Above & Beyond | Canada's Arctic Journal 2016 | 05 by above&beyond

2016 | 05 â&#x20AC;¢ $5.95

Searching for Arctic Gold

Alexandra Fiord

Paintings from the

In the Heart of Kuururjuaq

Top of the World

PM40050872

o www.arcticjournal.ca

Jobie Tukkiapik / JW bexW4

Brock Friesen / XÇ4 K‰n8

Dear Guest, It is a season of positive change at First Air! A third ATR42-500 has joined our fleet and is now based in Yellowknife. The addition of this aircraft has enabled us to revise our schedule in the Western Arctic. All turboprop routes here are now being served by ATR42-500s, resulting in a seat capacity increase of 36 per cent. Three additional ATR 42-500s will join our fleet this year, as we continue to modernize and invest in our future. All of our new ATR42-500s are configured as 42-seat all-passenger aircraft, offering a more comfortable, clean, fast, and modern turboprop aircraft to you, our valued customers. Our existing ATR42-300 aircraft are being converted into full freighters, for which they are perfectly suited. Our cargo customers will benefit from increased cargo capacity to match their demand and to ensure a steady flow of goods. Next year, Iqaluit and the Eastern Arctic will also get to experience the all-passenger ATR 42-500s, except customers flying to Pangnirtung and Clyde River, where we have no choice but to retain the ATR42-300 combi for the time being due to limited runway length. Back by popular demand is our Monday, Wednesday, and Friday trans-territorial service! This important schedule improvement, in codeshare partnership with Canadian North, will better align our customers’ leisure, corporate, government and group travel. We heard your concerns about not being able to travel Monday to Friday and Friday to Monday and are pleased to be able to restore these options for your convenience. In addition to adding newer generation aircraft to our fleet and improving our schedule, we are also working on modernizing existing aircraft in our fleet. While we await the arrival of more ATR 42-500s in the East, we have replaced the seat covers and cushions on all of our ATR42-300 aircraft for your comfort. Each of these improvements and changes is aimed at demonstrating our commitment to our customers, by providing you with a first rate experience each time you choose flying with us, as we celebrate our 70th anniversary this year. Thank you for flying First Air, The Airline of the North — we wish you a pleasant flight!

Brock Friesen First Air President & CEO

ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ,

ᓈᒻᒪᒃᓯᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᒃᑐᑎᒍᑦ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑎᑦᑎᕕᒃᓴᖓᑦ!

1/3-ᓗᐊᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ ATR42-500 ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᔭᓗᓇᐃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᓐᓂᕐᕕᐅᑕᐅᕙᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥᒃ ᐃᓚᔭᐅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᖓ ᑎᑭᑦᑕᕐᕕᒃᓴᐅᔪᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᑉ ᐅᐊᓕᓂᖓᓂᕐᒥᐅᓂ ᐋᖅᑭᒋᐊᕆᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᐸᕗᑦ. ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᓱᐴᔫᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓄᑦ ᐊᖅᑯᓵᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᕕᐅᓕᕐᒪᑕ ATR42-500-ᓂᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᑦ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᖖᒍᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᐳᑦ 36 ᐳᕐᓴᓐᑎᒥᒃ. ᐱᖓᓱᒃᑲᓐᓃᑦ (3) ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ ATR 42-500-ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᕆᔭᑦᑎᓐᓂ, ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᓄᑕᐅᓕᕆᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓯᕗᓂᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᕿᑐᕐᖏᐅᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ. ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᑖᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ATR42-500-ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖃᕐᒪᑕ 42-ᓂᒃ ᐃᒃᓯᕚᕐᕕᒃᓴᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᓄᑦ, ᐃᓂᖅᑯᕐᑐᓂᕐᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᓴᓗᒪᔫᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᓱᒃᑲᓕᔫᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑕᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᕗᑦ ᓱᐴᔫᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕗᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕈᑎᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᒻᒪᕆᒃᑲᑦᑎᒋᑦ ᐃᓕᑦᓯ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓯ. ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ATR42-300-ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᒋᔭᕗᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐊᖑᓕᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐅᓯᔨᐅᕙᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐱᖁᑎᓄᑦ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᒋᐊᒃᓴᖏᑕ ᓈᒻᒪᑦᑎᐊᕋᔭᕐᒪᑕ. ᐅᓯᑎᑦᑎᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᓂᖃᕐᓂᐊᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐅᓯᕝᕕᒃᓴᕆᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐅᓯᑎᑕᐅᔪᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᒃᓯᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᖅᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑕᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᐱᖁᑏᑦ ᐅᓯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᐸᓐᓂᐊᓕᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᐊᕐᕌᒍ, ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓘᑉ ᒥᒃᓵᓂᕐᒥᐅᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᒫᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕝᕕᒃᓴᖃᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃᑕᐅᖅ ATR 42-500-ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ ᐃᓚᐅᑎᓐᓇᒋᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᐸᖕᓂᖅᑑᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᖏᖅᑐᒑᐱᖕᒧᑦ, ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓᓕ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐊᕋᑦᑕ ᓱᓕ ATR42-300-ᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᑲᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᒥᑦᑕᕐᕕᖏᑕ ᑕᑭᓂᕆᔭᖏᑦ.

ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᕐᐳᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᕐᕕᐅᖁᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓇᒡᒐᔾᔭᐅᒥ, ᐱᖓᑦᓯᕐᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᓪᓕᒥᕐᒥ ᐃᑳᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ! ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᑎᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᖓ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑦ ᑎᑭᑦᑕᕐᕕᐊᑕ ᐱᐅᓯᒋᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓ, ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᓂᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖃᑎᖃᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᔅᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓕᕆᔨᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐋᖅᑭᐅᒪᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᒋᐊᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑕ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑰᕐᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᖏᓄᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᖃᖅᑐᑦ, ᒐᕙᒪᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᑎᖕᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐅᖓᔭᖅᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ. ᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕋᑦᑎᒍ ᐃᓱᒫᓗᒍᑎᖃᕐᕕᒋᔭᓯ ᐅᐊᔭᕈᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖖᒋᓐᓂᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᓇᒡᒐᔾᔭᐅᒥᑦ ᑕᓪᓕᒥᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᓪᓕᒥᕐᒥᑦ ᓇᒡᒐᔾᔭᐅᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᑐᒍᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑎᑭᑦᑕᕐᕕᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᒃᑲᓐᓂᓚᐅᕋᑦᑕ ᐱᔪᒪᓐᓂᕆᔭᓯ ᒪᓕᒃᑐᒋᑦ. ᐃᓚᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᑖᖑᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ ᐱᓯᒪᓕᒃᑲᓐᓂᓚᐅᕐᓂᕗᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᓕᐅᑎᑎᑦᑐᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᐅᓯᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᖓ ᑎᑭᑉᐸᖕᓂᖏᓂᒃ, ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᕐᒥᔪᒍᑦ ᓄᑕᐅᓕᕆᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᕆᓕᐊᓂᒃᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ. ᐅᑕᖅᑭᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐱᑕᖃᓕᕐᕕᒃᓴᖓᓄᑦ ATR42-500-ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓂᒃ ᑭᕙᑖᓂᕐᒥᐅᓄᑦ, ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᐃᒃᓯᕚᕐᕖᑦ ᖄᓕᖅᑐᒐᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑭᑦᑎᐊᓛᖑᔪᑦ ᑕᒪᐃᓂ ATR42-300-ᖑᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂᒃ ᐃᖢᕐᕆᓂᖅᓴᐅᕙᖁᓪᓗᓯ.

ᐊᑐᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐱᐅᓯᒋᐊᕈᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᑐᕌᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᒻᒪᑕ ᐃᓕᑦᓯᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓯᒪᓕᕈᒪᓂᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᒪᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ, ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐸᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒍᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᓯ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐃᑭᒪᑎᓪᓗᓯ, ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ 70-ᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓂᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ. ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᐃᑭᒪᓚᐅᕋᑦᓯ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖓᓂ, ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᖓᓐᓂ — ᖃᖓᑕᑦᑎᐊᖁᓇᖅᐳᓯ!

