Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal 2021 | 03

The Inflight Magazine for Canadian North

MAYJUN 2021 | 03 YOURS TO KEEP

Yellowknife’s Snow Carving Competition

Hidden Forests in Arctic Oceans

Throat Singing Reviving a Cultural Heritage

Artist

Kevin Bolstad

Chasing Sunlight-shaping Shadows

PM40050872

o www.arcticjournal.ca

Dear Guest ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ,

Chris Avery ᑯᕆᔅ ᐄᕗᕆ

Johnny Adams ᔮᓂ ᐋᑕᒥ Executive Chairman of the Board, Canadian North ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᕆᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓂ, ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ

Welcome aboard!

ᑐᖖᒐᓱᒋᑦᓯ ᐃᑭᒪᑎᓪᓗᓯ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦᑎᓐᓂ!

To begin, thank you for continuing to trust us to not only get you to where you need to go but also with delivering your essential packages.

ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑎᒋᓗᒍ ᐅᖃᕈᒪᕗᖓ, ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᕐᓗᓯ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᒃᐱᕈᓱᐃᓐᓇᖅᐸᒃᑲᑦᓯ ᓇᒧᑦ ᑎᑭᑦᓴᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᔨᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕋᑦᑕᑐᐊᖑᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᑎᑕᓯ ᑎᑭᑎᑦᓱᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕋᑦᑎᒍ.

June is National Indigenous History Month — This month is a time for learning about, appreciating and acknowledging the contributions Inuit, First Nations and Métis have made in shaping Canada. As a wholly Inuit‐owned airline that serves Inuit and Dene communities across the North, it’s essential for us to understand, appreciate and actively support the culture of our customers and stakeholders.

ᔫᓂᐅᑉ ᑕᖅᑭᖓ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᖅᑭᕆᔭᐅᒻᒪᑦ — ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᑕᖅᑭᒥ ᐊᑐᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᖃᕐᓇᐅᒻᒪᑦ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᒋᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, ᐃᖅᑭᓖᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓪᓚᖓᔪᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᖓᑕ ᑕᐅᑦᑐᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᖓᓂᒃ ᑐᖖᒐᕝᕕᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᓄᑦ. ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᐅᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᖅᑎᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᓐᓃᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᓕᒫᒥ, ᐅᕙᒍᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᒍᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᓕᕆᐊᖃᕋᑦᑎᒍ, ᖁᔭᒋᓯᒪᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᕐᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᕐᓗᑎᒍ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔨᒋᕙᒃᑕᖅᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᖁᑎᑦᑕ.

Our diversity makes us a stronger company and we are working to in‐ crease Inuit representation within our team through recruitment and training programs currently being implemented. We are lucky to have hired Madeleine Allakariallak in the newly created position of Director, Inuit Employment and Talent Strategies. Madeleine will be leading the charge in finding and retaining talent and skilled individuals and we are looking forward to where that will lead us.

We are also working to communicating more respectfully and effectively with our communities while supporting the preservation of Inuktut by communicating more in the language of the customers and communities we serve. Our Senior Director, Marketing and Communications Kevin Kablutsiak notes: “language is at the heart of every culture and it’s how people interpret their environment and share knowledge with everyone around them. That is why we are prioritizing translating more of our materials and looking for opportunities to incorporate Inuktut into our overall customer experience when serving our Northern markets.

Communicating with our customers in their preferred languages is a powerful sign of respect and will help them to feel more comfortable and welcome when they are in our care.”

On this subject, I am proud to announce that we have hired Dennis Nakoolak as our first Inuktut Services Specialist in our Marketing and Communications department to help lead us towards using more inclusive use of language and speaking to our customers in their first language.

This year we are proud to celebrate 75 years of aviation in the Arctic.

There has been a lot of changes and growth, but we continue to put Northern communities first and continue to provide the essential air service that these communities need.

We hope you are taking good care of yourselves and I look forward to the day I can travel with you again across the North on Canadian North.

Nakurmiik, quyanainni, qujannamiik, matna, quana, mahsi cho, merci and thank you,

Chris Avery President and CEO Canadian North

ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖖᒋᐅᑦᑑᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᓴᖖᒋᓂᖃᕐᓕᕐᕕᐅᒻᒪᑕ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᖅᓱᑕ ᐊᖏᒥᖖᒍᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖃᑎᒌᒃᑎᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑖᕐᐸᓐᓂᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐃᓂᖃᖅᐸᓐᓂᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂ. ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᔪᐊᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑖᕐᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᒫᑦᓚᓐ ᐊᓚᒃᑲᕆᐊᓪᓚᒥᒃ ᓄᑖᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᓕᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᓂᓕᕆᔨᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔪᖖᒋᓐᓂᖃᕐᕕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᓂ. ᒫᑦᓚᓐ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᕐᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐅᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᓇᓂᓯᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᕋᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᔪᖖᒋᓐᓂᖃᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓯᒪᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᖃᖅᓱᑕ ᓇᒧᒃᑭᐊᖅ ᑎᑭᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕈᒫᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ. ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᕐᒥᔪᒍᑦ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᑎᑦᓯᓗᑕ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᑦᓯᐊᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᖃᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᕐᓗᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐸᐸᑕᐅᓯᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᓂᖓᑕ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᑉ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᐸᓐᓂᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᖅᑲᑎᒌᖑᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ. ᐃᓱᒪᑕᒻᒪᕆᒋᔭᕗᑦ, ᓂᐅᕝᕈᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᑭᐊᕙᓐ ᖃᑉᓗᑦᓯᐊ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ: “ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᕿᑎᐊᓃᓪᓚᑦᑖᕐᒪᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᕙᖕᒪᒋᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᒋᔭᒥᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒥᖅᑲᕈᑎᒋᕙᒃᓱᒋᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓂᕆᔭᑎᒃ ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᓄᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᓕᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᕋᑦᑎᒍ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᓕᖅᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓂ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᖁᑎᒋᔭᑦᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᓂᓕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑕ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᓕᔭᐅᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓂ ᓂᐅᕝᕈᑎᖃᖅᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ. ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᖃᖅᐸᓐᓂᕗᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᐸᒃᓗᒋᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᕈᒪᔭᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᓴᖖᒋᓂᖃᒻᒪᕆᒃᑑᑎᑦᓯᒻᒪᑦ ᐅᐱᒍᓱᑦᓯᐊᖅᑑᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᓱᓕᕐᓂᐊᕋᑦᑎᒍ ᑐᖖᒐᓇᖅᑑᓗᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᖖᒐᓱᒃᑎᑦᓯᓂᐊᕋᑦᑕ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ.” ᑕᒪᑐᒥᖓ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ, ᓴᕆᒪᒍᓱᒃᑐᖓ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑖᖅᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᕋᑦᑕ ᑎᓐᓂᔅ ᓇᑯᓛᕐᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᖅᑎᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓂᐅᕝᕈᑎᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓕᕆᔨᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᓗᓂ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒍᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓕᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐊᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᓕᕐᓗᑕ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᓴᕆᒪᒍᓱᒃᑐᒍᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᖃᓕᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ 75-ᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᐅᓯᒪᓕᕋᑦᑕ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᑦ. ᐊᒥᓱᑲᓪᓚᒻᒪᕆᒃᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᕆᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖃᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖃᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᓱᑎᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᓯᓯᒪᔪᒍᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᖏᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᑎᒋᐊᖅᐸᒃᓱᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᓯᓯᒪᓪᓗᑕ ᐱᑕᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᔨᐅᕙᓐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᑦᑎᑦᓯᕙᓐᓂᕐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᓂᑦ ᐱᑕᖃᖅᕕᐅᓯᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ. ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᒋᑦᓯᐊᕋᓱᓐᓂᐊᖁᔨᕗᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᕆᐅᖕᓂᖃᑦᓯᐊᖅᐳᖓ ᖃᖓᑭᐊᖅ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᖃᑎᖃᕈᒫᕐᓂᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖓᑎᒍᑦ. ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ, ᖁᔭᓇᐃᓐᓂ, ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ, ᒪᑦᓇ, ᖁᐊᓇ, ᒫᓯ ᓲᐅ, ᒥᕐᓰ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ

ᑯᕆᔅ ᐄᕗᕆ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᔭᐅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ Employee Spotlight | Iqqanaijaqtiup Ujjirijautitauninga

ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᕼᐃᐊᑉ | Cassandra Hepp ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᕼᐃᐊᑉ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᖖᒋᑦᑑᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᐊᓪᐴᕐᑕ ᓂᕿᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᓰᕝᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᑯᓐᓂᖓᓃᑦᑐᒥ ᐃᑦᒪᓐᑕᓐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒋᐊᓪᒍᕆ ᓄᓇᓕᐸᐅᔭᖏᑕ, ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᒥᓂᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔪᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᓱᓂ ᐳᐃᒍᑦᔮᖖᒋᑕᖏᓂᒃ ᐃᒪᓐᓇ “ᐃᓱᒪᒥᒍᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒪᓂᕐᒥᓄᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᓂ ᑎᑭᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ “ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᐹᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᒥᓂ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ.” ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᓕᖅᑐᒥ, ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᓕᕐᑐᖅ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᓂᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᑦ ᐃᑯᒪᓕᕆᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖁᕝᕙᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᕙᒃᓱᑎᒃ ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒃᑎᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᕆᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ. ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᖃᕌᓂᒍᑎᖃᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒥᒃ SAIT (ᓴᐄᑦ) ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᖓᓂ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕐᓯᒪᓕᕐᖓᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕋᒥ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᖁᕝᕙᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᓕᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᖃᑕᐅᕝᕕᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒥᓄᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᐃᐱᕆ 2019-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᒥ. ᒥᓯᐊᓪ ᐴᕐᔅ, ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᕘᕐᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ (ᑕᐃᒪᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ), ᐊᑭᓕᖅᑐᒐᐅᓇᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᑎᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᕐᕕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ. ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᔪᓐᓇᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒻᒪᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᕐᕕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ © Cassandra Hepp ᑲᑎᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓚᖏᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᒪᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ 737-200-ᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ATRᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᐅᕙᒃᑐᖅ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᓯᒪᓕᖅᓱᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔭᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᖃᒻᒪᕆᒻᒪᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᐸᒃᑲᒥ ᑲᑎᓯᒋᐅᖅᐸᓐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᒃᓴᖏᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᒃᓴᖅᑖᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ. “ᐃᓅᕕᒡᓕᐊᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖓ, ᑕᕝᕙᓂᓗ ᑕᓐᓇ ᐊᑦᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ. ᕿᒧᒃᓯᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ, ᓯᓂᒃᑕᕆᐊᖅᓯᒪᖃᑕᐅᓪᓗᖓ ᐃᒡᓗᕋᓛᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᑉ ᓯᓚᑖᓃᑦᑐᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓯᐅᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓚᐅᖅᓱᖓ ᑐᒃᑑᔭᖅᑑᑉ ᐊᖅᑯᑎᕐᔪᐊᖓᒍᑦ. ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᓯᒪᒋᐊᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓪᓚᕆᒃᑕᕋ!” ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᑎᑭᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓕᐊᓂᒃᑐᖅ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᑲᓴᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᓱᒍ ᐊᓘᕐᑦᒧᑦ, ᐅᐊᖕᓇᖅᐸᓯᒻᒪᕆᐊᓃᑦᓱᓂ ᓄᓇᖃᕐᕕᐅᔪᑐᐊᒧᑦ ᓯᓚᕐᔪᐊᓕᒫᒥ. ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᓴᕆᒪᒋᔭᖃᕐᐳᖅ “ᐊᒥᓱᑲᓪᓚᒻᒪᕆᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᒫᒥᓂ ᐱᖃᑎᐊᓗᒋᓂᐊᓕᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᔭᓂ.” ᐊᐱᕆᔭᐅᒐᒥ ᓯᓚᑐᓂᕐᒥᓂᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᓴᖃᕆᐊᖓᓂᒃ ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᕈᒪᔪᓄᑦ, ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᒋᐊᕈᑎᖃᓚᐅᕐᑐᖅ “ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕈᑎᒋᔭᕐᓂᒃ ᑭᐅᔾᔪᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᕋᕕᑦ, ᐊᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᐸᓯᔭᒃᓴᖖᒍᖅᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᖖᒋᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᓂᕐᓗᐊᕿᔪᖃᕋᔭᖅᐸᑦ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᐅᖃᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓗᒍ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᕆᐊᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᓪᓚᕆᖕᒪᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᓪᓗᑎᒃᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᕐᕕᐅᓕᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ.” ᑲᓵᓐᑐᕋ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᒋᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᕐᓗᓂ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᕙᒃᐸᖏᑦ ᐅᐱᒋᑦᓯᐊᖅᓱᓂᒋᑦ, ᐱᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᒋᔭᓂ ᐱᐅᓪ ᐋᓕᒃᓵᓐᑐᕐ, AME-ᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᔭᖅᑐᖅᓯᒪᑲᓚᐅᕐᐸᒃᑐᖅ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᒧᑦ. ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᐊᓯᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᑦᓯᐊᖅᑑᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᒃᑲᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᒋᒋᐊᖅ. “ᐊᓯᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᓕᕆᐊᖏᓐᓇᐅᔭᓲᖑᖕᒪᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᒋᔭᓂ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᑦᓯᐊᖁᓪᓗᓂᒋᑦ. ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᓂᒃ ᖁᖓᑎᑦᓰᓐᓇᐅᔭᓲᖑᓪᓗᓂ!” ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᑦ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᖓᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᕐᔪᐊᕈᑎᖃᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓄᑦᑎᕙᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖃᕆᐊᒥᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᕈᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᕿᓂᓕᖅᓯᒪᒍᕕᑦ ᓄᑖᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕐᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᐅᒻᒪᕆᒐᔭᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᓕᕐᓗᑎᑦ ᐊᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑦᑕᕆᐊᒥᒃ, ᐊᑏᓕ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕐᕕᒋᓚᐅᒃᑭᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᓕᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐸᒃᐱᕋᖏᓐᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᕙᓂ www.canadiannorth.com/careers.

Cassandra Hepp was raised in a small Alberta farming town between Edmonton and Calgary, by parents who instilled in her that “she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to, and that “the sky is the limit.” Today, Cassandra is one of Canadian North’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and an active supporter of Elevate Aviation, an organization that helps to lead and mentor people down the path to an aviation career.

Cassandra, a graduate of the Aircraft Maintenance program at SAIT University, began her career at Canadian North after attending a Women in Elevate Aviation event that she helped host in April 2019 in Yellowknife. Michelle Burch, a pilot with First Air (at the time), was also a volunteer at the event and told Cassandra about the career opportunity. She was able to visit our hangar and meet some of our other employees at the time as well. She works on 737‐200s and ATRs in Yellowknife and finds what she does rewarding, enjoying not only the new people she has been able to meet but also the Canadian North travel benefits.

“I travelled to Inuvik, which is where this picture was taken. I went dog sledding, stayed in a remote cabin outside of town, and drove on the Tuktoyaktuk highway. I love exploring the North!”

Cassandra has already travelled to almost every community in Nunavut including Alert, the northernmost inhabited place in the world.

Cassandra is proud to “have met so many people that have become life‐long friends because of this career.”

When asked if she had any words of wisdom for anyone wanting to get involved with the aviation industry, Cassandra emphasized that “you have to be able to take responsibility for your actions, and not point fingers if something goes wrong. That being said, it is an amazing career with so many opportunities.”

Cassandra speaks about her co‐workers with high regard, specifically coworker Bill Alexander, an AME who rotates up to Yellowknife. She comments on how he is the most thoughtful person she gets to work with. “He is always going the extra mile to make sure his coworkers are happy. He always wants to put a smile on everyone’s face!”

Canadian North is lucky to have such great people working and thriving.

If you are looking for a new challenge that will not only be rewarding but also bring you a sense of satisfaction by helping others, please check out the careers page at www.canadiannorth.com/careers.

From the Flight Deck Why Do We Use Checklists?

It likely wouldn’t surprise you to hear that the pro‐ cedures that we follow when flying the aircraft are highly structured and are well‐documented. Our procedures are spelled out in a series of manuals and other documents.

Many of those procedures culminate in check‐ lists and if you ever watch a crew operate you will see that we often reference a checklist.

On every flight, we make extensive use of the checklists and complete around 10 different checklists on every leg. On top of those check‐ lists, we have a long list of checklists that will cover basically any conceivable non‐normal situation. Ultimately, the manuals for each of our aircraft contain somewhere between 150 and 200 different checklists (and sometimes, one checklist will reference another checklist so there are plenty of possible combinations that we could encounter). Clearly, it wouldn’t be reasonable for a pilot to remember all those possible scenarios, so it makes sense to have checklists for those unusual events.

Often, though, I get asked why we have check‐ lists for normal events, like starting the engines or after we take off. Our pilots are well‐trained, highly experienced, and they do it every day, how come they need a checklist to tell them how to do it?

The reality is that we don’t use the normal checklists to tell us what to do. We are quite comfortable with the steps and the procedures and we carry them out naturally and in a sequence. We don’t use the checklists to tell us what to do, but rather as a final check and confirmation that we didn’t miss a step.

In those cases, the pilot will carry out the required steps and then we will initiate the checklist. When that happens, one of the

pilots reads off the lists of steps, one at a time, and the pilots both confirm that the action was carried out correctly, that the switch is now in the right position or that the correct mode has been activated. Humans aren’t perfect, and it is possible that a minor step could get missed (the same reason that occasionally drivers forget to turn on their headlights at dusk,) but the checklist never forgets. As a result, it serves as a very valuable backup and really is a form of a triple check.

Checklists have been a part of aviation for decades and are used in every company, operation, and type of flying. Interestingly, we see some other professions — likely the most significant, the medical profession — looking to our use of checklists to adopt them in their normal procedures. An operating

room can be much like an airplane, a team of highly trained and skilled professionals carrying out structured procedures. Since the adoption of more formal checklist procedures in the operating room, they have also seen fewer post‐operative complications and quicker patient recovery time. In both cases, the check‐ lists don’t get used to tell us what to do, but they do make sure that, once we have completed the process, that we didn’t miss any of the details, even the small ones.

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

The Inflight Magazine for Canadian North

MAYJUN 2021 | 03 YOURS TO KEEP

Yellowknife’s Snow Carving Compe琀琀on

Hidden Forests in Arc琀c Oceans

Throat Singing Reviving a Cultural Heritage

Artist

Kevin Bolstad

Chasing Sunlight-shaping Shadows

Contents 8

PM40050872

o www.arcticjournal.ca

It’s Always Lovely When the Sun Shines Yellowknife’s rolling rock shorelines on Great Slave Lake are kissed by sunshine as winter begins to give way to spring and all kinds of colours emerge in the snow. © Cathie Bolstad

20

May | June 2021 Volume 33, No. 3

24 30

Publisher: above&beyond ltd.

