Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal 2015 | 06 by above&beyond

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2015 Great Northern Canada Writing Contest Winners

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Jobie Tukkiapik / JW bexW4

Brock Friesen / XÇ4 K‰n8

Dear Guest, As the end of the year approaches, I am happy to report that we have been able to make much progress in putting First Air on a firm economic footing and improving the quality of our future services, both passenger and cargo. Almost all of our stretch goals and objectives were successfully implemented, thus further strengthening the First Air brand. 2015 has been a year of significant strategic planning and new business initiatives. We successfully implemented codeshare cooperations with Calm Air and Canadian North. The benefits of these agreements are evident in our improved flight schedules, connectivity and greater choice for customers. Equally important, efficiencies as a result of the codeshares allow us to reduce our cost and assist us in ensuring a sustainable airline for the North. Fleet renewal is a top priority going forward. We are making great progress in modernizing and standardizing our fleet. A $100 Million fleet investment program is being implemented, including: an additional Boeing 737-400 aircraft to serve Nunavut and Nunavik from the South and several ATR 42-500s for our bases in Iqaluit and Yellowknife. We expect to discontinue use of 737-200s by the end of next year, thus ending more than four decades of service by these workhorses on gravel runways in the North. The 737-400s are newer, quieter, and more comfortable and fuel-efficient. The new generation ATR-42-500s fly faster, have a more modern flight deck, and provide more cargo payload with our planned fixed combi configurations. The passenger cabins of these new generation airplanes will be notably more comfortable than in the older ATR series aircraft that they are replacing. As always, we remain dedicated to supporting our communities and the people who make us the Airline of the North. This month our focus is on Nunavik where we join celebrations around the 40th anniversary of our shareholder Makivik, recognizing the economic and social development of the Inuit society in Nunavik. Thank you for flying First Air, the Airline of the North. On behalf of the entire team at First Air, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas with best wishes for 2016!

Brock Friesen First Air President & CEO

ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ,

ᖃᓂᒡᓕᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᒥᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᑭᐅᑦᑕ ᐃᓱᐊᓄᑦ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᐳᖓ ᓴᖅᑮᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᒻᒧᒋᐊᕐᓗᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᓕᕋᑦᑕ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᖏᓂᒃ ᑐᖖᒐᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᒋᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᓇᖅᑐᒦᑦᓱᓐᓇᐃᕐᑎᑕᐅᕕᒃᓴᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᐅᓯᒋᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᒃᓴᖏᑕ ᓯᕗᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᖃᓕᕐᓂᒃᓴᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᑕᒪᒃᑭᓐᓂ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓯᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦᑎᒍᑦ. ᑕᒪᕐᒥᑲᓴᒃ ᑕᐅᕗᖓ ᑐᕌᕐᕕᒋᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓯᒪᓕᕋᓱᐊᕐᓂᕆᔭᕗᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᑦᓯᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ, ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᑦ ᓴᖖᒋᒃᑎᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᑎᒎᓇᖅ. 2015 ᐅᑭᐅᖓ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓕᐅᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᕆᓚᐅᕋᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓕᕐᕕᐅᓚᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᓈᒻᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᓯᔨᐅᕙᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒥᖅᑲᖃᑎᒌᓕᕐᓂᒃᓴᕗᑦ ᑳᓪᒻ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᓱᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᑦᑎᒍ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᖏᕈᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᑦᑕ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᖃᖅᑑᓂᖏᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᕝᕕᒋᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᐊᓯᖏᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᐃᑭᔪᓐᓇᖅᐸᓕᕐᓂᖏᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᕈᓐᓇᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᑎᐅᒋᓪᓗᓂ, ᓈᒻᒪᒃᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕈᓐᓇᓕᕐᒥᒐᑦᑕ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᒥᖅᑲᖃᑎᒌᓕᕐᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᒥᑭᓪᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᒻᒪᑕ ᐊᑭᒋᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᕈᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᓕᕈᑎᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓂ.

ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᑦᑕ ᓄᑕᐅᓕᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᒃᓴᖏᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᑎᑕᒃᓴᐅᓂᖏᑎᒍᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᒻᒪᑕ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑕᐅᒋᐊᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑎᒃᓗ. ᐊᖏᔪᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᒻᒧᒋᐊᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᓄᑕᐅᓕᕆᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᒪᓕᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ. ᐊᑭᖃᖅᑐᓂ $100-ᒥᓕᐊᓐᑖᓚᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᕿᑐᕐᖏᐅᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᖅ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᕐᒪᑦ, ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᒋᑦ: ᓱᐴᔫᓕᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐳᐃᖕ 737-400 ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕈᑎᖃᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓄᓇᕕᖕᒥᓗ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᓄᓇᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒥᓱᕐᓚᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᕗᑦ ATR 42-500-ᖑᔪᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕕᖕᒦᑉᐸᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᒥ. ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᖃᕋᑦᑕ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓃᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᑕ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ 737-200 ᐅᑭᐅᑉ ᓄᖖᒍᐊᓂ, ᑕᐃᒪᓕ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ 40-ᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᕙᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓱᓕᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᑐᐊᐸᖕᒧᑦ ᒥᑉᐸᒃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓂ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ 737-400 ᓄᑖᖑᓂᖅᓴᐅᒻᒪᑕ, ᐱᖅᐸᓗᓗᐊᖖᒋᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃᓗ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖢᕐᕆᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᕝᕕᒋᒋᐊᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑭᑭᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᒑᓴᓖᖅᑐᕐᐸᓐᓂᕐᒥᑎᒍᑦ. ᓄᑖᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕆᔭᐅᕙᓕᖅᑐᑦ ATR-42-500ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓱᒃᑲᓕᓂᕐᓴᐅᕙᒻᒪᑕ ᖃᖓᑕᓂᕐᒥᓐᓂ, ᓄᑖᖑᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑏᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᕙᒃᑕᖏᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᓯᕝᕕᒃᓴᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓐᓂᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᒋᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒍᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᕙᒌᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓯᑎᑕᐅᕙᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᑎᒍᑦ. ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂ ᐃᖢᐊᕐᓂᖅᓴᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓇᖖᒐᑦ ᐱᑐᖃᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ATR-ᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᓇᖏᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᐊᖅᑕᒥᓐᓂᑦ.

ᑕᐃᒪᖖᒐᓂᑐᖃᖅ ᓱᓕ, ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖏᓂᒃᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓂᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕆᔭᐅᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᓂᖃᕈᒪᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓇᖅᐳᒍᑦ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᑕᖅᑭᐅᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᕕᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᑐᕌᖓᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᕗᒍᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᖃᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓂ 40-ᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᑎᖃᓕᓚᐅᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᒪᑭᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑎᖓᓐᓂᒃ, ᐃᓕᑕᕆᓯᒪᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᕕᖕᒥ. ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑲᑦᓯ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᓂ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᖓᓂ. ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓯᒪᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓕᒫᖏᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᒃ ᓇᒡᓕᒋᔭᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᓐᓇᖅᓯᐅᑦᑎᐊᖁᔨᕗᒍᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓈᒻᒪᑦᑎᐊᖁᓪᓗᓯ 2016 ᐅᑭᐅᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᖓᓂ!

ᐸᕌᒃ ᕗᕇᓴᓐ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖅ & ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ

President, Makivik Corporation & Chairman, First Air xzJ6√6, mr=F4 fxS‰nzk5 x7m w4y?sb6, {5 wsf8k5 Président, Société Makivik et président du conseil, First Air

Chers invités, Alors que l’année tire à sa fin, je suis heureux de vous informer que nous avons réalisé de grands progrès en vue d’établir des bases économiques solides pour First Air et d’améliorer la qualité de nos futurs services, tant pour les passagers que pour le fret. Presque tous nos buts et objectifs optimistes ont été atteints, ce qui renforce davantage la marque First Air. L’année 2015 a été marquée par une importante planification stratégique et de nouvelles initiatives commerciales. Nous avons mis en œuvre avec succès des partages de code en collaboration avec Calm Air et Canadian North. Les avantages de ces accords se reflètent dans nos horaires de vols, la connectivité et de meilleurs choix pour notre clientèle. Par ailleurs, le partage de code nous permet également de réduire nos coûts et nous aide à assurer une ligne aérienne durable pour le Nord. Le renouvellement de la flotte est la plus grande priorité pour l’avenir. Nous faisons des progrès considérables dans la modernisation et la normalisation de notre flotte. Nous réalisons un programme d’investissement de 100 M$ pour la flotte, notamment par l’acquisition d’un autre Boeing 737-400 pour desservir le Nunavut et le Nunavik à partir du Sud et plusieurs ATR 42-500 pour nos bases à Iqaluit et à Yellowknife. Nous prévoyons éliminer l’utilisation des 737-200 d’ici la fin de l’année prochaine, ce qui mettra un terme à quatre décennies de service de ces bêtes de somme qui ont utilisé les pistes de gravier du Nord. Les 737-400 sont plus récents, plus silencieux, plus confortables et plus économiques en carburant. Quant à la nouvelle génération d’ATR-42-500, cet aéronef est plus rapide, dispose d’un poste de pilotage plus moderne et offre plus de charge utile, grâce à la planification des configurations structurelles mixtes. Les cabines passagers de cette nouvelle génération d’aéronefs sont beaucoup plus confortables que celles des anciens ATR qu’ils remplacent. Comme toujours, nous restons engagés à soutenir nos communautés et les personnes qui nous permettent d’être la ligne aérienne du Nord. Ce mois-ci, nos regards se portent vers le Nunavik où nous nous joignons aux célébrations du 40e anniversaire de notre actionnaire Makivik, tout en reconnaissant le développement économique et social de la société inuite au Nunavik. Nous vous remercions d’avoir choisi First Air, la ligne aérienne du Nord. Au nom de toute l’équipe de First Air, nous vous souhaitons ainsi qu’à vos proches un très Joyeux Noël et vous offrons nos meilleurs vœux pour 2016!

Brock Friesen Président-directeur général de First Air

srs6b6g3u4 czb˙oEp7mEst4vFs4. We value your support and thank you for making First Air The Airline of the North. Nous apprécions votre soutien et vous remercions de votre appui à First Air la ligne aérienne du Nord.

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In the News

L to R: Aaron Black, Qaumaksiak (Jennifer) Friesen, Jane Flaherty-Lambe.

Airline of the North on display at NTS First Air staff was on hand at the Nunavut Trade Show to show a sampling of the Buy On Board merchandise available to travelers on First Air flights. Literature, aircraft models, music, sealskin products, and specialty coffee!

New community park on the way to the lake Iqaluit has a new community park, the Tasiluliariaq Rotary Park! Tasiluliariaq is the name used by many Inuit Elders and members of the community for the general area where the park is located. Tasiluliariaq means “on the way to the lake area.” The lake area is located further to the north of the park and is enjoyed by many for snowmobiling in the winter, and also for hunting. The name was chosen to recognize the importance this area represents to many Iqalummiut. Main sponsors were the City of Iqaluit and the Iqaluit Rotary Club and local businesses, including First Air.