ᐸᕌᒃ ᕗᕇᓴᓐ ᕘᔅᑎᐊᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖅ & ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ

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

Chers invités, C’est la saison du changement positif chez First Air! Un troisième ATR 42-500 est venu augmenter notre flotte et est maintenant basé à Yellowknife. L’ajout de cet aéronef nous a permis de modifier notre programme de vols dans l’Arctique de l’Ouest. Toutes nos routes aériennes pour aéronefs à turbopropulseurs sont maintenant desservies par ATR 42-500, augmentant ainsi de 36 % le nombre de sièges. Trois autres ATR 42-500 seront ajoutés à notre flotte cette année pour nous permettre de poursuivre notre modernisation et nos investissements à l’avenir. Tous nos nouveaux ATR 42-500 sont configurés comme des aéronefs tout-passager de 42 sièges, vous offrant, notre clientèle appréciée, un aéronef à turbopropulseurs plus confortable, plus propre, plus rapide et plus moderne. Nous sommes en train de transformer nos ATR 42-300 existants entièrement en aéronefs-cargo, pour lesquels ils sont parfaitement adaptés. Nos clients de fret profiteront de cette plus grande capacité qui répondra à leurs besoins et assurera un transport régulier de produits. L’an prochain, Iqaluit et l’Arctique de l’Est feront à leur tour l’expérience des ATR 42-500 tout-passager, sauf pour les clients qui se rendent à Pangnirtung et Clyde River, pour lesquelles nous devons pour l’instant conserver l’ATR 42-300 combi en raison de la piste d’atterrissage qui est trop courte. Le service transterritorial du lundi, du mercredi et du vendredi est de retour à la demande populaire! Cette importante amélioration de l’horaire, pour les vols en partage de code avec Canadian North, nous permettra de mieux programmer les déplacements de nos clients, qu’il s’agisse de voyages de plaisir, d’affaires, de groupes ou pour le gouvernement. Nous avons entendu vos préoccupations relativement à l’absence de vols du lundi au vendredi et du vendredi au lundi, et nous sommes heureux d’avoir pu rétablir ces options pour votre commodité. En plus d’ajouter des aéronefs plus récents à notre flotte et d’améliorer les horaires, nous veillons également à moderniser nos aéronefs existants. Pendant que nous attendons l’arrivée d’un plus grand nombre d’ATR 42-500 dans l’Est, nous avons remplacé les recouvrements de sièges et les coussins de tous nos ATR 42-300 pour votre confort. Ces améliorations et ces changements visent à manifester notre engagement envers notre fidèle clientèle, vous fournissant ainsi une expérience de première classe chaque fois que vous choisissez de prendre un vol avec nous, alors que nous célébrons notre 70e anniversaire cette année. Merci d’utiliser First Air, la Ligne aérienne du Nord – nous vous souhaitons un agréable vol!

Brock Friesen Président-directeur général de First Air

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

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In the News

Bringing smiles to Northern children’s faces First Air, the Airline of the North; the community of Kimmirut and Project North teamed up to bring 50 sets of new soccer equipment and invaluable recreational opportunities to youth in Kimmirut, Nunavut. The bags included everything a child might need to play soccer, from shoes, shorts and jerseys to balls and nets.

The exciting new equipment was immediately put to use as a friendly game of soccer was played. The local team won 6-5 over the visiting team.

Celebrating Nunavut Day

First Air, in partnership with BeaverTails, brought tasty pastries to Iqaluit for Nunavut Day! We had such a great time celebrating and visiting with those who stopped by! We handed out approximately 1,500 BeaverTails.

Sharing our new plane! Attendees at the Yellowknife International Air Show took the opportunity to check out First Air’s 70th anniversary ATR 42-500.

From the Flight Deck How does a tailwind help an airplane fly faster? An aircraft generates its forward speed though interactions with the air. The propellers or the jet engines simply push a bunch of air backwards which, thanks to Newton’s third law of motion — equal and opposite reactions — makes the aircraft move forward. This speed, though, is relative to the air around the aircraft. What happens when we add wind to the equation? Wind is simply moving air, so by introducing wind, we’re simply moving the parcel of air through which the aircraft is moving at that speed. Instead of thinking about airplanes, let’s think about a person going up or down an escalator. (In this case, we need a person who also walks on the escalator, not someone who just stands still and goes for a ride.) On any given day, a person will climb stairs — a stationary escalator — at a fairly constant pace. This is much like the speed that the aircraft flies through the air. If we set the same power on Friday that we set on Monday, the speed will be the same

both days. Likewise, the same person will climb a flight of stairs at the same speed on different days of the week. Now we can add the wind (moving the air) — in this case, we’ll just turn the escalator on and make the stairs start to move. When a person climbs the escalator while it is moving, they actually get to the top that much sooner, thanks to the fact that the stairs are moving in the same direction. This is exactly the same thing that happens to the aircraft when we have a tailwind. We fly at the same speed but the wind gives us an additional push so we actually get there faster than we expected. The opposite is the case with a headwind — the wind holds us back. This is no different than what would happen if you were to walk the wrong way down the escalator (or run on a treadmill — if you match your running speed to the treadmill speed, you never actually go anywhere). You may hear the pilots mention, ‘Airspeed’ in one of their announcements. In this case, they are talking about the actual speed through the air — that constant value that only depends on our power setting. At other times, they may mention, ‘Ground

speed’ — that’s the actual speed of the aircraft over the ground. It includes the effects of the engines and the winds. (This is how fast someone on the bottom floor would see the person move up the escalator.) Any time that there is a tailwind, the aircraft will move faster than we expect. At higher altitudes the winds are generally fairly predictable. We use those predictable winds (which the weather folks call ‘prevailing winds’) when we build our flight schedules. That’s why the flight from Yellowknife to Rankin Inlet is planned to take 1:55 but the return flight is 2:05. Of course, Mother Nature likes to keep us guessing, so every once in a while, the winds are quite different than normal. When we’re lucky the tailwinds are stronger, so we get pushed along faster than expected and arrive a few minutes early. Captain Aaron Speer Vice President, Flight Operations First Air If you are curious about a specific topic regarding flying and aircraft operations, let us know what you'd like to learn about and we'll try to include it in a future column. Email editor@arcticjournal.ca.

One of First Air’s new 737-400s approaching Runway 34 in Iqaluit with a 5 knot tailwind. © Baffin Photography/Jason Miller

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Employee Spotlight | Iqqanaijaqtiup Ujjirijautitauninga ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᐹᕐᓐᔅ | Billie Jo Barnes ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᐹᕐᓐᔅ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑎᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᕗᖅ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᓪᓚᕕᒡᔪᐊᖓᓂ ᑲᓈᑕ, ᐋᓐᑎᐊᕆᐅᒥ. ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᓕᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᖓᓐᓂ ᓄᕕᐱᕆ 2015-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᑕᐃᒪᖖᒐᓂᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᖖᒍᕋᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᕝᕕᒋᓂᐊᕋᒥᐅᒃ ᐃᓂᒋᓕᖅᑕᓂ. ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᖖᒑᖅᑐᓂ, ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᐋᑐᕙᒧᑦ ᓄᒃᑎᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ. ᐊᓯᐊᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖅᑖᕈᒪᓚᐅᕐᒪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᓕᕐᓗᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑦᑐᖃᕐᒪᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᓕᕈᓐᓇᖅᑕᒥᓂᒃ, ᑲᔪᓯᑎᒋᐊᕐᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᐅᑎᓕᓚᐅᕐᒪᒍ.

Billie Jo Barnes is a Customer Service Agent for First Air based at headquarters in Kanata, Ontario. She joined the Customer Contact Centre in November 2015. From her first day she knew it would be an interesting place to fill her days. Originally from Iqaluit, Nunavut, Billie Jo recently relocated to Ottawa. She was looking for a change and a new challenge and when the opportunity with First Air came up, she didn’t want to pass it up.

ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᑕᒪᐃᓄᑲᓴᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᖏᓄᑦ ᑎᑭᓯᒪᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᕆᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᔭᒥᓂ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒋᔭᐅᔪᓂ. ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑰᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᐃᖅᑕᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᑭᒪᕙᒃᑐᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖁᑎᖓᓂ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥᓂ ᑐᖖᒐᓱᒃᐸᒃᑲᒥ ᑐᖖᒐᓱᓐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕐᓯᒪᓕᕋᒥ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ. ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᑲᓴᓐᓄ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᖖᒐᕝᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑎᖓᓂ, ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᖓᓂ. ᐅᑭᐅᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᓗᐊᖖᒋᑦᑐᑦ ᓈᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒥᓂ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᔨᐅᕙᓕᖅᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒍᑎᖃᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᐸᐅᔭᒋᔭᖓᓂ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᖃᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᖏᕈᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓕᕆᐊᕐᓂᖏᑕ ᑭᖑᕙᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᖖᒋᑦᑐᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒪᓕᒐᖁᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓯᒪᓂᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ. ᑭᖑᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐅᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᓂ. ᑖᔅᓱᒥᖓᓕ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖃᓕᕋᒥ ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓄᑲᓴᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐅᐊᔭᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕐᐳᖅ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒋᔭᖅᑐᕐᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂᒋᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᖅᑖᕐᓯᒪᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᓂ ᐆᒻᒪᑎᒥᒍ ᖃᓂᑕᕆᓕᖅᑐᓂᒋᑦ.

Billie Jo has travelled to almost every community in Nunavut with her previous jobs with the territorial land claims organizations. She usually flew on the Airline of the North, so there was sort of that home away from home feeling when she started with First Air. During her years with NTI, she worked on developing policies with the administration department. After a few years she moved into the communications department where she had the pleasure of organizing the Nunavut Day Celebrations in the capital of Nunavut as well as ensuring that beneficiaries were reached in a timely and effective manner on program and policies that affect Inuit. Her last position was with the Residential School file. That job gave Billie Jo many opportunities to travel to almost all communities in Nunavut where she met many people who have become very dear friends and whom she holds very close to her heart.

ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᕝᕕᒻᒥ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᑎᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖃᕐᒪᑦ, ᓱᓇᖅᐸᓗᓐᓂᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖄᓚᐅᑏᑦ ᓯᕙᓃᓐᓇᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᑎᓵᕐᓗᓂ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓇᒐᓚᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓗ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᐃᑦ ᑐᖖᒐᓇᖅᑐᒻᒪᕆᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᖅᑎᐊᖅᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᕗᑦ.

The Contact Centre is full of life, noise and phones ringing and could be a little bit intimidating when you first walk in, but the staff are all super friendly and helpful.

