Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal 2018 | 06 by above&beyond

The Inflight Magazine for First Air

2018 | 06 YOURS TO KEEP

Inuit Games & String Games

Padley Post An HBC Trading Post

Mountain Biking On Axel Heiberg Island

Paddling On the Floe Edge

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Chris Avery fE{ ∑KE

Johnny Adams ÷i ≈bu Executive Chairman of the Board, First Air ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᒃᓯᕙᐅᑕᕆᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓂ, ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᕐ

Dear Guest ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ, On October 1, 2018, I had the honour of accepting the role of President and CEO of First Air, a role which will continue for me once the new merged company receives final regulatory approval. This is a position I take with great pride and passion and I know comes with many expectations and responsibilities from and for you, our valued customers. I truly believe the communities and people we serve represent the very fabric and core of who we are now as an airline and who we aim to be even more with the recently announced merger with Canadian North. While this merger has created debate in the North, we believe there will be significant benefits for our customers. One of the objectives of the merger is to achieve cost savings from a reduction in duplication. We will look to pass on these savings to our customers in the form of lower prices, better service, newer aircraft, as well as investing in modern customer experience technologies and initiatives tailored to Canada’s Arctic. We aim to provide a superior customer experience for our northern customers. As an Inuit owned company that will be, through the merger, represented from the Western Arctic to the East, we share the same vision as our customers, a vision and mission to be the best airline in the hearts and minds of our employees and customers. Our Ownership represents the interest of the Inuit and the people of the North and we will continue to work towards our combined vision to benefit the Inuit beneficiaries and all our customers equally. Thank you very much for choosing First Air for your flight today. I hope we were able to give you a great flight experience. I’m happy to share this message with you and be part of your journey. I look forward to seeing you aboard again soon. Chris Avery First Air President & CEO

ᐅᒃᑐᐱᕆ 1, 2018-ᒥ, ᐅᐱᒍᓱᓚᐅᖅᐳᖓ ᐊᖏᔪᖅᑳᑉ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓪᓚᕕᖕᒥ

ᐃᓱᒪᑕᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕈᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᕐᓂᓐᓂᒃ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᖏᓂ, ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᐅᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᖓ ᓄᑖᖑᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᒻᒪᐸᐅᔪᑦ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᖏᑦ

ᓈᒻᒪᒋᔭᐅᓯᒪᓕᑐᐊᖅᐸᑕ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕆᔭᕋ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᒻᒥᒃ ᓴᕆᒪᒋᕙᕋ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᕐᕕᒋᔪᒪᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᒍ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓪᓗᖓ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᓂᕆᐅᒡᕕᐅᓯᒪᓂᐊᕋᒪ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴ-

ᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᖓ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᑦᓯ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓗᓯ, ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᖅᑎᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᓯ ᐃᑭᒪᔨᒋ-

ᕙᒃᑕᕗᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᐅᒃᐱᕈᓱᓪᓚᕆᒃᑲᒪ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓄᖏᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕐᕕᒋᔭᖅᐳᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᒻᒪᑕ ᐅᕙᒍᑦ ᓇᒧᑦ ᑎᑭᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᕐᕕᒋᓯᒪᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᒥᐅᓕᖅᑐᒥ

ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᐅᕙᓐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᕌᕐᕕᒃᓴᖁᑎᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓄ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᑐᑎᒃ ᑲᑎᓯᒪᓐᓂᖃᓕᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᓐᓂᒃ.

ᐃᓛᓗ ᑖᓐᓇ ᑲᑎᓯᒪᓐᓂᕆᓕᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᓴᖑᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᐅᓕᖅᓯᒪᒐᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ, ᐅᒃᐱᕈ-

ᓱᒃᑲᑦᑕ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᔨᖁᑎᒋᕙᒃᑕᕗᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖃᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ.

ᑲᑎᓯᒪᓐᓂᕆᓕᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐱᓯᒪᓕᕈᒪᒐᑦᑕ ᐊᑭᒋᕙᒃᑕᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᑭᑭᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ

ᒥᑭᓪᓕᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᑦᔨᒌᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᕙᓕᖅᓯᒪᓂᕐᓂᑦ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓇᖖᒐᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖅᑐᓗᐊᖖᒋᓐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔨᒋᕙᒃᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᑭᑭᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᑎᑦᑐᒪᒐᑦᑎᒍ, ᐱᐅᓂᖅ-

ᓴᒥᒃ

ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᐅᓕᕐᓗᑎᒃ, ᓄᑖᖑᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ

ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ

ᑎᑭᑉᕈᐸᒃᑐᓂᒃ,

ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᕿᑐᕐᖏᐅᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᓄᑖᖑᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᑦ

ᐱᑕᖃᕐᕕᐅᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᓇᕐᕈᑎᒃᓴᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒋᐊᖅᑕ-

ᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓈᒻᒪᒐᔭᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓᓂᕐᒥᐅᓄᑦ. ᑐᕌᕐᕕᒃᓴᖃᕋᑦᑕ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᖁᑎᕗᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑦ.

ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓄᓐᓂᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕆᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒋᔭᐅᓂᐊᕐᒪᑦ, ᑲᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᖏᑎᒍᑦ, ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑎᖃᕐᓗᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᑉ ᐅᐊᖕᓇᖓᓂᑦ ᑭᕙᑖᓄᑦ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᖃᖃᑎᒋᒐᑦᑎᒍ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᕙᒃᑕᑦᑕ ᓂᕆᐅᖕᓂᖃᕐᕕᒋᔭᖏᑦ, ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᖃᖅᑐᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑕ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᓕᕐᓯᒪᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᑦᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᔭᑦᑕ ᐆᒻᒪᑎᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓱᒪᖏᓐᓂ. ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎᐅᓂᕗᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ

ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᖑᔪᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᓕᕈᒪᔭᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᓂᐊᖅᑐᑕ ᑲᑎᓯᒪᓪᓗᒋ5 ᓂᕆᐅᓐᓂᕆᔭᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓇᔭᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕈᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᕕᒋᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᓇᓕᖅᑲᐅᑎᓯᒪᓗᒋᑦ.

ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖓᓂᒃ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᖠᓚᐅᕋᑦᓯ ᐃᑭᒪᕕᒋᔪᒪᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ. ᐃᓱᒪᕗᒍ ᐃᑭᒪᓂᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᓯ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᖖᒋᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ. ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᐳᖓ ᑖᔅᓱᒥᖓ

ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᓴᒐᔅᓴᒥᒃ ᓴᖅᑮᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᕋᒪ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᓚᐅᕋᒪ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᕙᓪᓕ-

ᐊᓂᑦᓯᓐᓂ. ᓯᕗᓂᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐃᑭᒪᓕᕐᒥᒍᑦᓯ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᑕᑰᑎᓛᕆᕗᒍ ᕿᓚᒥᐅᔪᖅ.

ᑯᕆᔅ ᐄᕗᕆ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖅ & ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᑉ ᐅᔾᔨᕆᔭᐅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ |

Employee Spotlight | Iqqanaijaqtiup Ujjirijautitauninga

ᓯᐊᕆ ᕉᐅ | Sherry Rioux ᐃᕐᓂᐊᖑᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᐊᑦ ᓚᐃᑦ, ᐋᓐᑎᐊᕆᐅᒥ,

ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓅᕕᒃ, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ, ᓯᐊᕆ ᕉᐅ ᕘᔅᑦ

ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᒪᐃ 2008-ᒥ.

ᒫᓐᓇᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᒥ, ᓯᐊᕆ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᒋᔭᐅᕗᖅ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᕕᖕᒥ.

ᓯᐊᕆ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᓂ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᕐᑎ-

ᐅᕙᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᒋᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ. ᑲᒪᔨ-

ᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᓄᐃ-

ᖖᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᖁᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᑕᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ.

“ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᔭᓐᓂ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐸᐅᕙᒻᒪᑦ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑐᖃᐃᓐᓇᖅᐸᓐᓂᒥᖓᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᕙᑦᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᖃᐱᓚ-

ᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖖᒋᑦᑐᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᕙᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗᑦ-

ᑕᐅᖅ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖃᑎᖃᕐᒥᒐᒪ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ. ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐳᖓ

ᓱᓕᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᖓ

ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᓄᑦ

ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒋᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᖃᕐᓂᓐᓂᒃ. ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᒐᐅᑦ-

ᑎᐊᖅᐸᒃᑲᒪ ᐃᓱᒪᑕᕆᔭᓐᓂᑦ, ᐃᓱᒪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯ-

ᔨᐅᔪᒥᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᓂᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐱᐅᓪᓚᕆᒻᒪᑕ

ᐊᔾᔨᖃᕋᑎᒃ. ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕈᑎᖃᖅᐸᒃᑲᑦᑕ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓᑦᓴᐃᓐᓇᖅ

ᑐᕌᕐᕕᒃᓴᖁᑎᒋᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ, ᖃᓄᐃᖖᒋᑦᑎᐊᕐᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᓚᕐᓇᕋᑎᒃ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᑕ ᐃᑭᒪ-

ᕙᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑕ. ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ

ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒋᔭᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᑦᑎᐊᕋᑦ,

ᐃᓱᒪᕗᖓ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᑯᔅᓴᕈᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᐸᓐᓂᖏᑕ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑕ ᓈᒻᒪᒃᓴᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᓐᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ.”

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖏᓂ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᖅᑎᐅᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ, ᓯᐊᕆ ᐊᓯᖏᓂᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᖃ-

Born in Elliot Lake, Ontario, and growing up in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Sherry Rioux started working for First Air in May of 2008. Now based in Yellowknife, Sherry is currently the Station Manager for Yellowknife and Inuvik.

Sherry’s role with First Air is to ensure she and her staﬀ provide excellent customer service. She is responsible for making sure all Transport Canada safety policies regarding passenger travel are followed.

“The best part about my job is there is always something new. It is never a dull moment. I also have the best coworkers. I can honestly say that I work for the best company. The support I have from my Director, Senior manager, fellow managers and all my customer service agents is phenomenal. We all strive for the same goals, which are safe and reliable travel for our passengers. Because we all care about our jobs and the company we work for, I feel it reﬂects on our customers’ satisfaction.”