Everyone pull together now! First Air provided an ATR-42 for this year’s Law Enforcement Torch Run Airplane Pull at the Yellowknife Airport. It was a friendly competition between teams of 12 individuals (men, women or mixed) who pull together in the ultimate challenge of pulling a plane that weighs over 65,000 lbs, a distance of 20 feet in the fastest time possible.

All members of participating teams were entered into draws for a variety of prizes, including a grand prize Trip for Two to Edmonton, courtesy of First Air. (Yellowknife) The majority of the proceeds went to the NWT Special Olympics for athlete programs.

From the Flight Deck Why and how do we de-ice an aircraft? The shape of an aircraft wing is fairly important when it comes to allowing an aircraft to fly. Its shape, and the way it interacts with the air, allows us to defy gravity and actually fly. It goes beyond just the length and width of the wings though. If you look closely at the profile of a wing you will notice that it’s relatively flat across the bottom and has a curved top surface. This shape, called an airfoil, is the key to allowing an aircraft to fly. When engineers design a new aircraft, they spend a great deal of time identifying the ideal shape of the wing. They get as close to the optimum shape as possible when they build the aircraft. If ice (or even frost) is allowed to build up on a wing it will end up changing the shape. It may seem like a minor change but we have to keep in mind that it is the interaction between the air molecules and the wing that let the aircraft fly. Even a minor change in the shape of the wing would suddenly seem big. The change in shape from a build-up of ice on the wing makes the wing less efficient and therefore not as

good at supporting the weight of the aircraft. Removing the ice gets the wing back to its original shape and allows the aircraft to perform properly. The most common way to de-ice an aircraft is using fluid. We use a glycol-based fluid, that is often heated, to help melt the ice off the aircraft. We actually have a few different kinds of fluid we can use to de-ice an aircraft depending on the weather conditions and our needs. To allow us to differentiate between the kinds of fluids, different colours are used. The most common de-ice fluid is bright orange. This fluid is designed to remove any ice that has formed on the wing. It’s more challenging when we want to operate in very poor weather, snow, or in the extreme, freezing rain. In those conditions, new ice can build up on the wings as the aircraft taxis from the de-ice bay to the runway. By the time that we are ready for takeoff, we could be faced with a large amount of ice on the wings. In this case, a different kind of fluid (bright green) is used. This fluid is designed primarily to prevent ice from building up on the wings while the aircraft is taxiing. While it is excellent as a

prevention tool, it doesn’t do a very good job of melting any ice that has already been formed. This is why you’ll often see a layer of orange fluid sprayed on the aircraft first (to remove any ice) and then, in the case of bad weather, a layer of green fluid will be applied to keep new ice from forming. Pilots have detailed charts, for each fluid, that allow them to determine how long the fluid prevents ice from forming based on the actual weather conditions. With poor weather, de-icing delays are inevitable — it’s just another part of our Canadian winters. However, thanks to de-ice fluid, once the process is complete, you’ll be safely leaving the inclement weather behind…. 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. Captain Aaron Speer Director Flight Operations and Captain ATR First Air

First Air ATR42 being de-iced to remove overnight frost for a winter morning departure.

Dedicated to being first in service — and our commitment to the communities and people we serve!

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᔭᐅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ

Employee Spotlight | Iqqanaijaqtiup Ujjirijautitauninga

ᐲᑕ ᓯᑏᕙᓐ ᖃᖅᓴᐅᖅ ᕕᑉᔅᑐᕐ | Peter Steven Qaqsauq Webster Peter Steven Qaqsauq Webster grew up in Baker Lake, Nunavut. He moved to Ottawa for elementary school and then returned to Baker Lake for high school. Peter worked at the Baker Lake Community Centre and then moved to Ottawa where he worked at the Museum of History for a year and then Tungasuvvingat Inuit

ᐲᑕ ᓯᑏᕙᓐ ᖃᖅᓴᐅᖅ ᕕᑉᔅᑐᕐ

ᐱᕈᖅᓴᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᖃᒪᓂ'ᑐᐊᖅ,

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ. ᒥᑭᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐋᑐᕙᒧᑦ

ᓄᒃᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᒪᓂ'ᑐᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᑎᓕᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᖃᓕᕋᒥ

ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᓂᒃ. ᐲᑕ

ᖃᒪᓂ'ᑐᐊᑉ ᐱᖖᒍᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃ-

ᔮᖃᓚᐅᕐᖢᓂ ᐋᑐᕙᒧᑦ ᓄᒃᑎᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪ-

ᒋᕗᖅ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᕝᕕᖓᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕋᒥ ᑕᐃᑲᓂᓗ

for a couple of years.

ᐅᑭᐅᒧᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅ-

Since April 2007, Peter has

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑎᖓᓐᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖕᓄᑦ

been a Cargo Attendant, based at the First Air Cargo Warehouse at the Ottawa Airport. Peter enjoys the physical work the job requires, both in the warehouse and on the ramp area whether moving luggage or freight, gets along well with his fellow co-workers and likes

ᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᖖᒐᓱᕝᕕᖓᒃᑯᑦ

ᒪᕐᕉᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ. ᑕᐃᒪᖖᒐᓂ ᐊᐃᐱᕆ 2007-ᒥᑦ,

ᐲᑕ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᔪᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ

ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᒋᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᖢᓂ, ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ

ᐅᓯᔭᐅᔪᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓯᕐᓗᐊᖃᕐᕕᒋᔭᖓᓂ ᐋᑐᕙ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᕝᕕᐊᓂ. ᐲᑕ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᕐᐳᖅ ᑎᒥᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᐅᒋᐊᒃᓴᒥᓂᒃ, ᓯᕐᓗᐊᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒥᑦᑕᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐊᕙᑎᖓᓂ

the variety the job offers.

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᕕᐅᔪᒥ ᓅᑎᕆᔨᐅᕙᒃᖢᓂ

A fan of football, weightlifting

ᐅᓯᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᒋᔭᒥᓂᒃ

and exercise in general, Peter enjoys watching the Ottawa Redblacks football team and can be found in the stands supporting his team at many of their games.

ᐱᖁᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ

ᐃᓅᖃᑎᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓪᓗᓂᒋᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖖᒋᐅᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᓐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ.

ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓪᓚᕆᒃᐸᒃᑕᖏᑦ ᐊᖅᓴᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᖖᒍᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ,

ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᐅᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᔪᕈᖕᓃᖅᓴᕈᑎᖃᖅ-

ᐸᒋᐊᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖃᐃᓕᓴᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᐸᒋᐊᒥᓂᒃ, ᐲᑕ ᑕᓚᕕᓴᑎᒍᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᕈᒪ-

ᕙᒃᑕᖏᑦ ᐋᑐᕙ ᕆᐊᑦᐳᓛᒃᔅ ᐊᖅᓴᖅᑎᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᓯᒪᒐᔪᒃᑑᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᖖᒍᐊᕐᓂᐊᓕᕌᖓᑕ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᖅᐸᒃᑕᓂ ᐊᖅᓴᖅᑏᑦ.

Peter Steven Qaqsauq Webster piruqsalauqsimavuq Qamani’tuaq, Nunavummi. Mikiniqsanik ilinniarutinik ilinniariaqsimalluni Ottawamut nuktilauqsimavuq amma Qamani'tuarmut utilirilluni ilinniarutiqalirami quttingniqsanik ilinniarutinik. Peter Qamani’tuap Pinngguarvingani iqqanaijaaqalaurłuni Ottawa-mut nuktililauqsimagivuq Piusituqalirijikkut Takujaqtuivvingani iqqanaijaaqtaarami taikanilu ukiumut atausirmut iqqanaijaqtigijaulauqtuni ammalu Tunnggasuvvingakkut Inuit timiqutinganni ukiungnut marruunnut iqqanaijaqtigijaulaurivuq. Taimannggani April 2007-mit, Peter qangatasuumi Usijaujulirijinut Ikajuqtigiusimalirłuni, First Air-kut Usijaujuksanik Sirluaqarvigijangani Ottawa Qangatasuukkuvviani. Peter quviagijaqarpuq timiminik aturluni pilirijiugiaksaminik, sirluarmi ammalu mittarviup avatingani piliriaqarviujumi nuutirijiuvakłuni piqutigijaujunik uvvaluunniit usigijaujunik, iqqanaijaqatigijaminik inuuqatiqattiaqpaktuq ammalu quviagillunigit ajjigiinnggiuqtunik piliriaqarunnaqtitauvannirminik. Quviagillarikpaktangit aqsaqtunik pinngguaqtunik takunnariaksaq, iqailisautinik ajurungniiqsarutiqaqpagiaq ammalu iqailisatuinnaqpagiaminik, Peter talavisatigut takunnarumavaktangit Ottawa Redblacks aqsaqtingit amma takujaqtuisimagajuktuulluni pinngguarnialiraangata ikajuqsiqpaktani aqsaqtiit.

Dedicated to being first in service — and our commitment to the communities and people we serve!

www.firstair.ca

2015 | 06 • $5.95

2015 Great Northern Canada Wri ng Contest Winners

Diamond Jenness Ar fact Collec on Tradi onal Tools in a Modern Community

Gi ed Planes Invaluable Educa onal Tool

Contents

STEM Education Building Founda ons for Future Innovators

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PLAYING WITH CUBELETS: CURIOSITY AND CREATIVITY ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF INNOVATION. PHOTO COURTESY OF ACTUA

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November | December 2015 Volume 27, No. 6

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Features

STEM Education Building Foundations for Future Innovators

Over the past 15 years, Actua has worked with northern communities across all three territories, inspiring youth to discover and achieve their potential.

2015 Great Northern Canada Writing Contest Winners

above&beyond, Canada’s Arctic Journal is proud to bring our readers the stories chosen as this year’s winners of the annual NorthWords Great Northern Canada Writing Contest.

Diamond Jenness Artifact Collection

This ethnographic collection gains particular importance because it provides an incredibly rare glimpse into traditions and lifeways unaltered by exposure to groups outside the Inuinnait culture. — Brendan Griebel

Gifted Planes Invaluable Educational Tool

Over the years Canada’s Airline of the North, First Air, has diverted aircraft from being scrapped to live on for research, security, and fire-fighting purposes. — Ron Gould

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

13 Living Above&Beyond 21 Resources

40 Culture Abraham Ulrikab Documentary — France Rivet 42 Education Gameti Coummunity Sewing Program — Lynn Turcotte 44 Science Northern Lights — David Millar 47 Bookshelf

49 Guest Editorial — Maatalii Okalik

50 Inuit Forum My Canadian Inuit Family — Natan Obed 7

STEM Education Building foundations for future innovators Growing up in Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit, Kristen

Ungungai-Kownak remembers attending an Actua science camp where she ﬁrst learned about electricity and engineering. Fast-forward 12 years and Kristen is now a student at Ottawa’s Nunavut Sivuniksavut program, and

an outreach instructor for Actua, Canada’s largest science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) organization. Girls with marine biologist examine sea life. Photo courtesy of Actua

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

Right: Mentor demonstrates how drone technology supports archaeological interests. Photo courtesy of Actua Below: Creative application of circuits and inventing cool hardware. Photo courtesy of Actua

s a national charity, Actua supports a network

year aer year, with program content that is both locally and culturally relevant, and

of 33 organizations and its own outreach team,

inspires northern youth to develop as future leaders and innovators.

which delivers STEM programs in the form of

Beyond equipping youth with the nuts and bolts of STEM education, Actua is

school workshops, camps and clubs to over 225,000

committed to helping youth develop the essential skills they will need to adapt to

youth annually. Over the past 15 years, Actua has worked

an ever-changing landscape of career opportunities. One measure of this has been the

with northern communities across all three territories,

recent introduction of a new national Codemakers initiative, supported by Google,

inspiring youth to discover and achieve their potential.

which answers a growing need to provide youth with computer science and digital

e organization has grown signiﬁcantly since Kristen’s

literacy skills. e program is adapted speciﬁcally to meet the needs of Aboriginal

ﬁrst experience, but remains committed to returning,

youth, many of who are living in Canada’s most remote communities, to access, understand, and drive the digital world. Codemakers was launched this spring in Iqaluit with school workshops and a oneday event with a local throat-singing club. Nelson Tagoona, a renowned Inuit beat boxing artist and motivational speaker, invited youth to discover their own musical self-expression by leading them through a throat singing and beat boxing activity. Actua instructors showed the students how to digitally record and remix their sounds, discovering how technology can help them create new modern expressions of their own culture.