Managing Editor: Doris Ohlmann doris@arcticjournal.ca Advertising: 613‐257‐4999 Toll Free: 1‐877‐2ARCTIC 1‐877‐227‐2842 (Canada only) advertising@arcticjournal.ca Design: Robert Hoselton, Beat Studios above&beyond ltd., (aka above&beyond, Canada’s Arctic Journal) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian North, and a media instrument intended solely to entertain and provide general information about the North.The views and opinions expressed in editorial content, advertisements, or by contributors, do not necessarily reflect the views, official positions or policies of Canadian North, its agents, or those of above&beyond magazine unless expressly stated. above&beyond ltd. does not assume any responsibility for any errors and/or omissions of any content in the publication. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.

We welcome contributions but assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. Send to editor@arcticjournal.ca.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES (6 issues) Canada US Foreign $30.00 $50.00 $55.00 (includes applicable taxes) Send change of addresses to info@arcticjournal.ca or the address in the Publications Mail box below.

Read above&beyond, Canada’s Arctic Journal, online: arcticjournal.ca or issuu.com/Arctic_Journal Visit us on facebook/arcticjournal.ca or www.twitter.com/arcticjournal

Features

08

Locals showcase talents in annual Snow Carving Competition. — Photos by Bill (FreezeFrame) Braden

20

Artist Kevin Bolstad

Kevin Bolstad immerses himself in the vast, colourful, and diverse northern set of landscapes that inspire him to capture unique moments on canvas. — Text and photos by Cathie Bolstad

24 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40050782 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: ABOVE&BEYOND LTD. P.O. BOX 20025 CARLETON MEWS CARLETON PLACE ON K7C 3S0 Email: info@arcticjournal.ca

Yellowknife’s Snow Carving Competition

Hidden Forests in Arctic Oceans

Seaweed forests in Arctic waters provide valuable habitat for many animals but could also bring economic opportunities to Northern communities.

30

Throat Singing

Unlike regular singing, throat singing usually does not have words; it has sounds. The sounds are taken from the Arctic environment, such as sled runners, a polar bear, raven, geese.

— Season Osborne

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

12 Living Above&Beyond 19 Resources 34 Science Walrus Research 36 Youth Western Arctic Youth Collective 39 Culture The Ancestors Are Happy 42 Recipe 43 Bookshelf 44 Arctic Trivia Quiz — Alan G. Luke

46 Inuit Forum — Natan Obed, President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

7

Team McKalfitznaycords: Sarah Kalnay-Watson, Byron Fitzky, Ryan McCord — a Harry Potter themed work. © Bill (FreezeFrame) Braden

8

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Yellowknife’s Snow Carving Competition goes local 2021 marked a departure from the usual Yellowknife Snow Carving Competition’s last six years. Previously, through sponsor‐ ships, elite teams were invited from across Canada, and other countries, to travel to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to carve what is arguably the best snow in the world — clean, firm, and easy to shape. (No prize money was awarded. The draw to create in Yellowknife was all that lured them.) ith COVID-19, only local Teams could be invited. Event organizers were thrilled with the level of skill and creativity shown by local talent. From March 5 to 14, eight teams worked their snowy magic five hours a day carving large blocks of formed snow (approximately 8’ x 8’ x 8’ cubes) into beautiful art on Yellowknife Bay. The top three Teams in the Competition were.

W

1st Place: Team McKalfitznaycords: Sarah Kalnay-Watson, Byron Fitzky, Ryan McCord — a Harry Potter themed work.

2nd Place: Team Tall Taniwha: Kris Schlagintweit, Niki McKenzie, Cat McGurk, Laura Bain — a heroic kayaker battles a sea monster.

3rd Place: Team Jedi: John Sabourin, Derrald Taylor, Eli Nasogaluak — an elegant moon princess holds a star in her hand.

Teams shared a cash purse as reward for their days creating in the frozen garden.

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

9

Top: Team Tall Taniwha: Kris Schlagintweit, Niki McKenzie, Cat McGurk, Laura Bain — a heroic kayaker battles a sea monster. © Bill (FreezeFrame) Braden (7)

10

Bottom left: Team Jedi: John Sabourin, Derrald Taylor, | Eli Nasogaluak — an elegant moon princess holds a star in her hand.

Bottom right: Team Ptarmigods: Maddy Tetreault, Roxanne Davies — massive ptarmigan.

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Top left: Team Freezies: Robyn Scott, Wiley Wolfe, Elizabeth Stewart, Isla Stewart — tree hugging bear.

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Bottom left: Team Meager Muskox: Nigel Bocking, Stéphane Poitras, Shadrack McLeod, Tom McClennan.

Top right: Team Ptarmicon: Brett Trimble, Alexander Trimble, Chris Bessey, Kenneth Harrison — a homage to science fiction.

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

Bottom right: Team Synergy: Laine Brazeau, Cynthia Pavlovich Gilbert, Alaina Botham, Wilfred Joey Klein — Raven and Dog companions.

11

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Jamboree celebrates spring with outdoor games The 63rd Annual Inuvik Muskrat Jamboree took place April 9‐12, 2021 with a modified but successful format.

Many of the signature indoor and large gathering events were absent such as the Opening Ceremonies, Drumming and Dancing, Community Feast, Old Time Dances, etc. but Jamboree participants could still take part in traditional games on the ice such as harpoon throw, tea boiling, log sawing, muskrat skinning, and skidoo, snowshoe, and dog sled races.

Carefully tending to the fire in the women’s tea boiling competition. © Town of Inuvik/Inuvik Muskrat Jamboree (7)

12

Outdoor events had limited capacities to adhere to health protocols.

The Inuvik Muskrat Jamboree is a true celebration of spring, cultural pride, and traditional and contemporary life in the Mackenzie Delta in the Northwest Territories. www.inuvikmuskratjamboree.com

Testing traditional skills at the harpoon throw contest.

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

At the ready, the men’s snowshoe race start line.

Isaac Lennie takes first place in the Men’s Open Class Cross-Country 100 Mile Track Race.

Saws down, quickest time wins.

Dog handlers prepare their teams ahead of the race.

One of the Jamboree’s top events, Muskrat Skinning.

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

13

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

© Dmitry_Chulov / istock.com

Proposed caribou plan call for input In the last 30 years the Bathurst caribou herd has declined by 98 per cent, according to the NWT government.

The Bathurst Caribou Advisory Committee is looking for input on a draft management plan that aims to build a sustainable future for the herd. The proposed plan was developed between 17 organizations from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Saskatchewan. They represent public governments, Indigenous governments and organizations, hunter and trapper associations, and management boards.

Leaders, harvesters, and traditional knowl‐ edge‐holders will share information via 13 Zoom sessions. Any individual or organization may also submit comments any time online.

Send comments until May 31 to BCP‐PCB@gov.nt.ca.

14

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Mushers complete race despite challenging weather Nunavik’s 20th Ivakkak Dogsled Race was held this year on Nunavik’s Hudson Bay Coast starting in Salluit, Nunavik, February 24 and ending in Puvirnituq, Nunavik, March 10. Racers travelled across two Nunavik communities, Ivujivik and Akulivik.

With poor weather deteriorating into blizzard conditions at the start of the race, after the first two days, many of the teams were ferried part of the way to Ivujivik by snowmobile and sled.

On the way to Akulivik, the teams spent over‐ night at three separate checkpoints. The first leg, March 1, was about a 55‐km run to Lake Sijatalialuk.

Unfortunately, three teams, #3, #5, and #8, withdrew from the race at Kuuvik due to tough snow conditions and the soft snow being hard on the dogs’ paws.

High winds forecast for the evening of March 3 with blizzard conditions for the next few days forced all remaining Teams to stay where they were to wait out the upcoming storm.

The race resumed on March 6 with much improved weather conditions so travel was at a much steadier pace and all teams made it into Akulivik March 7.

After a rest day, the teams left Akulivik at 11 am on March 9, and all Teams made it to Manittuit the same day. Visibility remained low through‐ out the day with blizzard conditions beginning later in the afternoon. This was the final camp before the finish line.

March 10 the Race was complete with all Teams reporting to the finish line in Puvirnituq. The first three spots went to Teams all from Puvirnituq.

Team 2 of Aisa Surusilak and Paulusie Amarualik led the Race from the beginning.

They kept their lead right to the end, finishing the Race with an overall time of 39:30:03.

Team 11 of Jani‐Marik Beaulne and Jackusi Amamatuak finished second, after pulling into second place at the end of Day 2. Their total time was 42:03:25.

Third place went to Team 10, Kulu Tukalak and Peter Qinuajuak, with a final time of 43:32:12.

Team 10 had pulled ahead of Team 9 of Willie cain Jr. and Charlie Angnatuk on Day 6. The two Teams battled it out with Team 9 finishing ahead on Day 7. After the race on March 9, Team 10 had a partner change. Partner Juani Cruishank left the race due to medical reasons and was replaced by Peter Qinuajuak of Akulivik. Peter joined Kulu for the remainder of the race. It was a close race between the two teams the last day with Team 10 pulling ahead again to take the third‐place spot. Team 9’s final time was 43:32:33.

Congratulations to all participants, Race organizers and supporters.

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Aisa Surusilak and Paulusie Amarualik, Team 2, win first place at Nunavik’s 20th Ivakkak Dogsled Race. © Makivik Corporation (3)

Team 11 of Jani-Marik Beaulne and Jackusi Amamatuak finished second place.

Third place went to Team 10, Kulu Tukalak and Peter Qinuajuak.

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

15

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Photos courtesy of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Québec

New Medal for Québec Inuit Québec’s Lieutenant Governor is calling for nominations for the new Inuit category of the province’s First Peoples Medal. The award rec‐ ognizes social involvement, commitment and assistance to others of Québec Inuit in their communities across Canada or abroad.

Engraved with a design by Nunavik‐born Inuit carver Daniel Inukpuk, the medal depicts a polar bear on the front, and a map showing the locations of Inuit communities on the re‐ verse.

