Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal Sep-Oct 2012 by above&beyond

Canada’s Arctic Journal

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Jobie Tukkiapik / ÔW g3exW4 President, Makivik Corporation & Chairman, First Air xzJ6√6, mrF4 fxS‰nzk5 x7m w4y?sb6, {5 wsf8k5 Président, Société Makivik et président du conseil, First Air

Kris Dolinki / fE{ go8r President & C.E.O., First Air xzJ6√6 x7m xsM5tp7mE, {5 wsf8k5 Le président et directeur général, First Air

Fly. Charter. Anywhere. Welcome onboard First Air, The Airline of the North. As part of our ongoing dialogue with our partners QIA and KIA, and through the guidance of our owners Makivik Corporation, First Air has made significant strides in incorporating northern culture throughout our operation. As recently announced, over 360,000 pounds of country food was shipped through Qikiqtani First Aviation (QFAL) and Sakku First Aviation (SFAL) in the last twelve months. This increase of over 300% from last years’ country food shipping volume is largely attributed to the special Country Food Rate of $1.50/ kilogram (including taxes and surcharges) that was introduced last year. Residents of all communities served by QFAL, SFAL and First Air are eligible for the Country Food Rate and minimum charges do not apply. We are also proud to announce that inflight safety messages in the Kivalliq dialect were recorded this spring and the roll-out to our entire fleet is almost complete. Now, when traveling to or within the Kivalliq region, English, French (as mandated by Transport Canada) as well as the Kivalliq dialect will be heard on our aircraft. Our existing Baffin and Nunavik dialect onboard safety announcements will continue in their respective regions. Efforts are also underway to support Inuinnaqtun safety recordings in the Kitikmeot region. The Inuit Language Committee concluded an aviation terminology workshop in July in Kugluktuk and we look forward to supporting the Inuit Language Authority on this initiative in the coming weeks and months. Working with our partners at QIA, KIA and Makivik Corporation, we will continue to build on these initiatives in our ongoing efforts to more effectively serve our customers. Thank you for choosing First Air, The Airline of the North. We look forward to seeing you on our next flight.

ᖃᖓᑕᓂᖅ. ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᒃᑰᕐᓂᖅ. ᓇᒧᑐᐃᓐᓇᓕᒫᖅ.

ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᕋᑖᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒻᒪᑦ,ᐅᖓᑖᓂ 360,000ᐸᐅᓐᔅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᑦ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓇᓐᖓᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓖᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᑕᖅᑭᓂ 12−ᓂᒃ ᐊᓂᒍᖅᑐᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᒥᓱᕈᕆᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᒪᓐᓇᓂᒃ 300 ᐳᓴᓐᑎ ᐊᕐᕌᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᓗᐊᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑭᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒧᑦ $1.50/ᑭᓚᒍᕌᒻ (ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᔪᖅ ᑖᒃᓯᔭᕈᑎᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖄᖓᒍᑦ ᐊᑭᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᖅ) ᐊᕐᕌᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑕᐅᕙᑦᑐᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓯᕗᓪᓖᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᒃᑯᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᓄᑦ ᐊᑭᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᑦᑏᓐᓇᐅᓂᖅᐹᒥ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑭᒋᔭᐅᔭᕆᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓲᖅ ᐊᑐᖅᑎᑕᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ.

Vols réguliers. Vols nolisés. N’importe où. Bienvenue à bord de First Air, la ligne aérienne du Nord. Dans le cadre de notre dialogue continu avec nos partenaires, les entreprises QIA et KIA, et grâce aux conseils de notre propriétaire, la Société Makivik, First Air a fait des progrès considérables dans l’intégration de la culture du Nord à l’ensemble de ses opérations.

Comme on l’a annoncé récemment, plus de 360 000 livres de nourriture traditionnelle ont été transportées par Qikiqtani First Aviation (QFAL) et Sakku First Aviation (SFAL) au cours des douze derniers mois. L’augmentation de 300 % du volume de la nourriture traditionnelle expédiée l’an dernier est attribuable principalement au tarif spécial de 1,50 $/kilogramme (y compris les taxes et ᐅᐱᒍᓱᑦᑎᐊᕆᕗᒍᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᖃᖓᑕᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᓂᐱᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ les frais supplémentaires) qui a été introduit l’année ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᐃᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᐅᑐᑦ ᓂᐱᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ dernière. Les résidents de toutes les collectivités desservies ᐅᐱᕐᖓᒃᓵᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐱᔭᕆᖅᑕᐅᔪᐃᓐᓇᐅᒋᐊᑭᓪᓕᓪᓗᑎᒃ.ᑕᐃᒪᓕ, par QFAL, SFAL et First Air sont admissibles au taux spécial ᖃᖓᑕᓗᓂ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ, ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑦ, ᐅᐃᕖᑎᑐᑦ (ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑕᕆ- et les redevances minimales ne sont pas applicables.

ᐊᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᒻᒪᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᔪᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ) ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊᓕ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒻᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᕕᒻᒥ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑐᒋᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥ ᐅᖃᖅᑕᐅᕙᑦᑐᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓇᓂ.

ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᐸᓕᐊᒻᒥᔪᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓇᓱᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᓐ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓂᐱᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᕿᑎᕐᒥᐅᓂ. ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᕋᓛᖏᑦ ᐱᔭᕇᕋᑖᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖃᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᔪᓚᐃᒥ ᖁᕐᓗᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᓚᓈᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓂᐊᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑕᐃᒎᓯᓕᐅᖅᑎᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᓱᒧᖓ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᕐᓂ ᑕᖅᑭᓂ ᐊᒡᒋᖅᑐᓂ.

ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᕗᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦ, ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒪᑭᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑯᐊᐳᕇᓴᒃᑯᑦ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑐᓐᖓᕕᒋᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᐊᖅᐸᕗᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᐊᕆᓗᒋᓪᓗ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᖃᖓᑕᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᑦᑎᐊᒃᑲᓐᓇᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕋᑦᑎᒍᑦ.

ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᓂᕈᐊᓚᐅᕋᔅᓯ ᕗᔅ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕆᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ. ᑕᑯᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᒪᓛᕆᕙᑦᑎᒋᑦ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓕᕐᒥᒍᑦᑕ.

Nous sommes également fiers d’annoncer que les messages en dialecte kivalliq diffusés en vol relativement à la sécurité ont été enregistrés ce printemps et leur mise en œuvre dans l’ensemble de la flotte est presque terminée. Maintenant, lors des vols à destination ou à l’intérieur de la région de Kivalliq, l’anglais, le français (tel qu’il est prescrit par le ministère des Transports), ainsi que le kivalliq, seront entendus dans nos aéronefs. Nos messages en dialectes de Baffin et du Nunavik, relativement à la sécurité, se poursuivront dans ces deux régions. Des efforts sont actuellement déployés pour appuyer les enregistrements en inuinnaqtun relatifs à la sécurité dans la région de Kitikmeot. Le Comité sur la langue des Inuits a conclu en juillet, à Kugluktuk, un atelier sur la terminologie aérienne et nous comptons appuyer l’Office de la langue inuite relativement à cette initiative dans les semaines et les mois à venir. En travaillant en collaboration avec la QIA, la KIA et la Société Makivik, nous continuerons de miser sur ces initiatives en poursuivant nos efforts pour desservir nos clients avec plus d’efficacité. Merci d’avoir choisi First Air, la ligne aérienne du Nord. Nous serons heureux de vous retrouver lors de votre prochain voyage.

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

First Air Focus ᕗᔅ ᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑕᑯᒋᐊᕐᓂᖅ

Left to right: Matieu Plamondon, Manager Christopher Ross, Dispatcher Kelly Guembel, Dispatcher Ken Ryder, Dispatcher Rick Cardinal, Chief Dispatcher

Flight Dispatch Team ᑕᑯᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖏᑦ featuring the

At First Air, many outstanding employees work behind the scenes to ensure our operation runs smoothly and with safety as our top priority, including our Flight Dispatch Team. First Air’s Flight Dispatchers have a critical responsibility; they plan and monitor the progress of all First Air flights, every minute of every day. They are the key communication connection with the flight crew, providing continuous updates and information that the flight crew needs to operate safely. For each flight, the Dispatcher provides a flight package for the crew which includes weather details, fuel information, take off and landing weights, altitude selection, runway analysis and airport information. Over 10 different types of software are used to acquire the critical information needed to generate a safe and efficient flight plan. Flight tracking, satellite communications (SATCOM), radar coverage, flight planning, fuel ordering, and various other tools help the Dispatcher in their duties. One of the major components to the Dispatcher role is weather analysis. Using complex graphical charts and satellite pictures, the Dispatcher is able to obtain the most accurate weather forecast. Variances in weather can affect takeoff and landing weight, flap settings, fuel requirements and other factors, all critical to a safe operation. To become a Flight Dispatcher, a High School Diploma is required in addition to successfully completing the Transport Canada Flight Dispatcher’s examination in both Meteorology and Air Regulations (courses are available at several colleges in Canada), as well as a Radiotelephone Operator’s Certificate. With the appropriate documentation in hand, most airlines, including First Air, provide initial and recurring Dispatcher training and certification. A Flight Dispatcher’s job is highly stressful and intense, requiring calm-under-pressure at all times. It is also important to have strong computer and mathematics skills, be highly organized and analytical with a keen attention to detail. First Air’s team of 12 Dispatchers have combined experience of over 100 years, and thrive in our incredibly fast paced environment. We thank our team for the commitment they deliver to First Air flights. We value training, personal development and encourage career advancement within First Air. If you share our commitment to safety and service, we encourage you to join our team. To learn more about employment opportunities within First Air visit firstair.ca/employment or sivurariaqnik.ca.

ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ,ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑕᐅᓕᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᕗᑦ.

ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᖏᑦ ᑲᒪᔨᐅᕗᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᒥᒃ; ᐸᕐᓇᑦᑎᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐊᑦᑎᔨᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᑕ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐅᓪᓗᓕᒫᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᑕᒫᖅ. ᑐᓴᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᕗᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᓂᒃ, ᑐᓴᐅᒪᔭᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑐᓂᐅᖅᑲᐃᔨᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒦᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᖃᖓᑕᓂᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᒫᓂᒃ, ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨ ᑐᓂᓯᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓗᓕᖃᓲᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᕆᔭᖓᓂᒃ, ᐅᖅᓱᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᖓᓂᒃ, ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑉ ᐅᖁᒪᐃᓐᓂᕆᒋᐊᖃᖅᑕᖓᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒥᓪᓗᓂ, ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᖁᑦᑎᓈᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᖔᑕ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᒥᕝᕕᐅᑉ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᓂᕆᔭᖓᓂᒃ.

10 ᐅᖓᑖᓃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᓂᒃ ᑐᑦᑕᕐᕕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑉ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᐊᖅᑕᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᔪᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ ᓇᒦᓕᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔾᔪᑏᑦ, ᖃᖓᑦᑕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖄᓚᐅᑎᖏᑦ (ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᑦ (SATCOM), ᒥᕝᕕᖕᒥ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥᒃ ᒪᓕᒍᑏᑦ, ᐸᕐᓇᒍᑏᑦ, ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᑏᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᒐᓚᖏᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑏᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖏᓐᓂᒃ.

ᑕᕝᕙ ᐱᕕᒡᔪᐊᖑᖃᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᐅᑉ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᓚᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ.ᐊᑐᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᓯᓚᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒧᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᖓᓂᒃ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᐅᑉ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔾᔪᑎᒋᖕᒪᒋᑦ. ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᖏᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓂᖃᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒥᓕᕐᓗᓂ ᐅᖁᒪᐃᓐᓂᕆᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑕᖓᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑉ, ᖃᓄᑎᒋᓗ ᐃᓴᕈᖏᑦ ᒪᔅᓯᖓᒋᐊᖃᕐᒪᖔᑕ, ᐅᖅᓱᖓᑕ ᐅᖁᒪᐃᓐᓂᕆᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑕᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᕐᔭᐃᒃᑯᑎᒋᖕᒪᔾᔪᑦ.

ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒡᔪᐊᒥᒃ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᓯᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᓯᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᑖᖅᓯᒪᓗᓂ ᓯᓚᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᐊᒐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ (ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕋᒃᓴᐅᕗᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᓴᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᓇᒥᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ),ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖄᓚᐅᓯᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓴᕆᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᖃᕐᓗᓂ.ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᕝᕙ ᐱᓯᒪᓱᖓᕐᓗᒋᑦ,ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ,ᐱᖃᓯᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᒃ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᕕᒃᓴᐅᕗᑦ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᐅᑉ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖓ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᑭᑦᑑᓐᖏᓚᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᐃᒻᒪᒃᓴᕋᐃᑦᑕᐃᓕᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᒦᒃᑲᓗᐊᕐᓗᓂ. ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᓕᕆᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕆᐊᓕᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓈᓴᐅᓯᕆᔪᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᓂ, ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖑᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂᒃ ᐅᔾᔨᖅᓱᑦᑎᐊᕈᓐᓴᕐᓗᓂ.

ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ 12-ᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᖃᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑐᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᑲᑎᓕᒫᕐᓗᒋᑦ 100 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᓇᔭᖅᐳᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᑲᑦᑐᖓᓐᖏᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᐳᑦ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᖅᑐᓕᕆᒐᓗᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᖁᔭᓕᕙᕗᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑯᓗᕗᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᒐᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᓐᓂ.

ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᓯᒪᓂᖅ, ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖅ ᐱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᑎᑉᐸᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᒃ ᓯᕗᒧᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓇᓱᖕᓂᖅ ᐊᔭᐅᖅᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᐸᕗᑦ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᒪᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᕈᕕᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ,ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖁᕙᑦᑎᒋᑦ.ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᕕᒃᓴᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ firstair.ca/employment ᐅᕝᕙᓗ sivurariaqnik.ca.

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

above&beyond Publisher & Editor Tom Koelbel About The North Josh Pearlman Advertising Doris Ohlmann (Ottawa) 613-257-4999 Circulation Patt Hunter Design Robert Hoselton, Beat Studios email: editor@arcticjournal.ca

Toll Free: 877-2ARCTIC (227-2842) PO Box 683, Mahone Bay, NS B0J 2E0 Volume 24, No. 5

The Canadian Rangers: Supporting Canadian Sovereignty, Security, and Stewardship since 1947 Sixty-five years ago, Minister of National Defence Brooke Claxton quietly announced the creation of an unorthodox military force: the Canadian Rangers. Through this unique organization, people living in remote regions “provide a military presence in sparsely settled northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada that cannot conveniently or economically be provided for by other components of the Canadian Forces.” The Rangers’ mission has remained constant since that time, but their tasks have become more complex. — P. Whitney Lackenbauer

September/October 2012

Nunavut Day 2012: The Nation Tunes In In 1999, the largest land claim agreement negotiation in Canadian history was finally signed, sealed and delivered. Nunavut officially became a bona fide Territory of Canada, sending geographers back to the drawing board to change the map of Canada for the first time since Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949. The territory’s capital city, Iqaluit, celebrates that historic day each year on July 9. — Lee Narraway

39 Spinning 75 Degrees North

Women in Grise Fiord spin yarn from the most exotic fibres OVERLOOKING A FIORD NEAR ARCTIC BAY, NUNAVUT. © MICHELLE VALBERG

Cover Price $5.95

The Ausuituq Fibre Spinning Group women have learned to spin the exotic, highly valued fibre that is so sought-after in the southern spinning world. Qiviut is an Inuktitut word commonly used to indicate the woolly undercoat of the muskox, or umingmak, (the animal with a beard). — Marla Limousin

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arcticjournal.ca Celebrating 24 years as the popular in-flight magazine for First Air, The Airline of the North.

Far Fur Country by Josh Pearlman

12 About the North 28 Exotica Celebrating Commitment Above & Beyond by Lee Narraway

45 Arts, Culture & Education Reneltta Arluk by Eleanor Albanese 49 Tourism Katannilik Territorial Park by Karen McColl

53 Northern Bookshelf 54 Inuit Forum My Conversation with Ezra by Terry Audla

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September/October 2012

above & beyond

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September/October 2012

RETURN OF

the

Far Fur Country

by Josh Pearlman

A cameraman balances his equipment on a qajaq while filming.

In 1919, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) commissioned two intrepid filmmakers to capture silent film footage of Canada’s North and life around the fur trade posts that operated there. Their nine months of effort, propelled over 2,000 miles by icebreaker, canoe and dog sled, resulted in eight hours of unprecedented historical footage. September/October 2012

above & beyond

Cameramen transported their cumbersome equipment through the rough Northern conditions to capture what was to become The Romance of the Far Fur Country. (Below) Much of the footage was filmed near Kimmirut where cameras were transported by dogsled and qamutiq.

Edited down to a two-hour silent film The Romance of the Far Fur Country, was released as part of HBC’s 250th Anniversary celebrations in 1920. Largely documentary in nature while incorporating some staged scenes, the footage functions both as a record of history and of how history was recorded. Romance was screened across Western Canada and London before fading from view, the original footage and a shortened cut of the film found a home in a London archive where they remained for decades; the original cut of the film was lost. Enter Kevin Nikkel, principal director of Winnipeg’s Five Door Films, who was captivated by the critical importance of the footage to Canadian Northern history. For two years, Nikkel, along with the Hudson’s Bay Archive in Winnipeg worked with the British Film Institute to have the footage returned 10

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September/October 2012

to Canada nearly a century after it was created. With the film now in Winnipeg, Nikkel and a team have set to work on Return of the Far Fur Country, an ambitious project that, when completed, will see the original version of Romance resurrected. With hints provided by journal entries and a copy of an alternate version, the formidable task of recreating a film cut that no longer exists could take another year to complete. In the mean time, Nikkel and Five Door Films have begun work on a companion project; a documentary feature that seeks to explore the contemporary relevance of the footage. This task is centred on the repatriation of footage back to the Northern communities where it was shot. Holding local townhall screenings, the filmmakers hope to collect reaction and input from audience members in the form of stories and memories of the people and places featured. Although new relevance surfaces at every screening, Nikkel can’t help but recognize a major parallel between the Northern fur trade era and the current stampede of companies reaching for resources from an increasingly accessible Northern landscape. It’s a parallel that he says most audiences identify with as well. Five Door Films will be holding public screenings of the footage in Iqaluit on September 17 and in Kimmirut between September 18 and 20. For further information on the projects and screening times visit, www.returnfarfurcountry.ca.

About the North

Marine deserts in bloom

Arctic sea ice and melt ponds make up the terrain for scientific work conducted in the Chukchi Sea. Melt ponds offer windows for sunlight to penetrate the sea ice allowing algae to grow. © NASA/KATHRYN HANSEN

An unprecedented Arctic Ocean discovery has researchers scrambling to reassess how and when marine life can be supported in polar waters. Previously thought impossible, massive blooms of algae up to 70 m thick and over 100 km long have been found beneath the sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.The phenomenon was found by the NASA funded ICESCAPE mission (Impacts of Climate on Eco Systems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment). Doubling in size roughly once per day, the blooms showed richness in microscopic marine plant life unseen anywhere else on the planet. The discovery has been compared to finding a rain forest in the middle of a desert. Algae are single celled phytoplankton that harness the sun’s energy to grow using the

process of photosynthesis. Algae form the base of the entire marine food chain, supporting the ladder of Arctic diversity from zooplankton to bowhead whales. Algal blooms are a normal occurrence in Arctic waters where sea ice has retreated, typically at depths of 30 to 70 m. Ice typically prevents sufficient sunlight from penetrating the frigid waters, but in recent years thinner ice dotted with surface puddles are allowing the sunlight in. Surprisingly, blooms beneath this ice were found right below the surface and were growing twice as vigorously as blooms in open water. Researchers are now trying to determine what these early and unexpected swellings of life mean for the ecosystem. Alteration in

2 Locations

FOR OCEAN SCIENCES

bloom timing could be very significant to species whose migration is timed to coincide with high algal productivity. Additionally, as blooms like this take up massive amounts of carbon dioxide, determining what happens to the algae over the season will have huge implications to our understanding of the changing global carbon cycle and the energy budget of the Arctic marine system.

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Marine diatoms (a type of algae) sampled from blooms under Arctic sea ice. © WILLIAM M. BALCH/BIGELOW LABORATORY

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About the North

Operation Northern Reach trains in the NWT

No doubt a few hearts skipped a beat when the RCAF Snowbirds Demonstration Team showed off their aerial coordination.