Nelson Tagoona inspires youth to share culture through music and computer science. Photo courtesy of Actua

2015 | 06

Below: Kristen Ungungai-Kownak, a student at Ottawa’s Nunavut Sivuniksavut program, is an outreach instructor for Actua, Canada’s largest science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) organization. Photo courtesy of Actua

Designing hardware and programming with Scratch software. Photo courtesy of Actua

Summer camps across all three territories incorporated a variety of computer science experiences, and northern youth were able to design, build, experiment and explore. Using innovative computer science education tools, they learned the fundamentals of data, coding, and how computer science connects with their daily lives. Youth throughout Nunavut role-played as environmental engineers as they worked with the audio clips collected from the Ocean Networks Canada hydrophone located in Cambridge Bay. e hydrophone is used to collect sound data as a way to monitor sea life, and ice conditions and youth learned how to examine sound data and identify related marine mammal behaviour. Nunavummiut youth also role played as UAV (Unmanned aircra vehicle) pilots as they learned about the applications of drone technology using a real map of Kuujjuaq, Quebec, that had been generated by ING Robotics. Campers learned how 3D model maps are created using thousands of photos taken by a drone in ﬂight. ey also learned about valuable real-life applications of this mapping technology such as monitoring wildlife, or evaluating impacts of a natural disaster before sending response crews. e key to success in engaging Northern youth in Codemakers programming is the energy and drive that Actua and their network member instructors bring as young dynamic role models. Kristen

Parents echo their amazement about the impact of the

explained that her Inuit background gave

experience on their children. One parent remarked that her

her an advantage in connecting with the

son never tells her much about his day but he could not stop

Aboriginal youth. “It was clear that me being

talking about the robots and programming them.

from their territory made them think, ‘Ok, if she can do it, I can too.’” First Nations instructor, Brent Lamborn,

Udloriak Hanson, member of Actua’s Board of Directors, visited Actua’s camp in Apex, a small community just outside of Iqaluit.

of North Gower, Ontario, attributed the

“Inuit are using technology to not only adapt to our

engagement of Aboriginal youth in STEM

rapidly changing way of life but to actually capitalize on that

as a personal goal of his when joining

change as well. We’ve developed keyboard applications for

Actua. “I wanted to expand my knowledge

syllabics, we are digitizing Elders stories, we’re using social

of my own culture and bring hope to the

media to share and sell country food, and arts and cras.

students in these places. I was told I could

GPS technology and mapping applications are essential

do anything I set my mind to and it was a

tools for harvesting and recording eﬀects of erratic weather

privilege to tell these kids that they could

patterns. We need to empower our youth with an early

as well,” he said.

understanding of computer science and give them the skills

“Children need to be able to see themselves in STEM if they are ever going to

to further drive innovation in these areas,” says Hanson.

imagine their role as future innovators,” explains Jennifer Flanagan, Actua’s CEO.

As community organizations like Actua, young role models

“Actua is committed to hiring Aboriginal youth as instructors, and engaging

like Kristen, and local communities and volunteers work

Aboriginal volunteers as mentors whenever possible to provide young people with

together, and as innovative programs like Codemakers build

opportunities to be inspired, and to see themselves represented in STEM”.

foundational skills in computer science and digital literacy,

e strategy seems to be working. Talking about her experience at the Codemakers

northern youth are ﬁnding their foothold as informed

launch in Iqaluit, one excited little girl says, “I got to record throat songs with my

citizens, future leaders, and drivers of innovation. For more

friends and I got to control my own video game. I didn’t know much about computers

information about Actua, visit www.actua.ca; for Codemakers

before I came here.”

visit codemakers.ca

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

2015 | 06

LIVING ABOVE & BEYOND

20th Edition of Aqpik Jam attracts record crowds

Taking place in Kuujjuaq from August 10 to 14,

included a special appearance by country

cloudberry (aqpik in Inuktitut), definitely left a

crowd in the community’s Katittavik Town Hall

the annual music festival, named after the lasting impression for its 20th edition. Always showcasing musicians from around the circum-

music star Johnny Reid, attracting a record Theatre.

Halfway through the week, the sounds of

polar world — Nunavik, Labrador, Nunavut,

the finest accordion players could be heard at

the Aqpik Jam’s organizing committee went all

Kuujjuaq Forum’s gym, where the Aqpik Jam

Greenland, etc.— as well as from the south, out, bringing in a plentiful crop of artists.

All the big names amongst northern

a night of friendly dance competitions in the began 20 years.

The festival was a resounding success. First

performers, such as Elisapie Isaac, the Jerry

Air was a proud sponsor again this year, offering

Northern Haze, to name a few, were part of

flights as well as discounts to festivalgoers,

Cans, Sinuupa, Saali & the Ravenhearts and

the festivities. However, this year’s event also

A young fan from the audience joins country music star Johnny Reid on stage. © Isabelle Dubois / Nunavik Tourism (2)

substantial fare reductions for performers’ from north to south.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

KIKIAK

CONTRACTIN G LTD.

General contractors serving the North since 1999 Inuit owned and operated General construction, remediation work, plumbing and heating, heavy equipment rental and service, earthworks, vehicle service and rental, expediting, ice road construction, cat train work

#56 Kugluktuk Dr., Kugluktuk, NU Ph: 867-982-4713 F : 867-982-4718 Email: kikiak_gn@netkaster.ca

2015 | 06

LIVING ABOVE & BEYOND

Recipients (right) of the Order of the Northwest Territories wait in the legislative assembly in Yellowknife for the investiture ceremony. © Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories

Honorees inducted into first Order of the NWT

The Order of the Northwest Territories inducted its first-ever members at an induction ceremony

in October at the legislative assembly. The medal is the highest honour in the territory and “recognizes individuals who have served with the greatest distinction and excelled in any field of endeavour benefiting the people of the Northwest Territories or elsewhere.”

The Orders inaugural members are: Bruce Green of Hay River for his work in arts and culture,

community leadership, education, science and technology, sports and recreation and volunteer

services; Lucy Jackson of Fort Good Hope for her work in arts and culture, communications, community leadership, education, public service and volunteer services; Sonny MacDonald of Fort Smith for his work in arts and culture and teaching carving to children across the territory;

Gino Pin, a Yellowknife architect; Ruth Spence of Yellowknife for community leadership; and John B. Zoe of Behchokò for his work in self-government and northern development.

George Tuccaro, NWT Commissioner, presented the inductees with their insignia, and was

also inducted himself.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

LIVING ABOVE & BEYOND

Learning resource showcases Canadian wildlife migrations

A wild migration giant floor map. © CWF

Environmental awareness and geographic literacy are combined in new wild

migration giant floor maps created by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Canadian Geographic.

Each of the three Wild Migration giant floor maps of North, Central and

South America showcase the international migratory routes of 20 species cur-

rently listed as at-risk in Canada, including northern species such as the polar bear. Measuring roughly half the size of a school gymnasium, the heavy-duty

vinyl floor maps are a free resource offered to teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The maps come with a guide featuring 10 curriculum-linked activities and supplies to create a fun and interactive experience for all ages.

To book the map for a school or community, contact Melissa Lefebvre at

1-877-599-5777, ext 277.

TEK working group established

The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) commends

The Range States have also agreed on a

the representatives of the Polar Bear Range

10-year Circumpolar Action Plan that will work

Ecological Knowledge (TEK) working group. This

bears and ensure responsible harvest manage-

States for the establishment of a Traditional group will establish guidelines for the inclusion of TEK in polar bear management decisions.

with Inuit knowledge holders to conserve polar ment systems are developed to sustain polar bear sub populations and allow Inuit to continue

Traditional Inuit art captures the beauty, truth and spirit of Canada’s Arctic

to harvest polar bears to meet cultural and subsistence resources needs.

ICC represents the international interests of

more than 160,000 Inuit from Russia (Chukotka), the U.S. (Alaska), northern Canada and Greenland.

“Bear Mother and Child” by Norman Quamautuq, Pangnirtung Nunavut.

northern images A Division of Arctic Co-operatives Ltd.

Yellowknife 867-873-5944

Visit Our Website www.northernimages.ca 16

Supporters and Promoters of Inuit and Dene artists and their art

2015 | 06

LIVING ABOVE & BEYOND

Inquest targets key areas for action plan

In October, Nunavut held a two-week inquest

into suicide. More than 30 witnesses testified,

including families who have lost children to

suicide, social workers, psychologists and other professionals.

The jury’s key recommendations are to

declare a state of emergency and designate a cabinet minister responsible for suicide prevention. Funding was targeted as the major

Suicide Resources: Kamatsiaqtut Help Line

1-800-265-3333 or (867) 979-3333 (Inuktitut, English)

Residential school crisis line

1-866-925-4419 (Inuktitut, English, French)

Kids Help Phone

1-800-668-6868 or 1-866-APPELLE in Quebec (French)

obstacle to putting the action plan to work.

The jury made several other recommenda-

tions, including:

• Create a secretariat to spearhead suicide prevention activity for the territorial cabinet by April 2016;

• Immediately embark on a public awareness campaign to de-normalize suicide;

• Include material on creating safe

environments in school curricula by the end of the current school year;

• Develop an action plan to address the high rate of student dropouts;

• Pilot community-based grief support networks;

• Create a public service campaign against

marijuana and alcohol abuse, targeted at

youth, and create staff positions for youth and

addictions counselling by September 2016;

• Establish a formal protocol for following up with people who have attempted suicide;

• Amend the territory’s Mental Health Act to allow family members to be “connected

and immediately involved” after a suicide attempt, regardless of the person’s age;

• Develop culturally relevant programming around relationship building, coping and parenting skills and anger management by September 2016;

• Boost federal funding to fast-track the

Nunavut Housing Corporation’s action plan to reduce suicide; and

• Develop a national suicide prevention strategy by 2017.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

LIVING ABOVE & BEYOND

Recording oral history and place name legacies

The Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute have

elders and traditional land users in Aklavik,

interactive “living” atlas. This series of topo-

can hear the name in Gwich’in, see the

launched their place name maps and online graphic maps, features traditional place names in the Northwest Territories and Yukon.

The result of 23 years of research, the Institute

has collected and recorded 900 traditional place names, with the help of more than 70

Fort McPherson, Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic. You

translation, and the oral history behind the names.

Further information, including photos, videos

and documents will be added when available.