Though her department is the Customer Service area, Sherry often gets to help other departments. This has allowed her to learn new ᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐸᒃᑐᓂ ᐊᓯᖏᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᐅᔪᐃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᔭᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᕆthings about the company she works for and experience aspects of ᕙᒃᑕᖏᓂᒃ. (ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓚᖃᖖᒋᓚᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᐅᕙᓐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᐅᕙᓐᓂᕐᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ, other departments roles and responsibilities. (This does not include ᓲᖃᐃᒻᒪᓗᑭᐊᖅ, ᖁᖓᑦᑐᓂ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ.) ﬂying or ﬁxing the planes, of course, she smiles.)

ᓕᖅᐸᒻᒪᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓂᒃ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓯᒪᓕᕈᓐᓇᖅᐸᒻᒪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓂ-

ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᓕᓚᐅᖅᑳᕋᓂ, ᓯᐊᕆ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᓕᕆᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᒫᒃ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕌᐱᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᓕᕆᔨᖏᓄᑦ.

ᓯᐊᕆ ᐅᐊᔭᖅᐸᓐᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᕐᐳᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᒻᒥᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᓇᔪᖅᑎᖃᕆᐊᒥᓂᒃ. ᑕᖅᑭᓂ ᓂᒃᓚᓱᓗᐊᖖᒋᑎᓪᓗᒍ,

Before First Air, Sherry worked as a Travel Agent for Mack Travel and Rapid Travel.

Sherry loves to travel and spend time with her dog. In the warmer months, she enjoys camping and being outdoors. Playing softball ᐃᔭᖅᑎᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᔭᐅᓂᖓᓂ. ᐃᓚᒋᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᖃᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐸᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᐳᖅ. with the First Air Flyers is a new addition to her summer passions. ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᒃ ᐃᒡᓚᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᒋᐊᒥᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᔭᖃᓗᐊᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ, ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎᓕᐅᖅ- Spending time with family and friends is always a priority. She loves to make people laugh, including planning occasional practical jokes! ᐸᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᑯᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᒥᑖᖃᑎᖃᖅᐸᒋᐊᒥᓂᒃ! ᓄᓇᒦᖃᑦᑕᕆᐊᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓃᕋᔭᒃᓯᒪᒋᐊᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᕙᒃᑕᖏᑦ. ᐊᖅᓴᖃᑎᖃᕈᒪᕙᓕᕆᕗᖅ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇ-

From the Flight Deck What is Fog? At many of our destinations, especially during the transition between some seasons, fog is a common occurrence. In simple terms, fog is really nothing more than a cloud that happens to be touching the ground instead of forming higher up in the sky.

Even though you can’t see it, the air actually holds a fair bit of moisture in the form of water vapour. That being said, there is a limit to how much moisture the air can hold. You have likely heard a weather reporter talking about the relative humidity. That value is the percentage of moisture that the air is holding compared to the maximum amount that it could hold. When the relative humidity is 100 per cent, the air is holding as much water as possible and it simply can’t hold any more. If we try to add more water, the air can’t absorb it. The water doesn’t remain as invisible water vapour — it condenses into a small water droplet and forms a cloud (if it’s in the sky), fog (if it’s on the ground) or dew (if it’s on the grass or a car). Warm air can also hold more water than cold air.

To make fog, the ﬁrst thing we need to do is get the air to the point that it is full of water. (A meteorologist would then describe that air as being saturated or the relative humidity would be 100 per cent.) There are two ways we can do this: we can cool some already moist air (since cold air holds less moisture, if we get the air cool enough, it will become saturated), or we can keep adding moisture to the air until it is full of water.

The easiest way to cool air is to wait for evening. Once the sun sets, things start to cool off (including the air). If the air starts off with enough moisture in it, and it cools off enough overnight, we may wake up to a layer of fog. (It’s also the same reason that a layer of condensation forms on the outside of a cold glass on a hot summer day.) The good news about this kind of fog, which is

called radiation fog, is that it can easily be cleared up — we just make the air warm enough to hold all that moisture again and the fog will disappear. This happens when the sun comes up the next morning. The kicker here is that the sun doesn’t heat the air — it heats the ground and then the ground heats the air. If the fog is thick, it acts like a blanket for the ground so it can take a bit of time before the sun is able to heat the ground up enough to help burn oﬀ the fog.

The other way to make fog is to keep adding water to the air until it becomes saturated. This can happen near large bodies of water. The air over the water can hold a lot of moisture since it sucks it up from the water. If we then move that warm, moist air over the cooler land beside the water — that’s easy to do with a gentle breeze oﬀ the water — the air will cool oﬀ a little bit and, since it is full of moisture, fog forms. In this case, it’s called advection fog. Advection fog can last for a long time since there is an almost unlimited supply of

moist air getting moved in from over the water. This kind of fog can last for hours, or days....

Crisp, cold air over warmer water can also act like a wick to draw up moisture. These conditions generate the appearance of smoke rising from the water. Adding too much moisture to the air is also the reason we can see our breath on a cold winter day or see the exhaust from an idling car. Our warm breath is full of moisture and a car’s exhaust also contains water from the combustion process. If the air can’t hold that new moisture, droplets form and we see our breath or the exhaust. So, when we’re ﬂying, if fog is present we often must wait until it clears to ensure a safe takeoﬀ.

Captain Aaron Speer Vice President, Flight Operations First Air

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

The Inflight Magazine for First Air

2018 | 06 YOURS TO KEEP

Inuit Games & String Games

Padley Post An HBC Trading Post

Mountain Biking On Axel Heiberg Island

Contents

November | December 2018 Volume 30, No. 6

Paddling On the Floe Edge

12 PM40050872

o www.arcticjournal.ca

The ice fault line that forced us to move camp. © Black Feather

Publisher: above&beyond ltd. Managing Editor: Doris Ohlmann doris@arcticjournal.ca Advertising: 613-257-4999 Toll Free: 1-877-2ARCTIC 1-877-227-2842 advertising@arcticjournal.ca Design: Robert Hoselton, Beat Studios

above&beyond ltd., (aka above&beyond, Canada’s Arctic Journal) is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Air, and a media instrument intended solely to entertain and provide general information about the North. The views and opinions expressed in editorial content, advertisements, or by contributors, do not necessarily reﬂect the views, oﬃcial positions or policies of First Air, its agents, or those of above&beyond magazine unless expressly stated. above&beyond ltd. does not assume any responsibility for any errors and/or omissions of any content in the publication. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. We welcome contributions but assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. Send to editor@arcticjournal.ca.

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Features

Inuit Games & String Games

Traditional Arctic games were particularly popular in winter when Inuit gathered in larger numbers. — Text and photos by Nick Newbery

Padley Post: An HBC Trading Post

Seeing an economic opportunity in the Caribou Inuit, the Hudson’s Bay Company established a trading post there in 1926. — Mary Voisey and Tim W. Worth

26 31

Mountain Biking on Axel Heiberg Island

A behind the scenes look at the ﬁlming of North of Nightfall. — Françoise Gervais and Emri Canvin

Paddling on the Floe Edge

The plan is to spend the next ﬁve days exploring the ice ﬂoe edge from the ice and water with skis, kayaks, standup paddle boards and snowmobiles. — Justine Gosling

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09 Destination Focus

15 Living Above&Beyond 21 Resources

34 Youth Building Self-conﬁdence in Northern Youth — David Pelly

37 Science Embracing STEM in the North — Chloe E. Girvan

41 Proﬁle Hilda Snowball: On Developing Northern Policy

45 Science Understanding Grass Species in the Arctic — Text and photos by Paul C. Sokoloﬀ

48 Bookshelf

50 Inuit Forum — Natan Obed National Inuit Leader & President, ITK 7

NUNAVIK’S LEADING INTERNET SERVICE Affordable. Reliable. Accessible.

The Survey Vessel the Polar Prince navigating its way through unusually late sea ice in the Hudson Strait. The Polar Prince is performing the sub-sea survey for an eventual marine fibre-optic cable.

IT Telecom crew prepare to launch a sonar/scan device to obtain Geophysical information.

IT Telecom crew prepare to launch a Gravity Corer used to obtain seabed core samples.

Broadband Internet is more than just a convenience. Remote northern communities, businesses, hospitals, schools and other institutions need it to offer services and create opportunities. That’s why the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) launched Tamaani Internet in 2004 and is proud to announce its latest project to improve broadband Internet service in Nunavik, Arctic Québec.

The Tamaani phase 5 project.

KRG representatives and IT telecom representatives during the planning/Kickoff meeting for the subsea survey. IT Telecom won the bid for the project.

The KRG Tamaani Internet Phase 5 Project is constructing an undersea fibre optic backbone along the eastern coast of Hudson Bay that will initially reach as far north as Puvirnituq, and even beyond. The fibre optic infrastructure will connect at least four of Nunavik’s Hudson coast communities, enabling residents to have access to broadband Internet service on par with major cities in the south. A broadband Internet backbone is also planned from Schefferville to Kuujjuaq, and fibre-to-the-home networks will be completed in the remaining 10 Nunavik communities. These latest upgrades will be completed by 2021, making Nunavik an integral part of the digital age. They will permit better tele-health services, faster tele-justice, and increased education, skills development and job opportunities. They will improve videoconferencing and bring residential users closer together. This KRG Tamaani Internet Phase 5 Project is being made possible through a joint Canada–Québec investment of $125.2 million. Canada’s Connect to Innovate program and Québec’s Société du Plan Nord have each committed $62.6 million. The KRG’s Tamaani Internet has a client base of almost 2,800 residential subscribers and operates more than 300 points of service for its corporate clients in all 14 communities of Nunavik, Arctic Québec.