Tilting heads upward, the Royal Canadian Air Force took to the skies over the Western Arctic this summer as part of their rigorous

training tour, Operation Northern Reach. Touching down in communities including Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Norman Wells, the

September/October 2012

ÂŠ PHILIPPE MORIN (2)

Contrasting sharply with grey skies, a bright orange parachute delivers this demonstrator safely to the ground during the RCAF air show in Inuvik on July 17.

tour offered displays of RCAF capabilities in air mobility, long range patrol, search and rescue, maritime helicopter manoeuvring, parachuting and gracefully choreographed, synchronized aerial displays. The shows included CF18-Hornets, Hercules transport aircraft, Sea King and Cormorant helicopters as well as the beloved RCAF Snowbird Demonstration Team.

above & beyond

About the North

Canada is home to an estimated two-thirds of the world’s polar bears. Reaching a firm understanding of the health of their populations is a high priority. Science and local knowledge have long fallen on different sides of this debate as researchers have predicted declines both in polar bear numbers and health while those on the land report bear numbers are increasing. A recent aerial survey by the Government of Nunavut indicates that the number of polar bears in the Western Hudson Bay region stands at about 1,000 animals, not significantly changed since they were last counted by a 2004 mark recapture study. At that time, scientists predicted a drop to 650 animals by 2011. The recent results, which are consistent with reports from Inuit hunters, prompted Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) to produce a bumper sticker and mail it to all Nunavut

We’re ok!…aren’t we?

A bumper sticker produced by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. advertises the health of Nunavut’s polar bear populations despite criticism from researchers in the field.

residents. The sticker, showing a mother bear and cub beneath the words “Qanuinngittigut! We’re ok!”, aims to dispel what NTI sees as misinformation about the state of Nunavut’s bears.They insist that populations are stable and able to sustain a responsible annual harvest. Not everyone agrees. University of Alberta Professor and polar bear researcher Dr. Andrew Derocher points to a key finding from the recent survey that seems to be overlooked. The survey shows only seven per cent of the bears were

ᑕᑯᓛ ᐸᑦᑎᒋᑦ 2012-ᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓕ ᐸᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᕙᒃᑕᒥᓂᒃ

See you at the 2012 Nunavut Tradeshow

ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕐᓄᑦ ᑲᒥᓯᓇᐅᑉ ᐊᒡᓚᕕᐊ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ – Uqauhinut Kamisinaup Havakvia Nunavunmi Oﬃce of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut – Bureau du commissaire aux langues du Nunavut

www.langcom.nu.ca 867-979-7960 1-877-836-2280

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September/October 2012

cubs and a shocking three per cent were yearlings. The numbers, he says, are roughly onethird of what would be expected in a healthy population. The world’s largest land carnivore, polar bears are listed in Canada as a species of special concern. They are significant both culturally and economically with sport hunters paying $50,000 for a guided hunt. The money that bears bring to local communities adds significant incentive to maintain a hunting quota and perhaps further incentive to ensure the populations are maintained for future generations.

Takuniaqqagit 2012 Nunavut Havaatigut Tautuktittiyuni

Venez nous rencontrer à la Foire commerciale du Nunavut 2012

Parks Day 2012

www.langcom.nu.ca 867-979-7960 1-877-836-2280

Canada’s Parks Day was celebrated with enthusiasm across the country on July 21. An estimated 50,000 Canadians participated nationwide and Nunavummiut were not left out of the equation despite the fact that many of the territory’s parks and protected areas are too remote for casual visitation. Taqaiqsirvik Territorial Campground near Kimmirut rose to the occasion hosting activities including a scavenger hunt along the water’s edge.

Country food on the fly 360,000 pounds of country food was shipped around Nunavut in the last year, an increase of over 300 per cent from years previous. The reason? First Air and their partners, Qikiqtani First Aviation and Sakku First Aviation, introduced an unprecedented reduced rate of $1.50/kg with no taxes, surcharges or minimum shipment size. The initiative is no doubt improving access to healthy food across the territory. September/October 2012

above & beyond

About the North

The challenge of abundance

Roughly 100 years ago, snow goose numbers had plummeted to such low levels that hunting was restricted in many parts of North America. Thanks to foresight and some helpful management policies, the birds rebounded, and rebounded, and rebounded. Increasing some 300 per cent since the 1970s, the population is showing few meaningful signs of slowing down. Why the sudden jump? The birds’ migration route and wintering grounds overlap the continent’s richest agricultural regions, providing a virtually unlimited supply of nutritious grain to support their 3,000-mile journey North. Resources in their summer range however, are subject to limitation and the geese are stripping bare their coastal wetland habitats, especially in the Hudson Bay region. A challenge for wildlife managers, at least one suggested solution would see an influx of goose on the dinner plates of many North Americans. In the mean time, officials are encouraging hunters to take advantage of reduced regulations on the birds to slow them down. Unimaginable flocks of Snow Geese fill the Arctic skies during the summer breeding season. Flocks this size are causing significant damage to their own Arctic habitats.

These are some of the questions answered in Ben and Nuki Discover Polar Bears, the latest book by photographer Michelle Valberg. A tale of two boys from very different cultures — one from a big city in the south, the other from a remote Arctic village — the book chronicles this budding friendship. Ben is surprised to learn that there are no roads or highways connecting communities in the North, while Nuki is awestruck when he sees trees for the first time during his visit to the south! Ben journeys to Canada’s North where Ben and Nuki embark on several adventures discovering the Arctic landscape, the Inuit culture and learning about polar bears! Ben and Nuki Discover Polar Bears offers children a unique perspective on what life is like in Canada’s Arctic, with stunning photographs portraying the boundless beauty of the North from its polar bears to the northern lights. Ben and Nuki Discover Polar Bears will be available mid-October 2012. This delightful tale of friendship and childhood discovery can be purchased online by visiting: michellevalberg.com or bendiscovers.com 16

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September/October 2012

What is it like to live in the Arctic? How big do polar bears get?

Specialists in individual and group travel to the Arctic regions for over thirty years.

AquaVan assistant manager Ken Ho reveals a few of the ocean’s secrets during a visit to Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories. The community was one of many on the exhibit’s 5,000 km tour of the region.

1.800.661.3830 greatcanadiantravel.com

If you can’t bring the people to the ocean… Landlocked communities in the Northwest Territories were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with marine life as the Vancouver Aquarium’s AquaVan toured the territory for the first time over the summer. The AquaVan is the aquarium’s portable education facility, bringing displays, props and living marine creatures to communities throughout the west. The van logged 5,000 km on a mission to reveal the wonders of the ocean to Hay River, Fort Smith, Yellowknife, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson and Fort Liard.The award-winning programming and displays afforded visitors the opportunity to interact with living crabs, sea stars, snails and sea urchins in an effort to foster awareness of the connections between ourselves and the ocean and inspire the environmental stewards of the future.

Film crews set up in Igloolik This summer saw Arnait Video Productions and Kunuk Cohn Production crews in Igloolik working on an upcoming film, Uvanga (Myself). Cast members include Marianne Farley, Lukasi Forrest, Piujuq Ivalu, Pakak Innusuk and PeterHenry Arnatsiaq. Directed and written by Marie-Helen Cousineau, the plot follows Anna and her 14-year-old son who return to Igloolik. The culture from the 1950s and 60s has changed and they strive to rebuild their family in this more modern society. Producers are Cousineau, Stephane Rituit, Piujuq Ivalu, Susan Avingaq and Zacharias Kunuk. Canadian Media Fund, Telefilm Canada, SODEC, Nunavut Film, First Air, and the Nunavut Independent TV Network funded the project. September/October 2012

above & beyond

About the North

Art notes

Woman holding a drawing by Shuvinai Ashoona was included in the exhibit Shuvinai’s World(s).

Acknowledged vanguards of contemporary Inuit art, Jutai Toonoo and Shuvinai Ashoona have both earned reputations through prolific production of uniquely expressive, often deeply personal works. Toonoo took over the floor of Toronto’s Centre Space gallery during his exhibit Body Contemplation to create three large-scale drawings of cancer cells. So arresting, the works garnered a subsequent showing of their own. Ashoona will unveil her new body of work, Shuvinai’s World(s) at the same gallery this fall. Characterized by planetary imagery that speaks to contemporary global issues, the show runs from September 15 to October 10. Centre Space’s roster also includes Tanya Tagaq’s first solo show of paintings, Sight and Sound, displayed in July, and Imaginary Landscape by Ohotaq Mikkigak opening November 3.

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Umingmak by Tanya Tagaq.

September/October 2012

Nunavut Day The Nation Tunes In Text and Photos by Lee Narraway

n 1999, the largest land claim agreement negotiation in Canadian history was finally signed, sealed and delivered. Nunavut officially became a bona fide Territory of Canada, sending geographers back to the drawing board to change the map of Canada for the first time since Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949. Now 13 years later, I am here in the territoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Capital city, Iqaluit, excited to participate in the 2012 celebrations of that historic day. It is a statutory holiday throughout the territory and in Iqaluit everyone is ready to party. I hear the music first. Irresistible bouncy tunes that wrap around my soul. In the parking lot behind the Legislative Assembly building, people begin to smile, move and dance as the Simeonie Keenainak band from Pangnirtung starts to warm up. It is impossible to stay still and within moments, the whole crowd is up and dancing, shifting partners, forming groups and swinging around with arms linked. This beguiling music has Celtic roots and its origins can be traced to the jigs played on accordions by Scottish seamen when they came North to hunt whales in the early 1800s. This style of music has become so ingrained in the hearts of Inuit that now it is often referred to as traditional Inuit music and the dancing that accompanies it as Inuit round dancing.

September/October 2012 above & beyond

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September/October 2012

Watching Nunavut Day events can be just as much fun as participating in them.

Opposite: Top: CTV Canada AM anchor, Beverly Thomson, interviews (L-R) Alek Montpetit, Anne Hellwig and The Honourable Peter Taptuna, Deputy Minister, about issues that affect youth in Nunavut. Middle: Face painting is always popular with the youngsters. Bottom left: Recipients of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal pose for a group photograph on the back stairs of the Legislative building. Bottom right: CTV’s Beverly Thomson speaks with siblings Sarah and Eric McNair-Landry about their successful three-month adventure kite-skiing the Northwest Passage.