Inuktitut Language Promotion Campaign launched

The Kativik School Board has launched the campaign ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒃᑳ ᐅᖃᐅᓰᕐᓯᑌᓕᑕ! (Hey fellow Inuit, let’s speak our language!) to help

raise awareness about the importance of

speaking one’s language to keep it alive. The Board will be distributing language promotion

material to its schools and all Nunavik Northern Villages offices.

This initiative arises from the Parnasimautik

consultations during which Nunavimmiut have consistently expressed concerns related to the

importance of ensuring the preservation of the

Inuktitut language. It also stems from the Illirijavut report (Avataq, 2012) recommenda-

tions highlighting areas where steps are needed to protect and prevent further erosion

of the Inuktitut language.

2015 | 06

LIVING ABOVE & BEYOND Inuktitut Syllabic Writing System

˛ B

W pi

S pu

X pa

2 5

t ti

g tu

b ta

r ki

f ku

v ka

Q gi

A gu

Z ga

[

u mi

j mu

m ma

i ni

k nu

N na

y si

h su

n sa

{

o li

l lu

M la

p ji

J ju

/ ja

F vi

K vu

? va

E ri

D ru

C ra

e qi

d qu

c qa

q ngi

a ngu

z nga

Standardization of Inuit language debated O kli

L klu

I kla

Delegates from across the four Inuit regions of Canada, as well as representatives from Green-

land, and Alaska, attended a two-day summit organized by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami that discussed the future of the Inuktitut language.

There are 60,000 Inuit in Canada; 63 per

cent of them speak their native language. Both

the oral and written language varies among

regions, with about 12 distinct dialects. The

Inuit in Labrador and the western Arctic use

roman orthography in their written language while Inuit in Nunavut and northern Quebec use syllabics — characters originally developed by missionaries for the Cree.

The gathering spoke on a variety of topics

analyzing the importance of a unified language

in an effort to form a framework for a new, standardized, written form of Inuktitut for all Inuit in Canada.

At the conclusion of the conference the

Autausiq Inuktut Titirausiq task force recom-

mended exploring roman orthography over

syllabics. The group’s recommendations will be passed on to the National Committee on Inuit

Education and submitted to delegates at Inuit

Tapiriit Kanatami. However, local land claim organizations, language authorities, and governments will decide how to proceed further.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

2015 | 06

RESOURCES

GREENLAND

2015 Dominion Diamond Ekati Corporation Mine Rescue Competition Team. L to R: Peter Devolder, Randy Zdebiak, Ryan Erickson, Gord Zdyb, David Heathfield, Branden Wallis, Gordon Frowen, Don Hebden, David Squires, Geoff Kinder, Tom Smith, Darryl Klochko, Keith Winship, David English. © Dominion Diamond Corporation

Hudson Greenland signs IBA

The Government of Greenland, Qeqqata Kommunia and Hudson Greenland have signed

of an exclusive Exploitation Licence and Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) for the Qaqortorsuaq/ White Mountain (Naajat) Anorthosite project. The Exploitation Licence gives Hudson Green-

land an exclusive licence to exploit anorthosite in the Naajat area, situated in Qaqortorsuaq

between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq. The area covers 96 square kilometres.

Locals will constitute 50 per cent of the

mine workforce in the construction phase. A number of internship and apprenticeship positions will be implemented in the project,

including training and education programs for new employees.

LABRADOR

Open pit mine project receives green light

The Iron Ore Co. of Canada’s (IOC) Wabush 3

Open Pit Mine Project in Labrador has cleared

the province’s environmental assessment process and been given a green light for development.

The project is estimated to generate over

2,400 person months of employment during

• MMG Ltd’s Izok Corridor Project, with its

proposed port, road, and two base metal mines is in care and maintenance mode;

• Hackett River project and Bathurst Inlet Port and Road project operated by GlencoreXstrata

PLC, have been delayed;

• Sabina Gold and Silver Ltd’s Back River project has been scaled back and a new feasibility project is in the works;

• Jericho diamond mine is in care and

maintenance mode and could be reclaimed or re-sold; and;

• Lupin Gold Mine and Ulu camps, owned by Manadalay Resources, remain in care and maintenance.

TMAC Resource's Hope Bay project, how-

the construction phase and will involve a variety

ever, continues to develop and will include

of contractors, sub-contractors and existing

(KIA) of one per cent of the value of all gold

of jobs of different durations, made up of a mix IOC personnel. It will contain 744 million tonnes

of iron ore, an overburden storage area, a waste rock disposal pile, haulage roads, a pole line, a

groundwater extraction system and a mine

water collection, treatment and disposal system.

The project is expected to help provide

security, sustainability and job opportunities for the residents of Labrador West.

NUNAVUT

Mining Development in Kitikmeot region on hold

Mine development in western Nunavut has mostly come to a halt. Projects that have scaled back or stopped, include:

payments to the Kitikmeot Inuit Association

produced if the mine goes into production. The

KIA will also receive $1 million a year to offset land management, environment permitting and the implementation of the Inuit Impact and Benefits Agreement.

NWT

Mine team places first

Dominion Diamond Corporation’s Ekati Under-

ground Competition team was the overall winner

of the underground events at the 12th Biennial

National Western Regional Mine Rescue Com-

in all events and coming in first place in four out of the seven competition events.

The Emergency Response Team (ERT) at the

Ekati mine is a dedicated team of employees who protect their workforce during emergencies.

They volunteer and devote an extensive amount of time to the team, expanding their skills and

knowledge to handle real-life crisis management situations if called upon.

YUKON

Open pit mine project receives green light

Kaminak Gold has plans to build an open-pit

gold mine at a property 130 kilometres south of

Dawson City, Yukon. They just need to complete another 25 kilometres of road access and have

received support from the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation.

The planned access route runs approximately

190 kilometres from Dawson City to the Coffee Gold mine site. About 160 kilometres of public

road already exists. The route includes two river

crossings at the Stewart and Yukon, where barges will transport trucks in summer. About four trucks a day will be needed to bring in supplies.

The Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation says the

direct route from Dawson City will maximize economic opportunities for its citizens.

Gold bars will be produced on site and then

petition in Fernie, British Columbia. The team

flown out. It is estimated that the $300-million

derground prize for the first time, dominating

years of start-up.

made history when they took the overall un-

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

construction costs will be recouped within two

2015 Great Northern Canada Writing Contest Winners above&beyond, Canada’s Arctic Journal is proud to bring our

readers the stories chosen as this year’s winners of the annual NorthWords Great Northern Canada Writing Contest.

This year, Jane MacKay of Kimmirut, Nunavut, received First

Prize for One Step at a Time or Mussels for Etua: a short story

about her adventures becoming established and comfortable in the small hamlet of Pang River Inlet, Nunavut.

The Emerging Writer Category was declared a tie

between The Beauty Up There and “Untitled”. The Beauty Up There, written by Bo Wallenius of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut,

compares a southern locale to life in the North, with all the breathtaking beauty he has discovered in the Arctic.

“Untitled” shares a heartfelt account by Lillian Li of a teenager’s lost friendship while living in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

De Beers Group of Companies generously donated cash

prizes, $500 to the winner and $250 to each of the Emerging

writers, with additional sponsor support to NorthWords coming from our publication.

Judging the competition was Richard Van Camp, NWT

writer, and Cara Bryant, president of NorthWords.

We invite you to turn the pages to read these beautiful

and heart-warming stories. A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

NORThWORDS: WINNER

One Step at a Time or Mussels for Etua T

by Jane MacKay

here was a risk in heading north with Cam, Terri knew. Friends

e ﬁnal leg of the ﬂight made it clear that this was indeed a big

at home in Nova Scotia oen pointed out the huge distance and

adventure, one they wouldn’t soon forget. Two young pilots at the

high cost of travel to Baﬃn Island, how long and very cold their

controls up front, eight passengers fastened into camp cot-like seats

winters are, and the further realities of a language barrier and very

to the rear and a haphazard pile of boxes and luggage in the middle

diﬀerent culture. Well, what was life without a little adventure, Terri

lashed down by an odd arrangement of straps and buckles. With the

had asked herself.

thrill of a circus ride but cold reality of relocating to a far-oﬀ place,

As usual Grandad said the right thing. “Just take it one step at a time, Sweetheart,” he had advised. “at’s really all a person can do. And be sure to keep us posted on how you and Cam are making out up there. I’m sure you’ll both do just ﬁne.”

they were off aboard a Twin Otter bound for Pang River Inlet, Nunavut, on the shores of Baffin Island. Getting established in the tiny hamlet was first on the agenda. In his rough and tumble friendly way Cam settled quickly into both job Baffin Photography © Jason Miller

2015 | 06

NORThWORDS: WINNER

and community. Without a job to help get the ball rolling however, Terri would have to work a little harder. Luckily, her red hair seemed to give her instant celebrity status, at least among the children, especially the little girls. “What’s your name?” she was constantly asked while out for her daily walk. ese kids were bilingual! But each time the beautiful child’s face beaming up at her resembled the last and Terri immediately felt inadequate. How was she going to remember who was who? Why even bother asking their names when they were so hard for her to remember? Try harder, she told herself. Just try harder. And she did. And things slowly got easier. e friendly hellos were encouraging, even if so far it was just the children. It was a start. e ﬁrst step. Like Grandad said, one step at a time. Her daily walks became longer. Hiking up and down the hilly dirt

“She loved the stark beauty of her new surroundings, the rocky hillsides and beautiful natural harbour.”

roads Terri rose to her personal challenge to go a little further each day. She loved the stark beauty of her new surroundings, the rocky hillsides and beautiful natural harbour. And the wild ﬂowers were lovely as they made their modest June appearance along roadsides

Inlet tides site that would be around 3:30 the following aernoon. So

and up rocky inclines.

their weekend quickly took shape around this outing.

Taking Cam’s advice, Terri waved at passing vehicles: the water,

Setting out Saturday aernoon they passed Nujalia, a familiar face

sewer and garbage trucks, the ubiquitous pick-up trucks and the

to Terri by now as a fellow frequent walker who, when asked, said sure

many ATVs, the family vehicle of choice usually driven by a mom or

he’d like to go along. In no time Nujalia was sitting beside Terri in the

grandmother with multiple young passengers. And they waved back!

truck, explaining his ATV was out of commission so he was glad of

Another step.

the ride.

About week three Terri and Cam got their ﬁrst chance to buy a

e air was fresh and crisp. Terri’s ﬁngers tingled as she plunged

soap stone carving. Answering a knock at the door they were met by

them again and again into the shallow water collecting more and

a smiling Inuit face and characteristic so voice asking if they might

more mussels. ey were plentiful, many more than she had expected.

“like to see this bear.” It was a wonderfully joyful dancing bear

Further along the shore Nujalia scrambled at the water’s edge, clearly

and they bought it on the spot. us they met Etua, one of their

having good luck too. “So many, and so big!” he called out to them.

neighbours and a ﬁne carver. A step.

More than I imagined. It must be a full moon.”

e teenage boy approaching Terri along the road was carrying

Back in the truck with their bounty of the freshest mussels in the

two riﬂes. She knew by now it was not unusual to see people with

world, Nujalia was beaming. “I’ll share these with my aunt,” he said,

guns. Impulsively Terri blurted out something about hunting. e

which gave Terri an idea.

young man slowed his pace to answer. “I went to the edge of the land,” he said. “For seal. My friend shot one. I have cut-up meat in my bag,” he said indicating his backpack. Terri felt immensely grateful that this teenager would take the time and make the eﬀort to speak to her —

“We have enough to share too,” she said to Cam. “Let’s ask Etua if he would like some,” which Cam agreed was a ﬁne idea. At his front door Etua’s eyes widened. Yes, he would like to have some mussels.

in her language, not his — and tell her about the success he had shared

“Nacomie,” Etua said. “ank you.” One more step.

with his friend. One step at a time. One kindness at a time.