1 888 TAMAANI www.facebook.com/tamaani

58.1030° N, 68.4188° W

KUUJJUAO

Gateway to Nunavik and to the Arctic for many travelling North from Montreal, Kuujjuaq is the largest Inuit community of this Northern Quebec region and the only one connected to First Air’s network, making it a tourism hub. Whether passing through, in town for business or a visit, Kuujjuaq has a lot to offer to those willing to stay over or make the trip for an adventure out of the ordinary. Located on the west shore of the Koksoak River, about 50 kilometres upstream from Ungava Bay, the daily life of this bustling community is closely tied to the mighty river. The ebb and flow of its tides are continually altering the landscape, imposing their rhythm on the practice of traditional summer activities, whether fishing, mussel picking or camping. Settled amidst the remnants of the boreal forest, patches of black spruce and larch stand in marshy valleys, making the area perfect for aqpiit, the delicious cloudberries for which the town holds a music festival each year in August, the popular Aqpik Jam. Come winter, the tree line also makes a great shelter to enjoy a snowmobile or dogsled ride out on the land, scanning the sparkly white landscape for signs of wildlife along the way such as ptarmigans, Arctic hares, foxes and wolves, or even a small herd of noble prehistoric muskoxen or stray families of caribou. Since Kuujjuaq is located on the Northern Lights belt, from September to March, the longer fall and winter nights provide ample opportunities to gaze upon the spectacular aurora borealis sweeping across dark blue skies. Nunavik’s metropolis, population nearly 2,700, was formerly known as Fort Chimo. “Chimo” is the mispronunciation by early fur traders of the Inuktitut phrase, “Saimuk!” which means “Let’s shake hands!” Around 1830, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) established its first fur trading post there, on the east shore of the Koksoak River, about five kilometres downstream from today’s settlement. Following the construction of a U.S. Air Force base (Crystal 1) in 1942 on the west shore of the Koksoak River, and its occupation by the American Army during the Second World War, the community moved to its present site, once the base was turned over to the Canadian government and a Catholic mission was established, in 1948. A nursing station, a school and a weather station were built soon after. When the HBC moved upstream closer to the airstrips in 1958, the remaining families also relocated and, in 1961, a co-operative was created. Over the years, Kuujjuaq has become the administrative centre of the Nunavik region, host of regional organizations such as Makivik Corporation and the Kativik Regional Government, both working towards greater political autonomy for Nunavummiut, as well as other institutions such as the Kativik School Board, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services and the Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau, all providing essential services. Buzzing with activity, the Northern village of Kuujjuaq boasts a few hotels, a restaurant and lounge, a bar and sports pub, three general stores, arts and crafts shops, an arena and gym, a new church, and a bank. The municipality’s Katittavik Town Hall also serves as a theatre and a convention centre. 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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D E S T I N AT I O N F O C U S

Some essential Kuujjuaq experiences:

• Observing Northern lights • Dog sledding across the tree line from the boreal forest to the tundra leading to Ungava Bay • Famed Inuit bush pilot Johnny May’s Christmas Candy Drop • Atlantic salmon ﬁshing on the Koksoak River • Cloudberry picking during the Aqpik Jam Music Festival • Enjoying a traditional throat singing performance by the Kuujjuaq Youth Group • Observing prehistoric muskoxen graze amidst autumn colours • Visiting Old Chimo, the original settlement and Hudson’s Bay trading post • Discovering Inuit art and crafts at Tivi Galleries

Just watch. Seeing the elders set up a string game is a lesson in speed and dexterity. Often two elders will choose a game and then compete to complete it, beginning with intense silent concentration and ending in hoots of laughter!

Inuit Games String Games Text and photos by Nick Newbery

Traditional Arctic peoples’ existence was by no means a purely survival way of life. They had their own justice system, dances, music, spiritual beliefs and forms of recreation. The games were usually played for fun but could become competitive upon occasion. The skills called for endurance and strength and varied from various types of kicks to pulling and wrestling activities. They were particularly popular in winter when Inuit gathered in larger numbers and enjoyed sports, drum-dancing and other recreational activities to provide a break from the harsh lives they were faced with daily. Like so many societies in the world, they also enjoyed playing string games, a method of amusing themselves by passing on stories, competing and teaching their culture to the young. Many of these activities are still enjoyed today. Naki Ekho shows another string game or ayarak. Although many races around the world enjoy this activity, the games and stories behind them vary from culture to culture. Typically, in pre-contact times, Inuit women and elders would have taught these games to the children while the men were away hunting.

Elders Qimaquq and Akata Saataa illustrate the qulliq, the stone lamp that traditionally lit and heated an igloo or sod house when people lived in camps on the land. The string pattern reﬂects the shape of the ﬂames in a lamp. The qulliq today is usually reserved for educational, healing and ceremonial occasions.

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Two ﬁnger hang. In this photo the participant must hold his entire body weight suspended on two ﬁngers for as long as possible, providing an example of stamina.

Knuckle hop. This must be the most painful of all sports. The participant straightens his body and hops on his knuckles and toes until he can go no further. The effort results almost always in a pair of bloodied and swollen knuckles but a lot of respect from those watching! Christmas is a time when traditional Inuit games come to the forefront in northern communities, a time when Inuit gather late into the night in community halls and school gyms to engage in games that have been passed down over the centuries. Because Inuit games evolved to fit the confines of a snow house, the skills were therefore more of strength and endurance and provided relief from the harsh conditions in which they lived. Nugluktuq. Often loosely called the spear game, participants each set aside one prize for the game. Then they all try to jab their spears into a target suspended from the ceiling that has holes in it. When a contestant is successful, he can then select one of the prizes. The game is usually accompanied by much yelling and laughter!

Nick Newbery taught in several communities in Nunavut from 1976-2005. He would like to acknowledge the assistance he received for this article from Bert Rose, northern educator and long-time resident of Nunavut. The photos in this article are from Nick’s Arctic photo collection that can be found at www.newberyphotoarchives.ca and should be viewed from a historical perspective.

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

2018 | 06

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

2018 | 06

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra toured Northern Quebec with their Chaakapesh: The Trickster’s Quest opera in September. Here, they perform in Kuujjuarapik, Nunavik. © Jean-Marc Abela

New opera tours Northern Quebec Members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra travelled to Northern Quebec in September to bring their new tragic/comic opera, Chaakapesh: The Trickster’s Quest to audiences from Nunavik to Eeyou Istchee, to Nitassinan. A collaboration between composer Matthew Ricketts and author Tomson Highway, the performance includes artists from multiple cultures in this region, including ﬁve linguistic groups: Cree, Innu, Inuktitut, French and English. It is a Cree origins myth with a universal message of love that hints at an imagined peaceful future within this nation of nations. Inspired by an Innu legend, it teaches us that we are here on Earth to laugh and to live in harmony with our planet.

Depending on which community the orchestra was in, the opera was narrated in Inuktitut by throat singer Akinisie Sivuarapik, in Cree by ﬁlm producer Ernie Webb or in Innu by singer-songwriter Florent Vollant. At each stop of the tour, a local Indigenous artist joined the orchestra on stage to perform as well. For example, in Kuujjuarapik, guest performers were Inuit throat-singer Linda Kowcharlie and Cree ﬁddler Eric Shashamash. In Oujé-Bougoumou, young cellist Kelly Cooper and narrator Ernest Webb joined the ensemble.

Throat singers (L to R: Mary Pootoo and Akinisie Sivuarapik) perform at the Salluit, Nunavik, concert, as Kent Nagano, music director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, centre, looks on. © Jean-Marc Abela

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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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

NBAA awards presented at annual Conference

Clarence Synard (right) receives the Volunteer Award from Victor Tootoo. © Michel Albert (4)

The 2018 Nunavut Trade Show & Conference took place September 18 to 20 in Iqaluit. Topics covered during this year’s conference included: business development support, Inuit employment programs, growing the arts and culture industry, new ﬁsheries regulations, clean Technologies, youth entrepreneurships, housing, Inuit tattoo revitalization, and SmartICE. The Nunavut Business Achievement Awards were presented on September 19. Awarded annually, this year’s recipients were:

• Blackheart Café received the Award for the 2018 Business of the Year. • Mona Godin and Tim Bayne were named Business Persons of the Year.

Mona Godin and Tim Bayne of DJ Specialties are the 2018 Business Persons of the Year. L to R: Glenn Cousins from the Kakivak Association (2017 award recipient), Mona and Tim.

Suzanne Paquin from NEAS accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of Mark Bray’s family.

• The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Mark Bray of NEAS. • The award for Volunteer of the Year was presented to Clarence Synard for his many volunteer hours within the community with Habitat for Humanity Iqaluit, Skills Nunavut, Angel Tree, VOCM — Dial a Carol, Building Advisory Committee, and the Safety Advisory Committee.

First Air was the Oﬃcial Airline Sponsor of the Nunavut Trade Show & Conference. Udlu Hanson, Deputy Minister of Economic Development & Transportation, presents Joe Szakacs, owner of Black Heart Café, with the 2018 award for Business of the Year.

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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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Parks Canada creates Inuktitut place names map

The Auyuittuq National Park Place Names map project started in 2014. Parks Canada held several workshops with the Inuit Knowledge Working Group for Auyuittuq National Park from 2015-2016. Parks Canada also conducted interviews and invited additional experts to meetings. A lot of the information gathering took place in Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut. As a result of these collaborations, a new Inuktitut place names map has now been created at Parks Canada.

Several of the names on the map, still known by Inuit today, were ﬁrst recorded in the 1880s. Parks Canada was also advised by the Inuit Heritage Trust and the Auyuittuq Joint Park Management Committee. Auyuittuq National Park is in Baffin Island’s Cumberland Peninsula.

Some of the Auyuittuq National Park Place Names Project team members. Participants include the Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq Inuit Knowledge Working Groups for Auyuittuq National Park, additional community experts, interpreters, and Parks Canada staﬀ. Back row, L to R: Maria Quqsuut, Maryse Mahy, Karen Routledge, Davidee Kooneeliusie, Billy Etooangat, Moe Nowdlak. Middle row, L to R: Martha Newkingnak, Meeka Newkingnak, Jukie Nookiguak, Manasa Evic, Levi Nutaralak, Kathy Kuniliusie. Front, L to R: Madeleine Qumuatuq, Markosie Audlakiak, Loasie Alikatuktuk. © Pasha Kooneeliusie Qaiqsualuk/Thor Peak, Akshayuk Pass, Auyuittuq National Park. Qaiqsualuk means “enormous bedrock”. © Parks Canada

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Caribou and ﬁsh habitat studies receive funding

Three Wilfrid Laurier University researchers have received funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories to help answer important questions about environmental issues in Canada’s North. Jennifer Baltzer, Derek Gray and Philip Marsh each received funding for separate projects as part of the Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program, which aims to provide an understanding of environmental trends and the impacts of human and natural changes in the Northwest Territories. The goal of the program is to provide information to resource managers, governments and communities in the territory to aid in future decisionmaking. Baltzer received $120,000 for her continuing project, “Impacts of wildfire extent and severity on caribou habitat: from woodland to barren ground”. Both boreal and barren ground caribou are facing unprecedented rates of disturbance within critical habitats in the Northwest Territories due to resource development. Resource managers must consider the impacts of wildfire as a cause of additional disturbance. Baltzer and her team have established a network of study sites in a 250-kilometre radius around Yellowknife. Gray received renewed funding of $98,000 for his project, “How will fish communities in Gwich’in lakes respond to climate change?” To forecast future changes, Gray’s team is collecting baseline data on fish communities and water quality in 60 lakes. Data produced as part of the project will provide information for the development of resource management plans. Marsh received $60,000 for his project, “Changes in water within the Mackenzie DeltaBeaufort Region as indicators of aquatic health”. The Mackenzie Delta-Beaufort Region is experiencing dramatic environmental changes, including climate warming and decreases in rain and snow levels. These changes have resulted in shallower snow cover, longer snow- and ice-free periods and increased evaporation. This drying of the environment is causing complex and poorly understood changes in stream flow and lake levels, as well as fish health and habitat. Marsh’s study will use climate, remote sensing and water data to document changes. Wilfrid Laurier University is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with campuses also in Branford, Kitchener and Toronto.