My day starts at 4 am. I silence the persistent rattle of the alarm clock with a hard whack, then peer out my bedroom window. Despite the early hour and overcast skies, it is already as bright as noon. All at once I remember: Today is Nunavut Day! I dress quickly, grab my camera gear and head out for the long hike to the Legislative Assembly building. For the first time ever, the iconic CTV national network morning show, Canada AM, is broadcasting from the North and I do not want to miss a minute of it. It had rained overnight. As I splash through puddles along the beachfront, ravens gargle their strange melody; a blend of rasping croaks, intermittent squawks and random kerplunks. At low tide the air is filled with the scent of salt water and mud flats and I pause for a moment to inhale deeply. Ahh, the smell of the sea. Halfway across the bay, an iceberg squats in the mud, stranded there until the flow of Frobisher Bay’s high tide. Dogs bark as I hike along the deserted streets. Perhaps it is a tad too early for most people to be up and about, I almost shout out “Happy Nunavut Day!” just for practice. I pass a few apartment buildings, then numerous small houses with their yards crammed full of an assortment of snow machines, qamutiit, bicycles, and tarps, scraps of wood and chunks of metal. How far Nunavut has progressed into the modern world in such a short period. With no large hardware store in town, it is important to keep a supply of parts and possibilities on hand and the Inuit are still very well known for their ingenious and creative repair jobs. When I arrive at the parking lot, it is a scene of organized chaos. Electrical cords snake across the pavement to power up large remote television screens that hang from tall posts for the crowds. A videographer experiments with the telephoto range of his big camera suspended on the end of a long boom. He swings it high over the parking lot to zoom down onto main street while below people scramble to adjust lights and focus them on a small stage that has been erected with the Legislative building as a back drop. The

back of a panel truck has been converted into a temporary control room. Over the last several days, 17 pallets loaded with 4,450 kilograms of equipment have arrived in Iqaluit. Now the 25 staff of Canada AM face the logistical challenges of broadcasting live from the Arctic. Not only do they have to maintain an uninterrupted satellite communication link with the master control at their Toronto-based station but also deal with ravenous mosquitoes and the possibility of more torrential rain. I move along with a crowd of enthusiastic supporters and we stream into the staging area to enjoy a free breakfast and wait for the action to begin. After a short rehearsal, hosts Beverly Thomson and Jeff Hutcheson graciously come over for a chat and then they are live on air. Their broadcast over two mornings runs 6 am to 9 am and each fast-paced segment features an eclectic group of guests and a variety of topics. The Mace of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut has been moved outside onto a table draped with sealskin sewn in the design of the official Coat of Arms. The Mace is an exquisite piece of art made from the tusk of a narwhal and decorated with Arctic mammals carved from stone. The elaborate head features silver loons enclosing a large ball of blue lapis lazuli surrounded by gemstones and topped by a 2¼-carat diamond. It was first presented at the inaugural opening of the Legislative Assembly in 1999 and today, three of the original six artists who worked on the project — Paul Malliki, Inuk Charlie and Mathew Nunqingaq — are being interviewed. It is fascinating to hear that all the CTV’s Jeff Hutcheson looks to be in training for the Arctic Games.

September/October 2012

above & beyond

gems on the Mace are from Nunavut and that it was designed to represent the connection between the land and the sea and the source of food. I manoeuvre my way around the cameramen to find a good spot to watch the next segment. Johnny Issaluk and Thomas Anguti Johnson have set up a stand to demonstrate some traditional Inuit games. Johnny is one of the most outstanding Inuit athletes in the world, winner of numerous gold medals in the Inuit games and featured in the awardwinning film “Inuit High Kick”. Thomas, also an athlete, is also the dancing celebrity of “Feel the Inukness” a You Tube sensation with over 150,000 hits. Jeff Hutcheson looks at the two fit young men standing before him then gamely challenges them to beat his score on the Inuit high kick. The target is a small sealskin ball that presently dangles from a string about three feet, six inches from the ground and the goal is to jump up, kick the ball and land again balanced on the same foot. With some helpful hints and a lot of encouragement, Jeff manages to kick the target on his second try, does a personal happy dance, shares some high fives then makes a teasing comment, “See if you can beat that one Thomas!” The ball is raised to the top of the bar and now hangs at an astounding height of seven feet, two inches. Thomas slowly walks forward; his eyes never leave the target. He crouches low then springs upward and kicks the ball. The crowd goes crazy. And then he tells Jeff that the world record is an unbelievable nine feet, eight inches! An array of food from the local grocery store has been laid out on the table with a comparison of prices between northern and southern Canada. Some of the differences are shocking. Beverly Thomas talks with Mary Simon, former Canadian diplomat and former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada’s National Inuit organization. Mary explains that these prices are even higher in the more remote communities further north and points to a person in the audience who is holding a sign showing the price of one can of frozen orange juice in Arctic Bay at $11.29. There is now a movement in Nunavut called “Feeding my Family” that is trying to draw attention to the issue of high food prices.

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Three of the six artists that contributed to the creation of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly’s narwhal tusk Mace, (L to R) Paul Malliki (Repulse Bay), Mathew Nunqingaq (Iqaluit) and Inuk Charlie (Cambridge Bay) explain its purpose and the significance of its many symbols to Canada AM hosts Beverly Thomson and Jeff Hutcheson.

Speaking of food, a barbecue has been set up and Jeff questions Josef Szakacs, Executive Chef at the Frobisher Inn, about his method of cooking Arctic char, which is to keep it simple; brush with olive oil, salt and pepper, place on pre-heated grill and cook a few minutes on each side until done. He serves it with a baked potato dressed with caribou sausage and the aroma and final presentation of his meal are mouth-watering. I am hungry again. Thank goodness it is nearly lunchtime. The crowd is expanding and people are here to celebrate. Children rush their parents over to stand in line for a chance to play in the huge inflated jumping castle, running back to the end of the line again and again when their turn is finished. Face painters are kept busy and a hodgepodge of kittens, butterflies, flowers, Spiderman and aliens shyly parade around the grounds. A long line of people weave their way through the parking lot, drawn there by the delicious aroma of free musk ox burgers and hot dogs that sizzle on the barbecues. In another area a feast of traditional country food features raw seal, caribou, maktaaq (whale skin with a layer of fat), Arctic char and fresh homemade bannock. With some caribou in one hand and bannock in the other, I head over to the back stairs of the Legislature. Twenty-one people are being honoured today for their significant contributions and achievements in Nunavut. One by one, they are presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. This medal was created to commemorate the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne. I hear the excited chatter of small children and look over to see six dead seals lined up on a blue tarp. Curious children crouch down beside them to peer into eyes, poke fingers into ear holes and touch the bristly whiskers. A little girl reaches out tentatively to feel the fur. “Mummy, its weally, weally soft,” she says in awe. A large crowd gathers. One woman and five men walk onto the tarp and stand beside their chosen seal. Each

September/October 2012

Opposite: Top: Skinning contest aside, seals are an invaluable renewable resource for Inuit. They provide essential nutrition, clothing and income in a scarce economy. None of the animal is wasted. Middle Right: Hutcheson interviews renowned Cape Dorset carver, Toonoo Sharky. Far right: The “duckpluck” is a wild and messy fun-filled contest, hence the blue tarp. Bottom left: A community feast featuring country food is always a highlight of any celebration. Bottom right: Getting into the spirit of Nunavut Day celebrations.

September/October 2012

above & beyond

person holds a large skinning knife. At the starters signal, the “seal skinning” event is underway. We all watch intently as contestants work quickly and carefully to remove the skin in one piece with no nicks or tears so that later it can be scraped, dried, softened and used to make sealskin clothing. The meat is trimmed and the carcass cut up and put in a bag. This country food will be shared at the elder’s’ residence tonight. The winner completes the task in less than 10 minutes. Amid applause and cheers he is awarded first prize: a drum of gasoline. Playing games with a multi-generational gathering of people from a mixture of backgrounds and cultures is a delightful part of the Nunavut Day celebrations…and it’s game time! More than 60 people have formed a circle and all are focussed on the roll of the dice. Anticipation builds every time a die is thrown onto the ground and immediately seized by the next person and flipped again. Each hopes to roll the elusive number three. An Inuit elder dressed in a beautiful beaded amauti — a traditional Inuit hooded parka — grins at me as she snatches the dice, leans forward and rolls a winner. She darts into the centre of the circle, grabs a yellow bundle of nylon rope and quickly starts to untangle it. The ten foot piece of rope has been tied and re-tied into a mass of knots that have left it about two feet long. Within seconds, a young boy, face painted like Spiderman has also rolled a three and runs in to take the rope from her. As the dice fly, more and more people race into the centre to detangle the rope before they are ousted by the next player. With at least 10 die circulating, the action moves quickly. People laugh and joke as they are jostled out of the way. Amidst the laughter and encouragement, the rope gradually becomes untangled and finally there is a winner.

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Using North/South pricing comparisons, Beverly Thomson and Mary Simon inform Canadians about the high cost of foods which Nunavummiut must cope with.

Thirteen people kneel in a circle for the “duck pluck” event. In front of each of them lies the carcass of an eider duck. The winner will be the first person to strip the duck naked, leaving feathers only on the head, wings and tail. The countdown begins. Three…two…one…GO! Immediately, fingers and feathers start to fly. Plucking has to be done rapidly but carefully as the duck’s skin is thin and tears easily. One overzealous competitor soon learns this when he rips the skin near the wing and is eliminated. Underneath the feather layer lies thick soft eiderdown. Eider ducks are renowned not only for the superior insulating qualities of their down but also the large quantity each bird produces. It quickly becomes evident that the down is also light and fluffy and floats away easily. When a small child leans over an elder’s shoulder and seriously points to a spot she has missed, the woman begins to laugh and inhales a mouth full of down. Coughing and laughing she continues to pluck. Inspired, two children begin to pick up handfuls of eiderdown and blow it into the air. The crowd draws closer and laughs at their antics. More down fills the air but at last there is a naked duck and a winner. The sound of music signals the start of the next game. People pair off, each with a rope tied around their waist. Then another short length of rope ties them together. Before the music begins again the connecting rope is undone from one of the partners. Similar to musical chairs, everyone begins to dance and mingle, weaving in and among the masses of people in a circular manner until the music stops. Immediately, we try to find our partner and tie up again. With over 100 people crowded together, this is almost an impossible task. Everyone is shrieking with laughter, calling out names, jumping up and down and waving their hands. It is absolute bedlam. We all win in this game and by the end my stomach is aching from laughing. The party is over. I can still hear folks calling out “Happy Nunavut Day!” as I head home, exhausted but invigorated by the fun, the crazy antics and the camaraderie of the day.

September/October 2012

Left: This “duck-plucking” contestant seems to be saying, “Aw, come on now, did you really beat me?”