One step at a time.

“Sam says low tide’s the best time to get mussels at the falls,” Cam told Terri over supper Friday evening. According to the Pang River A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

One kindness at a time. One friendship at a time.

NORThWORDS: EMERGING WRITER

The Beauty Up There by Bo Wallenius

“W

“at's simple, it has a beauty all of its own,” I answered. “I can

junkies and prostitutes. You have traﬃc jams and police sirens, air

honestly tell you that I've seen beauty up there that you won't see here

pollution, gangs and homelessness. And if that isn't reason enough

in Victoria.”

for me to enjoy having moved up North, let’s take a look at some of

hy the f... would you want to live up there,” a friend of

“We have wildlife in Victoria.”

mine asked last time I was in Victoria, B.C.?

“Sure you do. You have raccoons and seagulls and winos and

“Like what,” he asked? “Well, let’s start with 24 hours of sunlight during the summer.

“I have allergies that bother me for 50 weeks of the year in Victoria;

Seriously you can read outside at midnight. en there's. the 24 hours

up North they might bother me for two weeks. Up North I feel like

of darkness during the winter. I've seen blizzards where you couldn't

Norm from Cheers; everybody knows me. Here in Victoria I'm just

see the end of your house stairs and the blizzard lasted for four days...”

another fat guy walking down the street.”

“Big deal, a blizzard,” he interrupted me. “It is a big deal. When your communities stores run out of things because the planes can’t land to re-supply or the trucks aren't running and your house starts to run out of water.” “What do you mean run out of water? Just turn on the tap.” “Up there we have water trucked into the houses and the sewage trucks come and pump out your sewage tank. So during a blizzard when neither one is running, you learn about living that the people here in Victoria will not understand.” “Up there I've seen and heard clouds of mosquitoes that were so loud I thought somebody was coming down the road on a quad. I’ve seen muskox and ...”

“Up North I ﬁnd most people to be warm and friendly; here in Victoria not even close. e peace and quiet is amazing compared to the hustle and bustle of Victoria and other cities in the south. And I would sooner have snow than rain; you know how much I hate rain.” He was silent for a moment, “So are you ever going to move down here?” Laughing I told him, “No. I will come for a visit now and then. But up North is where home is. I like the idea of owning my own house, which is something that just wouldn’t happen here in Victoria. I like going out onto the land and just listening as the wind blows.

“Who cares,” he interrupted again?

You can feel your soul relaxing. No police sirens, no arguments, no

“I care,” I said feeling like I was talking to a dim-witted child. “I

traﬃc jams, just peace and quiet.”

care, because it is an area where you can go and explore and see things that you won't see here. Also you don't have to worry about a bunch of people stopping and asking you stupid questions while you're doing something.” “One of the best things for me is the fact that I can go ﬁeen minutes out of my house and I will be away from town. I can see wildlife...”

the following.”

“But things aren't perfect up there, are they? You mentioned the prices of things,” he said. “True enough, the cost of living is higher and the selection is not as good in the grocery stores. Sometimes travelling can be harder due to the weather and so on. But I belong there. I literally feel content and at peace up there.”

2015 | 06

NORThWORDS: EMERGING WRITER

“So there’s no chance of you moving back to Victoria?” “None, unless they ﬁnd a cure for allergies and I get to keep my current income. Since moving up North I have managed to buy my own house and a new snow machine.” “Also I have taken up new hobbies like writing and snowmobiling. I’ve met some of the most fascinating people up there, with some of the wildest stories that I have ever heard...” “Like what?” “Well there was a fellow who told me that one day as he was

“I like going out onto the land and just listening as the wind blows. You can feel your soul relaxing.”

walking down the street towards his house he passed a pair of wolves walking in the opposite direction.” “No way.” “Way. And there are so many other stories like people taking

“Also I found this amazingly beautiful woman up there. e crazy

jumps on their snow machines that were over a hundred feet in

thing is I never ever thought that I would. You wouldn’t believe how

length. And this was witnessed by others.”

wonderful she is. Man, she brings out the good in me. We’ve laughed

“And like I say, it has a beauty all of its own. Like when you have snow on the ground and a full moon, you can see for miles across the tundra. In the distance you might hear a wolf or not. But sitting there on your snow machine it's so peaceful and the beauty can be breathtaking.” A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

until we had tears rolling down our faces.” “Just thinking about her makes me grin.” He was silent for a while as he thought hard. en he said, “So tell me about the beauty up there.” “Well, her name is...” I said laughing.

NORThWORDS: EMERGING WRITER

“The ice on the bay was thin that winter.”

Baffin Photography © Jason Miller

“Untitled” I

by Lillian Li

am Yakone. (My name means red aura in Inuit). I, Yakone am 18 years old. (is is straightforward).

I’m not sure though.

My father is English. (I got my ﬁre engine hair from him).

I wonder if this feeling of liquid weightlessness is how Aklaq felt

My mother is Inuit. (She suﬀered a stroke last year, so she smiles a lot instead). I, Yakone never liked learning. (I act out a lot). I, Yakone was changed forever by Aklaq. (I’ll elaborate). I am Yakone and I’ll be graduating this year from my windowless

as his body bobbed like an apple in the frozen bay. It’s impossible to imagine. I can still feel the warmth of when he held my hand for the ﬁrst time. But that seems like centuries ago. Today I let myself reminisce on the above ground sewage pipes. It’s a dangerous luxury.

high school in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Aklaq, he won’t be graduating

“Yakone, is it? You’re feisty, like your name.”

because he’s dead.

“No.”

Everyone in our small community thinks I’m angry. Word gets around pretty quickly here. Although his parents don’t blame me for

Maybe I am angry.

“Yes; I heard that you hit Maya square on the head with a book today…Jane Austin, was it?”

the accident, I think they whisper about it amongst themselves at 12

“She tore a page.”

in the morning. In the summer, we get a lot of light. I wonder if that

He chuckles.

helps to upli their mood.

“See…?”

2015 | 06

NORThWORDS: EMERGING WRITER

“No.”

“Going to Montreal, Niviatsiak. Everything’s cheaper — I don’t

I despised Aklaq at ﬁrst. When I ﬁrst told Maw about him, she

have much cash le to spend at the local super market.” (Everything

told me that his name meant black bear in Inuit. I thought that was

in Nunavut is a lot more expensive, presumably because of the cost

funny.

to ﬂy in all our supplies).

Aklaq with his gentle eyes. Aklaq with his warm, cocoa skin; nowhere near being charred and black. Aklaq, the sole person that attempted to interact with me when I was deemed an antisocial pessimist.

He sheepishly digs one of his hands into his pocket for the car keys, while the other ﬁnds its way to my face and gently cups my chin. "I’ll be back by daybreak.” Aklaq never came back. e ice on the bay was thin that winter.

Aklaq whom I shared the Canadian History course with.

And this is the part where I’m supposed to feel …something.

“Louis Riel is the answer, not Jacques Cartier.”

But I don’t feel anything at all. It’s almost like the coldness of the

“Shut up.”

Arctic winds have seeped into my soul and created an eternal winter.

Aklaq, who lived on the street a few paces down from me.

I’m numb, inside and out. And still half expecting him to bring back

In house 612. (In Nunavut, we go by house numbers and proper

those ripe oranges he promised. Aklaq isn’t here to warm me any-

street names are non-existent).

more.

Aklaq, whom I begrudgingly agreed to have lunch with at the only

I still can’t fathom the thought that he’s gone. I feel like I would be

local Tim Horton’s in town. (Only because he’s terrible with directions

betraying him if I could. Aklaq never gave up on breaking down my

and he helped me to cheat on my math test).

walls, and if I accept the fact that he’s dead then I would be admitting

“You know, you’re nicer than you let on to be.” “Shut up.” “And I was going to buy your meal!” Aklaq who got suspended from school when he pushed a girl for pushing me. Sometimes I wonder how I missed the obvious clues that indicated that this boy liked me. We ship a lot of our necessities up seasonally. All of the stuﬀ we

defeat. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it; but there will be a day when I see him again. For now, I will treasure the sweet memories. How my eyes widened to the size of saucer plates when he ﬁrst kissed me. e faded scent of cocoa and incense on his skin every time he pulled me close.

buy goes into this big storage container that sits squarely at the back

e ﬁrm grasp of his callused hand around my delicate, bony ones.

of the house. Maw can’t help unload all the materials because of her

And perhaps, most importantly, the indescribable feeling of falling

stroke, and Dad is always at work because we can barely aﬀord to put food on our table. “Put that down, you Eskimo!” (Aklaq is 100 percent Inuit, so it’s an oﬀensive term.) I don’t need your help!” He gives me a major side-eye and ignores me as he boastfully scopes up three bags worth of canned goods in each arm. “Hurry up Niviatsiak, open the door for me before I drop the eggs!” I don’t remember when I started falling for him. But it didn’t hurt. I do remember when I learned he fell through ice and died. It also didn’t hurt, I just felt numb.

in love. On the surface, it may seem I live the typical life of a girl from Nunavut. Just as I am about to look up at the darkening sky, I feel a warm breeze hit me. e night is just beginning to creep in, and stars are starting to speckle across the dark canvas. It’s the same sky Aklaq and I looked at so long ago on our ﬁrst date. On the surface, it may seem I live the typical life of a girl from Nunavut. But I know that’s not true. My life has been altered forever by one person. Aklaq.

He ruﬄes my tangly hair, replying before I even ask the question. A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

Diamond Jenness artifact collection The role of traditional tools in a modern community

By Brendan Griebel

The year 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the central Canadian Arctic’s first significant encounter with the western world. For nearly a millennium, the nomadic hunter-gatherers occupying the Central Arctic — a group who traditionally self-identified according to various regional names, but are now widely known as Copper Inuit or Inuinnait — built their lifeways in exclusion of the western world and its material influences. While there had been several isolated encounters between Inuinnait and early explorers, the habits and daily lives of the respective groups remained mutually exclusive until the early 20th century. A student peers into the display of Jenness collection tools at the May Hakongak Cultural Centre. © Brendan Griebel/KhS

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

Jesse Apsaktaun and Ovide Alakannuaq measure a sealskin cover onto a kayak frame. © Brendan Griebel/KhS

Remembrance “is not a process internal to the human mind, but rather a process that occurs in the bodily encounter between people and things.” — Archaeologist Andrew Jones

n 1914, the Canadian Arctic Expedition bridged that divide. Designed to explore and document the last unmapped region of Canada’s Arctic, expedition members

lived and worked alongside Inuinnait to record their landscapes, languages and lifeways. rough a mixture of coincidence and causality, the expedition would be both the ﬁrst and last documentation of the group while unshaped by outside technology and culture. Within two years of the expedition’s arrival, many longstanding Inuinnait traditions were already in the process of rapid change. Between 1914 and 1916, Canadian Arctic Expedition members acquired an extensive selection of tools, clothing and hunting implements through trade and barter with Inuinnait encountered during the expedition. is ethnographic collection gains particular importance because it provides an incredibly rare glimpse into traditions and lifeways unaltered by exposure to groups outside the Inuinnait culture. e artifacts acquired by the expedition — generally referred to as the Diamond Jenness collection — were subsequently used to introduce the western world to the ‘undiscovered’ Copper Inuit, fuelling a complex narrative that simultaneously celebrated traditional lifeways at the margins of the world, and mourned the inevitability of this lifeway’s collapse beneath the weight of western civilization.