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Mural added to entrance of WAG

LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Mural artist Kailey Sheppard with her artwork: Mosaic Sea, paint on wood. © Winnipeg Art Gallery

As part of the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) Inuit Art Centre construction project, a wood structure has been installed to protect part of the sidewalk on Memorial Blvd, in front of the Gallery. Included on the pedestrian walkway is an outdoor art installation created by Kailey Sheppard from Winkler, Manitoba, an emerging artist of Inuit descent. Sheppard is a self-taught artist and was mentored in creating the mural in collaboration with Pat Lazo, Artistic Director from Graﬃti Art Programming, and the Synonym Art Consultation as part of the 2018 Wall-to-Wall Mural + Culture Festival. “This work was created by putting Inuit style imagery together through a collage-based process. I see the process of layering the imagery as a metaphor for the building of self, as I add and shed layers to my life through time,” Sheppard states, The project is reﬂective of the vision for the WAG Inuit Art Centre, to open in 2020, to connect Canada’s North and South through art, featuring programs that will train arts and heritage workers. Visit inuit.wag.ca

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LIVING ABOVE&BEYOND

Second Umiyaqtutt Festival a success

Over the course of the Umiyaqtutt Festival in Gjoa Haven, seamstresses met inside the Nattilik Heritage Centre to design new works of art for display. Here, the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, speaks with retired radio announcer and artist Leonie Aaluk, who designed a wall-hanging depicting activities from life on the land. © Parks Canada

Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, held its second Umiyaqtutt (Inuktitut for “Shipwreck”) Festival from August 25 to September 3. The 10-day Festival celebrations included Inuit traditions and customs such as drum dancing, throat singing, feasting, traditional Inuit games, Inuit tattooing, an Inuit music talent show, as well as an arts and craft market, scavenger hunt, and fashion show. The Nattilik Heritage Centre was a buzz of activity as workshop attendees joined experienced seamstresses to sew wall hangings or beadings

as part of the Needlework Art Collaboration Project. Parks Canada Underwater Archaeologists held presentations at the locale as well. Closing ceremonies included a community feast, awards for the fashion show and live entertainment. First place winner in the Traditional Clothing Category was Susie Konana for her Caribou skin parka with kamiik. She received $1000. The Modern Clothing Category ﬁrst place winner was Salomie Qitsualiq, who received a $1000 gift card from the Hamlet of Gjoa Haven for a seal skin parka design.

Elder Susie Konana won ﬁrst place in the Traditional Clothing Category for her caribou skin parka with kamiik at the Umiyaqtutt Festival fashion show. © Barbara Okpik – Parks Canada

The annual Festival was created last year to commemorate the discoveries of the historic ship wrecks HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.

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NUNAVUT

High priority targets identiﬁed

Arctic Star Exploration Corp. has entered into an Option Agreement with GGL Resource Corp. to earn a 60 per cent interest in Arctic Star’s wholly owned Stein Diamond Project. The property consists of four contiguous prospecting permits covering an area of 1,065 square kilometres on the Southern Boothia Peninsula, 45 kilometres from tide water. It is 85 kilometres northwest of the community of Taloyoak. Stein is an advanced diamond exploration project having the benefit of numerous successive exploration campaigns and over $1.5 million in previous exploration expenditures. This work included multiple seasons of heavy mineral sampling in which kimberlitic indicator minerals were followed in the up-ice direction to a region believed to be the source area. This area was subsequently flown with detailed airborne magnetic surveys that identified numerous high priority targets with signatures similar in characteristics to kimberlites found elsewhere in Canada’s North. No kimberlite drill testing has been conducted on the project to date.

Surface exploration reveals gold fractures

In August, a two-man crew conducted geological mapping and prospecting on a Witwatersrandtype prospect at Silver Range Resources Ltd.’s wholly owned Tree River Project. A total of 88 rock samples were collected during the program. The presence of visible gold along fractures at the Main Zone, together with recrystallized quartz and sulphides, and some sulphide-bearing fractures indicate that the mineralization is at least partially remobilized.

IIBA renegotiated

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. signed an amended Inuit Impact Benefit Agreement (IIBA) on October 3. Partly in response to urgent pleas from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq, the federal government has rejected advice from the Nunavut Impact Review and ordered that Baffinland be allowed to increase ore production at the Mary River iron mine from 4.2 million metric tonnes a year to six million metric tonnes a year for 2018 and

2019. Baﬃnland said without the production

increase, it would be forced to close the mine

for part of each year because it reaches the current 4.2-million-tonne limit in less than

12 months. After Dec. 31, 2019, the limit

would revert to 4.2 million tonnes, unless the

company’s project certiﬁcate is amended once

again.

The renegotiated agreement for the Mary

River mine prioritizes Inuit employment training and includes a $10-million commitment by Baﬃnland to see a training centre built in Pond

Inlet and to increase the Inuit training budget to $2.25 million annually starting this year.

Baﬃnland will run a work readiness program

three times a year within the ﬁve Qikiqtani communities most aﬀected by the mine:

Igloolik, Hall Beach, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay and

Clyde River. All Inuit who enter this training will become employees of the mine. The amended

IIBA aims for an overall Inuit employment

target of 50 per cent, to be “revisited” in 10 years. Inuit from all Baﬃn communities will get priority for hiring.

In the beneﬁts agreement, Baﬃnland prom-

ises to pay out at least $5 million a year to QIA

either in advanced payments or as a royalty percentage of production starting in 2019. The IIBA also states that:

• Baﬃnland will spend $300,000 over 12

years to buy research vessels for Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Igloolik and Hall Beach.

• Pond Inlet will get $200,000 over 10 years

to run its own projects aimed at monitoring the impacts of the mine.

• Baﬃnland will hire and train an Inuit recruiter, hire four Inuit human resource advisors, and provide career-path planning for Baﬃn Inuit.

The Nunavut Impact Review Board recom-

mends Baﬃnland should be allowed to build a

new 380-person accommodation camp at Milne Inlet and a 15-million-litre diesel fuel-tank farm in the same area.

The review board also said this decision will

not aﬀect its environmental and socio-economic

assessment of Baﬃnland’s big railway proposal, which is now underway. The company says that

if it receives the required permits in 2019, the

railway could be up and running by 2020 or early 2021.

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YUKON

RESOURCES

Environmental concerns alleviated

Goldcorp is proposing to open a large-scale gold mine at its Coffee Gold project near Dawson City by 2021. Although the project is still under review by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board, the Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation have now come on board with the project. Last April, it signed a “collaboration agreement” with Goldcorp, which includes benefits for the First Nation such as jobs, contracts, and training for First Nation citizens, as well as environmental protection commitments. The project is more environmentally sustainable in terms of not having a toxic tailings pond but will use a heap leach pad instead — where gold is separated from ore with cyanide. This “closed loop” system answers the concerns the First Nations had previously about possible affects to local rivers. Goldcorp believes there could be up to two million ounces of recoverable gold at the Coffee location. At current prices, that could mean about $2 billion. The construction phase could mean 650 direct and indirect jobs. During operations, the company anticipates employing 350 people between the site and their offices in Whitehorse and Dawson City.

White Gold expands claims

High-grade gold mineralization has been discovered at shallow depths on multiple drill holes on the Ryan’s Showing Target, located along trend with White Gold Corp.’s ﬂagship Golden Saddle deposit. White Gold has also acquired a 100 per cent interest in a portfolio of mining claims comprising the Henderson, Flow/Work Creek and Birdman properties from Independence Gold Corp. The company has staked an additional 717 mining claims totaling 14,260 hectares contiguous to their JP Ross, Hen, and Stewarts properties. The staking of these claims further expands the Company’s dominant land package in the White Gold District to 21,218 quartz claims, totaling over 423,000 hectares and representing over 40 per cent of the district. Rotary-Air-Blast drill results from the Vertigo target on the JP Ross property are also returning additional near surface, high grade mineralization. 21

Padley Post An HBC Trading Post By Mary Voisey; photography by the late Henry Voisey Compiled and co-authored by Tim W. Worth

Mary Voisey grew up in the community of Padlei, also known as Kingajualik by the Caribou Inuit of the area. Padlei, or Padley Post as the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) which established the post in 1926 knew it, is 166 kilometres northwest of present day Arviat, Nunavut. Seeing an economic opportunity in the Caribou Inuit, the Hudson’s Bay Company established a trading post there in 1926. Today Padley Post is abandoned; a lonely outpost at the junction of the Maguse River and Kinga (Kingajualik) Lake surrounded by mile upon mile of tundra and boreal forest. Three buildings still exist although the ravages of time and the environment is gradually taking a toll. Karlyuk, cutting wood for the Post stoves.

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The Voisey family dressed in their traditional Padleimiut garments.

adlei is set in a landscape of rolling hills, rocky outcrops and muskeg where boreal forest and subarctic tundra meet, a land crisscrossed by rivers and streams leading to broad expanses of lakes. Visitors to the area see an apparently hostile environment. In his thesis, Caribou Inuit traders of the Kivalliq, Matthew D. Walls sites the work of J.L. Robinson who described Padley in 1968 in geological terms as a place where “the base geology consists of pre-Cambrian sandstone and granite. Other than bedrock outcrops, which often form ridges and plateaus, the only other topographical features are glacial deposits that were formed during the ice-age”. Mary recalls that like all areas in the Arctic, with the return of warm weather the tundra bursts with contrasting colours of yellow butter cups, white Arctic cotton, varying shades of pink fireweed, green lichen and moss, low scrub willows and Labrador tea. The seemingly impenetrable hummocks of moss and lichen which nourish the passing herds of Barrenground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) give way to low bush, dwarf willow, black spruce and tamarack and the promise of wood for heating and building sleds and homes. It was home to the Caribou Inuit, the Padleimiut, Padlirmiut, or Paallirmiut, who followed the cycles of the land. Mary Voisey’s parents were members of prominent Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) families. Both the Voisey’s, Henry’s family, and the Fords were mixed Inuit and English families from Labrador who because of their ancestry and language competencies were ideal remote HBC employees. Voisey and Ford family members worked for the Company in communities all over the North. With both families working for (HBC) it was inevitable that Charlotte and Henry met. Theirs was, at times, a long-distance relationship; it was 11 years before Henry proposed to Charlotte. Henry insisted on doing the proper thing and asked Charlotte’s father (Sam Ford) for her hand in 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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Henry and Charlotte (née Ford) Voisey on their wedding day, August 29, 1940, in Igluligaarjuk (Chesterﬁeld Inlet), Nunavut.

marriage even though it was possible only by mail, carried by the Hudson’s Bay Company boats from post to post. In due course word was received that the proposal was accepted, and Charlotte and Henry were wed on August 29, 1940, in Igluligaarjuk (Chesterfield Inlet), Nunavut. From 1942 to 1960, when Padley Post closed, it was both the work environment and home of Henry Voisey and his family (Henry, wife Charlotte (née Ford), son George and 23

Padleimiut family in summer garments in front of their caribou hide tukturaq.