The recipient will be invited to attend a cer‐ emony to receive their medal in person from the Lieutenant Governor.

Nominate someone online until May 31 at https://www.lieutenant­gouverneur.qc.ca/ premiers­peuples/index­en.asp

16

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Transitioning to new renewable energy The shareholders of Tarquti Energy (Tarquti), represented by their respective executive committees, met March 24 in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, to discuss the start‐up strategy, on‐going and future activities of the company. Its mission is to carry out renewable energy projects in Nunavik and contribute to the carbon emissions’ reduction and actions on climate change.

Makivik Corporation and the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau‐Québec (Ilagiisaq‐FCNQ) are pooling their expertise and resources for the benefit of the Nunavik energy transition. Their approach for the community projects is to develop, implement and operate them through solid and meaningful business partnerships with the land‐ holding corporations and local cooperatives.

The first Tarquti projects implemented this year include analysis and research. Weather masts will be installed in five Nunavik communities to collect wind data relevant to the development of renewable energy. At the same time, Tarquti is collaborating with research centres, including Nergica and Hydro Québec, to assess the feasi‐ bility of clean energy solutions, like wind and solar power energy, in the region.

Tarquti’s goal is to ensure that projects are environmentally friendly and adapted to the needs of each community, while promoting job creation at the local and regional levels. This initiative also intends to build a knowledge base and develop Inuit expertise in the field of renewable energy for the future for this 100 per cent Inuit‐owned enterprise.

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

Tarquti will install five Met towers in summer 2021. © KB energy

17

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

ISR members preserve culture while playing cards The project is a collaboration between the Inuvialuit Communications Society (ICS), the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre (ICRC) and artist Kyle Natkusiak Aleekuk. Several language and cultural consultants were also involved and include:

A sample of Piannat Inuvialuktun (Inuvialuit Playing Cards). © Inuvialuit Communications Society

The Inuvialuit Communications Society has created a unique way to preserve and promote the Inuvialuit language and culture. Piannat Inuvialuktun (Inuvialuit Playing Cards) feature all three Inuvialuktun dialects for animals that match up with the current Inuvialuktun curriculum taught in Inuvialuit Settlement Region schools.

18

The 52‐card deck can be used as regular playing cards and as a matching card game.

The cards are being distributed to Inuvialuktun language classes, residents in the six Inuvialuit communities, and beneficiaries living outside the settlement region.

• Beverly Siliuyaq Amos (Sallirmiutun, dialect of Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, and Sachs Harbour) • Dwayne Adjgaliaq Drescher (Uumarmiutun, dialect of Aklavik and Inuvik) • Mataya Gillis (Editor in Chief of Nipatur̂uq, Inuvialuit youth magazine, culture consultant) • Ethel‐Jean Gruben (Manager, ICRC, culture consultant) • Alice Kimiksana (Kangiryuarmiutun, dialect of Ulukhaktok) • Alice J Thrasher (Sallirmiutun) • Tamara Voudrach (Manager of ICS, culture consultant).

The project was funded by the Canadian Roots Exchange and Northern Youth Abroad.

The group is applying for funding to order more decks for distribution to more Inuvialuit households, and hopes to design more editions featuring different sections of the current curriculum such as tools, greetings, math/ numbers, etc.

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

RESOURCES

New kimberlites discovered

NUNAVUT Ground staking moves online Crown‐Indigenous Relations & Northern Affairs Canada introduced Map Selection in January 2021. This new online system modernizes the way mineral claims are acquired on Crown lands in Nunavut. Licence holders can now prospect, acquire and manage their mining rights using the web‐based system.

Claim duration has been increased from 10 to 30 years to better reflect the time required to assess and develop the mineral potential of a claim from discovery to the beginning of production. Mining lease rental payments have been standardized, most administrative fees have been removed, and prospecting permits are being phased out.

With the elimination of physical staking, disturbances caused to Nunavut wildlife by air traffic and the use of fossil fuels and related emissions of greenhouse gases will be reduced.

Arctic Star Exploration Corp. has made two new discoveries on the Diagras project in the Lac de Gras kimberlite field, 380 km north of Yellowknife. The first is the Birch Kimberlite.

The second has been named the Sequoia Kimberlite and drilling confirms it is a large kimberlite complex. Indicator minerals, such as pyrope garnet, eclogitic garnet, clinopyroxene, and ilmenite, have been observed in the core.

Other similar targets will also be tested and material from each discovery will be sent for caustic fusion to recover diamonds. Those kimberlites with the highest micro‐diamond counts will be retuned for further exploration.

The Diagras project is a Joint Venture with Margaret Lake Diamonds Inc. and Arctic Star.

Arctic Star is the manager and operator of the joint venture. Arctic Star has commissioned Aurora Geoscience as the operator of the Diagras drilling and geophysics program.

YUKON

NWT REE project begins In April, Cheetah Resources sent a mining fleet to its Nechalacho project, approximately 100 kilometres southeast of Yellowknife.

Nechalacho has a high concentration of rare earth elements that make magnets stronger, which can be used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and communication technologies.

During 2021, 100,000 metric tonnes of ore will be extracted and sorted over the next three years. 50 people will extract and sort this year.

With site rotations, 30 people will be on site at a time.

The mine will rely on a sensor‐based ore sorter to do all the sorting in a single step — using x‐rays and puffs of air to sort the ore into streams of waste rock and a rare earth concen‐ trate.

Company to advance gold targets White Gold Corp. has announced significant soil geochemistry results from 2020 sampling and completion of a new structural geological

interpretation at its Bonanza property, approx‐ imately 10 km south of Dawson City, Yukon.

Infill soil geochemistry sampling has out‐ lined multiple property‐scale linear WNW‐ to NW‐trending gold in soil anomalies. A new structural geological interpretation based on airborne magnetics and electromagnetics, and high‐resolution drone LiDAR data has signifi‐ cantly improved the understanding of structural controls on gold mineralization. The combined strike length of the multiple gold in soil anom‐ alies and interpreted controlling structures is more than six kilometres and remains untested by trenching and/or drilling.

This year the company will advance targets to the drill‐ready stage for testing. Ground surveys will include detailed structural mapping and GT Probe sampling across gold in soil anom‐ alies, augmented by mechanical trenching in areas of the highest gold values. High resolution IP‐resistivity surveys are also planned in select areas to aid in defining the targets at depth for drill testing.

A video overview from management discussing the Bonanza property, 2020 results and future plans can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XViw­ bru0AoY

Reviving a gold mine The Mon Mine, 40 km north of Yellowknife, produced gold from 1989 to 1997 before the project was abandoned until recently.

Sixty North Gold Mining Ltd. has permits from the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board to resume operations probably this summer. The mine grades about one ounce of gold per tonne.

Some mining equipment, as well as temporary housing structures, were hauled to the site via a 45‐kilometre‐long ice road in March. Production is expected to begin in late May or June.

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

19

A New Day

20

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Artist Kevin Bolstad Chasing sunlight-shaping shadows Text and photos by Cathie Bolstad As he makes his last brush stroke, signing his name to another northern landscape, Kevin Bolstad steps back to look at his painting. “I wish I had more time,” he says. ne might think he was talking about needing more time to paint. While that’s probably true, he’s actually reflecting on his 2019 road trip from Dawson City, Yukon to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT. His painting is inspired by the Tombstone Mountains. Two weeks off to drive, hike, photograph and immerse himself in that vast, colourful, and very diverse northern set of landscapes along the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean was just not enough time. He names his painting to capture that feeling: There Should Be More Time.

By day a Professional Engineer, Kevin plans and develops telecommunications network solutions, assesses communications needs, stays on top of emerging technology, and solves complex math and engineering problems to help Northwestel put in place technology to move more data at faster speeds. In this context, Kevin “draws lines” to guide complex technical installations and, ultimately, to connect people.

Working from home, due to the pandemic, I understand why, by day’s end, Kevin says his brain is full. He closes his computer to signal that he is finished for the day, or maybe to separate work and home — but he is still quietly distracted. Keeping Canada’s northern territories connected is top of mind, but then he begins a shift and withdraws from work. He will soon be painting lines that connect landscapes to moments and memories, because Kevin is also an artist.

With work over, Kevin will perch at his easel or head out with his camera, taking long drives to walk and to enjoy and observe northern landscapes. Sometimes I am invited, but I have learned after 40 years of marriage that a walk with Kevin is not about getting fresh air, exercise, or catching up on the day. Kevin’s walks are slower.

The purpose of his journey is, as he says, “to chase sunlight-shaping shadows, trying to capture a unique moment through the eye of my camera or in my sketchbook to later revisit on canvas”. When he pauses, these quiet moments are about capturing what he sees and feels.

O

Kevin is in his happy place in front of his easel. Revisiting moments where he has connected with the land, he layers vibrant colours on canvas, sometimes with acrylics, sometimes with oils. Occasionally, he pulls out paper and dabbles with watercolours. He almost always wears earbuds so he can enjoy a good audio book while he paints. A cryptic crossword is always nearby, and a pause to let paint dry sees him shift his attention to that. He completes at least one of these puzzles every day.

Kevin is a quiet man, but underneath, his creative juices are always bubbling. His love for art began when he was a young boy in rural Alberta. His grandparents purchased his first set of oil paints as a Christmas present when he was 14.

His grandmother, a schoolteacher, saw potential in his drawings. She was the first teacher who encouraged him to paint.

Back then, there were no online courses or video-based classes like there are today, so Kevin learned art through correspondence courses until he relocated to the Yukon in 1979. His father, a pastor, accepted a call to serve at Trinity Lutheran Church in Whitehorse. Leaving one’s hometown can be hard for any teenager, especially one in his graduating year, but for Kevin, camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting experiences enjoyed with new friends quickly grounded him and northern landscapes inspired him. Better still, in Whitehorse, art classes were not only offered in high school, but they granted credits for graduation. Art class is where he connected with Ted Harrison, the second teacher to encourage him to paint.