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Celebrating Commitment Above & Beyond The ever-powerful Arctic is always on the ready to flaunt its great might, fickle nature and ability to surprise. Early this August, strong Arctic winds and high tides choked off any reasonable land to sea access. The heavier than usual accumulation of ice that pushed into Frobisher Bay, threatened to leave 120 students and educators from around the world stranded, unable to reach their floating Students On Ice (SOI) ship classroom, the Akademik Ioffe. SOI’s trusty Zodiacs were incapable of navigating through the dense ice pack, putting the entire August 2012 expedition in jeopardy. With no solution readily evident, it looked as if the elements would render the youthful anticipation and joy Student on Ice trips are renowned for into a time of misfortune and despair. However, wherever and whenever there’s “a will or a way” and one sensitive, kind-hearted Canadian Coast Guard Captain and crew and ship close by, all would not be lost. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Canadian Coast Guard’s long-standing commitment to provide service in the Arctic was more than aptly demonstrated when the Captain and crew of CCGS Des Groseilliers went above and beyond normal protocol to assist the expedition. Coast Guard barges were used during a delicate operation. Experience, know-how and accurate timing at high tide were essential. In fewer than three hours, grateful SOI participants were first transported to the CCGS Des Groseilliers and then sailed to an ice-free area and transferred to the Akademik Ioffe. Their journey North along the Baffin Island coast and over to Greenland could finally begin. 28

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September/October 2012

ÂŠ LEE NARRAWAY (4)

September/October 2012

above & beyond

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September/October 2012

The

Canadian Rangers Supporting Canadian Sovereignty, Security, and Stewardship since 1947 by P. Whitney Lackenbauer ur group of thirteen — eleven Canadian Rangers, a Ranger instructor from Yellowknife, and me — settled comfortably into Master Corporal Emmanuel Adam’s cabin amongst the Husky Lakes in mid-January 2009. After our snowmobile trip from Tuktoyaktuk, we had quickly consumed military rations heated on the wood stove. Although palatable, they paled in comparison to the scents that now filled the air. Longstanding Ranger David Nasogaluak, an esteemed elder and legendary trapper, fried thick white slabs of inconyu (“coney” around Tuk) on the Coleman stove. Kevin St. Amand, a 31-year-old Inuk, sat at the table cutting caribou heart into small cubes to fry. Another young Ranger, Kurtis Wolki, pulled out his guitar. Over the next couple of hours the guitar was passed around the room, eventually settling with Kurtis’s uncle Sandy Wolki. This quiet elder, who to this point had sat off in the corner of the room, began to strum with confidence, belting out old country and gospel tunes. David taught Kevin traditional string games while chanting rhymes in Inuktitut, passing knowledge in his subtle and unobtrusive manner.

Canadian Rangers on the sea ice along the Labrador coast in 2006. P. Whitney Lackenbauer photo.

September/October 2012

above & beyond

Ranger TooToo of Churchill advises army personnel in their Penguin along the trail during Exercise Bulldog Two, 1954. DND photo PC-7066.

“The Rangers are not simply “survival” experts – they actually know how to live in the North.” I had been out with other Rangers from coast to coast to coast, and this relaxed and casual atmosphere came as no surprise. These “sovereignty soldiers” were unlike any other military unit on earth. The next day, on the makeshift rifle range, they proved their skills. While some of the younger Rangers seemed less certain with their .303 rifles, most of the elders were impressive marksmen: David, who had knee problems, and Sandy, who had been partially blinded when a willow branch struck his eye, each scored more than 40/50. So did Emmanuel and Kurtis, who also earned cross-rifles at the final parade. Kevin was top shot with 44/50. Young and old, they were clearly at home on the land. I recalled what a Ranger in Nunavik had told me a few years before: the Rangers are not simply “survival” experts – they actually know how to live in the North. Sixty-five years ago, Minister of National Defence Brooke Claxton quietly announced the creation of an unorthodox military force: the Canadian Rangers.

Range practice in Salluit, Quebec, 1983. 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group photo.

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September/October 2012

Through this unique organization, people living in remote regions “provide a military presence in sparsely settled northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada that cannot conveniently or economically be provided for by other components of the Canadian Forces.” The Rangers’ mission has remained constant since that time, but their tasks have become more complex. The original military vision saw the Rangers defending national security — protecting their communities from enemy attack in the early Cold War. By the 1970s, their basic purpose was linked to the armed forces’ role supporting Canada’s Arctic sovereignty. Since the 1990s, the Rangers have played a prominent nation-building and stewardship role. Defence officials introduced the Ranger concept in the dark days of the Second World War. By early 1942, Canadians realized that they no longer lived in a “fireproof house” (as Senator Raoul Dandurand described Canada in the interwar years). The Nazi war machine had overrun continental Europe, Pearl Harbor lay in ruins, and the Japanese occupied Singapore. In a total war, isolation no longer suggested security but vulnerability. Terrified British Columbians, facing the Japanese threat in the Pacific, pushed the federal government to improve its defences along the west coast. The army responded by forming the Pacific Coast Militia Rangers (PCMR), a Reserve corps modelled after the British home guard, in 1942. This unconventional military force allowed British Columbian men who were too old or too young for overseas service, or engaged in essential industries such as fishing and mining, to contribute to home defence. Apart from a sporting rifle, some ammunition, an armband, and eventually a canvas “Dry-bak” uniform suited to the coastal climate, the army expected the Rangers to be self-sufficient. Using their local knowledge, they reported any suspicious vessels or activities they came across during their everyday civilian lives. If an enemy invaded, they would help professional forces repel it. By 1943 there were 15,000 Rangers representing all walks of B.C. life, from fish packers to cowboys. They trained with other military units, conducted search and rescue, and reported Japanese balloon bombs that landed along the west coast. When the war ended, however, so did the PCMR. The organization was stood down in the fall of 1945. When the wartime alliance between the democratic West and the communist East unravelled, simple geography made Canada a potential battlefield in any superpower conflict. Canada did not have the military resources to station large numbers of regular soldiers in northern and remote regions of the country, but it still needed “eyes and ears” in those areas. Consequently, officials resurrected the Ranger concept in 1947. This time they created a nation-wide Canadian Ranger force that contributed to a low-cost Cold War sovereignty and security strategy. The first Ranger units took shape in the Yukon, before extending across the breadth of Canada’s northland and down its Atlantic and Pacific coasts. These “ordinary” men (there is no record of any female Rangers until the 1980s) reflected the diversity of their communities. Their civilian

locality is an ancient one and eminently sensible,” he wrote. “It does not become out-dated, even in this atomic age.” Rangers reported submarine and ship sightings, suspicious individuals, even unexplained bombing activity on Northern Baffin Island (producing bits of bombs as evidence). In one case, a Baffin Island Ranger even tried to capture single-handedly the US Coast Guard cutter Staten Island, mistakenly concluding that it was a Russian ship and “it was his duty as a soldier to take some action.” Inuit were earnest, Shea noted, and their value as “friends on the ground” was priceless — despite their negligible cost to the army. By the 1960s, however, Ottawa’s defence plans overlooked the Rangers. Northern residents with armbands and rifles could hardly fend off hostile Soviet bombers carrying nuclear weapons. Defence officials turned to technological marvels like the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line to protect the continent. The organization survived thanks to local initiative and its miniscule cost. “We just knew that if an aircraft went down we should look for it,” recalled the late Reverend John R. Sperry, the Anglican missionary at Coppermine (Kugluktuk) and Ranger lieutenant from 1950 to 1969. If someone was lost, the RCMP passed along the information and Rangers went out to look for them. “All the men were going out anyway,” Sperry explained. The “Shadow Plotting a route on a map in an igloo near Grise Fiord, Ellesmere Island, 1988. DND photo ISC88-314.

backgrounds determined their contributions, whether they were trappers, bush pilots, missionaries, fishermen or miners. Inuit, First Nations, and Métis men filled the ranks, although at this point the army appointed token “White” Ranger officers in Aboriginal communities. Everyone had a vested interest in defending their homeland. By design, the Rangers focused on home defence. Largely untrained, their local knowledge allowed them to serve as guides and scouts, report suspicious activities, and (if the unthinkable came to pass) delay an enemy advance using guerrilla tactics – at least until professional forces arrived. The army equipped each Ranger with an obsolescent .303 Lee Enfield rifle, 200 rounds of ammunition each year, and an armband. To hone their marksmanship skills, they were expected to hit the rifle range — or, better yet, hunt seal or caribou and feed their families. The strength of the early organization peaked in December 1956, when 2725 Rangers served in forty-two companies from coast to coast to coast. Rangers provided intelligence reports on strange ships and aircraft, participated in training exercises with Canada’s Mobile Striking Force and other army units, and conducted search and rescue. In one case, Rangers even helped the RCMP intercept bandits trying to flee the Yukon along the Alaska Highway. Reporter Robert Taylor observed that year that this diverse mix of Inuit, First Nations, Métis, and Whites united in one task: “guarding a country that doesn’t even know of their existence.” During this era, annual re-supply and training visits by Regular Force Ranger Liaison Officers (RLOs) brought cross-cultural contact. Captain Ambrose Shea’s experiences on Baffin Island were representative. After overcoming his initial culture shock, Shea clearly enjoyed visiting Inuit Rangers in their remote camps, ate and fished with them, and developed a strong respect for their knowledge and skills. He also acknowledged their modest but important military contribution. “The idea of arming a local population and asking them to take a hand in defending their own

A CC-138 Twin Otter from 440 squadron in Yellowknife flies over Rangers on patrol heading towards Eetookashoo Bay on the north tip of Axel Heiberg Island during Operation Nunalivut on 6 April 2009. Captain Cheryl Major, DND photo ISX2009-0049.

Army of the North” received little to no direction from military officials, and few received their annual ammunition supplies by the late 1960s. Apart from Newfoundland and Labrador and a sprinkling of northern communities, the Ranger organization was largely inactive by 1970. The voyages of the American icebreaker Manhattan in 1969-70, which Canadians believed threatened their control over the Northwest Passage, renewed interest in Arctic sovereignty. Although this new “crisis” had nothing to do with the Soviet military threat, Pierre Trudeau turned to the Canadian Forces to assert symbolic control. His government promised increased surveillance and more Arctic training for southern troops. Only people who actually lived in remote regions had the expertise to guide and teach survival skills to the military. Because the Rangers still existed (on paper at least) and cost next to nothing, they fit the bill. Staff from the new northern headquarters in Yellowknife provided basic training to Inuit and Dene Rangers in the September/October 2012

above & beyond

1970s, and these activities proved highly popular in communities. Rangers now elected their own leaders — a form of self-governance over their community-based patrols. By the early 1980s, the Rangers were again active in the territorial North, northern Quebec, and along the eastern seaboard. When the US Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Sea pushed through the Northwest Passage in 1985, resurrecting sovereignty anxieties, Canadians demanded a bolder military presence. Brian Mulroney’s Conservative government promised a host of big-ticket investments to improve Canada’s control over the Arctic, from acquiring nuclear submarines to building a Polar Class icebreaker. At the same time, the Canadian Rangers received recognition as an important grassroots way to keep Canada’s “true North strong and free.” Previous defence assessments focused on the Rangers’ military utility. In a changing political climate, however, other aspects of the organization made it even more attractive. Although Aboriginal leaders called for the demilitarization of the Arctic on social and environmental grounds, they applauded the Rangers as a positive example of Northerners contributing directly to sovereignty and security. Media coverage began to emphasize the social and political benefits of the Rangers in Aboriginal (particularly Inuit) communities. Now the Rangers enjoyed tremendous appeal as an inexpensive,

The “top of the world” joy of reaching the North Pole.