ᖃᐅᑕᒫᑦ, ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒥᓂ ᑐᕌᕐᕕᖃᕋᓱᒃᐸᒃᑐᖅ ᑐᖖᒐᓇᖅᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᓂ, ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᑑᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᖅᑐᑎᒍ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᒋᐊᒧᑦ. ᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᒻᒥᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐃᓐᓇᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ: “ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᓕᒫᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖃᕐᓗᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑑᓂᐊᖅᑐᖓ.”

Daily, Billie Jo strives to be a friendly, helpful and efficient agent. Her motto is: “Work hard and be nice to people.”

ᑕᐃᒪᖖᒐᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑰᕈᑎᒃᓴᓕᕆᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᖅᑖᕐᓯᒪᓕᕋᒥ ᕘᔅᑦ ᐃᐊᒃᑯᓐᓂ, ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᐃᓚᖏᓂᒃ ᑐᓴᕆᐊᕐᓇᐃᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᓂ ᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᐳᖅ. ᖃᐅᑕᒫᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᕐᐳᖅ "ᑖᓐᓇᓗ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒍ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᕆᕙᒃᑕᒃᑲ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔮᒃᓴᐅᔫᔭᓗᐊᖅᐸᖖᒋᓚᑦ. ᖁᕕᐊᓇᒻᒪᕆᒃᐊᒻᒥᔪᖅ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᑕᑯᔭᖅᑐᐃᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᓕᕌᖓᒪ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᓪᓚᕆᖕᓂᖏᓂ ᑐᓴᖅᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᕙᒻᒪᑕ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ!"

ᐱᓕ ᔫᐅ ᐅᖄᓚᕝᕕᐅᒑᖓᒥ ᖁᕕᐊᒋᓛᕆᕙᒃᐸᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᑦᑎᐊᒥᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᓕᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᐅᑎᒃᓴᖅᑖᕈᒪᔪᑦ. "ᐊᐱᖅᑯᑎᒃᓴᕆᔭᖏᓂᒃ ᑭᐅᔪᒪᑦᑎᐊᖅᐸᒃᑕᒃᑲ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᒋᔭᓐᓂ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕆᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕐᕕᒋᓯᒪᒋᐊᓐᓂᒃ."

Since starting with Reservations at First Air, Billie Jo has had some interesting calls. She is able to speak with people she knows on a daily basis, “which makes work not really work at all. It is also always a joy when speaking to first-time visitors to the North as I can hear the excitement in their voices!”

Billie Jo’s favourite calls are from people who call to make reservations to travel to the North for the first time. “I love answering questions and giving some tips on the culture in my hometown.”

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

www.firstair.ca

2016 | 05 • $5.95

Searching for Arc c Gold

Alexandra Fiord

In the Heart of Kuururjuaq

Contents

September | October 2016 Volume 28, No. 5

Paintings from the

Top of the World

PM40050872

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King of the ice, 8” x 8”, Mixed Media on Board By Glyn Macey

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Paintings from the Top of the World

Searching for arctic Gold

as whalers and traders began looking elsewhere for profits, it was that elusive element gold that brought new activity to north Baffin. in the summer of 1912, three expeditions arrived at Pond inlet in search of gold. — David R. Gray

alexandra Fiord

nestled between two major ice-fields, lush lowlands surround a network of deep fiords and polynyas. For thousands of years, this oasis has seen the arrival and departure of people from different cultures. — Katriina O’Kane

in the Heart of Kuururjuaq

taitsumani, once upon a time, in the not-sodistant past, still very vibrant in their elders’ recollections, inuit travelled along the natural corridor that the winding flow of the Koroc river extends in the foothills of the Torngat mountains. — Isabelle Dubois

a B oV e & B e yo n d — c a n a da’ S a rc T i c J o U r n a l

13 Living Above&Beyond 20 Resources

28 Celebrating First Air’s 70th 39 Arts

The dorset effect

— William Huffman

42 Arts

Folk on the rocks

— doris ohlmann

45 Health

Get Happy Summer day camp Training

— recreation and Parks association of nunavut

48 Community

Governor General Visits the Hudson Bay region

— His excellency the right

Honourable david Johnston

51 Bookshelf

53 Guest Editorial

— Johannes lampe

President of nunatsiavut

54 Inuit Forum

— natan obed, President, iTK

Paintings from the

Ice Blue 8” x 8” mixed media on board

Top of the World Text and Photos by Glyn Macey

Beautiful, untamed, mysterious... The arctic conjures up many emotions for those who have visited the region, and for those who have yet to experience the majesty of this frozen landscape, all of these descriptions hold true. as an artist, the arctic is a stunningly vivid landscape, a delicately balanced eco-system and the most fragile of environments, an environment that needs our help and our protection. it is both vulnerable and awe inspiringly powerful at the same time. a B oV e & B e yo n d — c a n a da’ S a rc T i c J o U r n a l

Orcas 8” x 8” mixed media on board

dark winters, my friend Mali conﬁdes, “You know, the people who live and work here

essence of the Arctic wilderness through my

want to be here, that's why they stay... Back at home, everyone complains about the

paintings. So with my rucksack packed with paint, brushes

same things, but here...” Mali trails oﬀ as she catches sight of some seabirds, binoculars

and paper, I trudged and slipped my way to the top of icy

quickly brought into action, “Puﬃns and Fulmars,” I’m told.

orking in the Arctic over the summer months I

When discussing what it is like to live in the High Arctic through the harshest of long

was able to experience and to try to capture the

glaciers to capture the huge Cerulean skies that dwarfed the

And that's it. at is the inexplicable draw of the Arctic for me — the feeling that

shining landscape below. I painted freshly calved cobalt blue

we are all part of something, not separated from the natural environment as most of

icebergs at close quarters and reveled in the elemental force

us feel from time to time as we lead our busy lives, but instead, the Arctic gives us a

of an Arctic storm.

chance to slow down and to reconnect with what really matters.

Day by day, I felt closer to the Arctic landscape; I felt

I reconnect through Prussian blue, Burnt Umber and Cobalt, through brush and

I understood it a little better each time I painted. I was

pencil, through observation and through trying to understand exactly what it is that

transﬁxed.

the Arctic is telling me.

2016 | 05

Blow 8” x 8” mixed media on board

Arctic Fox 8” x 8” mixed media and found collage on board The text in the painting is from an Inuit poem.

I started my Arctic painting adventure in the appropriately named Arctic Bay, Nunavut, a ramshackle cluster of homes, shops and businesses tumbling down towards the ord like a pack of badly stacked cards. My journal notes read: “It’s 6 degrees C so not really cold at all, I'm in jeans and a t-shirt despite the snow covered Screed Mountains surrounding the town. e screed slopes are olive, umber and blue grey and create a muted foil for the timber homes painted in ochre, sage, burnt orange and iron oxide red.” I set up my easel and start to paint as a moose munches grass nearby. Soon I’m out at sea, heading north, searching for wildlife to paint, and boy, do I find some: Minke Whales, Arctic Terns, Bearded Seals, Puffins, Little Auks, an Arctic Skua, Arctic Fox, Humpback Whales and the king of the Arctic and iconic symbol of the fight to preserve the frozen North, the Polar Bear. I cannot believe my luck and paint and draw incessantly.

Crossing Greenland, I try to capture the ord mountainsides using Prussian blue, umber, purple and slate; against the oen-pure white snow, the darks and lights create incredible abstract patterns. Add to this the impossibly clear pale blue greens of glaciers and icebergs and I ﬁnd myself in an artistic visual heaven. Ending my journey in Spitsbergen, I visit the research stations at Ny-Alesund. I feel a little like I have arrived on a underbirds set, with low-slung 60s buildings sporting radar dishes and complicated masts, populated by climate scientists from 10 nations including British, Dutch and Chinese. I laugh when I spot a t-shirt in the gi shop with the slogan, “Please leave your gun at the door and take your shoes oﬀ ”. is short, humorous quote really seems to sum up the ethos of the Arctic residents: hardy and no nonsense for sure, but fun, friendly and incredibly welcoming at the same time. My Arctic painting adventure enthralled my senses and inspired my creativity like nowhere else, and I'll be back for sure. More work from Glyn Macey’s Arctic project, ‘Paintings from the Top of the World’ can be found at www.glynmacey.com.

a B oV e & B e yo n d — c a n a da’ S a rc T i c J o U r n a l

Humpback 8” x 8” mixed media on board

liVinG aBoVe & Beyond

The Living the Journey: Cancer Peer Support initiative developed by the NWT Breast Health Cancer Action Group. © nWT Breast Health cancer action Group

The Be a Buddy Not a Bully program developed by the Kamikaze Punishment Foundation helps promote healthy living and reduce the negative effects of bullying in the community. © Kamikaze Punishment Foundation

community Fund Program winners announced

Field law has announced this year’s winners of its annual community Fund Program. The Program, which supports local community initiatives and projects, handed out a total of $15,000 in funding to help launch or grow each local project.

The winning recipients are: The living the Journey: cancer Peer

Support for the nWT, receiving the grand prize of $6,000; HackSpace Western Arctic Moving Pictures (WAMP) offers a workshop series that gives youth the opportunity to gain practical experience in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields. WAMP leads the HackSpace NT workshop this past July. © Western arctic Moving Pictures (WaMP)

a B oV e & B e yo n d — c a n a da’ S a rc T i c J o U r n a l

nT and Be a Buddy not a Bully, both receiving $4,500.