Kevin says that Ted’s drawings, at first glance, seemed rather simple, but as he got to know Ted and learn from him, his perspective changed.

“Ted’s teaching and his art had a huge influence on me,” says Kevin. “He gave his students lots of freedom to explore all kinds of art and our own capabilities through art. Ted convinced me to believe my art had potential to be way more than just a hobby, and I saw the Yukon through his art in a whole new way. He made strong statements with simplicity.”

In fact, it was Ted Harrison who took Kevin’s first painting to the Yukon Art Gallery. Ted introduced Kevin to Bill Braden, then the gallery’s owner, and both encouraged Kevin to bring more of his paintings in. And so he did.

Spirit Rising Reflecting on early mornings enjoyed by Yukon rivers.

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

21

Kevin went on to complete a Bachelor of Education at the University of British Columbia, even as we married and began raising a family together. He began his career as a teacher, but in 1990 returned to university in Edmonton, Alberta, completing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

As a newly graduated engineer, Kevin accepted a job at Northwestel in 1994 and we moved to Yellowknife. Northern landscapes there were vastly different from the mountains and rivers he had grown to love in the Yukon, but this North still somehow connected with him. Kevin didn’t have a lot of free time in those early NWT years, so his painting often took a back seat to family commitments. Despite this, outdoor activities enjoyed with family remained an important part of his northern lifestyle and photographs taken to capture warm feelings and memories still inspire art he produces today.

Though Kevin has little formal academic training in art, he has a large collection in his library about artists and artwork.

He reads and rereads his books with great pleasure. Once his family had grown up, Kevin also pursued workshops, community art programs and seminars inside and outside of the NWT. These pursuits have shaped his artwork, honed his skill, and developed his artistic style and vision.

Among those providing instruction and influence, he says there are too many artists to name, but inspirations include Ted Harrison, Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven (especially Lawren Harris), and the Impressionists. Kevin is also particularly inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, who serves for him as one shining example of how engineering and art can coexist in one mind together. I think Kevin is another.

In November 2020, Kevin held his first solo art exhibit in Yellowknife. “Under Northern Skies” included 40 original art

November 2020: Kevin’s “Under Northern Skies” exhibit saw 32 of 40 paintings sell in less than 24 hours. The full exhibit and new paintings can be seen at kevinbolstad.com

pieces painted over about three years. Art lovers of all ages were invited, with COVID19 safety protocols in place. Kevin was pleasantly surprised when, by the day’s end, more than 200 people had come safely through his large exhibit space at the Explorer Hotel and 32 paintings had sold.

I could see that talking with the people who came to see his work brought Kevin great joy.

“Painting is a language I use to convey what I was feeling when I was in a particular place at a particular time,” he says. “To hear others express what they are feeling or seeing when they look at my paintings connects me in new ways to the landscapes and moments I have painted.”

His painting, There Should Be More Time, was sold to a gentleman in Calgary, Alberta, who once lived in the Yukon, saw the painting, and was reminded how he, too, wished he had had more time there.

There Should Be More Time. Near Tombstone.

22

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Hidden forests in Arctic oceans The next economic opportunity?

Luxuriant Arctic forests In cold marine waters, rocky reefs are often dominated by habitat-forming seaweeds such as kelp. These seaweeds form impressive underwater forests that are not only a phenomenal source of primary productivity and food, but also create threedimensional structure that provides valuable habitat for many animals and other seaweeds, including harvested species. The recipe for kelp forests in many regions of the world is deceptively simple: a rocky seafloor, enough light to support growth, cool nutrient-rich waters, and low grazing pressure to ensure survival. Add protection from ice scour to this mix and you have the formula for predicting the potential distribution of kelp in Arctic regions.

Large stretches of coastline are likely rocky enough to support kelp forests, and the potential distribution of kelp in the Canadian Arctic is astoundingly large (thousands of kilometres of rocky coastline). However, there is little published information on the spatial distribution and types of seaweed that make up Arctic kelp forests. Moreover, environmental conditions along these coastlines are changing rapidly. For example, increased light availability caused by sea ice retreat is predicted to expand the northern extent and overall productivity of kelp in the Arctic.

ArcticKelp is a three- to five-year ArcticNet Research Project that aims to answer three main questions about Arctic kelp forests: 1) Where are they and what types are most abundant in different regions? 2) What effects will climate change have on their distribution and productivity? And 3) What is their value to northern communities?

Large-scale surveys Although sea ice and shortened day-length in winter reduce annual light in Arctic waters, light levels are clearly high enough in many areas to support kelp growth. Since the first step in the ArticKelp project aims to carry out a large-scale survey of the presence and types of kelp forests across the eastern Canadian Arctic, teams of researchers and local collaborators have begun to collect information about kelp forests in shallow (five to 15 m deep) coastal areas which should have enough light to support macroalgae (Iqaluit, Nunavut, and Churchill, Manitoba, in 2011; Steensby Inlet, Nunavut, and Deception Bay, Quebec, in 2012; the eastern coast of Baffin Island, Nunavut, in 2014; Large sugar kelp (Saccharina spp) makes diving in Arctic kelp forests feel like walking through a terrestrial forest. © I. Garrido

24

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

25

Anaktalak Bay, Newfoundland in 2018; Southampton Island, Nunavut, in both 2018 and 2019; and in Eclipse Sound and Milne Inlet, Nunavut, in 2017 and 2019). Using a combination of SCUBA diving and dropped or towed cameras, research teams (including local Inuit, universities and government) have surveyed more than 50 sites.

This effort represents an enormous leap forward in mapping the spatial extent of kelp forests in the Arctic and in documenting which types of kelp are found where. Surprisingly, kelp forests were found at almost all sites, and covered large areas of the seafloor. Overall, sugar kelp, Saccharina spp. (a group of kelp widely distributed in both temperate and polar latitudes), dominated in what appeared to be particularly productive areas such as sites in the northern portion of Labrador and around Southampton Island. Contrary to expectations, the endemic Arctic kelp, Laminaria solidungula, was never the dominant species in the regions surveyed. We are particularly interested in exploring what environmental factors are most important in determining the distribution and composition of the kelp communities observed and predicting what kelps may be present in areas that we have yet to visit!

A key study area for this project is in the waters of Eclipse Sound near the community of Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet) where intensive exploration, including dive surveys, was carried out in 2019. Work elsewhere in the Arctic and previously published work in this area led us to believe that kelp assemblages would be composed of a mix of types (species), dominated by Alaria esculenta in shallower waters and by Saccharina spp. and Laminaria solidungula at greater depths with a patchy distribution of Agarum clathratum in the deepest waters or in

more marginal habitats. Instead, we found an overwhelming dominance by Agarum at almost all sites and all depths. This may indicate that Eclipse Sound is a more extreme habitat for kelp than we had expected based on previous research.

Future work will try to determine what factors are limiting the abundance and distribution of other kelp species by examining the effects of light, ice, grazing and kelp recruitment. These Agarum beds were, however, clearly functioning as important habitat for a large number of animals, with fish (Arctic cod and sculpins — known as ‘ugly fish’) and numerous invertebrate species (e.g., urchins, sea stars, brittle stars, shrimp and anemones) strikingly abundant.

Kelp forests and northern communities A central goal of the project is to provide opportunities for training and knowledge transfer, while also exploring possible economic opportunities that kelp forests could present for northern communities and local Inuit businesses. Kelp forests are clearly beneficial in that they provide habitat for fished or harvested species and their prey

Trying on dive gear in Pond Inlet with Ladd Johnson. © K. MacGregor

Diver sampling an urchin barren from Labrador. © K. MacGregor

26

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

A mixed kelp assemblage from Southampton Island, Nunavut. © I. Garrido

Touch tank gang in Pond Inlet with Karen Filbee-Dexter. © L. Johnson

(for example, fish and shrimp). Some kelp species are also valuable as direct consumables.

Indeed, the kuane (Alaria esculenta) collected during sampling was consumed as a treat in Mittimatalik. Some algal species are also being increasingly used as ingredients in traditional or traditionally inspired products (for example, Bowhead whale cosmetics with algal ingredients — UasaU Soap of Iqaluit, Nunavut). Future possibilities for economic development based on local kelp forests remain to be fully explored with communities but could include extraction of biomolecules as food additives, use of tannins such as those found in Agarum, or production of algal extracts for use in other products.

In 2019, the ArcticKelp team ran an informal interpretative touch tank filled with organisms collected during each day of diving work and carried out school visits at

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

the end of fieldwork to share information about kelp forests and associated marine life with children at elementary and high schools in Mittimatalik.

The ArcticKelp team was assisted by two invaluable local Inuit research technicians, Trevor Arreak and Cara Killiktee, who had previous training from the Environmental Technology Program at the Nunavut Arctic College.

Although sampling in 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19, ArcticKelp is planning further fieldwork and community outreach, and will define future research goals based on local priorities and interest.

Climate change is having particularly dramatic effects in the Arctic, with reduced sea ice thickness and cover being the most marked and worrying trend. Surface temperatures in parts of the Arctic are also rising more than four times faster than in the oceans to the South. Although these changes clearly have negative effects on many species and coastal processes, including impacting the food security and access to traditional resources of Inuit in northern communities, future conditions may, in fact, benefit certain species. Indeed, kelp forests are predicted to expand their range northwards as waters warm and annual light increases in coastal zones due to reduced ice cover. However, because so little is currently known about the distribution of Arctic kelp species and the factors limiting their distribution and productivity, predicting future changes with certainty is difficult. Given the ecological and cultural importance as well as the economic potential of kelp forest habitats, the research being carried out by the ArcticKelp project will provide critical information for Arctic decision makers, leaders and entrepreneurs.

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

27

Diving in Arctic kelp forests requires help at the surface! © I. Garrido

Acknowledgements A version of this article was previously published in the Coastal Zone Canada Newsletter (Winter 2020 edition).