Mary Voisey and Ootook in front of Padley Post.

daughter Mary). However, within a year son George contracted TB meningitis, during one of the TB outbreaks that swept through the North. Although George and his mother were flown out to Winnipeg, not an easy thing in the early 1940s, it was not soon enough. George died on March 20, 1944 at Winnipeg’s Children’s Hospital. As a child, Mary’s playmates were Ootook and Keelook, both orphaned Inuit children, who were related to Padley Post employees who cut wood, hauled water, scraped hides and 24

performed any of the myriad other activities that made life of the HBC employees in the barrens possible. Ootook’s aunt and uncle were Eegie and Keegotiatok, while Keelook’s relatives were Keenuk and her husband Karlyuk. Mary spent the first seven years of her life in Padley or Kingajualik, as the Inuit knew it, amongst the Kingkaualimiut or “people of the hills” as Mary prefers to refer to them. Mary mostly spoke Inuktitut and lived the life of an Inuit child. Looking back on those years, Mary says they were a happy time. “My playmates and I wandered over the tundra without fear. There was nothing to fear. Summer was a time for exploring, fishing, swimming off the dock, and picnics.” Of the snowy season Mary recollects not much actual snowfall but what there was Mary made the best use of. “We slid down the bank near the house bundled in furs. We slid down on cardboard or our furs. We didn’t feel the cold.” Of course, with winter came the prime holiday of the year — Christmas. “We always had a Christmas tree, a letter was written to Santa at the North Pole, and a Christmas dinner of goose or a caribou roast. The Inuit came around Christmas to trade, have tea and a meal. Trading and eating done, everyone left for their camps not to be seen again until spring.” Although the Voisey family had access to canned goods through the Hudson’s Bay Company, they also caught jack fish and the “biggest lake trout”. However, the main sustenance for the Voisey family, as it was for people who lived in the North, were the Barren-ground caribou. In August, the caribou migration came through in the thousands. “The caribou usually took a day to pass through,” Mary recalls. One could still hear the grunting as they crossed the Maguse River at night.” One of the endless tasks was ensuring there was enough wood for all the stoves used around the Post. Although the building where fur was exchanged for merchandise was unheated, the others, including Mary’s home, depended on wood cut from the nearby wood lots. Cut year round, the trunks stripped of their limbs were stacked against trees that were left upright, so the cut wood wouldn’t get lost under the overburden of snow. Once there was ample snow cover, dog sled traffic became easy 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

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Crude dock in the Maguse River in front of Padley Post.

the wood was brought to the Post on a qamutiq and stacked in large, upright piles, leaning one against the other. During the summer, wood could be carried to Padlei by boat. One of the Post labourers, a man Mary remembers well named Karlyuk, cut up the wood for the stoves as it was needed. Although aircraft were in use, most people got from place to place by dog team in winter and by water in summer. Each spring the crude dock in the Maguse River, in front of the Post, had to be rebuilt as the previous year’s dock had been taken out by the spring ice breakup. Under the direction of Mary’s father, Henry, he and the Inuit men of the community stood in the freezing water of the river to lodge the posts on which the deck was mounted into the riverbed. Although a crude and slightly unstable structure, it facilitated loading goods and people into waiting boats, boats that carried people and trade goods from place to place or that made the harvesting of wood a little easier from the wood lots. The Voisey family typically wore store bought European clothing. Mary readily admits that her mom didn’t have the skill to sew cloth into half decent ‘western dress,’ but was as adept as any Inuit women in processing a killed caribou. With a set of caribou skins, she could easily and relatively quickly turn out some of the best-looking traditional Inuit garments. A picture in her father’s slide collection illustrates Charlotte’s skills. Henry, Mary and Charlotte are each attired in traditional caribou hide garments, elaborately decorated with beaded panels. Mary remembers insisting on wearing her black rubber boots and her father’s bright yellow socks, which made her so happy. The presence of the Trading Post meant that people often dropped by and not just local Inuit. Mary met prospectors who walked in off the land and university researchers who came to study the wildlife or the Arctic environment. Mary, still a child, came to know the noted writer and photographer Richard Harrington whose pictures told a story to the rest of Canada about the desperate condition of the Padleimiut Inuit following the failed caribou hunts of the 1950s. In contrast to the conditions of starvation that Richard’s photos captured, the Voisey family photo collection includes a photo 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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Richard Harrington sits on the ﬂoor blowing soap bubbles with Ootook and Mary Voisey.

of Richard Harrington sitting on the floor next to Mary Voisey and Ootook, blowing soap bubbles. At age seven, Mary was sent to attend elementary school in Churchill, Manitoba. She later attended high school in Winnipeg. Depending on available transportation, Mary was able to fly home most of the time. After graduation from high school, Mary took training to become a nurse and after graduation her first job was at the nursing station at Arviat. Then she looked after people in many locations for the next 46 years. Mary retired to her family’s Lake Winnipeg beachside home, which is today still heavily influenced by the seasonal environment that characterized the world of her youth at Padley Post, Nunavut. In retrospect, Mary is glad to have experienced that way of life and fondly looks back upon it today. 25

Cam Zink tests the unknown land. © Françoise Gervais (5)

Mountain Biking On Axel Heiberg Island By Françoise Gervais and Emri Canvin

Embracing the Unexpected: A Behind the Scenes Look at the Filming of North of Nightfall, an Epic Mountain Biking Expedition on Axel Heiberg Island

A Carson Storch and Jeremy Grant (Film director) plan the next descent!

fter countless hours of planning, hundreds of emails, phone calls, and heavy-lifting of equipment, we are finally ready to fly to one of the most remote places on Earth, Axel Heiberg Island. Some consider this island to be the heart of Pangea, the leastmoved piece of land on our planet since the continents separated millions of years ago. What once was a semi-tropical environment with turtles, alligators and ancient rhinos roaming the wooded forests has evolved into an Arctic ecosystem supporting Peary caribou, muskox, Arctic hare and wolves. Our project is to develop and implement a light weight, self-sufficient mobile camp for 22 people for four weeks on this isolated island in Canada’s High Arctic. This isn’t just any Arctic trip. With Arctic Kingdom leading the expedition, we would take a film crew and four iconic mountain bike free riders to the end of the earth to produce Red Bull Media House and Freeride Entertainment’s extreme mountain biking documentary, North of Nightfall. This would be the first film expedition of this kind in the High Arctic to follow professional athletes as they endure the isolation and giant features of this amazing, unique landscape.

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The documentary follows Darren Berrecloth, Carson Storch, Cam Zink and Tom Van Steenbergen as they travel to the top of the world to explore this relatively unknown land. In doing so, they discover a changing environment steeped in history along with challenging terrain unlike anything anyone’s ridden to date. We knew an expedition like this wouldn’t be easy, but there was no way to predict both the challenges and the unbelievable wonder we would encounter. It was not only an expedition of firsts, it was an expedition of the unexpected. Any person who has spent some time in the High Arctic knows the weather dictates your schedule and nature is in control. A delayed departure is not something unusual. What we didn’t expect was a week of fog and snow flurries that would keep us on the tarmac in Resolute Bay waiting for the call that said we were ready for takeoff. We finally find a hole in the sky and the weather at our destination is clear with calm winds, so we are off. The first stage of mobilization flights departed Resolute Bay early July 2017 and we had conquered our first of many unexpected challenges. Crossing the southern portion of the island, we catch our first glimpses of our destination from the air. The lands are laden with snow and ice but as we continue north, the frozen ground gives way to a polar desert landscape of ancient beauty. These are the mountains our world-class riders have been dreaming of for years: the ultimate lines. The second unexpected challenges come as soon as we land on an ancient glacier river bed near the coordinates we have planned. We finally arrive on the ground we have been visualizing for months. As we step out of the Twin Otter, it’s like entering a whole other world. It feels as if someone uncovered a magnificent painting, bursting with colour. My team at Arctic Kingdom and I have spent many years guiding all over Baffin Island, but we quickly realize this will be a very different expedition. We think, “this must be how it feels when you land on Mars!”.

Andrew Philip Taqtu, aka Apak, Inuit Expedition Guide, admires his land, Nunavut!

It is more austere than any other place we have been before. We have dealt with snow, ice and water, but being in a desert surrounded by mountains close to 7,000 feet — this is new. The long weather delays allow us only two days to set up the camp before the rest of the team arrives. At least the days are endless at this time of year in the Arctic. In such an untouched environment, with massive glaciers and ice caps, we never expect that gathering clean water will be a challenge. With a camp located at nearly 80° north, we must be resourceful. On the “warmer” days when the winds are calm and the sun is at its warmest, the increased melt from Axel Heiberg, First view of the dreamed land.

L to R: Athletes Darren Berrecloth, Tom Van Steenbergen, Cam Zink and Carson Storch return to the Arctic Kingdom camp.

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the ice caps stirs up silt-like sediment in the river near our camp. Our search for clear drinking water begins. After many days of searching, we finally find a small stream coming from the mountain that will provide for us. Hard to believe 45 million years ago this was a semi-tropical forest of 150foot-tall trees. Blizzards are almost a rite of passage for Arctic guides; those we are used to. Here though, it isn’t blizzards we have to deal with. Instead, we experience our first sand storm. On most Arctic expeditions we secure our tents by anchoring them to snowmobiles, using ice screws or shoveling snow. This time we use sandbags and any piece of equipment that has some weight to it. We watch a brown cloud approaching our camp, hoping our gear can handle it. Patience and resilience are one of the best skills the Arctic weather can teach you. It is conditions like this that make you realize how vulnerable you truly are. With no community on Axel Heiberg, we are on our own. We wait patiently, and the weather turns back in our favour. After dusting the sand off the film gear, the riders are ready to get into the mountains to ride their dream lines. After 10 days of only seeing wildlife in the plateaus above our valley oasis, the residents finally start to show themselves around our camp and we have some unique visits. An Arctic wolf passes in the distance. Wandering alone in this endless landscape, he strangely looks like he knows where he is going, almost as if he is on a schedule, and not curious to come closer. We later start to see the last animal on our planet that

Carson Storch on the challenging terrain. © Françoise Gervais (3)

remains the same as it was during the last ice age, the muskox. Maybe this is what the wolf is going after. As we near the end of our expedition, after living in this stark environment for weeks, we develop a strong appreciation and respect for these animals and how they have adapted to the environment. We wonder, would we adapt so well? We often hear about the excitement and anticipation adventurers experience at the outset of an expedition. As an Expedition Leader, the end of a month-long expedition is sometimes as exciting as the start. Knowing my group has achieved their goals and everyone is safely on their way back to their families brings me a serene feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. The flight that carries us back to civilization is a unique, almost ritualistic, time for reflection. Simultaneously exhausted and elated, we know very well this could be the last time we will ever see this truly awe-inspiring place. We leave behind the wilderness we so intensely interacted with and embraced for weeks. Most notably, we leave behind the unexpected challenges and take with us the bliss of unexpected beauty. If you want to know more about the movie, North of Nightfall, visit northofnightfall.com. Muskox, our special guest. Below: Cam Zinc descends Axel Heiberg.