Field law is a regional law firm with offices in calgary, edmonton

and yellowknife. To learn more about the community Fund Program, visit www.fieldlawcommunityfund.com.

liVinG aBoVe & Beyond Trisha Ogina accesses iglu images on her iPad while in an iglu, as part of a KHS traditional learning program. © Brendan Griebel

does the future of inuit tradition lie in modern technology?

inuit sources for cultural knowledge are rapidly changing. The loss of elders with first-hand experience of traditional lifeways and the break-

down of oral and intergenerational strategies for knowledge transmission are challenging ef-

forts to revitalize language, skills and culture across nunavut. at the same time, however, internet use in nunavut is on the rise. The popu-

larity of social networks such as Facebook and

you-Tube in nunavut indicates that inuit are eager to maintain and evolve traditional prac-

tices of peer-to-peer knowledge exchange through new media platforms. The mass movement towards digital technology presents an opportunity for online networks to play a new

role in the communication and maintenance of traditional inuit knowledge.

This october, the Kitikmeot Heritage Society

(KHS) will bring together inuit representatives, academic researchers and software specialists at the annual inuit Studies conference in new-

foundland to consider new directions in the use of digital technology for the preservation and promotion of inuit culture. discussions will ex-

plore how the merger of ‘digital’ and ‘tradi-

tional’ has impacted the ways that inuit cultural knowledge is learned, stored, and communi-

cated throughout the arctic. Most importantly, the session will address how the virtual world

can be shaped and improved by aligning more

closely with traditional inuit strategies for both sharing and using their knowledge.

Stay tuned for the Kitikmeot Heritage Soci-

ety’s 2017 release of a new publication based on the results of this meeting.

2016 | 05

liVinG aBoVe & Beyond

Bear Witness arctic expedition to celebrate canada’s History

in april 2017, a team of explorers will circum-

navigate Bylot island, by ski. an historic, remote and uninhabited island in canada’s High arctic,

revisited: stories ranging from centuries-old human migration to modern day sovereignty claims.

The expedition will look forward and ask

at 73 degrees north, Bylot is more than 700

important questions. Given the changing arctic

Marking and celebrating canada’s 150th

even be possible in the not so distant future?

kilometres north of the arctic circle.

Birthday, this ambitious journey will be a world first. The expedition will represent the largest

island in the world ever to be circumnavigated

on skis. retracing some centuries-old historical routes, this epic 500-km journey will take close to a month to complete and will include travel-

climate and environment, will such a journey With sea ice conditions in certain areas of the

arctic becoming less predictable, the challenge is not so much whether the expedition can

succeed now, but will it even be possible 50 years from now?

The expedition will be documented, photo-

ling through the eastern entrance of the fabled

graphed and filmed. With a comprehensive

The expedition will take place within the

to fully document the expedition for book and

northwest Passage.

boundaries of the proposed lancaster Sound national Marine conservation area. lancaster

Sound is an incredibly rich arctic ecosystem; polar bears, narwhals, bowheads, belugas, sev-

eral species of seals, walrus and hundreds of

thousands of sea birds call it home. at this time,

social media strategy in place, the intention is

film components. canadians from coast to coast and adventurers throughout the world

will be able to follow along, experience and feel part of this celebratory and important journey. www.BearWitness.ca

the area remains unprotected.

The twin goals of the Bear Witness arctic

expedition are to celebrate canada’s 150th birth-

day and bear witness to the changes taking place in the arctic. canadian arctic history will be

a B oV e & B e yo n d — c a n a da’ S a rc T i c J o U r n a l

liVinG aBoVe & Beyond

calling all nunavik throat singers

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Fédération

des co-opératives du nouveau-Québec, or ilagiisaq, is hosting Katatjaliutjiniq, a throatsinging contest open to all nunavimmiut.

Song entries can be traditional or original,

but shouldn’t be more than one-minute long. enter by recording one song with a cell phone

and uploading it to the Katatjaliutjiniq Facebook page. entries should include the name of both

performers, their home community and the name of the song. at least one member of the throatsinging pair must be a minimum of 18 years old.

Submissions will be accepted until February

24, 2017. entries will be judged by some of the

region’s best-known throat singers: akinisie Sivuarapik, robert Watt and evie Mark. Winners

will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Montreal,

including airfare, hotel and spending money, sometime in May 2017. during the trip, winners Nunavik throat-singing sisters Alice Ainalik and Maggie Putulik prepare to perform together. © emanuel lowi

will be invited to perform at a gala event to celebrate ilagiisaq’s birthday.

2016 | 05

liVinG aBoVe & Beyond

The cast and crew on the set of Zacharias Kunuk’s Maliglutit or The Searchers. (Absent: Jonathan Frantz) aJ Messier (Hogtown Studios) © Kingulliit Productions inc.

Kunuk’s new film to be released

director Zach Kunuk’s Atanarjuat — the fast Runner — was named best canadian feature film at the Toronto international Film Festival (TiFF) in

September 2001. Fifteen years later, his most recent offering, Maliglutit

or the Searchers, is set to debut at the same Festival in September 2016. it is an action-packed historical drama set around 1913 in north

Baffin, nunavut. a man and his teenage son go hunting and return to their iglu to find two grandparents and a child murdered and the man’s

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

wife and 12-year-old daughter kidnapped. The man, Uik, begins a relentless chase to find the rest of his family and determine what happened.

The film is all in inuktitut. Scenes for the movie were taken in igloolik

and avammuktulik this past March. Kunuk plans to show the film in igloolik in october.

For more information, visit isuma.ca.

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

northern images A Division of Arctic Co-operatives Ltd.

Yellowknife 867-873-5944

Visit Our Website www.northernimages.ca a B oV e & B e yo n d — c a n a da’ S a rc T i c J o U r n a l

Supporters and Promoters of Inuit and Dene artists and their art

2016 | 05

Music camps travel to the yukon

liVinG aBoVe & Beyond

Under the instruction of cellists nico Stephenson, isidora nojkovic, and roland

Gjernes, a series of free, week-long music camps occurred in several yukon communities in July.

With cellos on loan from a Vancouver

music store, the cellists travelled to ross

river, dawson city, and Mayo sharing their love for music and teaching youth how to play the cello.

Stephenson and a couple of fellow

music students raised all the money they needed to cover expenses from private donors, including corporate donors the

Kaminak Gold corporation and yukon energy.

The group is already receiving requests

from other yukon communities about hosting more camps and is hoping they can provide the camps again next year.

Nico Stephenson (with cello) and Isidora Nojkovic (far right) with their intermediate group of cellists in Dawson. © yukon cello Project

MSr appointed to represent indigenous people

on august 5, Mary Simon was appointed as the Minister’s Special representative (MSr). This position will allow Simon to lead engagements and provide advice to the Government of canada about the realities and needs of inuit and other northerners in canada in efforts to implement the commitments of the March 10, 2016 US-canada Joint Statement.

a B oV e & B e yo n d — c a n a da’ S a rc T i c J o U r n a l

it “is a concrete step in realizing a meaningful shared arctic leadership

model, inclusive of inuit,” says nancy Karetak-lindell, President of the inuit circumpolar council (icc) canada.

Mary Simon is an accomplished inuit leader with significant experience

at the regional, national and international levels.

reSoUrceS Bulk sample equipment enroute to the CH-6 camp. © Peregrine diamond’s ltd

nUnaVUT

Chidliak property to see more work

Peregrine diamonds is planning roughly $15 million worth of core drilling and bulk sampling work at its chidliak property near iqaluit this coming winter.

a mineral resource estimate technical

report concludes that there is “a significant

increase in the size of the declared mineral resource at cH-6” and a “maiden mineral resource declaration at cH-7.” Together they

likely contain 9.64 million tonnes of material

with an estimated 1.62 carats per tonne, above the 1.18 millimetre grade cut off.

The site is about 120 kilometres northeast

of iqaluit on the Hall Peninsula.

Gold mine proposal stopped

after a four-year environmental screening and assessment process, the nunavut impact review Board has said no to Sabina Gold and

Silver corp.’s Back river “Hannigayok” gold mine proposal.

The review board stated that the mining

project could potentially produce significant

adverse ecosystemic and socio-economic

While the mine isn't expected to reach a

impacts that cannot be managed right now.

commercial level of production until the first

included the Tłıchǫ Government, the yellow-

on budget and slightly ahead of its timeline.

Stakeholders at the roundtable discussions

knives dene First nation, the Łutsel K’e dene First nation, the north Slave Métis alliance, six individual dene communities and the Government of the northwest Territories.

Shifting from silver to gold

Mike Power, president and ceo of Silver range resources has announced that the company has

shifted focus from developing silver properties in the yukon to generating gold projects in the northwest Territories and nunavut.

The company has acquired the itchen

Property near nunavut’s lupin Gold Mine, on the nWT side of the border and also three other gold

projects in nunavut, one adjacent to yellowknife’s Giant Mine (Uptown Gold Property).

nWT

New diamond mine now producing

de Beers and Mountain Province diamonds

have started producing diamonds at their

quarter of 2017, the $1-billion project remains Gahcho Kue’s three deposits will be mined

in the more traditional (and technically less complicated) open-pit style and is expected to

have a steady workforce of around 500 people. The Gahcho Kue diamond mine is located

280 kilometres northeast of yellowknife.

Drilling program to begin this winter

Terrax Minerals has raised $7 million to fund

“an aggressive drilling program” at its gold

mining project in yellowknife this winter. The Vancouver-based mining company raised the money through the private sale of 17,500,000 shares.