The ArcticKelp project would be impossible without the collaboration and help of many people, both during the planning and execution of this work. The collaboration and support of the following organizations has made ArcticKelp possible: the Nunavut Fisheries Association; the Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board; the Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization; the Department of Wildlife and Environment, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.; Oceans North; the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP); Natural Resources Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, including the DFO Strategic Program for Ecosystem-Based Research and Advice and the DFO Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring Program; the Institute of Marine Research, Norway; the Polar Continental Shelf Program; Sentinel North; Memorial University of Newfoundland; Université Laval; Québec-Océan; Glencore (Raglan Mine); Vale (Voisey’s Bay Mine); and Baffinland (Mary River Mine).

Working to sample Arctic kelp forests has allowed the ArcticKelp team to work with lots of amazing northerners. The 2019 sampling team in Pond Inlet. L to R: Cara Killiktee, Katie MacGregor, Trevor Arreak, Karen Filbee-Dexter. © L. Johnson

For invaluable help in the field, we thank the crew of the MV Cape Race (2014); the crew of the MV William Kennedy (2018 and 2019); the crew of the MV Nuliajuk (2017 and 2019); the collaborative SIMEP research team led by CJ Mundy; our assistants in Mittimatalik and Eclipse Sound, Trevor Arreak, Cara Killiktee, Andrew Arreak, Tapisa Kasarnak and Markusi Jaaka; Leo and Myna Maktar for use of an amazing boat and discussions about observations of seaweed; the Mittimatalik HTO and particularly Joseph Arreak and Andrew Arreak for invaluable help organizing diving field work; the ECCC field station for providing an amazing base for working in Eclipse Sound; and ArcticNet for providing financial support and Amundsen Science for logistical support (particularly Cindy Grant and Lisa Treau De Coeli) to make this work possible. www.ArcticKelp.ca Submitted by Kathleen MacGregor, Karen Filbee-Dexter, Ladd Johnson, Chris McKindsey, Kimberly Howland, Jesica Goldsmit, Robert Schlegel, Camille Lavoie, Ignacio Garrido, and Philippe Archambault.

Kelp forests provide habitat for many different species, including fish like this sculpin or ugly fish. © I. Garrido

28

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

30

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Lynda Brown’s three-year-old daughter Papatsie Johnson and Kendall Ford throat singing at the Early Years graduation ceremony at the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre in June 2010. Papatsie and Kendall are still throat singing partners 14 years later —the next generation carrying on the nearly lost tradition. © Lynda Brown

Throat Singing Reviving a cultural heritage

By Season Osborne Throat singing is distinctively Inuit and a musical genre all its own. In 2014, Quebec recognized throat singing as its first example of intangible cultural heritage—something you can only hear. hroat singing is a traditional game involving two women. The whole point of the game is to make the other person laugh.

“Throat singing was a form of entertainment especially during harsh times, or when they couldn’t go out,” says Evie Mark, a throat singer from Ivujivik, Nunavik, who teaches at Nunavik Sivunitsavut, the college program in Montreal for students from Nunavik. Throat singing was often sung during ceremonies, or festivities, or gatherings, just to see who would outlast the other.”

Unlike regular singing, throat singing usually does not have words; it has sounds.

Throat songs are a marvel to listeners because of their deep, throaty, breathy, raspy, and seemingly nonhuman sounds. These are made by rhythmic inhalations and exhalations of the singer’s breath that resonate in their throat. The sounds are taken from the Arctic environment, such as sled runners, a polar bear, raven, geese. Each song is different every time it is performed because each person’s voice is their own unique instrument, plus the sound order and/or tempo are changed up each time.

Two throat singers stand face-to-face and hold each other’s forearms. One is the leader who sets the rhythm, pace, and sound; the other follows half a second later, repeating the same sound, going with the rhythm. Although the two women make the same sound, because one happens a fraction after the first, it creates a totally different sound. The leader tries to throw the follower off by adding new sounds and the follower has to make the same sounds. Either singer can also speed up and slow down—all in an attempt to make the other person laugh.

“A lot of people think the hardest part of learning throat singing might be making the sounds, but that is the easy part,” says Heidi Langille, an Ottawa urban Inuk whose family is from Nunatsiavut. “The hardest part is working with a partner and figuring

T

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

31

Long-time throat singing partners Heidi Langille and Lynda Brown ham it up in 2018 at the Supporting Performing Arts in Rural Communities (SPARC) Symposium in Cobalt, Ontario. © Heidi Langille

32

out the timing. Learning when to jump in or trusting your partner to do what you expect them to do.”

“Seventeen years ago,” she says, “Lynda and I could count the number of throat singers we knew on one hand. Now we’ve got so many different throat singers out there. It’s fantastic.”

Lynda Brown (Langille’s singing partner), who lives in Ottawa with family ties to Pangnirtung, Nunavut, encourages Inuit to learn to throat sing because, “It was almost lost, almost completely wiped out. Being able to carry it on to the next generation is important to me. As soon as I learned, I was teaching and paying it back to other people.”

About 15 years ago, Brown travelled with a four-woman performance troupe, Siqiniup Qilauta, to Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador), and taught youth groups how to throat sing and drum dance. For some of the young people, it was the first time they had heard throat singing. The art form had been lost, forbidden by Moravian missionaries who had set up posts in Labrador in the late 1700s to trade with, and Christianize, the Inuit. No traditional Nunatsiavut songs exist today, but the youth who learned from Lynda and Siqiniup Qilauta went on to teach other youth, reviving the lost tradition there.

Throat singing was banned all across the North, but enough women passed along their knowledge, so it didn’t die out. It remained exceptionally strong in Nunavik. The Elders managed to ignore the church’s attempt to silence throat singing and taught the next generations.

There are now dozens of throat singers across Nunavut and Inuvialuit, as well as in southern cities: Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto. Throat singing has become mainstream for young Inuit performers.

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

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

Opposite: Heidi Langille, with her baby Eli in her amauti, throat singing with Lynda Brown for a Project North event in 2013. © Michelle Valberg

Sisters Kayley Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Kuliktana Ayalik are PIQSIQ. Their traditional and contemporary throat singing are making waves in the Canadian music industry. © PIQSIQ

Search YouTube for Inuit throat singing and pages of videos come up. PIQSIQ, a duo from Yellowknife, has gained popularity for traditional throat singing, as well as their own contemporary compositions. Nancy Mike’s throat singing is an integral part of Iqaluit Indie rock band Jerry Cans’ music. Tanya Tagaq, a solo throat singer from Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay, Nunavut), has won two Juno awards, 2015 and 2017.

This is a modern resurgence of an ancient art that was disappearing but is now being revitalized and reinvented.

As there is a tradition of passing along, or sharing songs, sounds, and tips with other singers across Inuit Nunangat, singers often don’t know what region the songs originate from.

“The origins of the songs are old, older than the naming of the communities,” says Mark. “A lot of the songs were created before Inuit settled in villages.”

There are some recognizable regional differences, though.

Songs from Nunavik, such as Qimmiruluapik – Poor Little Puppy, have more guttural sounds. Whereas Naglingniq – Love Song, which comes from Baker Lake in Nunavut, has a very soft sound, more like humming. Another identifiable one is Qikturiaq – Mosquito, which originated in the Northwest Territories and was made popular by PIQSIQ. “Mosquito is the only throat song where the leader and follower do two completely different sounds. For every other throat song, they do the same sound,” says Brown.

“With Mosquito, the leader makes one sound, and the follower does a different one.”

“There are no words in Mosquito or Love Song; one of the many sounds in Poor Little Puppy we say, ‘qimmiluarpik.’ We don't learn it by writing it down, as it would be difficult to note guttural or soft sounds, but through hearing it and practicing,” says Brown.

Langille explains how it works.

“With singing, you use your diaphragm and vocal cords. With throat singing, you are using more than that, you’re using your vocal cords, false vocal cords, diaphragm and projecting.”

False vocal cords are what create the deep sonorous tones. They are a tissue in the throat that help close the larynx when swallowing. False vocal cords are not normally M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

used in speaking or regular singing but can be made to vibrate and produce a low, rough sound.

“The number one question usually is, ‘Does it hurt?’” says Brown. “Absolutely, it does hurt, yes. You have to train your throat… I remember learning that first guttural sound, vibrating way at the back. I remember thinking, ‘Okay, that’s a challenge.’ It goes away with practice, though.”

For Mark, learning to throat sing was a way to connect with her Nunavimmiut heritage.

“I had a hunger to learn the Inuit language, to regain my language, to learn the songs, to learn a lot about the land.

When I was a kid, throat singing really intrigued me when I heard it. And I thought, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to become a throat singer,’” says Mark.

She did and has taken her talents overseas, singing in Wales, France, the United States, and across Canada. She has performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in Quebec, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, and Esprit Orchestra in Toronto, Ontario.

Brown and Langille have also travelled widely, performing in southern Canada, as well as introducing throat singing to tourists on Arctic cruises with Adventure Canada and to

Evie Mark has introduced audiences to throat singing in Wales, France, the United States and Canada. © Robert Frechette

youth on Students on Ice expeditions. They did a 30-second bit as part of the winter Olympics for Chinese television, and, at the other extreme, throat sang for four minutes on singersongwriter David Newland’s album Northbound.

The three women agree. Throat singing is a fun way to share their culture with everybody— Inuit and non-Inuit.

Click here to watch Lynda Brown and Heidi Langille demonstrate how to throat sing and talk about the stories behind each song. (Winterlude 2008). https://youtu.be/kbg6BltCr-g Season Osborne is the author of In the Shadow of the Pole: An Early History of Arctic Expeditions, 1871-1912. She lives and writes in Ottawa, Ontario.

