAS fleet of vessels are loaded from the NEAS terminal at the Port of Valleyfield in Quebec. Ship Masters and crews prepare for sailings, gather and review data, and carefully plan for safe and reliable sailings in unpredictable and extreme conditions.

NEAS business decisions and values are guided by the vision of its shareholders, including Makivik Corporation.

Created in 1978, Makivik is the Nunavik Inuit land claims organization mandated under

The NEAS MV Sinaa is a 137-metre, Ice Class 1, Inuit-owned Canadian flag vessel with a cargo capacity of 15,820 cubic metres, or 720 twenty-foot shipping containers. © NEAS Group - Quentin Brenneur

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C U LT U R E Itee Pootoogook Floe Edge, Winter, 2009 serigraph on wove paper, 26 x 96 cm Purchased 2013 National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Photo: NGC. Reproduced with the permission of Dorset Fine Arts and under license from the National Gallery of Canada.

the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement.

It is entrusted with developing successful businesses to generate employment for Inuit, to support social and economic development, to improve housing and to protect Inuit language, culture and the natural environment.

“To further our interests in the North, we needed critical ownership of modern sealift assets ready and able to improve services,” says Charlie Watt, president of Makivik Corp. “Our priority is to put local customer interests at the heart of service.”

Makivik is a 50 per cent shareholder of the NEAS Group with Transport Nanuk Inc., a joint venture between Logistec Corporation and The North West Company.

“Over the last 20 years,” says Paquin, “our shared values have guided our success with fleet renewal and modernization, customer service excellence, and environmental performance.”

NEAS success has resulted in cutting-edge and sustainable summer sealift and resupply services for individuals, families, communities, schools, governments, mines, defence, construction, energy and other industries, sites and installations across the Eastern and Western Canadian Arctic.

The NEAS fleet renewal strategy has been key. In 2000, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2017 and 2019, NEAS purchased and imported modern vessels for Canadian flag operation as a transportation backbone to sustainable economic and social development in the Canadian Arctic. Today, the NEAS fleet is the only Inuit-owned ice class fleet in Canada.

NEAS Cargo Service Centre created the “ONE-STOP-SHOP” to improve packaging and containerization options, key factors in increasing the capacity of each vessel and reducing the cost per ton shipped by over 50 per cent since 2000.

By introducing the NEAS “MINI” 10-foot container units, the same security features and benefits of standard units are available for customers with smaller volume requirements.

To improve cargo discharge and safety at the high-water mark, NEAS has made significant

Charlie Watt, President, Makivik Corporation, and Suzanne Paquin, President and CEO, The NEAS Group. © Makivik and Logistec

investments in state-of-the-art cargo unloading equipment. NEAS offers everything needed to discharge without port infrastructure, enabling quick turnaround times and reliable deliveries.

“NEAS innovations in customer service, warehousing, containerization combined with significant capital investment in an Inuit-owned fleet have been a recipe for success,” says Watt.

“NEAS is now poised on the edge of delivering even greater service and local benefits.”

Established in 1998, NEAS Group Inc. is the packager of choice for governments, retailers, major building contractors, construction suppliers, and military contractors. Visit NEAS.ca, call 1-877-225-6327 or email sales@neas.ca.

Summer is Coming. The NEAS MV Aujuaq (“Summer” in Inuktitut) is a sister ship to the MV Sinaa, both purchased by NEAS in 2019. © NEAS Group M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 0 | 0 3 A B O V E & B E Y O N D — C A N A D A’ S A R C T I C J O U R N A L

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ARTS

Tusarnaarniq Sivumut Association Music for the Future brings music to Nunavut Youth “So thankful for Tusarnaarniq Sivumut Association for taking the time to come to our communities and teach the power of music. I really wouldn't be where I am now without their guidance and passion for the arts. I am now following in their footsteps by teaching ukulele when I can. Music is powerful!”