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The icebergs were often bigger below water than above, as seen from our kayaks. © Black Feather (2)

Paddling ON THE FLOE EDGE By Justine Gosling

It isn’t my usual inflight experience having my finger chewed by a fluffy Husky puppy with the sharpest milk teeth whilst listening to announcements in Inuktitut. I am onboard my second First Air flight to the small Inuit town of Pond Inlet in Nunavut territory, Arctic Canada.

ond Inlet is located on the northern tip of Baffin Island, the world’s fifth largest island. As I gaze out the window, I see my home for the next week, the white frozen expanse of the gateway to the Northwest Passage. We land with a bump on the gravel tarmac and soon are off the plane and reunited with our bags at this single room airport. The air outside is cold at minus 10 and burns my nose as I inhale, but the welcome from the locals is much warmer. Red cheeked children follow us on their bikes as we walk to the only hotel in town, just a few minutes from the airport. We spend our first evening in a basic hotel being briefed on what to expect for the week ahead. Our group is an international mix from Canada, Japan, Switzerland and the UK. Canada is so enormous, the Canadians joke about the international holiday they are on. “Sinaaq” is the Inuit word for the ice floe edge. The next day we set up base camp on the ice after a three-hour snowmobile drive from Pond Inlet.

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Finding glacial ice for our fresh water supplies.

Skiing across the frozen eclipse sound. © Black Feather (5)

Sitting back enjoying the views at the ﬂoe edge.

From here the plan is to spend the next five days exploring the ice floe edge from the ice and water with skis, kayaks, standup paddle boards and snowmobiles, hopefully spotting some Arctic wildlife. For somewhere so remote, we are camping in remarkable luxury. Our every need is seen to by three very experienced Canadian guides alongside two local Inuit who are very willing to share with us stories about their culture and way of life. We have a separate toilet tent for privacy, a kitchen tent and a social tent. Our guides cook delicious fresh meals such as Thai curries and chilis followed by delicious cakes washed down with ground coffee and hot chocolate. Each guest has a threeperson tent to ourselves and sleeps on cot beds with a mattress and cozy, thick sleeping bag. I am never cold. It is strange to think that the ice-covered ‘ground’ I am standing on is half a metre thick, much less in places, with nothing beneath. It amuses me to think that a seal could be swimming beneath my tent as I cozily sleep in my sleeping bag at night. On our first morning, we excitedly head off on

our cross-country skis to explore. We see paw prints of polar bears, birds and Arctic foxes. But we also see a lot of cracks in the ice that weren’t there when we arrived the night before and had set up camp. The strong winds overnight, 24-hour daylight and warm temperatures are melting and moving the ice fast and cracks are forming on the ice sheet, some miles long. Our camp is now on the wrong side of a rather wide one. So, less than 24 hours after we built camp, we take it down and rebuild it on the “We won’t end up cruising out to sea on our own ice island” side of the crack. To reward our removal efforts, we then kayak through the problematic crack. It isn’t quite wide enough to get our paddles in the water, but we amuse ourselves by “paddling” through the snow, pushing ourselves along. One afternoon we drop a hydrophone into the water that’s connected to a speaker, so we can blissfully sit, take in the view and listen to the seals and whales communicating to each other beneath the ice. The conversation between the seals was constant, a high pitched, descending bomb sound with individual seals speaking over one other. We are a captive audience and can hear them perfectly as everything else around us is perfectly silent. From time to time the Narwhal interjects with their clicking sounds. It is the perfect sound track to the endless blue view in front of us. Every day we travel out to the ice floe edge. It fascinates me to see how quickly the ice changes. Depending on the wind and currents, huge cracks open and close in front

Our camp on the ice.

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A mother bear leads her twin cubs onto the ice.

of our eyes, the tides lift and lower the ice, it melts, refreezes and the colours change with the light. The view is never the same on the next visit, even hours later. Within less than an hour, a big expanse of open water could be a solid dumping ground of chunky, snow-covered ice boulders with no water in sight. We see animal prints everywhere. It is fun to guess how old the prints are and to compare the size of the print to that of our hands. Often, we don’t have to guess as we can see the polar bear, a cream-coloured blob in the distance with a black nose strolling across the ice, frequently looking back at us with curiosity. Cubs walk in line behind their mothers, occasionally running to keep up or to pounce on their sibling to provoke play fights. The highlight of the trip for me is seeing a large polar bear swimming, using his front paws to effortlessly break through the ice as he progresses forward. Behind him he leaves a two-metre wide channel and, once he has safely disappeared, we kayak through. Kayaking on the ice floe edge is a unique experience. The guides have all the equipment and clothing we need, and have it laid out ready for us. The kayaks break through the ice like a small ice breaker ship as we paddle. Patting the ice with my flat paddle produces visible shock waves that spread out on the ice surface; I can't resist patting it repeatedly just to see the force of the impact and the range of the waves. Other sections are like paddling through thick, gritty black water. Being stranded on the thicker pieces of ice is a regular occurrence but part of the fun. Before heading back to Pond Inlet on the snowmobiles to catch our flights home, we take to the water once more for a different perspective via a standup paddle board. From standing height on the board, I can see the massive size of the baby blue coloured icebergs beneath the water level, always much larger than above the water line. The speed is slow, cumbersome and the paddling arduous, but I am aware of the uniqueness of the challenge my surroundings gift me as an incredible paddle experience that surely cannot be surpassed. On the plane home I reflect on my new-found appreciation for the beauty and versatility of ice. Our survival depended on it, but it was also our greatest threat. We 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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An evening hike.

had slept on it, drank it, travelled on it, watched it move and evolve from ice to water and then back to ice again and touched it in all its different forms. I’ll never look at the ice in my gin and tonic in the same way ever again! https://blackfeather.com/floe-edge/floe-edge-basecamp Black Feather’s “Floe Edge Ski and Sea Kayak Base Camp” experience has been designated a “Canadian Signature Experience” by Destination Canada. Share with this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb73l2e3BpM&feature=youtu.be

YOUTH

Building self-conﬁdence in northern youth

By David Pelly

“I’m getting stronger every day,” writes Rylie Kavanna, on day eight of the canoe trip, reﬂecting on how she felt so terribly homesick just a few days before. She is not alone. Others among the 12 youth, ages 14 to 17, from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, have endured the same feelings, but they all push on. Mutual support and newly discovered inner strength both play a large part. Now, as they approach the mouth of the Keele River — which ﬂows swiftly down through the mountains toward the Mackenzie River — they all feel good about themselves, individually and collectively. That, say the organizers, is what this expedition is all about: building selfThe whole gang of 12 northern youths, six from Nunavut, six from NWT, together on the river bank. A typical group campsite beside the Keele River.

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YOUTH Sherry Evetalegak, 16, from Cambridge Bay, looks at the maps before the day’s paddle.

confidence in northern youth. Being away from home communities, often for the first time, is a significant part of that. “The thing I like the most about this trip was overcoming being homesick, making new friends and going on a fun adventure,” writes Sherry Evetalegak, 16, from Cambridge Bay. “This trip has helped me figure out how to make new friends, and who I truly am, and [it] has made me a stronger person. I am going to finish school and try to contribute to my community.” The Keele River Expedition this past summer was a joint project of Northern Youth Leadership (NYL) and the Ayalik Fund. Both organizations are focused on youth, in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut respectively, with very similar aims. Both have a long list of successes, providing self-development programs to young people, but this trip offered a new level of challenge. The good news: all 12 youths met the challenge with flying colours. They paddled more than 300 km of fastmoving water on the Keele, sometimes bouncing over massive standing waves, without a single incident, not one dumped canoe. Then, to top it off, on the last day, they paddled 100 km down the Mackenzie River to finish the trip at Tulita. The last few hours of that marathon will remain forever in the memories of these trippers, paddling late into the night, on a calm, quiet but steadily flowing giant of a river. When they pulled up on the beach at Tulita at two in the morning, there were high-fives and hugs all round. No doubt about it, every one of them felt good about themselves and what they had achieved. Mission accomplished. NYL and the Ayalik Fund, and indeed all 12 youths, are grateful to the northern corporate sponsors: First Air, Canoe North Adventures, and Adventure Canada, as well as the legion of private donors who made this trip possible. For more info, please visit: www.AyalikFund.ca www.northernyouth.ca

“This trip has helped me ﬁgure out how to make new friends, and who I truly am, and [it] has made me a stronger person. I am going to ﬁnish school and try to contribute to my community.” — Sherry Evetalegak, 16, from Cambridge Bay ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒎᓯᓕᐅᖅᑏᑦ Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit Inuit Language Authority Office de la langue inuite ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓰᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᒫᒃ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓇᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓄᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᑐᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᓂᒃ • ᑲᑎᖅᓱᐃᔩᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓲᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᖃᑎᒌᒍᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓂᒃ, ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ; • ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᓲᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᕈᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ; • ᐃᑲᔪᓲᑦ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᓪᓗ ᑕᒻᒪᖅᓯᒪᙱᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔭᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂᒃ; • ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᓲᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒃᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓲᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ; • ᑎᑎᖅᑲᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᓯᐅᔾᔭᐃᖅᓯᓲᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ; • ᑐᒃᓯᕋᕐᕕᐅᓲᑦ/ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᖃᓲᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓯᓚᑖᓂᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑕ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ

Ilitariyauhimayut Uqauhiinni Maligaq Nunavut Kavamatkunnit nalunairutauyuq Inuit Nunavunmiut pilaarutiqaqtut aturiamikku uqauhiqtik Inuinnaqtun • Havaktut ilitturipkaiyullu nalaumayunik taidjutinik, atuqpauhiinik, titirauhiiniinullu; • Havaktut uqauhiit ayunnginnikhaagut, uuktuutikhaagullu; • Ikayuqhugit nanmiuyut havagviit aallallu ihuaqtunik atuqpauhikhaagut; • Havaariliqhugu tiliuqhugit ihivriuqhiyut uqauhikkut; • Titraqhugit ilitturipkatigiblugit taimani atuqtauvakut tainiit aallatqillu uqauhiit inuktut; • Tuhaqtittivaktut/ havaqatigivagait katimayiuyut Nunavunmi ahinilu Inuit uqauhiannut. Official language Act within the Government of Nunavut affirming that the Inuit of Nunavut have an inherent right to the use of the Inuit Language • Develops and promotes standard terminology, usage & orthography; • Develops language competency levels & testing; • Assists businesses and others with correct usage; • Undertakes or supervises research about the Inuit Language; • Documents and promotes traditional terminology and dialects; • Shares & collaborates with organizations in Nunavut and abroad on Inuit Language Issues. Loi sur les langues officielles du gouvernement du Nunavut affirmant le droit inhérent des Inuit à l’utilisation de le langue inuite • Élabore la terminologie, les usages et les expressions normalisés, et en assure la promotion; • Élabore les niveaux de compétences et les tests permettant de mesurer ces niveaux; • Aide les entreprises et d’autres organismes à offrir des services de qualité en langue inuite; • Entreprend ou supervise des recherches au sujet de la langue inuite; • Consigne et fait la promotion des expressions et des dialectes traditionnels; • Partage et collabore avec des organismes au Nunavut et ailleurs vis-à-vis les enjeux ayant trait à la langue inuite. ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᒪᒍᕕᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᒋᔭᐃᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᑎᖅᑖᖁᒍᖕᓂ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑎᑦ Ikayuqtiqariaqaqqata nanminiit havagviit atiliuriarni Inuinnaqtun uqarvigittaaqtaptigut If you need help with creating your business name in Inuktitut contact us Si vous avez besoin de l’aide pour traduire le nom de votre entreprise en inuktitut, veuillez prendre contact avec nous

www.taiguusiliuqtiit.ca ᑐᕌᕈᑖ ᐸᕐᓇᐃᕕᒃ ᑎᑎᖅᑲᒃᑯᕕᒃ 1000, ᑐᕌᕈᑎᖓ 810, ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ X0A 0H0 Parnaivik Bldg 2nd floor P.O. Box 1000 Station 810, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 (: 1 855 232 1852 | 867 975 5539

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Embracing STEM in the North

SCIENCE

By Chloe E. Girvan

STEM (science technology engineering and math) is a very popular topic in the education and training fields these days, especially in the North where current and future economic development is predicated on a healthy workforce in these areas. Actua, a national charitable organization that focuses on building confidence and skills in STEM, has been delivering youth programs across the three territories for the past 20 years to accomplish this goal. Each year, young instructors from across Canada are hired to deliver these programs. This spring, Actua trained 25 Outreach Instructors to deliver school workshops and summer day camps in communities across Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec. The experiences of these instructors, many of whom are Inuit from the North or from other First Nations and Metis communities, reflect the tremendous impact the programs have on their lives and the lives of the participants. This year, for the first time, one of Actua’s northern campers returned as an instructor. Fatima Awan, now a fourth year Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology student at the University of Saskatchewan, participated in the Actua camp in her home community of Igloolik, Nunavut. This summer, returning to Igloolik reaffirmed her commitment to become a physician in the North. “Being reminded of the resilience of the communities and creativity of our youth was hugely motivating for me. I want to return as a doctor to give back to those who raised and believed in me,” she says. James, a third-year computer engineering student from Labrador, Newfoundland, says that “this adventure was a unique opportunity to learn more about my Inuit ancestry and I was

Outreach Instructor Fatima Awan returns to her hometown of Igloolik, Nunavut, to deliver hands-on STEM experiences for local youth. © ACTUA

blown away seeing how readily young campers embraced the science in their communities. The programming and equipment developed and used over recent years to inspire kids to choose STEM is incredible.” Actua’s camps are run in partnership with the host community, engaging local Indigenous

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volunteers and Elders who share their knowledge and integrate cultural experiences into each week. This approach ensures youth make connections to what they already intrinsically know about STEM from within their own community and that programming remains relevant and meaningful.

SCIENCE

Outreach Instructor James Hudson demonstrates how a sphero is programmed to navigate a maze. This is similar to the way the Mars Rover is coded to navigate the rocky terrain on the surface of Mars. © ACTUA

Camp begins with the recognition that Outreach Instructors are there as guests to equally give and receive knowledge. All activities are shared with the community and a fun and popular Open House provides youth with the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned to friends and relatives. Feedback from the communities has been overwhelmingly positive. Vicki Niptaniak, Youth Coordinator for the Hamlet of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, says the kids and parents start asking about camp well before school lets out for the summer. The Nunavut Hamlet of Grise Fiord’s Administrator for the Municipality, Marjorie Dobson, couldn't wait for

the Outreach Instructors to arrive. “I think I was as excited as the kids. My favourite moment occurred at an Open House where a little boy showed a relative something he had created using a computer and her eyes literally bulged with delight and surprise. All I want is for these children to have access to the same things that my nieces and nephews have in Toronto,” she says. Britney Selina, Regional Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in the Northwest Territories, found the experience moving. “It was powerful watching the kids light up and seeing their minds open while innovating or interacting during hands-on projects as a group. They didn’t want to leave!

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A highlight was seeing a little camper bolt to the door to show his parents an art and STEM project about the Northern Lights,” she says. All three community members agree that the camps were a huge success in their communities this summer and hope they can return next year. As to reasons why it is important for Actua to return repeatedly, Britney Selina has a list. “Having Actua’s camps return frequently and consistently will build relationships and encourage the local partnerships needed to allow it to grow further. These programs also help to create jobs and leadership positions for local teens, like the 10 hired this summer. Continued engagement with STEM through Actua’s visits to schools and camps will help to prepare our youth to become innovators and leaders,” she says. Actua CEO, Jennifer Flanagan, who recently returned from Iqaluit, Nunavut, where she spoke about Actua’s model at the Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference, is thrilled by the positive community response to Actua’s camps and programs. “It is crucial that youth living in Northern communities share equality of opportunity to STEM education, especially with the current extensive science-based economic development in the North, and the inﬁnite career possibilities this holds both now and in the future.” Chloe Girvan is a Freelance Writer who frequently contributes to iPolitics. She resides in Ottawa and you can follow her work on Twitter and Instagram: @mom_interrupted.

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PROFILE

Hilda Snowball:

On developing northern policy

Hilda Snowball is on her second term as the Mayor of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik – an Inuit village located on Ungava Bay near the QuebecLabrador border. © Hilda Snowball

Hilda Snowball is part of a generation of emerging northern leaders working to address economic, social and political transformations taking place in the Territories and Inuit Nunangat. At the age of 31, Snowball is on her second term as the Mayor of Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik – an Inuit village located on Ungava Bay near the Quebec-Labrador border.

Snowball is a Jane Glassco Northern Fellow; participating in a two-year policy program of The Gordon Foundation. The program engages northern leaders between the ages of 25 and 35. Over the last decade, the Fellowship has worked with more than 30 change-makers involved in building a strong North. Snowball ﬁrst heard about the program from one of her former teachers. She was inspired to connect with other leaders and to gain new skills and perspectives about policies in communities across the North. The current cohort of Jane Glassco Northern Fellows has gathered twice — in Whitehorse last winter and Iqaluit this August. Author and activist

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Sheila Watt-Cloutier was the Mentor for their recent gathering in Iqaluit. As part of the gathering, Fellows met with leaders including Mayor Madeleine Redfern, Premier Joe Savikataaq and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. President Aluki Kotierk. The Fellows will meet two more times in 2019 and develop policy papers and recommendations on timely and important northern issues. Snowball’s policy work is focused on developing Inuit-run family and youth services in her home region of Nunavik. In late August, we spoke with Snowball about her experiences with the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship program and to learn more about the focus of her policy research.

PROFILE Above & Beyond: What does developing northern policy “for the north, by the north” mean to you?

HS: In my point of view, there are a lot of policies that are made without properly consulting the North. I want to focus on making recommendations and changes that I think would ﬁt [Nunavik]. It is very important that policies which are developed are informed by discussions with communities. A&B: How would you describe your research focus so far during the Fellowship?

Leena Evic teaches the Jane Glassco Northern Fellows about qulliq lighting as part of their August 2018 Gathering in Iqaluit. © Jamie Griﬃths / Chickweed Arts

HS: My research focus is on family services in [Nunavik]. We are in Quebec and we are following the Quebec law — for example the Youth Protection Act. From the stories that we’ve heard from those who are under the youth protection system — the families, the parents — we’ve heard that the law doesn’t ﬁt into our communities. I want to focus on this because as a community [Kangiqsualujjuaq] we have started the Family House (Note: also known as Qarmaapik House). It is a program that will prevent children from going into the youth protection system and supports parents in any way possible. I want to focus on that and how Inuit values can be best implemented [in family services] so children are prevented from going into the foster care system. A&B: Are there speciﬁc skills or valuable knowledge that you’ve been learning? Or that you hope to learn as you complete the Fellowship?

HS: This is a very challenging research project that I am trying to do. I am looking forward to how it will turn out. Hopefully the recommen-

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PROFILE

Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq addresses the Jane Glassco Northern Fellows at a reception during their August 2018 Gathering in Iqaluit. © Jamie Griﬃths / Chickweed Arts

dations I am making will be looked at so that we can as a community have the support we need to implement our vision. With the Family House project in our community, we are already seeing that the community itself must take responsibility and control if we want a better future for our children. We as a community, or as parents, must become responsible. Part of the research will identify solutions to help parents so they can meet the basic needs of their children based on Inuit values. The Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship Program will help me.

A&B: A big part of the Fellowship is working with a mentor. Do you mind telling us a little about who your mentor is? And what made you want to work with her?

HS: My mentor is also my mentor in my position [as mayor]. Her name is Maggie Emudluk and she was a former mayor in my community and she is a municipal councillor. She was the Chairperson of Kativik Regional Government for many years. I wanted her to be my mentor because I have already been working with her and she is very knowledgeable about what is going on in our region. I chose her because she is a great support for me in what I am doing in my position [as mayor] as well as in this Fellowship. I am looking forward to working with her on the project for the Fellowship.

A&B: Would you recommend that other Northerners apply to join the next cohort of Jane Glassco Northern Fellows?