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September/October 2012

Rangers participate in community ceremonies in Iqaluit preceding the launch of Operation Lancaster, a Joint Task Force (North) sovereignty exercise held August 2006.

culturally inclusive, and visible means of demonstrating Canada’s sovereignty. As a bridge between diverse cultures and between the civilian and military worlds, the Rangers successfully integrated national agendas with communitybased interests. This practical partnership, rooted in traditional knowledge and skills, promoted cooperation, Northern empowerment, and cross-cultural understanding. Most of the government’s promised investments in Arctic defence evaporated with the end of the Cold War. Conservative and Liberal politicians, however, did increase the number and geographical scope of the Canadian Rangers in the 1990s — despite downsizing the Canadian Forces more generally. The Rangers’ footprint expanded “North of 60” and across the provincial north, with most new growth directed to Aboriginal communities. This reflected the importance of building and reinforcing Aboriginal-military partnerships in a post-Oka world. Furthermore, journalists applauded the Rangers’ role in

A Ranger scans the horizon at a preliminary Devon Island, Nunavut, observation post during Operation Lancaster.

teaching the military and in encouraging elders to share their traditional knowledge to younger people within Aboriginal communities. This was clear in the creation of a formal youth program, the Junior Canadian Rangers, in 1998. By the turn of the twenty-first century, Canadian Ranger patrols were found in nearly every community in the territorial North. Their national tasks encompassed the three broad aspects of their service: conducting and supporting sovereignty operations; conducting and assisting with domestic military operations; and maintaining a Canadian Forces presence in local communities. The Rangers have attracted their highest media and political profile over the last decade as icons of Canadian sovereignty patrolling the remotest reaches of the Arctic. Historically, the Rangers’ role was merely to know their local area. A landmark trek to the magnetic North Pole off Cape Isachsen, Nunavut, in 2002 pushed the Rangers’ responsibilities far beyond their home communities. Subsequent “enhanced sovereignty patrols” grew in scale and frequency. Since 2007, Rangers participate in three major annual exercises: Nunalivut in the High Arctic, Nunakput in the Western Arctic, and Nanook in the eastern

“This diverse mix of Inuit, First Nations, Métis, and Whites united in one task: “guarding a country that doesn’t even know of their existence.” — Reporter Robert Taylor, 1956

Rangers prepare to disembark from the HMCS Montreal during Operation Lancaster.

Arctic. During these operations, Rangers have a chance to work with other members of the Canadian Forces and foreign militaries, operate in unfamiliar environments, share skills, and build confidence. They also show the flag in some of the most austere and challenging conditions imaginable. The Rangers also regularly support other government agencies in responding to the broad spectrum of security and safety issues facing northern communities. Canada’s search and rescue capabilities in remote regions are limited, and Rangers frequently head out as the best trained, equipped, and knowledgeable group available. Their leadership and training makes them the de facto lead during states of emergency in their communities — from avalanches, flooding, extreme snowstorms, and power plant shutdowns, to forest fires and water crises in the northern most regions of the provinces.

This is why the Rangers’ final task — to maintain a military presence in local communities – remains fundamental. After all, these volunteers represent more than ninety percent of the Canadian Forces’ representation north of the 55th parallel. The special bond that the Rangers have with their communities leads to many local roles: providing honour guards for politicians and royalty visiting their communities, protecting trick or treaters from polar bears in Churchill on Halloween, or blazing trails for the Yukon Quest and Hudson Bay Quest dog sled races. During Nunavut’s twoweek mass vaccination program against “swine flu” in late 2009, Rangers were pivotal in guiding Nunavummiut through the process and helping them complete paperwork. On the scientific front, Nunavut Rangers have supported southern researchers working on ice shelves on Ellesmere Island, have set up huts for polar bear researchers along McLintock Channel, and worked with Fisheries and Oceans to install navigation buoys. Major Jeff Allen, the commanding officer of 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group in Yellowknife, explains that these activities serve broader national interests and give Rangers opportunities to “patrol with a purpose.” The Rangers’ experiences inherently blur the artificial lines between national and local service. Prime Minister Harper explained in 2007 that “the Rangers are an expression of Canada’s ability to defend its northern lands” — an image that fits with his simple “use it or lose it” message. Ranger service also dovetails with Inuit leaders’ appeals to the Canadian government to “use the Inuit” to demonstrate sovereignty rather than turning to outsiders. The Rangers are an appropriate form of military presence, proving that Canada’s national strategy can engage northerners in direct and practical ways. The southern military establishment depends on them. During annual patrol training in Nunavik in 2007, Sergeant Simeonie Nalagartuk, the patrol commander in Inukjuak along the eastern shores of Hudson Bay, described the Rangers

Rangers start hike during Operation Nanook 11 to conduct an inspection of the Lab 2 North warning site located at Seglek, Labrador. Photo: Corporal Rick Ayer, Formation Imaging Services, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

September/October 2012

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The Canadian Rangers flag flies proudly alongside Canada’s high atop a hill on Devon Island, Nunavut.

“Without access to local knowledge of the land, sea, and skies, southern visitors are helplessly lost. Thanks to the Canadian Rangers, the Canadian Forces have found their way in the North for 65 years.” to me as “the eyeglasses, hearing aids, and walking stick for the [Canadian Forces] in the North.” Without access to local knowledge of the land, sea, and skies, southern visitors are helplessly lost. Thanks to the Canadian Rangers, the Canadian Forces have found their way in the North for 65 years. The Canadian Rangers are a success story from coast to coast to coast, promoting sovereignty, security, and stewardship from the inside out. Soldiers and community members alike admire and respect their skills, commitment, and strong patriotism. “The Rangers are our eyes and ears, and there’s no substitute for boots on the ground and people living in the communities,” Brigadier-General David Millar, the former commander of Joint Task Force (North) in Yellowknife, explained during a 2009 tour of Arctic communities. “Technology doesn’t always work in the extreme conditions of the High Arctic. That’s why nothing can replace the Rangers, and why I reassured them they are the vital link in the North for maintaining sovereignty, representing the forces and providing security for their communities.” According to Millar, the Rangers’ red sweatshirts and ball caps have become “as symbolic to Canadians as the Snowbirds or RCMP.” All too often, Canadians associate sovereignty with lines on a map. Sovereignty is really about everything that goes on within those lines. Northerners have strongly articulated this message for decades, supporting the Canadian Rangers as they emerged from the shadows to play a central role in Canada’s unfolding Arctic drama. They are Canadian sovereignty incarnate. They contribute to Northern security in its many dimensions. They make important contributions to their communities and are 36

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A Canadian Ranger cradles the essence of the North’s precious future during the JTF(N) Operation Lancaster visit to Pond Inlet, Nunavut, in 2006.

stewards of our northland. Most importantly, their commitment does not fluctuate with the southern political winds. Facing an uncertain future, Canadians can rest assured that the men and women in the red sweatshirts will remain vigilant: stalwart sentinels watching over their communities and the farthest reaches of our country. P. Whitney Lackenbauer, is associate professor and chair of the department of history at St. Jerome’s University (University of Waterloo), co-chair of the Arctic Peoples and Security pillar of the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program and co-lead for the ArcticNet project on The Emerging Arctic Security Environment. His book The Canadian Rangers: A Living History will appear with UBC Press in March 2013

ÂŠ MARLA LIMOUSIN

Iga Kiguktak and Annie Audlaluk work a handful of soft qiviut.

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September/October 2012

SPINNING 75 DEGREES NORTH Women in the most northerly community in Canada are spinning a yarn from the most exotic of fibres.

by Marla Limousin

he picturesque community of Grise Fiord, or Aujuittuq (place

Grise Fiord, Nunavut.

that never thaws), in Nunavut sits on a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the glaciers, mountains and water on the

southern end of Ellesmere Island. The pilots of Kenn Borek Air, the community’s only scheduled airline, are very skilled in landing Twin Otters on this challenging 606-metre runway.

There is only one approach — straight toward the mountain, then a

hard left bank while dropping quickly in elevation to land on the short gravel strip. It must be the same each and every time — and definitely an adrenalin-pumping experience! Weather conditions have to be ideal to land in Grise Fiord. When the weather deteriorates, it could be for days or longer. Fortunate for me, I found myself in the community due to inclement weather, for several days. September/October 2012

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Raygie Pijamini works with a fork to separate the fine fibre from the hide.

Why fortunate? I am a spinner and knitter of qiviut (muskox wool) and I knew there were other women who spun in Grise Fiord. My first introduction to qiviut was in 2003 when a friend gave me a few bags of the amazing wool. Now here I was, weatherbound eight years later, with a chance to seek out the woman who had sold those bags of wool to my friend. Grise Fiord’s population is approximately 140, so it didn’t take long to find Geela P. Qaapik. Her house was right next to the hotel I was staying at and without hesitation she invited me over for the evening to meet and spin with a group of women who shared the same enthusiasm for the craft. The Ausuituq Fibre Spinning Group women have learned to spin the exotic, highly valued fibre that is so sought-after in the southern spinning world. Qiviut is an Inuktitut word commonly used to indicate the woolly undercoat of the muskox, or umingmak, (the animal with a beard). Qaapik has been working with and dreaming about the potential of qiviut for the past 10 years. She and other women in the community have been developing their skills working with the fibre. Their hope is that they will be able to produce clothing for their families and also generate important revenue through this activity. Geela says that “One part of the spinning project is the economic potential and the other part is the social

Surprisingly, the best utensil to extract the soft down from the thick wooly fur of the muskox is a fork.

interaction of the women”. She has kept the spinning group going because “it’s important for women to come together and share their knowledge to learn new skills”. Her vision is to take the by-product of a natural renewable resource and create beautiful products. What she produces now is already much in demand. Last year she crafted miniature muskoxen from the fibre for a cruise ship stopping in to visit Grise Fiord. She underestimated the popularity of the lovely miniatures and had to establish a long waiting list for people from around the world who ordered one. The spinners come together to share, laugh and discuss community events as well as increasing their techniques in spinning the fibre. This is one of the indoor activities held in the community during the dark season in winter. During the spring and summer months, the women have portable spinning wheels and drop spindles that they take camping with them. Musk oxen are plentiful on Ellesmere Island. The local harvest quota is 100, and they have to be taken outside a radius of 40 miles from the community. So when each muskox is cut up for meat to feed the families of Grise Fiord, the spinning group happily acquires the hide.

L-R: Anne Akeeagok, Susie Kiguktak and Iga Kiguktak work together to separate the fine qiviut fibre from the hide.

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September/October 2012

Minnie meticulously removes the coarse guard hair from the soft downy fibre.