— Colleen Nakashuk (aka Aasiva) — April 2019 Tusarnaarniq Sivumut Association (TSA), which translates to “Music for the Future,” is a consistent and culturally responsive charity providing music education to youth in Nunavut since 2008. TSA was originally inspired by a high

school teacher in Pond Inlet who wanted to provide after school opportunities for students at her school to play instruments, explore, and experience traditional Inuit and other music styles.

Since its inception in 2008, TSA instructors have visited Nunavut 22 times and have held fiddle workshops in eight communities, providing more that 110 fiddles to these communities. As of 2019, fiddle workshops are held in the spring, fall and winter, with two to three workshops per year in Sanirajak (Hall Beach), Igloolik,

Qikiqtarjuaq, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, most recently expanding to include Kinngait, as of January 2019. The fiddle workshops take place over three to five days in each community.

Interested students are divided into groups (by playing level) and meet daily, to develop their playing skills and learn new songs. During the workshops, instructors work with more than 300 youth, many of them returning workshop after workshop, year after year. In addition to the fiddle workshops, TSA instructors aim to engage youth in community events such as school assemblies, performances for Elders, and other community-based events and celebrations, as opportunities arise.

Time to practice and work together. © Greg Simm

Samuel Nookiguak enjoying the fiddle in Pangnirtung. © Greg Simm

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ARTS

Fiddle Workshop students from Nasivvik High School in Pond Inlet perform for students at Ulaajuk Elementary School, Pond Inlet, in October 2016. © TSA - Music for the Future

TSA facilitates opportunities to develop and encourage creativity, confidence, joy, cooperation, teamwork, and positive mental health — skills that will empower youth in other life choices.

A new goal for 2020-2021 is to also establish after school Music Clubs in communities so students have ongoing opportunities throughout the school year to experience and enjoy the power of music.

The ongoing success of workshops is largely due to consistency. TSA has provided activities for youth in isolated communities for over 10 years.

The workshops are facilitated by instructors who are as passionate about the Inuit culture as they are about the students. TSA’s foundation is built on the presence of dedicated instructors, who return year after year to build relationships and skills. Instructor and musician, Greg Simm, has been a lead every workshop since 2008 and has become a respected instructor as well as a friend and mentor to many youth. Lead fiddle instructor, Kim de Laforest, performer and teacher from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, looks forward to reconnecting with as many students as possible during the next workshop.

Note: Due to the ongoing pandemic, TSA — Music for the Future has made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the 2020 Fall Fiddle Workshops but is actively planning for workshops in 2021 and is keen to have their instructors return to Nunavut as soon as it is safe to do so. TSA is proud to have developed

relationships in the communities and with organizations in Nunavut who support the ongoing programs while partnering to increase access to music education.

TSA — Music for the Future is grateful to its many incredible donors and supporters who believe in the power of music.

Together we are creating a brighter future for youth. The partnership and support from Canadian North Airlines speaks volumes to their community commitment, ensuring youth have access to positive and creative extracurricular music programs well into the future.

Qujannamiik Canadian North Airlines!

Want to know more? Visit us at www.musicforthefuture.ca/ how-to-help Nuka Joe Ootoova playing the fiddle in Pond Inlet. © Greg Simm

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RECIPE

Akpik Cheesecake From the Kitchen of Tanya Gruben This is a recipe I’m sharing from a Newfie friend. They have akpiks there too. They call them bakeapples. This cheesecake is delicious!

BASE: • 2 cups graham crumbs • ½ cup melted margarine • ¼ cup Sugar • Mix. Put in a large, oblong pan.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool.

FILLING: • 2 pkgs cream cheese • ½ c sugar • 1 litre Cool Whip • Mix two eight-oz packages cream cheese with ½ cup sugar until well blended.

Blend in 1 litre Cool Whip. (You can even add akpiks in now if you want.) Spread over cooked crust. Top with Berry Topping.