2015 | 06

Mary Avalak holds up a completed sealskin boot modelled on a similar example from the Jenness collection. © Brendan Griebel/KhS

In recent years, a shi in political tides has resulted in the ﬂow of these artifacts back to the Arctic. Rather than retaining these objects as symbols of a distant past, or of a culture incompatible with the present, Inuinnait have begun to use the Diamond Jenness collection as the basis for a resurgence of traditional identity and the incorporation of historical tools back into their everyday lives.

The Canadian Arctic Expedition In 1913, the Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson approached the Canadian Government for funding to help support his American expedition into the last uncharted corner of the Central Arctic. In a bid to establish sovereignty over this territory, the Canadian Government agreed to cover the full expense of the expedition if it proceeded as an exclusively Canadian venture with national claim to all newly discovered lands. From 1913-1918, the Canadian Arctic Expedition carried 14 international researchers from multiple disciplines into the northwestern islands of the Arctic to fill the remaining blanks on the map and document their biological, geological and anthropological phenomena. While the expedition was a journey of many firsts — including the discovery of five new islands — its pioneering studies in the realm of anthropology are of particular interest. e expedition was accompanied by a professionally-trained anthropologist named Diamond Jenness, who would use the opportunity to perform Canada’s first systematic and government-funded archaeological excavations, as well as spend two years living with, and learning from Inuinnait encountered during the expedition. Understanding the pedagogic value of participant observation, Jenness inserted

“Old tools are special to look at, but to use them is so diﬀerent. It makes us feel lighter in our bodies. It wakes us up.” — Cambridge Bay elder Mary Avalak

himself into local life as the adopted son of the Inuinnait couple Ikpakhuak and Higilak, learning the Inuinnaqtun language and diligently recording the families’ various travels, hunts, and festivities. In addition to social ethnography, Jenness’ work also focused on the material lives of Inuinnait.

Upon completion of his research, Jenness had amassed an astonishing collection of over 2,500 ethnographic specimens, cataloguing a full spectrum of domestic, hunting and spiritual activities. Unlike many previous ethnographic collections to come out of the Arctic, Jenness’ supply contained no ivory carvings, models or souvenirs; materials that Inuit typically created for barter in areas where they regularly encountered whalers, traders and missionaries. e collection was one of purely utilitarian objects, and detailed a group completely reliant on the scant resources of their surrounding environment for survival. e materials from the Jenness collection were housed at the Canadian Museum of Civilization (now the Canadian Museum of History), becoming an integral part of the institution’s indigenous collection. Anna Nahagaloak and Mabel Etegik model a traditional dance suit they created from historical example. © Brendan Griebel/KhS

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

Mary Kilaodluk prepares a caribou skin for use on a Copper Inuit parka. © Brendan Griebel/KhS

abandoned traditional migration and hunting patterns to engage in the trapping of furs that could be exchanged for western goods at trading posts. is move from traditional lifestyle deepened over the next 50 years with the further dislocation of Inuit from traditional lifeways through population settlement, wage labour employment and residential schooling. e trend has slowed with the formation of the Nunavut territory and associated attempts to recover and restore traditional knowledge and ways of life. e current challenge remains one of accessing traditional Inuit knowledge to integrate back into everyday life. In 2008, the Kitikmeot Heritage Society sought the Diamond Jenness collection as a pathway towards this goal.

Re-building material knowledge With the construction of the Kitikmeot Heritage Society’s Cambridge Bay headquarters — the May Hakongak Cultural Centre — in 2002, a select portion of the Diamond Jenness collection was returned to the Centre for exhibit purposes. As is oen the case with loaned museum artifacts, the objects were placed behind glass. While the collections provided community members with visual access to historical items, few people seemed to identify with the artifacts beyond recognizing them as tools their ancestors had made. Around 2008, the Kitikmeot Heritage Society began working closely with local elders to ﬁnd ways of better integrating the collection. e Diamond Jenness collection was used as a reference source to gauge what knowledge was missing in the community. As an almost complete material inventory of traditional Inuinnait lifestyle, the collection quite literally provided us with the tools to begin ﬁlling these gaps. Over the last seven years, we have been gradually working towards the re-building of a parallel Diamond Jenness collection made from contemporarily manufactured

The legacy of the Jenness Collection

items capable of everyday use. To date, we have made several dozen artifacts from

Rather than celebrating the ingenuity of Inuinnait for their ability to carve a comfortable livelihood from the minimal resources of the Arctic, the Jenness collection began to represent a material memorial to a vanished way of life. Even prior to Jenness leaving the Arctic, a Hudson’s Bay Company store and Anglican mission had already set up shop in the midst of the groups with whom he worked. By 1921, Jenness had written an article titled, “e Cultural Transformation of the Copper Eskimo,” describing a wholesale material revolution among the Inuinnait. It detailed the group’s total abandonment of their namesake locally sourced copper in favour of imported iron, as well as the replacement of traditional hunting tools with riﬂes, and soapstone lamps with primus stoves. is sudden thirst for western goods was due at least in part to the access Inuinnait gained to new materials through commodity trading with the expedition. By the time of Jenness’ 1921 article, he estimated that roughly half the Inuinnait population had

Jesse Apsaktaun using a homemade bow-drill. © Brendan Griebel/KhS

2015 | 06

Items from the Jenness Collection on display in the May Hakongak Cultural Centre. © Brendan Griebel/KhS

the Diamond Jenness collection, including a kayak, sealskin boots, hunting tools and various types of clothing.

The archaeologist Andrew Jones once noted that remembrance “is not a process internal to the human mind,

Participants in these projects insist that the re-building of artifacts is not about

but rather a process that occurs in the bodily encounter

creating replicas. Using sources including photographs, illustrations and detailed

between people and things.” As explained in similar words

accounts from Jenness’ original ﬁeld notes, the new artifacts gradually take shape

by Cambridge Bay elder Mary Avalak, “old tools are special

through a combination of ethnographic detail, contemporary cultural knowledge, and

to look at, but to use them is so diﬀerent. It makes us feel

reasoning as to what ancestors would have most likely done. In rebuilding the

lighter in our bodies. It wakes us up.” is notion of ‘waking

artifacts, it is important for participants that traditional construction materials such

a population up’ to the role of traditional tools in a modern

as hides, pigment and antler be used. ere is, however, no sense of conﬂict in using

community is what ultimately drives the Kitikmeot Heritage

modern tools (sewing machines, and power tools) to expedite the construction

Society’s technology revitalization program. e historical

process. ese modern additions are irrelevant to the fact that traditional materials are

dimensions of the recreated Diamond Jenness artifacts have

being constructed in a traditional manner.

less to do with age, their physical accuracy, or even their

In 2010, the Kitikmeot Heritage Society began to supplant its museum’s holdings

origins than their potential for communicating knowledge

of original Diamond Jenness material with the community’s recreated items. e new

about the past and why this knowledge can never again be

artifacts carry a more dynamic presence than the original items; they are able to move

forgotten.

in and out of the cases as needed, and are accompanied by photos and texts that

The Kitikmeot heritage Society is a non-proﬁt organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Inuinnait culture, heritage and language. They operate from the May hakongak Cultural Centre located in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

document both their origins and the story of their modern revival. One might argue that the items created during our projects have surpassed the original Diamond Jenness collection’s ability to represent who Inuinnait are and want to be. A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

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C-FIFA and C-GYFA in repose with the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority Fire Hall in the background. © J. Jasinski 2013

Gifted Planes Invaluable Educational Tool By Ron Gould

When you think of an aircraft reaching the end of its useful life, do you picture vast fleets baking forlornly in the desert sun or do you wonder if the pop can in your hand was made from one? There is a third option. Since 2000 FedEx has donated 79 cargo Boeing 727s for training and educational purposes to aerospace schools, museums and airport fire departments. Let me tell you the story of six retired aircraft that Canada’s Airline of the North, First Air, has diverted from being scrapped to live on for research, security, and fire-fighting purposes.

n the early 1990s the National Research Council of

sensitive to the early signs of corrosion activity. Finding the damage early results in

Canada (NRC) aerospace team in Ottawa was involved

simpler and cheaper repairs. e number of persons involved in NDI at airlines and in

in the worldwide eﬀort to better understand corrosion and

government labs in Canada is very small and they all know each other. us began a

fatigue damage in aging aircra that was heightened by the

relationship between NRC and First Air’s non-destructive inspection group at Carp

fuselage rupture on an Aloha Airlines B737 in 1988.

airport. Some of the ﬁrst on-aircra work with D Sight was carried out on First Air

Amongst other related corrosion research, NRC was

B727s at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.

working with Diﬀracto Limited of Windsor, Ontario, to

To support this corrosion and fatigue damage research, NRC was collecting a library

develop a Canadian-invented, optical, non-destructive

of fuselage and wing pieces cut out of retired and accident aircra. Ultimately the

inspection (NDI) tool, named D Sight™, which was very

Aircra Specimen Library contained over 1,000 pieces from 89 aircra, both civil and

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

“Off road” with C-FRST. Courtesy of the National Research Council Canada

military. is real structure, containing various levels of natural corrosion and fatigue

Prior to scrapping, both the City of Ottawa and airport

damage, was very important for non-destructive inspection equipment and technique

ﬁreﬁghters, along with Canadian Forces personnel, were

development. Making representative duplicates from new materials would have been

invited to practice cutting up C-FRST with all of their shiny

exorbitantly expensive and introducing corrosion and fatigue damage would have been

tools. ey probably thought that since these tools worked

very diﬃcult and time-consuming. Specimens collected into the Aircra Specimen

on buildings and cars they would work on an aircra. ey

Library were inspected with both traditional and experimental non-destructive inspection

were wrong. For example: they learned that the hydraulic

techniques. Some were loaned to researchers in Europe and the U.S. to aid their related

jaws used on crumpled cars are totally useless on an aircra.

research.

e materials and shape of the fuselage create problems and

Towards this end, 17 fuselage sections of B727 C-GOFA were acquired into the

although most of the tools they brought worked, they were

library when all but the a main-deck cabin section was scrapped at the Carp airport

too slow. It is crucial to work fast when you are forcing entry

in 1996. First Air saved the a section, put it on wheels and used it themselves for many

in an emergency. Results demonstrated that a gas cut-oﬀ

years as a training aid at Ottawa airport.

saw with a 14-inch diamond-coated blade was the fastest.

e National Research Council received a complete B727, C-FRST, from First Air

C-FRST was scrapped in 2007 but pieces of it remain in

in 2001. is was a direct result of the collaboration on corrosion research. is plane

the Aircra Specimen Library and continue to be used for

could not be le on the airﬁeld and there were no gates wide enough to roll the aircra

corrosion research. e cockpit became a home ﬂight-

through even though the outer wings were cut oﬀ. e perimeter fence had to be

simulator — moving it is a whole other story. Large fuselage

temporarily dismantled.

sections were extracted and remain today as ﬁreﬁghting

Many university co-op students spent their summers surveying the entire fuselage

training aids at the Ottawa airport.

of C-FRST for corrosion using D Sight and then examined every inch of wiring for age

B727 C-GFRB was unique in that it was in passenger not

degradation of the insulation. Discovery channel’s Daily Planet spent two days ﬁlming

cargo conﬁguration when it was retired. It was oﬀered to

the Aircra Specimen Library and the plane in 2004 to create an episode about this

NRC but instead was diverted to aviation security training.

work.

ere are only a dozen passenger B727s still operating today.