To actually create a fibre that can be used to knit, crochet, or weave is a long process. First the skin must be cleaned and dried. After drying, the laborious process of extracting the qiviut begins. Sitting on the floor encircling the hide, and using a simple kitchen fork, the women pluck the precious fibre from the hide. They do experiment with other tools but to date they have not found any that works as well. The clumps of qiviut are then placed on a white sheet and inspected for the coarse dark guard hair and any vegetative or foreign matter. These guard hairs are removed from the downy fibre by hand and sometimes by tweezers, another painstakingly precise task. Clean qiviut is placed in pillowcases where the fibre can continue to breathe until the next step. After all the qiviut has been taken from the hide, the qiviut is then carded by using hand paddles or by using a drum carder. The purpose of carding is to prepare the fibre for the spinning wheel by lining up all the fibres in the same direction. Once the carder is full, the fibres are carefully removed and rolled flat around a cardboard tube with a layer of waxed paper around them for protection.

The qiviut is then ready to be skilfully spun using a spinning wheel or drop spindle. A drop spindle is a hand spindle, an ancient tool still found in use today that you can make yourself. It is popular because it costs so little to have one and it can be transported to spring and summer camps. The spinning action of the wheel draws the qiviut into a turning bobbin that twists the fibres to create a continuous length of wool. It takes lots of practice to get the rhythm going steady. At the studio, all the wool is spun using a spinning wheel. The spinning wheel is powered by the spinner's foot. The spinner sits in front of the wheel and pumps a foot treadle that turns the drive wheel via a crankshaft and a connecting rod. Both hands are free to draft the fibres as they get drawn into the bobbin. The qiviut fibre is spun onto a flyer-and-bobbin system, which twists the fibre and winds it onto a spool simultaneously. Once the bobbin is full of spun fibre, it will be plied with another bobbin of yarn on a Lazy Kate. ÂŠ JERRY KOBALENKO

High Arctic muskox.

Using wooden carders to line up the fibres for spinning.

September/October 2012

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When the skein is dry, it is finally wound into balls using a bobbin winder. This beautiful soft wool can then be knitted, woven or crocheted. Qaapik, the founder of the spinning project, is working with a group of women, both youth and elders, at a temporary studio that doubles as offices during the day. She dreams about one day having a permanent location to establish the fibre studio to expand her range of products. This is an exciting project that explores and employs the hearts and artistic talent that exists in this beautiful community.

L-R: Peepeelee Pijamini, Liza Ningiuk and Minnie Killiktee use the drum carder to make a batting for spinning.

Plying the strands to create wool to knit.

Spinning terminology has great names. Plying is a process used to create a strong, balanced yarn. It is done by taking two or more strands of yarn that each have a twist to them and putting them together in the opposite direction to what they were spun. With just the right amount of twist, a balanced yarn is produced — a yarn with no tendency to twist upon itself. After the fibre is plied, it is wrapped onto a Niddy Noddy to create a skein. The skein of fibre is then tied gently in several places to keep the strands in place and set into hot water. After the skein of qiviut is thoroughly wetted, it is hung to dry with a weight on the end that will help to set the fibres and make it strong. In addition to the beautiful natural colours of the qiviut fibre, it can also be dyed in a variety of colours using natural and powered dyes.

Spinning with a group of happy, chattering women with a cup of tea and a piece of bannock is a privilege. While I sat there, close to the top of the world with this group of Inuit women, I thought about our connection as women throughout history and cultures that have used their nimble hands to spin and create fibre for making clothing for their families. It was a wonderful way to spend my time weathered in the community. For more information, please visit the Ausuituq Fibre Spinning Group page on Facebook.

Gold for those who spin The muskox coat is in three layers, the topcoat having long coarse dark guard hairs. In the past, these would have been used to make rope, doll hair and other crafts. The second layer is coarse though not quite as coarse or long as the outer layer. It is the finer more delicate third layer — the qiviut — that is, in fact, the gold for those who spin. Qiviut refers to the soft under-wool found close to the skin of muskox beneath the two longer outer coats. It can be dark brown, white or light brown/grey in colour. The muskox sheds this layer each spring and it gets caught in places where the muskox scratches, such as mature willows and other sturdy objects on the tundra. It can also be found floating along the tundra surface where muskox roam. Qiviut can also be taken from the hides of muskox after it has been harvested for food. Hunters prefer to harvest the muskox in April when the meat is tender and the qiviut is at its thickest and represents a valuable by-product. Qiviut fibres are approximately 18 micrometres in diameter and an adult muskox can produce four to seven pounds of it a year. Females and young muskox have slightly finer wool and do not 42

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produce as much as an adult male. Most of it is found wrapping around the upper back area of muskoxen. The only “down-side” of qiviut is that is has no memory, so if it is knitted on its own, it may lose its shape. Usually a bit of silk is added when plying the fleece. Qiviut wool is stronger and eight times warmer than sheep's wool, and softer than cashmere wool. It does not shrink in water at any temperature and it possesses the highest number of heating units found in any fibre this light. The heating units of the fibre are significantly greater than wool but with less weight, making it an ideal material for clothing for outdoor activity. In Inuit oral histories, it is told that tufts of qiviut were stuck between the toes inside kamiit (boots) as insulation against cold. Today the raw fibre is stuck in the finger end of gloves or mittens but most commonly knitted into hats and scarves and vests. Qiviut is among the more expensive of fibres, where a high quality knitted scarf will cost $300 or more. Taken care of, that scarf can easily last 20 years.

September/October 2012

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September/October 2012

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

A season of

cloudberries with

Reneltta Arluk he first time I met Reneltta Arluk, turned out to be a case of unfortunate miscommunication. Previous arrangements had been made for Arluk to stay at my home during the Thunder Bay, Ontario, run of Thompson Highway’s play, The Rez Sisters. She had been misdirected to my mother’s address and had to wait a while for me there. Appearing un-phased about the initial inconvenience of her situation, she managed to greet me cheerfully upon my eventual arrival, flipped her 75-pound backpack onto her diminutive frame ready and willing to make her way to my home, undeterred. The pack looked as if it weighed almost as much as she did!

In retrospect, the walk provided a good opportunity for us to share what had been going on in her life. Arluk first explained that she had just returned from Greece, where she had been touring with the extravaganza theatre Caravan Stage Tall Ship Theatre Company. And, as she put it, she was (today) carrying“six months of living” in that monstrous pack of hers. Arluk’s work in theatre takes her far and wide. The criss-cross travel she needs to do seems, in the telling, disruptive and exhausting. Off to Yellowknife, then back to Toronto, and then west again to the Coast only to then head off to undeterminable places beyond Canada’s shores. Such is life for a dedicated performing artist.

September/October 2012

For many this uncertain “life of a touring artist” weighs heavily, impacting wear and tear on both body and soul, but not so for the indomitable Arluk. Despite her hectic schedule, it was evident that she had grown lighter in spirit and garnered wisdom that helped her find a deeper expression in her craft. In recent years, much of her theatre work has drawn her back to the Arctic, her first home. Arluk is researching a remarkable Inuk woman named Tookoolito, who served as an Arctic guide to the explorer Charles Francis Hall in the mid 1800s. Tookoolito and Hall would remain good friends for close to a decade before he was killed by one of his own

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Arluk performing in her one-woman multi-character show TUMIT (“tracks” in Inuktitut). TUMIT premiered in Yellowknife and again in Edmonton as part of Workshop West’s Canoe International Theatre Festival.

Arluk, in her portrayal as Aputik, mother of Natak from the feature film Maina.

crew. Her research discovered that there is still disagreement amongst historians as to who actually poisoned Charles Francis Hall with arsenic. It was rumoured to be Captain Tyson, but Hall himself accused the Doctor of spiking his tea. In itself this was not an essential point though it is one that Arluk hopes to resolve definitively. Her main focus is firmly fixed on creating a stage play based on their friendship. For Tookoolito, despite the death of her friend, she and her husband Joe Eiberbing kept the entire crew alive while they floated on an iceberg that would not find land for six months. So where did Arluk’s urge to tell stories through inspirational theatre actually begin? Born in Fort Smith, NWT, she spent the first five years of her life on the trap-line with her grandparents. Growing up, like most of her

young peers, what she wanted most of all was to “fit in.” After high school, she did what many of her high school friends did to “find themselves”: travel to Europe. Once there however, Arluk felt terribly homesick and realized that she needed to be on home soil to truly discover who she was. Once back home, a serendipitous meeting with an Apache musician, (Robby Romero), gave her the impetus to travel throughout the United States. Romero was sort of an ambassador for aboriginal culture and the environment. During her travels visiting many Aboriginal communities, Arluk’s eyes were opened to the fact that it takes effort and commitment to keep culture alive. “For the first time, I realized that culture can die,” says Arluk. “And that’s when my Peoples stories started to become really important to me.”That was also when her search for stories of and from her culture — stories that weren’t always easy to access, began in earnest. Now, many years later, Arluk has moved from searching for the stories to joining the circle of storytellers. Her recent projects include performing in Human Cargo’s production of Night based in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, where they performed in 2010; being an acting coach for a select group

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of youth filming a traditional Innu story in Sheshatshiu, Labrador; and shooting her first feature film Maina in Kuujjuaq, Quebec, due to be released next year. And if that isn't enough to keep her busy, she also runs her own theatre company out of Yellowknife, NWT, Akpik Theatre. Akpik was the name given to her by her great-grandmother Alice Simon when she was just a babe, which translates into “cloudberry”. The distinctive yellow colour of the cloudberry, and the fact that it flourishes in harsh northern climates is reflective of Arluk herself. And if anyone has had the joy of enjoying a cup of cloudberry tea or tasting a smear of cloudberry jam on warm toast, they will appreciate the unique and delicious flavour of this berry. For Arluk, her storytelling is an alchemical process — one that allows her to turn her life into art-making and her art-making back into life. It is that same natural, simple pleasure and holistic enjoyment derived from enjoying cloudberries in all their forms, that Arluk hopes her Akpik Theatre performances will bring to audiences wherever it performs.