HS: Yes! It is good to see what there is out there. If it was not for the program I do not think I would have seen or met people in other regions who are facing similar challenges as I am facing here. It is good to have a network. I really do recommend this program to the youth in my community. Hopefully there will be a lot of young people from Nunavik who will apply for the next cohort. To learn more about the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship program, please visit gordonfoundation.ca/ initiatives/jane-glassco-fellowship/

The Gordon Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to protecting Canada’s water and empowering Canada’s North. The Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship is a crucial part of the Foundation’s mission to promote innovative public policies for the North and amplify Northern voices.

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SCIENCE

Understanding grass species in the Arctic

Text and photos by Paul C. Sokoloﬀ

Grass: depending on the day, you might mow it, seed it, or sod it, but outside of these contexts, you probably don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about grass. Fortunately, botanists at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa have got you covered. For decades, scientists on our team have been studying the myriad grass species that grow across the Arctic — with over 11,000 species worldwide they are one of the most diverse plant groups up there — and have made many new discoveries along the way. Sea lymegrass (Leymus mollis), pictured here in Arviat, Nunavut, is a common sight in coastal communities throughout the Arctic. It plays an important role in coast ecosystems by binding sand, which minimizes erosion.

Dr. Jeﬀ Saarela collects grasses along the banks of the Coppermine River in Kugluktuk, Nunavut.

Dr. Lynn Gillespie, the head of botany at the museum and an Arctic researcher for over 20 years, “had absolutely no intention of working on grasses” when she started her career. Trained as a tropical botanist, Lynn came to the museum as a postdoc with dreams of working in the Arctic, and was promptly put to work by Dr. Susan Aiken, an Arctic grass specialist, on the complicated bluegrass genus Poa. Dr. Jeff Saarela, on the other hand, comes by his affinity for grasses honestly, having fallen in love with them ever since a fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Shortly after joining the museum in 2007, Jeff participated in a trip to southern Victoria Island (having been introduced to Arctic research by Lynn), collecting plants on both sides of the Nunavut/Northwest Territories border. Ever since he’s been interested in Arctic plants in general and Arctic grasses in particular. Our team joins a long line of museum botanists interested in northern grasses, from Oscar Malte in the early 1900s through to Susan Aiken and Dr. Laurie Consaul from the ’80s to the 2000s. In fact, there are many profes-

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sional agrostologists (grass specialists) across the globe. This devoted fan base is due to the challenges posed by these unassuming plants. Though they aren’t big and showy, grasses do have flowers. In fact, they have many. Found arranged along the tip of the main stem (the “culm”) of grasses, these groups of flowers (an inflorescence) are an array of multiple tinywind pollinated florets — a highly reduced flower and two scale-like bracts. Examining these tiny organs is often the key to differentiating grass species — in short, they are often difficult to identify. This challenge invites scientists looking to test their mettle in the arena of describing botanical biodiversity, and generations of researchers have devoted their careers to understanding these species and providing the public with the tools needed to identify them. “Walking around Iqaluit you might get an outsized impression of how abundant grasses are in Arctic ecosystems,” Jeff explains. In the Arctic, grass species are diverse, and have adapted and evolved to fill niches in every type of habitat you can find above the treeline, from shallow waters to tundra expanses and dry, exposed hilltops. But where they really shine is in disturbed areas, where they are often the first group of species on the scene. This means that grass abundance may increase in areas affected by climate change, including where the tundra slumps due to permafrost loss. Understanding where grass species occur in the Arctic now may prove invaluable as we measure the effects of change in the North.

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SCIENCE

The two Arctic subspecies of Alaska wildrye (Elymus alaskanus) are differentiated by how hairy the inflorescence. Subspecies alaskanum — pictured here — has no hairs on the inflorescence, while the spikelets of subspecies hyparcticum are densely hairy.

Flowers of the bent-awned alpine sweetgrass (Anthoxanthum monticola subsp. alpinum). Though they are much reduced, they function just like many other showier ﬂower, and are adapted for wind pollination. The large yellow anthers contain pollen; they hang out of the ﬂower to allow for wind pollination.

The purple spikelets (ﬂowers) of the purple reedgrass (Calamagrostis purpurascens) are just emerging on this plant in Quttinirpaaq National Park, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut.

Dr. Lynn Gillespie processing plant collections (but not grasses in this case) in Arviat, Nunavut.

This love of disturbance also means that Arctic communities are hotspots for grass viewing, and species such as sea lymegrass (Leymus mollis) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) are abundant and readily identifiable in most northern towns. Out on the land in the Arctic Islands, you might find up to 50 different Arctic grass species, assuming you have some hiking time on your hands. Additionally, as our team continues to expand the grass holdings of the National Herbarium of Canada (a national collection of pressed and dried plants), we find more for you to discover, such as species new to science — like the Banks Island alkaligrass (Puccinellia banksiensis) and non-native species popping up in Iqaluit, such as the red fescue (Festuca rubra subsp. rubra). For both Lynn and Jeff, identifying and sequencing the DNA of Arctic grasses is one part of larger research programs with global scopes.

“I love questions of evolution and phylogeny, and you can’t answer [Arctic] questions without looking at the whole picture,” explains Lynn. In collaboration with colleagues in the U.S. and around the world, Lynn continues to work on big evolutionary questions in the bluegrasses (Poa), while Jeﬀ seeks to untangle diﬃcult relationships on brome grasses (Bromus) and reed grasses and their relatives (Calamagrostis). Perhaps most importantly, grasses are a vital food source to humanity, with nearly half of our global calories coming from domesticated grass species, such as wheat, rice, and corn. Furthering our understanding of Arctic grasses, and perhaps the unique adaptations that let them survive in extreme environments, may be invaluable to a changing world.

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

2018 | 06

Paul C. Sokoloﬀ is Senior Research Assistant at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Ontario.

BOOKSHELF

Wrestling with Colonialism on Steroids: Quebec Inuit Fight for Their Homeland

Zebedee Nungak Vehicule Press May 2017

For decades, the Inuit of northern Québec were among the most neglected people in Canada. In this concise, lively account, Zebedee Nungak relates the inside story of how young Inuit and Cree took action when Québec began construction on the giant James Bay hydro project in 1971-1975. They fought in court and at the negotiation table for an accord that eﬀectively became Canada’s ﬁrst land-claims agreement. Nungak’s account is accompanied by his essays on Nunavik history. Together they provide a fascinating insight into a virtually unknown chapter of Canadian history.

In Those Days: Tales of Arctic Whaling

Kenn Harper Inhabit Media August 2018

In this third volume of In Those Days, Harper shares stories of the rise and fall of the whaling industry in Canada’s Eastern Arctic. At the turn of the 19th century, whale baleen and blubber were extremely valuable commodities; sailors braved the treacherous Arctic waters, risking starvation, scurvy, and death to bring home the bounty of the North. The presence of these whale men in the North would irrevocably alter the lives of Inuit. Along with ﬁrst-hand accounts from Inuit oral histories, archival research, journals and dozens of rare, historical photographs, this collection includes the myth of the Octavius‚ a ship that drifted for 12 years with a frozen crew; encounters between sailors and Inuit; tales of harrowing hazing rituals, and much more.

True North Rising

Whit Fraser Burnstown Publishing House October 2018

Long time CBC radio and television journalist Whit Fraser’s new book is a memoir of a remarkable period in Canada’s North and his lasting friendships with indigenous leaders who, against tremendous odds and with unwavering personal determination and commitment, changed Canada’s mindset and reconfigured the map of the North. True North Rising is not just about politics. It includes personal moments filled with warmth, and sometimes humour, from a log home beside a magnificent northern river, at a dinner table in a High Arctic seniors’ home, and amid the ice floes of northern Greenland.

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

2018 | 06

INUIT FORUM

Celebrating our achievements

No matter what you do in life, it is important to pause and celebrate achievements. It could be on an individual level, like passing a test with a better grade than expected or recording a personal best on a 10K run. The boost of pride that comes with individual accomplishment is an important motivator that spurs on greater ambition, stronger resolve, and personal confidence. Defining and celebrating success in the workplace is sometimes more difficult, as the indicators for success sometimes seem insignificant in comparison to the challenges at hand. Administering a successful housing program in one Inuit community may only seem like a small bright spot in the face of 52 per cent overcrowding across Inuit Nunangat, but it means the world to those who benefit from the housing provided. It is imperative that we celebrate the successes that come along the way, so as to keep our resolve and lift up those who are doing amazing work even though they might not be feeling they have made a dent in their overall goals. Much of the work we do at ITK is done in boardrooms, on teleconferences, or crisscrossing the country in pursuit of the next step toward Inuit self-determination. Success for an Inuit representational organization like ITK is very different than for public governments that deliver services, or for businesses that measure success in profits or growth. Sometimes, success is just getting the right leaders in the right room, such as when federal cabinet ministers and Inuit leadership meet together as the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee to further our actions related to land claim implementation, housing, health, environment, reconciliation measures, and achieving the Inuit Nunangat policy space. At the end of each meeting we feel the success of moving our combined Inuit priority areas closer to action.

Dignitaries at the announcement of the First Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health in Ottawa, Ontario. L to R: Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief for Manitoba Kevin Hart, representative of the Inuit Early Learning Working Group Jenny Lyall, ITK President Natan Obed, Federal Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor, representative of the Métis National Council David Chartrand, Federal Minister of Status of Women Maryam Monsef, Algonquin Anishinabe elder from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation Claudette Commanda, and Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos. © ITK

In September, Employment and Social Development Canada announced a new Indigenous early learning and childcare framework that includes an Inuit Nunangat section with accompanying funding that effectively doubles the investments the government of Canada provides to Inuit children. Inuit leadership, along with the energetic ITK early learning and childcare working group should celebrate this moment, when we have achieved a hard fought victory for our children. In October, the department of fisheries and oceans created a new region inclusive of Inuit Nunangat. It consulted with Inuit leadership throughout an 18-month process to realign its regions within an Inuit Nunangat policy space. This means that for the first time, the Inuit Nunangat coastline, which accounts for approximately 50 per cent of Canada’s coastline, will be treated as an important focal point in the way

DFO organizes its work. This is another small step towards reconciliation and meaningful change. I’m proud of the work we do at ITK. I am pleased that our combined eﬀorts create new realities that may not be celebrated widely in the moment but have long lasting positive contributions to the betterment of Inuit. It is so important to understand that the work we do is a part of a greater whole. I appreciate all Inuit elected leadership, all those at the community level providing supports and services, those who work in government and those who work in education, health care, justice, and culture. I appreciate your combined eﬀorts that make Inuit Nunangat stronger every day. Nakummek,

Natan Obed

President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

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

2018 | 06