The approximately 118 square kilometres

of property is north and south of the city, near

the old Giant Mine and con Mine properties, at Walsh lake.

Gahcho Kue mine in the northwest Territories.

2016 | 05

Trading post at the site of the present Hamlet of Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) about 1920. (From Munn 1925)

Searching for Arctic Gold The North Baﬃn Gold Rush of 1912 By David R. Gray

By the early 1900s, bowhead whaling in the eastern Arctic was in decline. Whales had been over-hunted and the demand for whalebone (baleen) and whale oil was diminishing. Only one Scottish whaler set off for the Baffin whaling grounds in 1912, and she returned home empty-handed. This was a far cry from the 40 whaling ships tied to the Pond Inlet floe edge in 1843. A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

Burchell’s map of Pond Inlet 1912. (from E.F. Burchell “Wrecked in Baffin Island” 1912. Canadian Museum of History archives) Inuit tent camp near Button Point (Sannirut), Bylot Island. 1904 (from A. P. Low 1906)

s whalers and traders began looking elsewhere for proﬁts, it was that elusive

River. Scott and his backers chartered the sealing ship and

element gold that brought new activity to north Baﬃn. In the summer of 1912,

former Canadian government ship, Neptune, to search for the

three expeditions arrived at Pond Inlet in search of gold.

reported gold. Leaving St. John's in July, they arrived in Pond

e ﬁrst expedition to arrive was led by Henry Toke Munn. Munn was in command

Inlet on August 1.

of the Algerine, a Newfoundland sealing vessel, captained by John Bartlett. Munn had

e third expedition was led by Captain Bernier and

discovered a map drawn some 50 years earlier by a crew member of a Scottish whaler,

sailed from Quebec on July 29, on his schooner Minnie

who reported ﬁnding gold on north Baﬃn. Munn arrived at Pond Inlet in early July.

Maud. With plans for searching for gold on the Salmon

e second expedition was based on reports in the press in early 1912, that gold had been discovered at Pond Inlet during the cruise of the Arctic in 1910-1912, a

River, they arrived at Igarjuaq (just east of the present hamlet of Pond Inlet) in late August.

Canadian expedition headed by Captain Joseph-Elzéar Bernier. is new expedition

e sources for information on these three gold rush

was organized and led by A.W. “Lucky” Scott, a prospector from Ontario. A member of

expeditions are limited: Munn’s 1932 book, Prairie Trails and

Bernier’s crew, Robert Janes, had persuaded Scott that he had found gold on the Salmon

Arctic By-ways, and A.B. Tremblay’s account of explorations during Bernier’s 1912 expedition, The Cruise of the Minnie Maud (1921). ere is no published account of Scott’s adventures. us the recent discovery of a journal written in 1912 by one of Munn’s party, Ernest Francis Burchell, titled “Wrecked in Baﬃn Land,” provides a welcome new dimension to our limited knowledge of the Arctic Gold Rush. Burchell not only describes the loss of the Algerine, but also the interactions with the local Inuit, and the details of Scott’s explorations in Eclipse Sound and Admiralty Inlet. e following is just a tantalizing glimpse of the gold rush expedition based on Burchell’s journal. “e 10th of July we sighted our destination, but were kept from getting up the inlet by a vast sheet of ice. We were Old whale boat at Pond Inlet. 2005. © David R. Gray

2016 | 05

Inuit hunters on the whaler Maud, Pond Inlet. July 1889. W. Livingstone-Learmonth. LAC # C88383.

not content with staying still though, so the ship was kept on along the edge of the ﬂoe. All at once we came upon a large crack, this seemed to lead in a direction somewhat like the one in which we wished to go, so the ship was headed in. e Eskimo were on the ice to meet the ship and… it looked as though she had been captured by a mob of pirates. Most of the men had rims of whaler’s caps jammed down over their foreheads, some wore part cloth and part fur clothes… and laughed and grinned continually.” On July 16, Munn and his prospecting party, Bill Woodley, Phil Cleary, and Joe McDonough, went ashore over the ice to the Baﬃn coast to prospect the area shown on the old map.

On July 26, Munn re-joined his men, his search for gold being completely unsuccessful, and then continued on to Albert Harbour and the Salmon River.

“Shortly aer they had le a bad snow storm blew up,

On the ﬁrst day of August, Captain Woodney “noticed an odd looking speck away

and with the wind driving against the land, the outside pack

oﬀ in the ice. …When we could see it quite plainly with the naked eye, we let out in a

of ice began to close on us… one spike of ice pushed clean

roar together: A Ship! …e ship was the S.S. Neptune of St John’s Nﬂd. With Luckie

through her side into the engine room.

Scott and his prospecting party.”

I was about to go on deck when Capt. Bartlett came to

Scott promised the castaways that he would return to Button Point aer his

me and said that she was sinking rapidly. Biscuit, riﬂes,

prospecting venture and take the men of the Algerine aboard before heading back south.

cartridges, blankets, trunks, valises, dishes, tobacco, tents,

Burchell and the others continued hunting ducks and narwhal and exploring Bylot Is-

packsacks, and other bundles of stuﬀ were thrown on the

land, then paddled west to Albert Harbour and the old whaler’s station at Igarjuaq

ice.”

where they rejoined Captain Munn and the local Inuit.

e second engineer, Edward Perg, climbed down into

e prospectors on the Neptune examined the reported gold placers at Salmon

the boiler room to let oﬀ the steam, saving them all from

River, but they too found nothing. With no success in ﬁnding gold Scott turned to other

injury as the ship would have been “blown to pieces.”

ways of gaining back his investment, including hunting and trading with the local Inuit.

“She filled to the rail in thirty-five minutes, raised in the bow, then in the stern, then dived bow first, carrying away her foremast on the edge of the floe. We all stood for a few seconds looking at nothing, saying nothing, but thinking a whole lot I guess. We put the tents up and dragged what had been saved into shelter. ere was an Eskimo aboard and he offered to guide us ashore, a distance of some thirty miles and it just pelting snow.” It took the first party 14 hours to reach the shore of Bylot Island at Button Point, a traditional Inuit camp and former whalering station. From there two men travelled 60 miles west to Albert Harbour where the Inuit hunters told them they would find a food cache le by Captain Bernier. Inuit couple on Bylot Island. 1904 (from A. P. Low 1906)

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

Button Point (Sannirut). June 2004. © David R. Gray

Inuk woman from Pond Inlet area, at the wheel of a ship. From the cover of Henry Toke Munn’s 1925 book, Tales of the Eskimo.

On August 22, Burchell and three companions boarded the Neptune at Albert Harbour

one of the ship’s whale boats

for a trip to Admiralty Inlet. ey travelled north up Eclipse Sound and around into

as a parting gi. e Neptune

Admiralty Inlet intending to trade with the Inuit at what is now called Arctic Bay.

then sailed back to St. John's,

“25th Aug. ere was brisk trading for about an hour. We took aboard a ton and

with the crew and passengers

one half of Narwhale horns, and Walrus tusks; the Eskimo were given barrels of

of the Algerine on board,

molasses, accordions, biscuit, riﬂes and ammunition, and tobacco in exchange.”

arriving in late September.

As they were returning to Pond Inlet they sighted a sailing vessel: “…some Eskimo

Bernier also prospected

came aboard and told us it was Capt. Bernier who was on the schooner and that he

for gold at Salmon River, and

was going to stay there for the winter.”

also had no success. Instead, he

On the last day of August, they “had a dance on deck with the Eskimos; the music

traded with the Inuit of Pond

was furnished by Eskimo accordion players.” e next day they went ashore for the

Inlet and over-wintered at

last time, embarked the rest of the Algerine’s crew, and Scott gave their Inuit helpers

Albert Harbour. He le north Baﬃn in late August 1913 and

Albert Harbour, south side of Pond Inlet, 2006. © David R. Gray

arrived back in Quebec in late September with a valuable cargo of furs, ivory, and seal oil, but no gold. I recently discovered that movie footage of the people and wildlife of northern Baffin Island, taken by a member of Scott’s expedition, had been made into a documentary film and shown in theatres in the United States and Canada in 1913. Unfortunately, as is the case with so many early films, the documentary no longer exists in the major film archives. So there is today another “Arctic Gold Rush,” but now it is the search for historical gold: a film that captured the people of north Baffin over 100 years ago. When we find this documentary film in some obscure archive, we will have the oldest-known film showing the life of the Inuit of Arctic Canada.

2016 | 05

1. In 2005, First Air introduces all passenger Boeing 737 jet service on the Ottawa-Iqaluit route. © Jason Miller – Baffin Photography

2. A 737-200 departs Rankin Inlet for Yellowknife in January 2013. © Jason Miller – Baffin Photography

3. First Air’s 156-seater, 737-400 assists during the heavy passenger traffic days, typically Mondays and Fridays from Iqaluit. © Jason Miller – Baffin Photography 4. In May 2016, Air North becomes the fourth airline in the growing list of First Air codeshare partners. © Mark Taylor

5. All turboprop routes in the Western Arctic will be operated by ATR 42-500s, increasing seat capacity by 36 per cent. © Mark Taylor

4 28

5 2016 | 05

Celebrating First Air’s 70th Anniversary

First Air is...