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September/October 2012

TOURISM

Place of Frozen Waterfalls

oments after awkwardly dragging my plastic orange “expedition” sled through the maze of jumbled pack ice and onto shore at the Itijjagiaq trailhead in Katannilik Territorial Park, the seven-hour slog across Frobisher Bay was forgotten. The miserable wind my trip-partner and I battled the entire 24-kilometre ski died abruptly the moment we reached shore and the sun started peeking out. Unpacking my sled of winter camping gear, I took in my surroundings. Although we were relatively close to Iqaluit, I felt a world apart, enchanted by the rocky bluffs and the picturesque canyon above us and the endless expanse of sea ice below us. The Itijjagiaq “over the land” trail is an unmarked 120-km traditional Inuit travel route connecting Frobisher Bay near Iqaluit to the community of Kimmirut on the south coast of Baffin Island. Crossing the Meta Incognita Peninsula, it winds its way from sea level along creeks, valleys and canyons to a plateau 595 metres ASL, before dropping into the Soper (Kuujjuaq) River Valley leading towards Hudson Strait. Although it didn’t feel like it that 13th of May when we set off from the Iqaluit break-

water, Katannilik Territorial Park is one of the most accessible parks in Nunavut for multiday trips. The south entrance is a mere two kilometres from Kimmirut, while the north entrance, where most people start their multiday trips, can be reached in less than one hour by snowmobile from Iqaluit. Unfortunately, most of our friends had already parked their snowmobiles for the year, forcing us to ski to the park. Waking up to golden light streaming through our tent the next morning, I sprung out of my sleeping bag. In what was to become our daily routine, I packed up silently while my trip-partner boiled water for breakfast. Practically strangers, we had only recently met at a volunteer event in Iqaluit. During one of our first conversations he said casually,“If you ever want to ski to Kimmirut, I would be totally down.” One month later, here we were: a fearless and strong-willed 24-year-old male and me, an adventurous yet highly cautious 29-year-old woman embarking on a sevenday, 150-kilometre trip. We towed our sleds up a small canyon called Toongatalik, “the place where there are ghosts.” As we climbed gradually towards the

September/October 2012

Skiing Nunavut’s Katannilik Territorial Park

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TOURISM

The Nunavut Parks sign at Shelter1 welcomes visitors to “the place where there are waterfalls.”

THE ITIJJAGIAQ TRAIL

— Katannilik Territorial Park was created in 1992 to encourage recreation and protect the nature and cultural features of the area. Although Inuit are historically a maritime culture, the Itijjagiaq Trail was a convenient overland route for people travelling by dog team and hunting caribou. Temperatures in the Soper Valley are, on average, five degrees warmer than surrounding areas, supporting lush vegetation and willows that can grow to 10 feet. The idea of this trip came from a mutual friend, Marie Bélanger, who skied to Kimmirut with a friend in April 2011. The trip had been challenging. They only gave themselves six days to ski the entire 120 km and had to contend with bad visibility and blizzards. They also lacked some essential gear. “I didn’t even know what skins were before the trip,” laughs Bélanger, who had to walk some of the steeper sections because she didn’t have enough grip on her metal-edged cross-country skis. Despite their trials, Bélanger enthusiastically recommended the trip to me,“at the right time of year and with enough time.” Maxine Carroll and Mitch LeBlanc of the Nunavut Youth LEAP Society are quite familiar with skiing in Katannilik. They run a ski adventure program for local youth and have taken two groups through the park since 2005. 50

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September/October 2012

plateau that we would reach the following day, phantoms were the furthest thing from mind. The cliff tops were alive with the chirps of snow buntings, flitting about as if energized from their winter spent south, while skeins of Canada Geese created a cacophony overhead. Although well into May, the 35 species of migratory birds that pass through this area each spring were just starting to arrive. While the terrain along the Itijjagiaq trail is not overly challenging, the scenery is never dull. The landscape changes constantly from rolling hills to limestone canyons and pretty lakes to meandering valleys and wide plateaus yielding endless horizons in all directions. I loved every moment of it. The Inuktitut word Katannilik means,“where there are waterfalls.”The park attracts a handful of hikers and paddlers each summer, many of whom fly to Mount Joy and float down the Soper River. In spring it primarily serves as a hunting area for Inuit and as a local snowmobile route. Nine emergency shelters approximately 15 km apart along the winter route provide protection from storms and polar bears, the latter more common on the Kimmirut side. According to Nunavut Parks Operations Manager Cameron DeLong, only one or two groups ski through the park each year. The relatively short ski season, as described by DeLong, starts “whenever it’s bearable,” meaning April and May when temperatures are warm enough. Apart from seeing a couple groups of snowmobilers on the first and last day, we had the trail to ourselves. With annual park visitation of less than 100 people (not including Inuit who are not required to register), there’s a lot of tranquility to be found in Katannilik any time of the year. Four days and 75 kilometres in, we climbed a small knoll to the highest point on the Itijjagiaq trail on the plateau that divides the park in half. Down the slope ahead of us lay Panorama Creek and the Soper (or “Kuujjuaq” — meaning “Big River” in Inuktitut). The slopes above the Soper looked brown in contrast to the snowy whiteness behind us. “Fear is not a good enough reason for not doing something,” my trip-partner chided me the previous night while debating our next move. Knowing the rivers would be open in the Soper this late in the season, I was hesitant about going further. We didn’t have river booties to brave the icy waters and I didn’t want to wreck my skis if there wasn’t enough snow in the valley bottom. We used our satellite phone to try and book a last

TOURISM

Preparing to ascend picturesque Tasiu Kounga Creek, the “long valley”.

minute flight from Kimmirut to Iqaluit for the end of our trip. The flight was full, giving us no choice but to turn around. I’m not sure if I was relieved or disappointed to turn back. I consoled myself by promising I would come back and finish the trail while he cheered himself up by insisting we ski another 12 kilometres that day. Although our friend, Marie Bélanger, who skied to Kimmirut in 2011, faced high winds and poor visibility for most of their descent through the Soper Valley, she describes the scenery she did see as “grand.” The Soper has deep and dramatic valley walls and numerous cascading tributaries that give the park its name. Equally memorable to the scenery of the Soper Valley for Bélanger, was the warm reception she and her partner received when they arrived in Kimmirut after an exhausting tenhour day. A community of only 455 residents, Kimmirut is known for its friendliness and hospitality.“When we arrived, two locals came out and took a picture of us. I think they thought we were crazy, but they were so welcoming. It was really special,” she says. Safely back in Iqaluit after shaving one hour off our sea-ice crossing time, we smiled at each other and hugged good bye. I was

thrilled with our adventure, coming away with a greater awareness of the land around me and the beauty of South Baffin. And what’s more, I wanted to return. The last entry in my trip journal reads,

September/October 2012

“Beautiful area, hope to come back in the summer!”

Karen McColl

above & beyond

AVERY COOPER FINANCIAL CORP

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September/October 2012

NORTHERN BOOKSHELF

Great reads for all ages Frozen Planet: A World Beyond Imagination

Dalton’s Gold Rush Trail: Exploring the Route of the Klondike Cattle Drives

By Alastair Fothergill and Vanessa Berlowitz, Firefly Books, 2011 Frozen Planet is the companion book to the TV series of the same name broadcast by Discovery Channel. It follows the world’s best wildlife photographers as they capture animal behavior and landscapes never seen before, including Antarctica’s active volcanoes and the previously restricted Russian Arctic. Custom-designed high definition cameras allowed undisturbed observation. Travelling by nuclear submarine, military helicopter, icebreaker and snowmobile, the filmmakers endured piercing polar winters and the dangerous summer “melt” to record the ultimate portrait of the earth’s Polar Regions. It follows four polar residents that reveal the health of the planet and what the future may hold: the polar bear and Arctic fox in the north and the Adelie penguin and wandering albatross in the south. “Behind the scenes” segments also describe the making of the TV series.

by Michael Gates, Harbour Publishing, 2012 Jack Dalton was a tough, capable outdoorsman who travelled the trails of the Klondike over the turn of the 19th century. Amid border disputes, threats of famine, and the rush of gold-seekers, he maintained control over the routes used for the Klondike cattle drives. Dalton’s trail became one of the only practical routes to transport not only gold but meat as well. Author Michael Gates shares his own experiences rediscovering the Dalton trail with stories that inspire a reverence for the land and the history it contains.

Polar Bears: A Complete Guide to Their Biology and Behavior Text by Andrew E Derocher, Photography by Wayne Lynch The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012 Images of majestic polar bears roaming across ice caps, plunging into frigid waters, and playing with their cubs have come to symbolize the beauty and grandeur of the Arctic. Andrew E. Derocher and Wayne Lynch have spent decades following the bears, and this book offers the most comprehensive and readable review of polar bear biology, ecology, behavior, and conservation. With gripping photographs by Lynch, a pre-eminent wildlife photographer, and personal stories by Derocher, this book is stunning to look at and fascinating to read. Through informative and engaging language, Derocher explains the sea ice ecosystem that is essential to the survival of polar bears. He addresses the threat of global warming to the Arctic and describes in impressive detail polar bears feeding habits, distribution, den ecology, and reproduction. Lynch’s vivid photographs capture the wide range of polar bear behavior, from family rituals to ferocious predatory practices.

Fabulous Creations by the Artisans of Nunavik

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September/October 2012

above & beyond

INUIT FORUM

My conversation with Ezra have had the pleasure of many firsts since taking on the role of National Inuit Leader in June: Meeting with Ministers of the Crown; representing Inuit at the annual Council of the Federation gathering of provincial and territorial premiers; and in late July, my first television interview with political pundit Ezra Levant for his Sun TV program, The Source. I would not have expected to find an ally in the ultra-conservative Levant. I’m sure we disagree on many things. But the TV host had recently travelled to Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik, where he attended the Inuvik Petroleum Show, and evidently learned about the importance of country food to Inuit. To “celebrity environmentalists” like Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson, wanted by Interpol at the time of our interview after fleeing house arrest in Germany, Levant championed the freedom to hunt, crying, “Fight them with facts!” That is exactly what Inuit have endeavoured to do in our legal attempts to overturn a law banning the import of seal products to the European Union. And when it comes to firing back at jet-setting activists who fly into remote communities, destroying industries and incomes, and fly right back out again, we’ll take all the help we can get. Levant told the audience about a woman he met in Inuvik who told him her family could eat for a year on the muktuk from a single whale. He asked to go out hunting with the family, but she said no, fearing the footage would simply become added arsenal in the propaganda war against the harvest. “Here was an Inuit woman whose family has been living off the bounty of the sea for centuries and just eating her traditional food,” he said,“and she was condemned as if she was

ITK President Terry Audla (right) in an interview with Ezra Levant, on his Sun TV program, The Source.

“Fight them with facts!” That is exactly what Inuit have endeavoured to do in our legal attempts to overturn a law banning the import of seal products to the European Union. And when it comes to firing back at jet-setting activists who fly into remote communities, destroying industries and incomes, and fly right back out again, we’ll take all the help we can get. some evil woman, afraid to show me what was in her freezer.” The TV host himself decried the “emotional pornography” used by animal rights groups: “You could show almost any industrial activity and get the same emotional impact.” He even embraced the actions of former Governor-General Michaëlle Jean, who, in savouring a piece of seal heart handed to her by NTI President Cathy Towtongie, helped many Canadians truly understand the Inuit connection to the land. “I didn’t have much time for our last Governor-General,” said Levant. But her actions

showed “that whatever we’ve done wrong in our history with Aboriginal peoples, we’re not going to forsake them now in their battle against European celebrities.” This is our 100-mile diet and nobody has the right to take it from us. It is worth remembering, when we begin to feel pressure from animal activists and the like, that we are fighting them with facts, and we are winning allies at every turn.

Terry Audla

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

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September/October 2012

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