TOPPING: • 2 cups of akpiks • 2 tsp cornstarch • Place akpiks in saucepan and add a little water and sugar to taste. Boil, then stir in 1/3 cup water that has 2 tsp of corn starch added. Thicken a little; then cool.

Recipe submitted by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

© Tanya Gruben

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BOOKSHELF

Inuit, Oblate Missionaries, and Grey Nuns in the Keewatin, 1865-1965

Frédéric B. Laugrand and Jarich G. Oosten McGill-Queen's University Press September 2019

Wisdom Engaged Traditional Knowledge for Northern Community Well-Being Leslie Main Johnson, Editor University of Alberta Press September 2019

Over the century between the first Oblate mission to the Canadian Central Arctic in 1867 and the shifts brought about by Vatican II, the region was the site of complex interactions between Inuit, Oblate missionaries, and Grey Nuns. Enriching archival sources with oral testimony, Frédéric Laugrand and Jarich Oosten provide an in-depth analysis of conversion, medical care, education, and vocation in the Keewatin region of the Northwest Territories. They show that while Christianity was adopted by the Inuit and major transformations occurred, the Oblates and the Grey Nuns did not eradicate the old traditions or assimilate the Inuit. The study begins with the first contact Inuit had with Christianity in the Keewatin region and ends in the mid-1960s, when an Inuk woman joined the Grey Nuns and two Inuit brothers became Oblate missionaries.

Wisdom Engaged demonstrates how traditional knowledge, Indigenous approaches to healing, and the insights of Western biomedicine can complement each other, thus improving health care in Northern communities. In this collection, voices of Elders, healers, physicians, and scholars are gathered to provide a critical conversation about the nature of medicine; a demonstration of ethical commitment; and an example of building successful community relationships.

Editor Leslie Main Johnson is an ethnographer and ethnobiologist who has worked with Indigenous peoples in northwestern Canada since the 1980s.

In Those Days: Shamans, Spirits, and Faith in the Inuit North Collected Writings on Arctic History Book 4 Kenn Harper Inhabit Media November 2019

In this new collection, book 4 of Kenn Harper’s Arctic writings series, Harper shares tales of Inuit and Christian beliefs and how these came to coexist in the 19th and 20th centuries. During this period, Anglican and Catholic missionaries came to the North to share their religions with the Inuit, often with unexpected and sometimes tragic results. This collection includes stories of shamans and priests, hymns and ajaja songs, and sealskin churches, drawing on first-hand accounts to show how Christianity changed life in the North.

This volume also includes dozens of rare, historical photographs.

Carrying a good selection of northern titles.

Check out the website.

We ship worldwide!

4921 - 49th Street Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N9 1-800-944-6029 / 867-920-2220

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Arctic Trivia Quiz

TRIVIA

BY ALAN G. LUKE

Apply your knowledge of the beloved Arctic with its abundance of human and natural resources that have increasingly been assimilated into our Canadian conscience. Test your Arctic acuity with the following multiple-choice trivia questions.

1. Which one of the following does not describe a Canadian Territorial flag? a) Their coat of arms overlays a blue cross b) Their coat of arms has blue bars flanking it c) A red inuksuk and a blue star d) Tri-coloured, with their coat of arms in the centre 2. a) b) c) d)

What bird is the territorial symbol of Nunavut?

Snowy Owl Rock Ptarmigan Falcon Raven

9. The Inuit god, Agloolik, is a good spirit that lives under the ice and helps with hunting and fishing. Who is the Inuit god who lives on land and controls the movements of the whales? a) Aumanil b) Aukaneck c) Anguta d) Aningan The Nunavik flag.

5. The Old Log Church Museum, which exhibits the history and culture of local missionaries, explorers, whalers and Yukon First Nations, is situated in which city/town? (Hint: It is also home to the impressive cultural and historical MacBride Museum.) a) Clinton Creek b) Dawson City c) Carmacks d) Whitehorse

6. What is the name of the northern region of Quebec which means “great land” in the local dialect, Inuktitut? a) Nunadat b) Nunavut c) Nunavik d) Nunadis

Rock ptarmigans.