Devoted

First Air is devoted to the customers and communities it serves. Northerners count on First Air to fly them to various destinations year-round. Locals, business and leisure passengers rely on the safety record of the company to fly them to northern communities when they visit the North. As such, the Airline of the North strives to provide routes across the North that are efficient, safe and offered in a timely manner.

ravelling in the North is not without its challenges due to inclement weather at any time of the year. When disruptions in service occur, the staff at First Air responds to the needs of its customers with friendly and prompt service to get you on your way as safely and quickly as possible. Over the years, First Air has grown from a grassroots Northern air service provider to the regularly scheduled passenger and air cargo carrier it is today, connecting more of the Arctic than any other airline. By monitoring routes travellers use most oen, First Air provides a crucial service to even the smallest communities in the North. When airports are too small to justify the First Air ATR42, a partnership with Kenn Borek ensures the service operates with a smaller Twin Otter, such as to Kimmirut and Grise Fiord. From the early years operating charter and aerial survey work, and scheduled passenger flights beginning in the early ‘70s linking Ottawa to North Bay and Sudbury, Ontario, First Air expands its route system in 1995 to include the Baffin region, furthering the scope of charter operations in the Western Arctic, and by 1997, it solidifies passenger, cargo and charter services throughout the entire North. In 2005, First Air introduces all passenger Boeing 737 jet service on the Ottawa-Iqaluit route, followed by the Edmonton-Yellowknife route in 2006. In 2011, First Air and Qikiqtaaluk Corporation announce Qikiqtani First Aviation Ltd, a joint venture airline established to operate routes throughout the Baffin region. In 2012, First Air teams up with Air Greenland offering seasonal service to Nuuk through a codeshare agreement, the first of many more to come. To further grow the cargo market in the North, a partnership agreement with Cargojet also begins in June 2014, providing seamless air cargo transportation between the 14 major Canadian cities served on Cargojet’s overnight air cargo network as well as the 30 communities served by First Air in Canada’s North. A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ S A RC T I C J O U R N A L

In August 2015, a codeshare agreement with Canadian North and Calm Air begins and in May 2016, Air North becomes the fourth airline in the growing list of First Air codeshare partners. First Air and Air North begin the codeshare cooperation on the Ottawa – Yellowknife – Whitehorse route, currently operated three times a week. Also this year, First Air unveils its 156-seater, 737-400. Its high density capacity assists the company during the heavy passenger traffic days, typically Mondays and Fridays from Iqaluit. First Air, the Airline of the North, further enhances its presence as Canada’s largest northern scheduled carrier with the introduction of its third ATR 42-500 all passenger aircra, based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. More customers now get to experience the newer, faster, higher seat capacity, more comfortable and more efficient aircra. Once the fleet and network changes are completed in the Western Arctic, similar changes will be implemented in the East, out of the airline’s Iqaluit hub. e first ATR 42-500 is expected to be based in Iqaluit in December 2016. e new fleet is part of First Air’s $110M investment program bringing new and improved aircra to better serve its customers. In addition to a large scheduled network, First Air’s versatile fleet of aircra is available for charter throughout the world. Charter bases in Ottawa, Iqaluit and Yellowknife are major staging points for a sphere of charter operations that encompass a unique and demanding array of tasks. With the ability to tailor the passenger/cargo configuration to meet the specific needs of its customers, First Air’s specialty charter service includes the capability to transport people, animals and goods to many places. First Air, The Airline of the North, is devoted to providing its passengers and cargo customers with more choice and improved connections to the southern gateways of Ottawa and Montreal, as well as more convenient connections and improved transfers with its partner airlines.

Steep cliffs plunge towards an iceberg-filled Alexandra Fiord. © Katriina O’Kane

Dryas integrifolia covers the tundra in the lowlands with a layer of white as it blooms in the summer. © Katriina O’Kane

Alexandra Fiord A High Arctic Oasis By Katriina O’Kane

In the extreme environment of the High Arctic, life congregates around resources. A moist lowland, a sheltered warm valley, an open water polynya. Little oases spring up across the otherwise barren landscape, where plants bloom and animals gather. This abundance draws settlers century after century, who build their lives upon layers of history. Alexandra Fiord and the surrounding Bache peninsula region on the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island is one such oasis. Nestled between two major ice-fields, lush lowlands surround a network of deep fiords and polynyas. For thousands of years, the oasis has seen the arrival and departure of people from different cultures. She has listened to their stories and felt their footsteps. This is the story of her people.

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

Right: An excavated Thule sod house structure, with a pile of bones in the kitchen from the animals they hunted. © Katriina O’Kane

Greg Henry walks past an excavated Thule communal structure, with a large bowhead whale bone at the entrance. © Katriina O’Kane

2500 B.C. - 1700 A.D.: Paleo- and Neo-cultures

culture built huge communal living

e ﬁrst pioneers to arrive at Alexandra Fiord were part of

gion housing up to 120 people. In

the Arctic Small Tool tradition, migrating across the High

their spare time they would carve

Arctic from Alaska around 2500 B.C. ey arrived in small

beautiful ivory ﬁgurines of polar bears,

groups of one or two extended families, and stayed because

humans, and other animals in their

of good hunting around the polynyas. In the summers they

world.

lived in tents, cooking around ﬁres fuelled by driwood

structures, the largest found in the re-

e most proliﬁc culture in the area

also occasionally feast on muskoxen, caribou, or any other

Josef Svoboda and Bill Freedman measure long wave radiation across the lowland in July 1981. © Greg Henry

small land animals that wandered near their camp.

rapidly settled across the entire High Arctic. e new ule culture was impressive;

and animal bones. ey hunted seals and other small sea mammals from their skin boats using harpoons, but would

was that of the ule whale hunters. Migrating from Alaska around 1200 A.D. in dog sleds and skin boats, they

Around 800 B.C. Alexandra Fiord was abandoned.

their livelihood centred around whale hunting. Using ivory harpoons and lances,

Perhaps due to a deterioration in climate, the lowlands

hunters would pursue 50,000-kilogram bowhead whales. Bringing in a whale of this

remained void of new settlements for the next 1,200 years.

size would feed a village and their dogs for a long time, and provide oil for their lamps

When humans ﬁnally ventured North again, their culture

to light the endless winter nights. is security enabled the ule to build villages of

had evolved signiﬁcantly. ese people from the Late-Dorset

30 to 40 people, each family with their own comfortable sod house. But by the time 19th century explorers began visiting Ellesmere Island, no one was there to greet them. What happened remains a mystery. e Little Ice Age could’ve been the culprit, beginning around 1650. But the ule adjusted to colder temperatures, changing their hunting and living patterns to centre around small sea mammals. ey may have moved south, or east to Greenland. Or it may have been more tragic. Archeologist Peter Schledermann suggests the ule in the High Arctic may have suﬀered from the same tragedy as other First Nations across the Americas — exposure to disease against which they had no immunity.

The Nunavut flag flies next to the two main buildings of the RCMP detachment at Alexandra Fiord in August 2015. © Katriina O’Kane

2016 | 05

1979 - present: Researchers Over a decade later in the summer of 1979, ecologists Josef Svoboda and Bill Freedman make an emergency landing at Alexandra Fiord. ey are on their way to Lake Hazen further north, in search of a new research site. But the sky started closing in, making landing in mountainous environments impossible. e pilots drop them oﬀ in front of the abandoned blue and white cabins of the RCMP. Four weeks pass before they get picked up again. In that time, they discover a gentle sloping glacial lowland, rich with vegetation and birds, but manageable in its size — a perfect site for their new research project. And so begins a new era of occupation. For the ﬁrst four years, ecologists, biologists, ornithologists, geologists, and all other forms of natural scientists survey the lowland behind the RCMP cabins — a comprehensive study of the ecosystem. Small groups of young adventurous students live and work together for months at a time. One of the students, Greg Henry, becomes an assistant The midnight sun shines its soft rays across Alexandra Fiord and the RCMP cabins, erected 1953. © Katriina O’Kane

professor and continues returning, starting new projects

1926-1963: The RCMP

to warm plants and observe their response to warmer temper-

In 1926, an RCMP detachment was opened on Bache Peninsula. Since acquiring the Arctic Archipelago from Britain in 1880, Canada’s government had paid little attention to it. But interest from American and Norwegian explorers provoked the government to react in the name of sovereignty. For seven years the post was active, and oﬃcers from the south learned from the Greenland Inughuit how to patrol on dogsled. When questions of sovereignty arose again in the 1950s, the government decided to reopen its detachment, and also relocate Canadian Inuit to live there permanently. So in the summer of 1953, two ships made their way North. Icebreaker D’Iberville headed straight for Alexandra Fiord, while C.D. Howe made stops in Inukjuak and Pond Inlet to pick up Inuit families. e families were to be relocated to Resolute, Grise Fiord and Alexandra Fiord to serve as guarantors of Canada’s claim to the High Arctic. ese families were oen taken against their will, and no arrangements in housing or other assistance was made before their arrival. Vibrant communities are now found in Resolute and Grise Fiord, an attestation to the resilience and strength of the relocated families. But Alexandra Fiord never became a community. By the time a ship carrying four Inuit families bound for Alexandra Fiord made it to Smith Sound it was already early September, and the ice conditions were too heavy to allow passage. For the next 10 years, successive Constables from the south and Inuit Special

and bringing new students. In 1992, he starts the International Tundra Experiment, using miniature greenhouses atures. Over the years, dozens of studies are undertaken. But there is something else that draws this group of southern summer migrators to the oasis. You can hear it in their stories. It’s the wilderness, the remoteness, the quiet and beauty of the purple mountains and iceberg-filled fiord. It’s the tight knit group of friends that forms from living and working together day and night. It’s the admiration of the environment that comes from being part of it every day. “It’s an oasis of the mind, the heart, the spirit,” as Henry says. In four years Henry will retire, and yearly visits to Alexandra Fiord will come to an end. Once again the fiords will be void of human voices. But the oasis will endure. Every summer the tundra will continue exploding with saxifrage and Dryas and poppies, and the symphony of migrating birds that arrive every spring will continue to echo in the fiords. And sometime in the future, someone will be back again, drawn by the abundance of resources and beauty that have attracted people over all these years.