By 2005 there wasn’t much le to learn from C-FRST – or so it was thought. In

is plane may outlast them all as a working airframe.

2006, as part of a controlled test, a bomb was set oﬀ inside the aircra. It was the ﬁrst

When First Air’s Hawker Siddley 748 operations ended, one

such training exercise in Canada and involved a multitude of agencies and industry

airframe became available. HS-748 C-GYMX had its wings

participation. Nothing goes exactly as planned and the “Kaboom” was a “pﬀ” but it

removed and, like C-GOFA, the fuselage was put on wheels.

resulted in a luggage fire in the cargo hold that allowed aircra firefighters to rehearse

C-GYMX joined the work of C-GFRB but with a modern

their ﬁreﬁghting skills.

passenger interior layout.

2015 | 06

Droop then drop the wings to save on renting a crane. Courtesy of the National Research Council Canada

Kaboom 1 on C-FRST. No big bang; just a toxic cargo hold luggage fire. Courtesy of the National Research Council Canada

B727 C-GYFA is the Ottawa airport’s emergency response

look big but they are mostly just air, the aluminium is contaminated with coatings and

trainer and has been ﬁtted with a smoke generator inside to

sealants, full of steel fasteners and lined with plastic panels and batts of insulation, not

create realistic conditions for passenger rescue training. It

to mention miles of coated wiring. An entire Boeing 727 can be stuﬀed into one

is also used in combined disaster training exercises with

53-foot semi-trailer — once you’ve taken all the air out.

other emergency response agencies. Each fall it is towed over to the de-icing pad to train the spray rig operators.

It may seem strange that years pass between events. Understand that it takes lots of planning, preparation and permissions before the button can be pushed to set oﬀ an

B727 C-FIFA was oﬀered to the National Research

explosion or start a ﬁre. Once the excitement is over, everything has to be analyzed and

Council in 2005. Instead it went to the Ottawa airport ﬁre-

reported. ere are few specialized aircra bomb investigators or aircra ﬁreﬁghters

ﬁghters. It came back in a swap for C-GYFA in 2007. e

in Canada and they have no dedicated research organization they can go to in order to

wings and tail of C-FIFA were removed and once again the

get answers to their issues. e collaborations between the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier

perimeter fence was breached to tow the airframe onto NRC

International Airport Authority’s Emergency Rescue Services and the National

property. In 2009, a second workshop on explosives was

Research Council have used the aircra gied by First Air to answer some key questions.

conducted with over 200 people attending. e test bombing

Ultimately, few retired aircra will avoid scrapping. e First Air aircra that have

was successful and the aircra critically damaged. is

been retired into educational purposes are invaluable — no amount of computer-

should have been the end for C-FIFA but in 2012, the

simulation can match training or experimenting on the real thing. We have tried to

destructive consequences of a lithium battery ﬁre were

make the best use of them while we have them.

demonstrated. is was seven months before similar battery fires grounded the B787 fleet. In 2013 C-FIFA was pulled back through the fence and rejoined C-GYFA at the Ottawa airport fire hall for fire

Recently First Air has informed the Ottawa Airport Emergency Rescue Services that a B737, C-GNDC, will be gied to them. Conﬁgured as a combination cargo and passenger aircra, the 737 oﬀers a host of new training opportunities. us, C-GYFA, the last 727, can become the next research test bed.

training. In 2014 C-FIFA was the platform for two on-board fires. e first demonstrated the normal fire damage in an aluminium fuselage. e second demonstrated how differently composite materials in fuselages of some new aircra

Ron Gould was the custodian of the Aircraft Specimen Library, in charge of all the tests performed on C-FRST and C-FIFA and has been involved, in various ways, with all the aircraft mentioned.

will react. Aer a ﬁnal major ﬁre for C-FIFA this year, aer 45 years of service, the scrappers will arrive. Scrapping an aircra is a complex process, especially recovering as much useable metal as possible. Airplanes A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

C U LT U R E Director Guilhem Rondot gives instructions to Kerstin Kownak (Nugassak), Julie Ivalu (Paingu) and Michael Singoori (Tigianniak). © France Rivet (4)

Abraham Ulrikab

The filming of the documentary

In October 1880, when Abraham Ulrikab, an Inuk from Hebron, Labrador, told Moravian missionary Auguste Ferdinand Elsner, “If we can go back to Labrador, we understand that this will be a big story,” he had no way of knowing that three months later, he, his family, and companions would have left this world. Nor could he know that their return home would be orchestrated 134 years later, following the discovery of their remains in France and Germany. Abraham and the other seven Inuit, who were touring Europe as

Nain's chief elder, who while retracing Abraham's footsteps in Europe

homeland, but the repatriation process has been triggered, and is

filming of re-enactment scenes with members of the Ottawa Inuit

“exhibits” in an ethnographical show, have not yet returned to their following its due course. In parallel, their story, and the events leading

to their return, are the subject of a documentary, Trapped in a Human

was confronted with the white man's past ways and customs; to the community portraying the 1880 group of Labrador Inuit.

While in Europe, Johannes stated many times how honoured and

Zoo. Abraham was therefore right! What he thought would be a big story

privileged he felt to be representing his community in this quest to

Canada, and far beyond.

preparation for the return of the remains.

will not only be talked about throughout Labrador, but also across

As Guilhem Rondot, the film director, notes, despite the story holding

understand the past events, and to establish an initial contact in “I have come here to be a representative of the Labrador Inuit of

its share of tragic events, all stages of the filming occurred under an aura

today, to see the Labrador Inuit of yesterday. I have seen with my own

Nain to obtain their advice on the repatriation; to Johannes Lampe,

at the same time, I am happy that I know that Labrador Inuit will now

of peace and respect: from meeting with the Inuit elders committee in

eyes, and I have felt what it is that Labrador Inuit feel. It is very sad, and

2015 | 06

C U LT U R E Charles Keelan (Abraham) and Archie Kadloo (Tobias) recreating the seal hunt.

Charles Keelan (Abraham) during the scene where Abraham writes in his diary.

“There are so many unresolved stories of Inuit who have vanished,

know that the remains of Abraham and his family are in Paris, and

disappeared or were taken away. It is most important for the Inuit to

on,” says Johannes in his last

the history,” says Julie. “It is essential that people understand Abraham’s

finally know the truth about this family, for the young people to know

that we have something to work

motives for going to Europe. It makes me very proud that something

discussion with Guilhem before

good is coming out of this documentary,” adds Michael.

his return flight to Canada.

Abraham’s diary and letters let us discover an intelligent, resilient,

Guilhem attributes the good

religious, and peaceful man. For the past year, it is as if Abraham’s

energy that surrounded them in

Hamburg, Berlin, and Paris to

Johannes' serene attitude, and to the uttermost respect and

attentive ear he offered to all of

Johannes Lampe shakes hands with Alain Froment at the Museum of Natural History in Paris.

his interlocutors, from museum curators to descendants of those who recruited and exhibited his countrymen.

Those involved with the filming of the re-enactment scenes describing

some of the 1880 events felt a sense of accomplishment when the filming was complete. Charles Keelan's eyes were glowing with pride

for his personal accomplishment in portraying Abraham; for having

realized a long-time dream of doing real acting; and for having the opportunity to honour the memory of ancestors of his mother’s

community of origin, Hebron. Julie Ivalu and Michael Singoori, who

portrayed Paingu and the shaman Tigianniak, were also proud to tell Abraham’s story.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

wisdom has been overlooking the various stages of the filming, proving that, even in highly sensitive situations, people from two different worlds can put the past behind them to respectfully talk to each other,

learn from one another, and work hand-in-hand towards a common

goal. The wrongs of the past will soon be rectified and Abraham’s legacy will live on.

France Rivet

France Rivet has been researching Abraham Ulrikab’s story since 2010. She published her ﬁndings in the book In the Footsteps of Abraham Ulrikab. For more information, visit www.abrahamulrikab.com Editors’s Note: The air date of the documentary, Trapped in a Human Zoo, has been set: February 18, 2016 on CBC’s The Nature of Things with David Suzuki.

E D U C AT I O N

Creative Bonding

Gameti Community Sewing Program Have you ever wondered what incredible things

could happen when you least expected it? If not,

thread a sewing machine, the knowledge gained

sewing and as a newer resident of Gameti,

course of two months, the students completed

then I have a story for you! I have always loved Northwest Territories, I learned there was a need for some updating of the sewing skills of local

residents. Sewing technology and practices

have changed dramatically from the days of our grandmothers with all kinds of new and amazing sewing machines, notions, gorgeous fabric and

24 pillowcases, 20 bingo bags, 35 hand bags, 10 knife cases for hunting, 12 table runners, 8 wall hangings and four large quilts. Many students happily shared their projects with family and friends.

An important part of the program was

community service. We sewed projects for elders

share this knowledge. In a community of almost

knife bags and pillowcases. The creations were

300, I expected about three to four people to

register, but it turned out that 12 registered, ranging in age from 19 to late 50’s. As word spread, a waiting list of over 15 more students has been collected (and counting)!

allowed our project list to grow. Over the

sewing techniques. So, with the support of the Gameti Community Government, I set out to

Cindy Gon with her northern lights pillowcase.

From a meagre beginning of learning to

over 70 years old. We made handbags, hunting

very well received and appreciated by all. It was very fulfilling to all of us to take part in this service project and to give back.

The students quickly discovered what I’ve

always known: that sewing can help us so much Louisa Wetrade with her wall hanging.

2015 | 06

E D U C AT I O N

Betty Quitte sews her quilt.

in life. It allows us to be creative, lovingly make

special gifts for others, bond with other people having the same interest, occupy us when

things aren’t always going well in our lives, and, most importantly, gives us a sense of accomplishment and raises self-esteem.

Each student felt so proud of what they

were able to achieve and they blossomed

before my eyes. The confidence they gained

throughout is truly priceless! The continuous laughter and stories also brought joy and happiness to us all.

Lynn Turcotte

For more information contact: Lynn Turcotte, Instructor and Friend, Gameti Sewing Program, 705-477-3941 (cell and text) westley@efni.com The 2015 program was made possible through the generous financial support of Dominion Diamond

Ekati Corporation, Tlicho Government, MACA Youth Program and through the Government of the NWT (Education, Culture and Employment). Without them, this program would not have happened. Thank you to each of them.

L to R: Camilla Chocolate with her handbag and Cecilia Wedawin with her wall hanging.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

SCIENCE

Northern Lights

Sharing the magic of the Aurora

Participate in the magic!

Arctic science is often about things you can do nowhere else, and perhaps no one phenomenon is more associated with the Arctic than the northern lights or aurora — those magical green and red curtains of luminescence that shimmer in the Arctic night sky. One of the most popular places to see the aurora is Yellowknife, NWT, which lies beneath the auroral oval, a narrow ring around the world where charged particles, funnelled by the Earth’s magnetic field, ‘rain’ down on the upper atmosphere to create the spectacle. On any night that it is both clear and dark, you are virtually certain to see them. This amounts to an average of 100 nights per year, more than almost anywhere else on Earth. Why are they mostly green? Electrons

bottom of the auroral curtains. This is from

region of space around the Earth collide with

by particularly energetic electrons that get

But what if you can’t get to Yellowknife? Thanks

coming down the magnetic field from the

watch the aurora broadcast live on the Internet

atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere,

to a program called AuroraMAX, you can now

every evening during the aurora season, roughly

September through April. You can find AuroraMAX at www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/ auroramax. A Twitter feed @auroramax also

gives alerts of nights when strong aurora are expected.

which, in turn, emit tiny flashes (photons). These

ionized Nitrogen molecules that are impacted deeper into the atmosphere.