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

33

SCIENCE

Community-based walrus research in Nunavut How bottom feeding species are exposed to plastic pollution

By Jennifer Provencher and Cory Matthews Inuit have been hunting walruses for centuries, and walrus continue to be an important country food to northern communities, especially those in the Canadian Arctic. In communities across Nunavut, walrus meat is shared by community members and, as highlighted in the Government of Nunavut’s Nutrition Fact Sheet Series for Inuit Traditional Foods, is an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and selenium. In some communities, such as Igloolik and Sanirajak, walrus meat and blubber are carefully aged in walrus skins for months in gravel caches on the land. The fermented walrus meat (igunaq) is shared among communities and is considered a treat by many.

Threats to walrus populations have recently been identified, including pollution and changing food webs. To understand how changes in the environment are affecting walrus populations, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)

has been working with communities to sample walrus by working collaboratively with hunters during the seasonal harvests in Nunavut. Cory Matthews and his team from DFO have been working with communities to sample walrus

meat, blubber, skin, organs, whiskers, and tusks.

Each year sampling kits are shared with Hunters and Trappers Association and Organization (HTAs and HTOs) offices, and Inuit hunters collect the samples while processing the animals for

Atlantic walrus, Foxe Basin. © DFO

34

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

SCIENCE

Inuit hunters perform community-based sampling for microplastics in Qikiqtarjuaq, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada. © ECCC

community sharing. This community‐based sampling program has been running for several decades and has provided a valuable tissue sample archive for studying walrus populations over that time.

In 2020, DFO partnered with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to address concerns about microplastics and plastic asso‐ ciated contaminants in walruses in Nunavut.

Microplastics are pieces of plastics that are smaller than 5 mm and are of concern in the Arctic because when microplastics are ingested, they can have negative effects on animals.

Previous studies on plastic pollution in Nunavut in collaboration with HTOs have shown that some species can ingest and accumulate plastic

pollution. For example, several seabird species that feed at the surface (e.g., fulmars and kittiwakes) can accumulate plastics in their stomachs, while other species that feed in the water column have not been found to accumulate plastic pollution (e.g., eiders and ringed seals).

One study on beluga whales in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region found only very small micro‐ fibers in seven whales sampled by hunters. These microplastics were all smaller than 0.5 mm, and thus likely don’t accumulate in stomachs of the animals but demonstrate that microplastics can be found in a range of species.

As we learn more about how common plastic pollution is in the North, several communities have voiced concerns about other species,

particularly those that are benthic feeders, like walrus. In 2020, when many research programs across Canada were cancelled or minimized due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, the walrus sampling program was expanded as compared to previous years. In collaboration with local HTAs and HTOs, community‐based coordinators were hired in several Nunavut communities to help promote the sampling program among walrus hunters.

Walrus stomach and tissue samples collected in 2020 will be used to study both diet and contaminants. The stomachs will be opened, and all contents will be sifted to examine ingested microfibers and microplastics down to 20 µm. Meat and blubber will also be examined for contaminants that are known to come from plastic pollution. Because walruses are bottom feeders, using their tusks to dig up clams and other benthic organisms, this study will help us understand how bottom feeding species may be exposed to plastic pollution.

By combining the work that DFO is leading on diet with partners at the University of Manitoba, and the plastic pollution analysis supported by ECCC with partners at Carleton University, the goal is to assess diet and contaminants in each animal, and report back this information to communities. If you would like to learn more about community‐based walrus sampling and research in your community, please contact your local HTO or HTA, or Cory Matthews (Cory.Matthews@dfo‐mpo.gc.ca) or Jennifer Provencher (Jennifer.Provencher@canada.ca).

Madelaine Bourdages from Carleton University examines marine mammal stomachs for microplastics. © ECCC

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

35

YOUTH

Western Arctic Youth Collective Experiencing the power of the land

By Arlyn Charlie “I have now been at Teenjur Van for approximately two weeks! This week has been a journey.

I am drained, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I have come to realize what the word Gwich’in truly means to me. Being out here on the land, separated from the constant incoming emails, phone calls, and so forth, has allowed me to experience the certain power and medicine that the land has.”

Scrapping lessons at the youth culture camp outside Inuvik, October 2019. © Ben Powless Campfire stories. Youth Hide Culture Camp, October 2019. © Ben Powless

36

That was just a small excerpt from a short blog post I wrote about two years ago. During that time, I would have never come to anticipate that I would be sitting on the Steering Committee for the Western Arctic Youth Collective (WAYC).

But it was during that time that the goal or the idea was presented to form a collective of youth who were interested in providing opportunities and programming in the Western Arctic, which is focused on that awkward age group that more often than not is left out.

The Western Arctic Youth Collective has been created by Inuvialuit and Gwich’in youth, based out of Inuvik but offering programming in surrounding communities. Our main goal is to offer empowerment to our youth to be change‐ makers in the North. We aim to provide a platform that is led by youth collaborative initiatives and

partnerships in their communities and to partner with other groups who share our ideas in the North.

WAYC was launched in the spring of 2020 amidst the pandemic of COVID‐19 but has not slowed our group down. In October 2020, our steering committee gathered in Inuvik for a retreat, abiding by the Health and Safety pro‐ tocols. The purpose of the retreat was to focus on who we are as a group and our goals for the coming future, as well as what each of us brings in terms of strengths but also weaknesses to the group.

We gathered at Gwich’in Park, located just outside of Inuvik, in October. Mornings were crisp and cold as we met inside tents. This break from traditional meeting protocols allowed us as a collective to come and speak and gather ideas freely. For the next two days, in the presence of

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

YOUTH

our elders and mentors, we sat and exchanged ideas while partaking in traditional activities of the Inuvialuit and Gwich’in, such as cutting up white‐ fish and listening to the traditional language being spoken.

At the end of our retreat, the collective agreed on areas to focus on in the Western Arctic by providing programming through virtual content and, in future, more on the land‐based gathering.

Our goal is to focus on but not limited to mental wellness, education, cultural values and knowl‐ edge, community empowerment, and collective mentorship.

On behalf of WAYC and our committee it is so empowering and such an honour to have won the prize for the youth category Arctic Inspiration Prize in February 2021. Mahsi cho to those who believed in us to provide what can seem a daunting and overwhelming goal.

You have truly inspired us to continue offering more opportunities in the future with your support and mentorship.

Each of us at WAYC is truly passionate about the programming we offer, and with this prize, such programming and operations in the North will continue into the future. We are excited to execute all our plans and goals by offering youth in the Western Arctic more programming and, in time, gathering together again out on the land, as our ancestors have done for thousands of years before.

Arlyn Charlie is the Co­chair on the WAYC steering committee.

Peter Greenland entertains Elder Sarah Jerome. Leadership retreat, October 2018. © Shayla Snowshoe

WAYC Steering Committee Retreat, October 2020. © Jason Lau

Picking berries on the Dempster Highway, August 2019, youth and elder gathering. © Shayla Snowshoe

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

37

38

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

C U LT U R E

The Ancestors Are Happy A New Book by David F. Pelly Four decades ago, in Qamani’tuaq, an older woman told me an amazing tale. Fascinated as I was at the time, I had almost no understanding of the cultural backdrop to her story. Nor did I know then that I’d be spending much of my life recording oral-histories from Inuit elders. Fortunately, I wrote her story down in detail later that evening, back in my tent. All I could do, as Iquginnaq actually spoke, was listen with rapt attention, while sitting at the kitchen table of a new friend who translated for me. I remember the scene well, including the strong sweet tea and Joan’s homemade pineapple upside-down cake.

Those words are from the introduction to the “People” section of the recently published The Ancestors Are Happy, but they could as easily be an introduction to my own life story (which will never be published). A long journey began for me that evening. This book is a reflection back on some of the stories gathered up along the way in more than 40 years in the North.

What an honour and a privilege it’s been.

The book includes 15 individual profiles, Iquginnaq’s first among them, as well as tales larger than any one person that arose from experiences involving multiple people and places. One of those led to me digging more deeply into traditional Inuit navigation.

Before the storm began, I did not really know Tulurialik at all well. It was my first winter trip “out on the land.”

Tulurialik planned to check his trap line one last time before the season ended, and invited me to join him.

Travelling by snowmobile over the trackless tundra, an area I was familiar with only in summer when its lines are much softer, I marvelled at Tulurialik’s intuition.

Time after time, he pulled up beside an insignificant hump in the snow and thrust his snow knife beneath the crust to exhume a steel fox­trap. For the first time, I was witnessing two amazing processes: an Inuk’s ability to navigate great distances of seemingly featureless terrain and the acute visual perception that enabled him to recognize a precise spot on the snow.

These observations were still whirling around in my head four days later, as we sat in our iglu, patiently waiting out the blizzard that had begun late on that first day.

Iquginnaq. © David F. Pelly

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

39

C U LT U R E

Inuit finding their way over more seemingly featureless terrain. © David F. Pelly (4)

We became good friends, Tulurialik and I, luckily for me, and travelled many more miles together. As with others. All the lines of travel that weave across the tundra are like so many pieces of the narrative thread. Travel routes themselves are often described in terms of the stories they represent. But the destination is not always so clear. When one old friend asked me to accompany him back to the home of his youth, although I knew where we were going on the map, I had no idea where the journey would take him in his heart.

Standing on an island off the Arctic coast, look­ ing up the valley of Kutgajuk, Sikkuark intoned, “It looks different from my dream.” Along with his brothers Manernaluk and Anakanerk, he was returning to his “homeland,” a place he’d only dreamed of since leaving it almost 50 years before. Looking at it now, Kutgajuk looked familiar, yet mysterious.

That journey was not easy for them, but each of those men was deeply grateful and pro‐ foundly moved to have made the trip. It is often like that, I learned; one elder said, “when you go on the land, you go into yourself.” Being with the three brothers on that journey was an ex‐ perience never to be forgotten.

40

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

C U LT U R E

The approach to Kutgajuk.

L to R: Sikkuark, Anakanerk, and Manernaluk.

Some years ago, I attended a special mid­winter evening with Inuit elders who had gathered to celebrate old stories and traditional knowledge.