Constables and their families lived at the isolated outpost. Four times a year they would be re-supplied, but otherwise lived in each other’s company. ey’d spend the long and dark winter days in their cabins, building model airplanes, and the endless summers patrolling and hunting and learning to paint oil colour paintings. e Alexandra Fiord RCMP detachment closed September 3, 1963. Greg Henry’s students Cassandra, Danielle, and Esther head towards the lowland to make observations about plants as part of the International Tundra Experiment in July 2015. © Katriina O’Kane

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

2016 | 05

In the Heart of Kuururjuaq Following Inuit ancestors’ footsteps By Isabelle Dubois

aitsumani, once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, still very vibrant in their elders’ recollections, Inuit travelled along the

natural corridor that the winding ﬂow of the Koroc River extends in the foothills of the Torngat mountains, used by their ancestors for millenniums. Taking its source in this striking mountain range — the highest in North America east of the Rockies, which serves as a physical border between Nunavik and Labrador, this majestic waterway ending its boisterous journey in the Ungava Bay, some 160 km downstream, turns into a true freeway once it turns to ice come winter. is ancient route, now under the protective wing of the Kuururjuaq national park, created in 2009 to ward oﬀ industrial Maggie Annanack ice fishing for Arctic char on the Koroc River on the outskirts of Kangiqsualujjuaq. © Heiko Wittenborn The colourful streets of Kangiqsualujjuaq. © Christophe Migeon

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

development, namely mining, and thereby preserving Inuit way of life, was named in honour of this glorious river ﬂowing down this lengthy valley, which makes the perfect gateway to access a vast playground; one that will surely delight backcountry skiing and alpine snowshoeing enthusiasts in search of an authentic adventure. Reaching up to the sky towards new horizons. © Ulysse Lefebvre

Sightseeing around Qurlutuarjuq Falls Early in the morning, it’s time to pack up a week’s worth of supplies and gear onto the qamutiit, big sleds pulled by snow machines that are now essential to Inuit’s winter travel across their frozen land, and head out on the Koroc River to the park’s base camp at Qurlutuarjuq. Led by Inuit guides from Kangiqsualujjuaq, the nearly 100 km journey will take about four to ﬁve hours, including frequent stops along the way for the traditional tea break, always accompanied by a slice of freshly made bannock. Dashing through the snow of this relatively ﬂat terrain, you can count on your guides to point out wildlife

An immersion into Inuit way of life

such as caribou and foxes, as they skim through the landscape along the way.

e Kuururjuaq park opens its doors from the Inuit community

ough some may decide to ski the last 15 or 20 km to the camp to warm up on a

of Kangiqsualujjuaq, located at the mouth of the George River

chilly winter day, most prefer to save the exercise for later and simply bundle up and

on Ungava Bay. Before venturing into the park, visitors have

take it all in. Once at destination, there will be plenty of time to go wander around for

to check in with the park wardens, aer which they are invited

the next two days.

to join local residents for a traditional feast of country foods,

While some will choose to slip on snowshoes and go for a stroll in the tree cover’s

where they can enjoy a taste of Arctic char or ptarmigan,

fresh snow to admire the masterpieces le by the neighbouring 10-metre high waterfall

amongst other things.

or climb up the nearest slope for a viewpoint overlooking the valley, others will prefer

Aer a good night’s sleep at the hamlet’s co-op hotel, the

to explore the hillside cross-country skiing, following the ﬂow of the Koroc River within

immersion into Inuit way of life continues. Following a one-

the valley itself, where the ice is at least 30-centimetres thick and therefore completely

hour introductory town tour, to get acquainted with the

safe to navigate on. e guides will even propose excursions a little further out to take

realities of living in a northern village, it’s time to truly en-

full advantage of this backcountry adventure, whether to Mount Haywood, Naksaruluk

gage and get some fresh air.

Creek or the deep-rooted Naskapi Caribou Haven nearby.

A short drive away by snowmobile, the Ungava Bay coast

With days well spent, the comfort of the heated Qurlutuarjuq base camp, complete

is home to an array of small cabins where local Inuit like to

with electricity and hot showers, and furnished with bunk beds, a fully equipped

get out of town and enjoy a day out ice ﬁshing for Arctic

kitchen and a cozy living room, will certainly be a welcoming place to unwind.

char. With the proper permits, one can even join in the fun on some of the surrounding lakes. Or you can simply enjoy

The Torngats lurk in the distance

the view as the sun sets behind the surrounding mountains,

Aer one last hearty continental breakfast at the Qurlutuarjuq base camp, it’s time to

before heading back for the night and getting ready for the

hit the road again and push a little further, this time for a short one-hour ride by snow-

real adventure that begins the next day.

mobile to catch up to the Palmer River gorge, intersecting with the now familiar Koroc

2016 | 05

A camper’s haven at Qamanialuk Whether you managed to get some shut-eye or not, morning will come with its promise of a new day, as it’s already time to start heading back, with one last stop at Qamanialuk, a tranquil lake-like body of water in the middle of the Koroc River, where we will spend the night in a pre-set tent site, Inuit overlook the majestic Koroc River that flows down the valley beneath them. © Ulysse Lefebvre

under a cozy tree cover. Other Inuit, who like to camp in

River valley. ere, your Inuit guides will set up a traditional camp, made up of tupiks,

a meal of ptarmigan hunted along the way, it may be another

round canvas tents, which you can help them erect at this spectacular location that

occasion to reminisce about the journey there or hear more

they like to call Napaartuit Isua, as the black spruce and larch that adorned the hillside

stories, always seasoned with the legends of this fascinating

up until now are suddenly scarce past the tree line.

part of the world.

the area, may already be on location as well. Gathered around the wood stove, as your guides prepare

With steeper slopes in the vicinity, it might also be the occasion to have a little fun

And if you dare to step outside, you may be surprised at

and enjoy the thrill of a descent while skiing downhill, without any trees in the way.

the myriad of stars shining high and bright in the sky above,

Further up the Koroc River, the peaks get even higher as we approach Quvviliuliniu-

where Northern Lights have come to celebrate with you the

jaaluk, a place where the mountains are split in two like a valley, through which tears

end of a wonderful voyage through time.

of water run down, forming a natural gateway to the mythical and enthralling Torngat Mountains. But beware of the malicious spirits, Tuurngait, known to Inuit for hampering

For more information on the Parc national Kuururjuaq, contact

their path with obstacles. Nanuq, the feared polar bear, might also be lurking in the

the park’s Visitor Experience Oﬃcer in Kangiqsualujjuaq at

distance. But rest assured, your guides are constantly on the lookout, scanning the area

819-337-5454 or check out www.nunavikparks.ca for details

with their keen eyes, ready to draw their gun to scare him away. And come nightfall,

on the all-inclusive packages oﬀered this coming winter, which

their talented storytelling is sure to ignite your dreams.

can be booked by calling 1-844-NUNAVIK (686-2845) toll free.

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

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2016 | 05

ArTs

The Dorset Effect Art from Inuit’s finest

Four generations later, the artists of Cape Dorset continue a tradition of Inuit expression that makes this tiny hamlet on Nunavut’s Baffin Island a creative powerhouse like no other.

Lazy Bear Tim Pitsiulak, 2014 graphite and colour pencil on paper 76.4x111.5cm

My favourite time to visit the Kinngait studios complex in Cape Dorset are Tuesdays and Thursdays, on buying days, when local artists bring their freshly created drawings and sculptures to be purchased by the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative. These brand new treasures are then transported through a unique distribution system that takes them to the Cooperative’s marketing division in Toronto, called Dorset Fine Arts, and then onto exhibitions and art collections around the world. Artmaking is so important to the livelihood of this tiny Arctic enclave. some estimates put more than a quarter of Dorset’s 1,200 residents as either directly or peripherally involved in the community’s art industry. And some numbers indicate that annually, $4,000,000 is generated by the sale of artwork. I guess that’s why they call Cape Dorset the capital of Inuit art!