How high up are they? The aurora are from

photons have wavelengths that are character-

around 90 km to 400 km or more up (even

light in the aurora comes from a readily excited

up and touch them!)

istic of the particle that was excited. The green

state in atomic Oxygen, a common constituent

though sometimes you feel like you can reach

What makes the different shapes? Good

in the upper atmosphere.

question! This is one of the areas that is least

studying the aurora, as well as contribute to their

commonly excited state in atomic Oxygen that

tific study. Aurora can form curtains, patches

Zone (auroralzone.org). Developed by the Arctic

light. This state gives rise to a photon only if the

If you want to get more actively involved in

study, then a great place to start is The Auroral Institute and UCalgary Department of Physics and

Astronomy, it is a citizen science project where you can classify aurora images as well as dis-

cover more about their types and the science.

Curious facts

Whether you watch the aurora standing in

-40C cold on the expanse of a frozen lake

outside Yellowknife or sitting with a cup of tea

…but sometimes red? There is another

gives rise to photons corresponding to red

Oxygen atom does not collide with anything

else for many seconds after it has been excited.

So the red photons come from higher altitudes

location depends on physical processes in

near-Earth space that we are only beginning to understand.

Is it true they sometimes make a sound?

People have reported hearing faint hissing,

are very rare. Our eyes are less sensitive to red,

aurora, but scientific experiments have failed

atmosphere is rarefied enough that collisions

and the red aurora is dimmer than the green, so what we see is mostly green.

…and even sometimes violet? At these high

altitudes the atmosphere is stratified, with lighter

inspire awe and evoke questions:

is often a band of violet light coming from the

or coronas — but which one forms and which

than the green photons… altitudes where the

or glass of wine in front of a laptop, their flickering multi-hued curtains, bands and rays

well understood and a topic of intense scien-

atoms higher up than heavier molecules. There

swishing or crackling sounds when seeing the

to detect these. The air density is so low at the altitudes where aurora happen that sound

could not be transmitted directly from the aurora, so if sounds do happen they most likely are produced at much lower altitudes by processes associated with the aurora.

2015 | 06

SCIENCE

Can the aurora cause damage? Not the

aurora. In Labrador for example Inuit legend has

which create them certainly can. During solar

are guiding the souls of the recently departed

aurora themselves, but the charged particles

storms they can knock out communications satellites and cause high currents to form in

power lines, which in turn means electrical outages.

What do native legends say about them?

There are many different stories about the

it that the aurora are torches held by spirits who to the next world. They say that the whistling

noise that sometimes accompany them are the spirits trying to communicate with people.

David Millar

David Millar is a Research Associate with the Arctic Institute of North America. arctic.ucalgary.ca

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

Astronomy North and the Canadian Space Agency. The Auroral Zone is an initiative led by the University

of Calgary Department of Physics and Astronomy

and the Arctic Institute of North America, in

partnership with the Canadian Space Agency, AuroraMAX and Aurorasaurus.

2015 | 06

BOOKSHELF

An Extraordinary Journey for an Ordinary Cameron Man

Donald Cameron Dorrance Publishing Co, September 2014

This book follows the journey of Donald Leslie Cameron,

a Scotsman who left home at 17 to work in the remote regions of Arctic Canada for the Hudson’s Bay Co. during

the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. Skipping from island to island in

remote outposts of Canada’s Arctic, Cameron’s career brings him into contact with the fur traders and fishermen of the Inuit and Cree First Nations, with the adventurous

men and women who populate the northernmost towns, and

eventually, with the love of his life. Along the way, Cameron learns the trade of retailing and fur buying as a manager for the Hudson’s Bay Co. The work captures his sense of

accomplishment during his adventures and preserves his part of the history and geography of Northern Canada.

White Eskimo Knud Rasmussen’s Fearless Journey into the Heart of the Arctic

Stephen R. Bown Douglas & McIntyre, October 2015

Born and raised in Greenland, and part Inuit on his mother’s side, Knud Rasmussen could shoot a gun and harness a team of sled dogs

by the time he was eight. Nevertheless he was well versed in the civilized arts and came to

exploration after failing to make a career as an

opera singer in Europe. He was obviously more at home on the ice floes than the stage, and undertook some of the most astounding feats

of endurance in the annals of polar exploration

In Those Days: Arctic Crime and Punishment Collected Writings on Arctic History, Book 2 Kenn Harper Inhabit Media, May 2015

In this latest edition of In Those Days: Collected

Writings on Arctic History series, Arctic historian

Kenn Harper shares the tales of murderers, thieves,

and fraudsters, as well as the wrongfully accused, in the early days of Northern colonization. In the

19th and 20th centuries, settler and Inuit ideas

of justice clashed, leading to some of the most unusual trials and punishments in history. Included in this collection are the stories of criminals and

victims, both southern and Inuit, and of the difficulties of finding justice in a land that was rapidly changing.

including his record-setting 18,000-mile “Great Sled Journey”— the first to traverse the Northwest Passage by dogsled. Rasmussen was also

one of the most intellectual of the great early 20th century explorers, more interested in

scientific study than glamorous feats, producing (among many other works) a 10-volume

account documenting Inuit spirituality and

culture that earned him the title, “the father of

Eskimology.” In this first, full-length biography,

Stephen R. Bown gives Rasmussen’s White

Eskimo the readability of a good novel.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

2015 | 06

GUEST EDITORIAL

Inuit youth participants at the August 2015 10th National Inuit Youth Summit in Iqaluit, Nunavut, pledge to have pride in their culture and to celebrate the Inuit way of life. © ITK

Makkuttuuvugut. Sannginiqaqtugut.

We are Young. We are Strong

It was my great pleasure

to host the 10th National Inuit Youth Summit in Iqaluit this past August. It reaffirmed our pur-

pose as Inuit youth and our path toward the future.

I was proud to welcome more than 70 youth

from across our homeland, each representing

the unique realities of each community and

region in one collective, one voice. The vast

geography of our homeland may keep us apart,

Three words encompass this era: attempted

ment of our societies within Canada. We support

devastating, but instead, they give us hope.

the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of

but we share a culture that unites us across a

cultural genocide. These words could be

is a celebration.

Our way of life has survived. We have prevailed.

vast distance. And when we come together, it We met with Elders, who happened to be

holding a similar gathering in Iqaluit at the same time. We learned from leaders and for-

Tamaaniippugut inuunivullu quviasuutigivavut.

We celebrate the strength of Inuit during this era. We acknowledge those who came before us

the 94 Calls to Action put forward in June by Canada, and offer our full support in rebuilding the relationship between Canada and its Aboriginal peoples, and bringing about true reconciliation.

We have developed new relationships with

mer leaders who joined us as guest speakers.

for their perseverance and we pledge to continue

our counterparts in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland),

in workshops and shared our own expertise

by pursuing our individual educational goals

expand them. We want to welcome Inuit youth

We moderated panel discussions, participated with a host of stakeholder organizations that came to engage with us.

Most importantly, we explored a variety

of themes that are central to our lives: Inuit

along the path they have worn. We will do this

for the benefit of ourselves and our families and so that we may continue to contribute to our homeland and to our country.

Our forthcoming Inuit Youth Declaration will

that have been passed down by our Elders,

at all jurisdictional and organizational levels

and training, our relationship with the land and

teaching those skills to our own children, and

The discussion was not always easy as we

down barriers. #InuitYouth are united.

set out this commitment to pursue a brighter

culture in all its forms, to learning the skills

environment, and youth political engagement.

wherever they may live. Social media has broken

We devote ourselves to celebrating our

culture and language, health and well being, suicide prevention, education, employment

and we aim to develop these connections and

to ensuring that our language thrives.

We have made it our goal to eradicate suicide

future as individuals, within our families and to see in our lifetimes and for the benefit of generations to come.

You don’t have to be a young Inuk to

delved into the short history of our people’s

within our lifetimes. We have lost too many

support us in our goals. Visit us on Facebook

which brought assimilation policies dating back

on this issue. Instead, we choose to celebrate

your love through hashtags. #InuitYouth are

relationship with the federal government, to our grandparents’ generation and included

relocations, dynamics of dependency, and the

residential school system, which tore apart families and destroyed lives.

friends and family members to remain silent

life every day and pursue, with a renewed passion, the resources we need to save lives.

Inuit youth remain humble yet have brought

forward a renewed energy toward the better-

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

and Instagram. Tweet us @InuitYouth. Show proud. #InuitYouth are happy to be alive. #InuitYouth #CelebrateLife.

Maatalii Okalik

President, National Inuit Youth Council

INUIT FORUM

My Canadian Inuit Family

The title of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President carries with it many expectations to lead, and also many expectations for the individual who holds the position to reflect values and attributes that present our best Inuit selves to Canadian Inuit and all of Canada. Whenever we discuss things that are close to our hearts, we get passionate. When we believe our perspective may not be reflected in aspiring leaders, we get fearful. This all played out in and around the ITK election in which I was elected President, especially in relation to my lack of fluency in Inuktut. The reality is that there are many Inuit like me, and whether our cultural or linguistic weaknesses are due to colonization, relocation, residential schools, intermarriage with nonInuit, or other factors, we are still Inuit children of Inuit parents. We have many attributes, and we have many passionate perspectives on Inuit identity. We have the ability to lead just as well as anyone else, and should be fairly considered for the specific task at hand. I am happy to have my Inuit family with me to support me, ground me, and push me to achieve success and overcome challenges. I am from Nain, Nunatsiavut, and consider it my home no matter how long I’ve been away. My family in Nain is extensive and varied, but always is there for me. I have relatives in Coral Harbour, Nunavut, who gave me a warm welcome when I visited for the first time in 2012. I also have relatives in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, who I have yet to meet, but even knowing they are there is comforting. My wife

ITK President Natan Obed with his wife Letia and sons Jushua and Panigusiq on the first day of school in September. © Letia Obed (2)

Letia’s family comes from Pond Inlet and Iqaluit, Nunavut, so I have many in-laws from Baffin as well. My far-flung family connections are similar to many Inuit. Our families spread across jurisdictional boundaries. Our bonds are not cemented in our land claim silos, and our love for one another is not confined to cultural or linguistic attributes. We now connect through social media more than ever before, and connect meaningfully despite distance. An essential part of my job is to build our collective strength, and break down any barriers we may have that push Inuit apart. I believe that ITK can play a galvanizing role in bringing Inuit together. The Inuit rights big bang that

created land claim agreements in four Canadian jurisdictions need not keep expanding outward and apart. We can support each other and work together now in ways we never could before, and it is time to try to bring our family back together. We can have debates about our ethnicity, culture, language, and society without being offensive or adversarial. We can dream about an Inuit future that overcomes the negative effects of colonization, that allows us to reach our true potential, that can be met through inclusivity, positivity, love and hope.

Natan Obed

President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami 75 Albert Street, Suite 1101 Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7 t. (613) 238.8181

2015 | 06

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