3. What mineral is the territorial symbol of the Yukon? a) Gold b) Silver c) Lazulite d) Magnitite 4. What fish is the territorial symbol of the Northwest Territories? a) Sockeye Salmon b) Longnose Sucker c) Arctic Char d) Arctic Grayling

7. What lake is the largest in the Territories and the deepest in North America? a) Great Bear Lake b) Great Slave Lake c) Kluane Lake d) Nettilling Lake

Whales in motion.

10. Yukon Gold, follows four gold mining crews in search of finding riches within a fourmonth period. How many seasons did this “Arctic” reality TV show run? a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 d) 5

8. Which prominent Yukon personality does not have a bronze bust of their likeness erected? a) Sam Steele b) Robert Service c) Jack London d) Klondike Kate

Yukon Gold TV series.

10. d) 5 (2013-2017)

9. a) Aumanil

8. d) Klondike Kate

7. b) Great Slave Lake, NT 6. c) Nunavik

5. d) Whitehorse, YT 4. d) Arctic Grayling 3. c) Lazulite

2. b) Rock Ptarmigan

1. a) Flag of Nova Scotia; b) NT; c) NU; d) YT ANSWERS:

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All images credit: Alan G. Luke

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INUIT FORUM

© Jessica Deeks

A Three-Year Strategy and Action Plan for ITK As we adjust to new realities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, longstanding social and economic challenges in our society threaten to magnify its potential impacts on our people. For example, challenges that put Inuit at a higher risk for contracting tuberculosis, such as household crowding, food insecurity and access to healthcare services, may also put our people at a greater risk for contracting COVID-19 and experiencing more severe symptoms from the disease than most other Canadians.

ITK’s 2020-2023 Strategy and Action Plan, released in May 2020, aims to address these challenges. It forms our organization’s core mandate and guides ITK’s day-to-day work. It also serves as an accountability mechanism for Inuit and the ITK Board of Directors to monitor and evaluate ITK’s progress. The Strategy and Action Plan creates transparency as we work to implement the document’s objectives, actions, and deliverables.

The Strategy builds on our 2016-2019 Strategy and Action Plan, which included key deliverables such as the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy, National Inuit Strategy on Research, and the adoption of a national Inuktut writing system, Inuktut Qaliujaaqpait. Inuit have leveraged some deliverables to secure multiyear federal funding that is positively impacting many of our communities.

The seven new objectives identified in the 2020-2023 Strategy and Action Plan are as follows:

3. Advance Inuit-specific health and social development policies, programs, and initiatives; 4. Support Inuktut protection, revitalization, maintenance, and promotion; 5. Facilitate climate change response and adaption measures; 6. Empower Inuit through education, research and data and information access ownership and dissemination; and 7. Support Inuit Nunangat coastal and marine management and marine infrastructure development.

These objectives are tied to key deliverables that include the development of a National Inuit Poverty Reduction Strategy; an Inuit-specific equivalent to Jordan’s Principle; a National Inuit Infrastructure Investment Strategy; and conducting the Qanuippitaa? National Inuit Health Survey.

We also continue to work closely with federal partners through the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee to advance these and other priorities by engaging directly with federal ministers to advance Inuit-Crown workplans.

ITK has taken significant and at times historic steps to advance national Inuit priorities in the

Visit https://www.itk.ca/2020-2023-strategyand-action-plan to read the full 2020-2023 ITK Strategy and Action Plan. © ITK

last three years, and with this 2020-2023 Strategy and Action Plan I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of all Inuit.

Natan Obed

President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

1. Take action to reduce poverty among Inuit; 2. Work to close the Inuit Nunangat infrastructure gap;

Working to close the Inuit Nunangat infrastructure gap, including housing infrastructure seen here in Nunavik, is Objective 2 of the 2020-2023 ITK Strategy and Action Plan. © ITK

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