There was much talk of the generations which had gone before, and the wealth of stories and knowledge that had been passed down through the ages. When it ended, I remember stepping back out into the frigid Arctic air, drawing an icy breath, and looking up to see the northern lights dancing across the southern sky over­ head, as if celebrating the event. An older, very perceptive Inuit friend, who was standing close by, stopped to look up with me and reflectively said, “Our ancestors are happy”.

The North is a landscape of stories, a tapestry fabricated of ancestors, animals, and the land with its diversity of features. It is not constrained by geography. The land itself is rivers, tundra, glacial scrapes in the bedrock, eskers, and seacoasts — all woven together by the stories that tie the people to the land and preserve their place in the soul of this country.

David F. Pelly is a long­time contributor to above&beyond.

Excerpts (in italics) are taken from The Ancestors Are Happy, Crossfield Publishing, 2021, www.crossfieldpublishing.ca To order: yellowknifebooks.com or 1­800­944­6029

M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

An Inuk hunter, Isaac Tavalok, contemplates his route over trackless tundra.

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

41

RECIPE

Arctic Char — Florentine

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves 6

Florentine refers to a recipe that is prepared in the style of the Italian region of Florence. This wholesome baked dish is easy to make. You can serve it with a side of mashed potatoes or rice, or over pasta.

2 medium Arctic char fillets, skin on 1 cup thawed, frozen spinach or 2 cups chopped fresh spinach 1 tbsp oil 1/4 cup minced onions 5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional) 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes (optional) Salt and pepper to taste

STEPS Preheat the oven to 350°F. If using frozen spinach, drain the excess liquid from the spinach by squeezing with your hands.

Cook the onions in a skillet with oil over medium heat until they soften.

Add the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the ricotta cheese and stir.

Using your hands, pack the spinach mixture evenly on top of each fillet.

Place the fillets on a baking sheet or in a baking dish lined with parchment paper (paper is optional but recommended to avoid tedious dish washing sessions!) and bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is completely cooked.

FOR THE TOPPING: You can replace the ricotta cheese with cottage cheese. Add ¼ tsp pepper flakes to the spinach mix if you like spiciness.

Reprinted from Niqiliurniq A Cookbook from Igloolik, with permission from Inhabit Media Inc.

42

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

BOOKSHELF

Our Whole Gwich’in Way of Life Has Changed / Gwich’in K’yuu Gwiidandài’ Tthak Ejuk Gòonlih Stories from the People of the Land Leslie McCartney and Gwich’in Tribal Council University of Alberta Press December 2020 Our Whole Gwich’in Way of Life Has Changed / Gwich’in K’yuu Gwiidandài’ Tthak Ejuk Gòonlih: Stories from the People of the Land is an invaluable compilation of historical and cultural information. Through their own stories, 23 oldest Gwich’in Elders from the Northwest Territories communities of Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtshik, Inuvik, and Aklavik share their joy of living and travelling on the land. Their distinctive voices speak to their val‐ ues, world views, and knowl‐ edge, while co‐author Mc‐ Cartney assists by providing context and background on the lives of the narrators and their communities.

Who? Written and Illustrated

by Sophie Weider with Inuktitut Translations by Julie Ivalu Friesen Press April 2021

The Shaman’s Apprentice

Who? follows the journey of a Snowy owl, Ukpik, in search of a new home, after his own is left uninhabitable by the impacts of climate change. Who? was inspired by first‐hand learnings from scientists and Inuit on the 2019 Students on Ice Arctic Expedition. This inspiring and informative Arctic tale introduces young readers to environmental issues and encourages them to care for planet Earth.

Zacharias Kunuk Illustrated by Megan Kyak‐Monteith Inhabit Media May 2021 Inspired by award‐winning Inuk director Zacharias Kunuk’s short film of the same name, The Shaman’s Apprentice tells the story of a young shaman in training who must face her first test—a trip to the underground to visit Kannaaluk, The One Below, who holds the answers to why a community member has become ill. Facing dark spirits and physical challenges, the young shaman must learn to stifle her fear and listen to what Kannaaluk has to tell her. The film, Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice, directed

by Zacharias Kunuk and co‐produced by Taqqut Productions and Kingulliit Productions, will also have its world premiere at Annecy Film Festival this June. https://www.annecy.org/home

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

yellowknifebooks.com M AYJ U N E 2 0 2 1 | 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

43

TRIVIA

Arctic Trivia Quiz

BY ALAN G. LUKE

The Canadian Arctic is home to myriad natural colourful floral arrays contrasting the barren High Arctic tundra.

Quiz yourself on the regional flowers with these multiple-choice trivia questions.

4. Marsh Marigolds have bright yellow flowers resembling buttercups. Which one of the following is not another name for this flower? a) Water dragon b) Kingcup c) Cowslip d) Golden butter 5. A dandelion is a perennial which grows in the Canadian Arctic Tundra. Which one of the following is not a health benefit of the wildflower? a) Increasing immunity b) Regulating blood sugar c) Reducing cholesterol d) Providing antioxidants

Purple Saxifrage

1. What is the official territorial flower for Nunavut, which is one of the first plants to bloom in spring? a) Purple Saxifrage b) Arctic Snow flower c) Arctic Rose d) Orange Sunshine 2. Of the 300 species of wildflowers found in the Arctic tundra biome, which of the following is considered a medicinal plant? a) Rhododendron b) Rhodiola c) Rain Lily d) Rose of Sharon 3. The Tufted Saxifrage reaches the height of 10 cm; the white flower blooms in mid‐late July. This plant was once recognized for its medicinal properties for treatment of what? a) Bladder stones b) Kidney stones c) Ulcers d) Enemia

ANSWERS: 1. a) Purple Saxifrage 2. b) Rhodiola 3. a) Bladder stones 4. d) Golden butter 5. a) increasing immunity

6. c) a heliotrope 7. d) frogs 8. a) 1998 9. c) candle / lamp wicks 10. b) Fireweed

44

Arctic Cotton

8. In what year did the work on flowering plants of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago become part of a Panarctic Flora initiative which involves all countries of the Arctic territories? a) 1998 b) 2004 c) 2010 d) 2016 9. Arctic Cotton Grass is one of the most important plants in the Inuit culture which blooms in mid‐summer in more swampy areas. It is ideal as what application? a) Ear insulator b) Absorbent applicator c) Candle / lamp wicks d) Cigarette filters

Arctic Poppy

6. The Arctic Poppy is a rugged, rare endemic, perennial plant species. The flower consists of four vibrant yellow petals that turns its face to follow the sun, which classifies it as what? a) an allotrope b) a hemitrope c) a heliotrope d) a misanthrope

10.What is the Yukon Territory’s official floral emblem? a) Arctic Draba b) Fireweed c) Arctic Parraya d) Mountain Avens

7. Pasque flowers are quite common in the Arctic Tundra where what also resides? a) hares b) wolves c) foxes d) frogs

Fireweed

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3

INUIT FORUM

© Jessica Deeks

Amid COVID-19, drinking water issues persist in Inuit Nunangat Canada is the most water wealthy nation in the world.

And yet, across Inuit Nunangat, and for many First Nations and Métis Nation communities, historic underfunding has led to insufficient development and maintenance of community water infrastructure.

This infrastructure is often aged and vulnerable to disrepair or failure. In Nunavut, for example, 87 per cent of water treatment facilities and 84 per cent of water pump stations are reported to be in poor condition. This has severe impli‐ cations — in Pond Inlet, sampling has found that deteriorating pipes are releasing copper, lead, and other harmful chemicals into the drinking water. Deteriorating water infrastructure is a contributor to the high number of boil water advisories across Inuit Nunangat.

The limited number of piped water distribution systems in Inuit Nunangat tend to be decades older than their intended lifespans, and the reliability of trucked water systems is often compromised by multiple factors, including blizzards and mechanical breakdowns. Related challenges such as overcrowding in homes and inadequate housing construction present additional barriers to drinking water access.

COVID‐19 has thrown the issue of access to drinking water into sharp relief. In Spring 2020, Iqaluit had seven “priority” water leaks in distribution pipes, which coincided with COVID‐19‐related stay‐at‐home orders. This contributed to the city going over its daily water use target by approximately 300,000 litres a day. In Inukjuak, Nunavik, only one of three sewage trucks were operational in November 2020. Some households were with‐ out access to water for two weeks, meaning residents could not wash their hands because their septic tanks were full and could not be emptied.

46

Water Lake, Aklavik, Inuvialuit Settlement Region. © Tom McLeod

The increasing threat of climate change is heightening our collective anxieties around our precarious water infrastructure, building upon the already serious water accessibility issues that our people face. Inuit Nunangat is becoming hotter and drier, which is diminishing the availability of freshwater in Inuit Nunangat as permafrost melts and precipitation and evaporation patterns change.

These combined factors paint an alarming picture. ITK is encouraged that the 2021 federal budget included billions for infrastructure in Indigenous communities. However, although dedicated federal investment has been made to reduce boil water advisories in First Nations communities, no such promise has been made for Inuit.

It comes down to a matter of when, not if, our communities will be drawn into a water crisis. Timelines are integral to solving this issue, and must be a priority not just to keep our people safe, but in order to drive further

infrastructure projects in Inuit Nunangat. Inuit Nunangat has a desperate need for more homes, for example, but without parallel investments in water infrastructure more homes will only serve to exacerbate water security challenges.

We have become accustomed to patching something if it breaks, which is too often the only available solution for the continuation of essential services in Inuit Nunangat. However, access to safe drinking water is a right and cannot be guaranteed through quick fixes.

Ensuring water accessibility throughout Inuit Nunangat requires strategic, forward thinking budgeting and planning.

Learn more about access to drinking water in Inuit Nunangat in ITK’s recent quarterly research briefing. Visit www.itk.ca/access­to­ drinking­water­in­inuit­nunangat.

Natan Obed President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

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 M A Y J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 0 3