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ s A rC T I C J O U r N A L

Qiqualik Tim Pitsiulak, 2015 graphite and colour pencil on paper 124.5x243cm

There’s been four generations of Cape Dorset artists, with the earliest pioneers like Kenojuak Ashevak, Pitseolak Ashoona and Kananginak Pootoogook working back in the late 1950s. A current cohort, still invests in the technical traditions of stone sculpture, drawing and printmaking but are approaching it with a distinct freshness. In recent years, Inuit artists have been presented alongside their international peers in major exhibitions. Take for example the series of projects curated by Nancy Campbell at the University of Toronto. For each of the three exhibitions, a Dorset artist was paired with a prominent non-Inuit counterpart to illustrate the similarities and differences between the north and south approaches. We’re also seeing Inuit creative expression deepening its relevance within larger discussions of world issues. In late 2015, the exhibition Linked was presented at Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum and it examined climate change from an Inuit perspective. so who are some of Cape Dorset’s cultural movers and shakers? A trio of standouts immediately come to mind: shuvinai Ashoona, Tim Pitsiulak and Ningeokuluk Teevee. These three enjoy senior status in their community and are certainly no strangers to the international stage. For Ashoona, in addition to her exhibitions across Canada and the world, these complex and surreal compositions can be found in Origin of the Eel Shuvinai Ashoona and Shary Boyle, 2015 From the series Universal Cobra – Collaborative Drawings colour pencil and ink on paper 127x63cm

2016 | 05

ArTs

Courting Birds Saimaiyu Akesuk, 2015

Angutigijaq Ningeokuluk Teevee, 2012 graphite and colour pencil on paper 76x111.5cm

Neutralizer Ningeokuluk Teevee, 2016 stonecut Printer: Ashoona 61.7x44.5cm

Untitled Padloo Samayualie, 2015 colour pencil and ink on paper 58.5x76.2cm

Phaidon’s seminal book entitled Vitamin D: New Perspectives in Drawing and in the publication Universal Cobra for which she collaborated with Canadian art star shary Boyle. The Arctic wildlife and landscape-inspired works of Tim Pitsiulak are common in countless private and public collections. If you’re visiting downtown Toronto’s TD Centre, look for his gargantuan whale drawing located in the building’s lobby. You might have your very own Pitsiulak original and not even know it! Check pockets and change purses for a Canadian quarter graced with another of Pitsiulak’s whales. Ningeokuluk Teevee is a favourite of the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection, which is a suite of works that’s been launched at galleries worldwide since 1959. Beginning in 2004, her work is consistently an important addition to the

collection, and this year, Teevee’s contribution is unusually fashion forward — the stonecut print depicts a raven’s claw wearing a stiletto shoe. There’s also a younger generation of Inuit artists shaping Dorset’s next cultural chapter; saimaiyu Akesuk and Padloo samayualie are head of that class. A mere 30 years old, Akesuk has already had some time in the spotlight at places like the Brooklyn Museum. In 2015, she was one of two Inuit artists who inaugurated The Cape Dorset Legacy Project, an annual creative residency and symposium hosted at this legendary New York institution. Padloo samayualie is making some serious waves with distinctive architecturally inspired drawings. Her practice illustrates a fascination with the constructed environment and often depicts her immediate Cape Dorset surroundings while also highlighting some of the places to which she’s travelled. Inuit art from Cape Dorset is widely regarded as the finest being produced anywhere in the Arctic. Whether it’s the Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection or the many innovative exhibitions presented at galleries and museums around the world, this stuff is an artistic big deal. To the

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ s A rC T I C J O U r N A L

Dorset talents who make this work, Inuit art is as important a visual expression as it is an economic imperative. And for those of us who simply enjoy or perhaps collect this extraordinary work, we’re quite sure that even four generations later, the best is yet to come! For more information about Inuit art or to locate a specializing gallery in your part of the world visit, www.dorsetfinearts.com.

William Huffman

William Huffman is a curator, writer, educator and arts administrator. He is currently the Marketing Manager for Dorset Fine Arts.

Northern talent at Folk on the Rocks 2016 Text and photos by Doris Ohlmann

Despite financial setbacks that threatened the likelihood of it going ahead, this year’s Folk on the rocks (FOTr) music festival in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, was a tremendous success with gorgeous weather all weekend and a line-up of interesting entertainers that filled the air with harmonious vocals and captivating rhythms on four stages. The main stage area was a sea of bobbing heads and patchwork of blankets as fans settled in for the weekend. Festival goers rambled from stage to stage to check out various artists blasting out their songs in the sun-drenched air. At times, one was drawn from the food truck area or another stage to investigate the pumping, infectious vocals of another artist. The Yellowknives Dene First Nations drummers opened the festival with a welcome prayer song for a safe journey throughout the weekend and a safe trip home for everyone at the end. It was two days of afternoon to late evening exhilarating momentum lost in the intimate melodies from one singer at one moment and then energized by the enticing celebration of a foot-stomping band the next. Each entertainer had their own spark and original stage presence that made the experience that much more entertaining. Here, just a taste of the Northern talent featured at FOTr 2016.

Above: IsKwé, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, is of Cree/Dené/Irish heritage whose distinctive alternative RnB/TripHop has earned her a spot on the Top 10 Canadian Musicians You Need to Know by CBC Radio.

2016 | 05

Below: Double Treble was one of the opening acts at FOTR 2016. These two sets of twins (Issie, Annie, Grace and Sophie) hail from Yellowknife and quickly had music festival goers tapping their feet to Celtic/country/rock fiddling tunes.

Above: The Yellowknives Dene First Nations drummers demonstrate traditional hand games.

Left: This duo captured the audience while performing throat songs with themes about dog teams, mosquitos, caribou and love. Below: Born and raised in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Young Mic brought his hip-hop/rapping songs to FOTR to an appreciative crowd of fans.

Not only was the Twin Flames rocking the Folk on the Rocks stages both days, but they played a preview performance Friday night at Warm the Rocks at Long Lake. This band’s hit “Porch Light” has made it to number one on the National Aboriginal Song charts. With partners Chelsey June and Jaaji as leads, this Ottawa-based band blends Inuit folk/ pop/rock music with throat-singing for an eclectic mix of unique indigenous sound.

Above: This talented group of Old Town troubadours, Peek-a-Boo Kazoo, from Yellowknife, kept the families at the Children’s Stage bopping to their interactive tunes. Above left: The Midnight Sons Band from Whitehorse, Yukon, includes Alex Johnston (guitar/vocals), Patrick Docherty (drums/vocals) and Daniel Stark (guitar). They have played in the “Dirty Northern” bar in Whitehorse as well as many music festivals and venues across western Canada.

Left: Born in a tent, raised in a two-room cabin in the Yukon, classically trained in opera, Diyet’s Alternative Folk, Country and Traditional Aboriginal tunes are rooted in a traditional Northern life. Playing with her husband and collaborator Robert van Lieshout on guitar and foot percussion and multi-instrumentalist and Juno Award winning producer Bob Hamilton, their rhythm, melody and storytelling draws listeners in to hear more. Their repertoire is as diverse as Diyet’s background of Southern Tutchone, Japanese, Tlingit and Scottish roots.

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2016 | 05

Certification and training helps develop healthy lifestyles

H E A LT H

Get Happy Day Camp staff host a craft session during the Cambridge Bay Canada Day celebrations as part of the training week. © Dawn Currie

“You have the ability to change a life this summer. How are you going to do it?” Executive Director Dawn Currie asks participants at the beginning of the recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut (rPAN) Get Happy summer Day Camp staff training week in the Baffin and Kitikmeot regions.

Now in its second year, the week focuses on providing training and certification to summer day camp staff as well as supporting communities in hosting the Get Happy program. “There are amazing young leaders in our communities. We owe it to them and to the people in Nunavut to provide leadership and skill development so that they are able to contribute towards healthier and active lifestyles and to also develop skills that prepare them for the future.” This year the program is running in Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Igloolik, Hall Beach, Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet and Pangnirtung. In June, 37 young leaders participated in a week of training that included team building activities, first aid and High Five certification, leadership development and daily/special event planning. They learn from each other and with each other and they return to their communities as a “team” to implement meaningful and quality programs for the next six weeks. They realize that their role as a summer day camp counselor is significant. They are role models, parents are entrusting them with their children, and the

children are looking to them for a fun and safe summer. Through High Five® training, front line recreation, sport and after school leaders learn how to incorporate the Principles of Healthy Child Development into their everyday programming. The High Five® principles emphasize the social, emotional and cognitive needs of children to help front line leaders engage participants, build relationships and resolve conflict. High

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ s A rC T I C J O U r N A L

Five® is Canada’s only quality standard for children’s sport and recreation. If you provide sport and recreation programs for children, High Five® has everything you need to ensure a comprehensive quality experience for your participants, staff and volunteers. rPAN is the Nunavut provider of High Five®. The balloon tower building project is about team building. Teams are given 50 balloons, string and tape and with these they have to

2016 | 05

H E A LT H

build a free standing tower. The purpose of this project is to figure out that you need a strong foundation to build from or the tower won't stand. In other words, you need support. This parallels the work place: without a strong foundation, your team will fail. “The training I took has helped me a lot and more ideas come to mind. The first aid, games and other activities will help with our summer day camp program,” says Preston Kapakatoak, Day Camp supervisor in Kugluktuk. In addition to staff training, rPAN provides all communities with t-shirts for participants, arts and craft supplies, gift cards for healthy snacks and staff clothing. A Facebook page has been created to allow the staff from all seven communities to share ideas, post photos, share in challenges and celebrate successes. “The Day Camp allows the Municipality to employ local youth as leaders for the summer and keeps the younger children involved in meaningful activities each day. Many of the kids

who come to the Camp are experiencing this type of group activity for the first time and the smiles on their faces each day encourage us to continue with the program. As a community we are excited to host this program with rPAN and we look forward to watching the program grow each year,” Kimberly Young, sAO, Municipality of Hall Beach. rPAN is not alone in its belief of the worth of the Get Happy program. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Kitikmeot Inuit Association are the two greatest financial supporters. In addition, the Northwest Company donates gift cards to communities to purchase snacks, and the Government of Nunavut also provides support. First Air is also the exclusive Airline of rPAN. Next year, says Currie, we hope to increase the number of communities and get into the Kivalliq.

recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ s A rC T I C J O U r N A L

COMMUNITY

Governor General visits the Hudson Bay region

By His Excellency the right Honourable David Johnston

In May of this year, my wife sharon and I visited a number of communities located on or near the shores of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba, Nunavut and Nunavik (Quebec). In addition to visiting Churchill, rankin Inlet and Cape Dorset, it was the first time a Canadian governor general had visited Arviat, Chesterfield Inlet, Coral Harbour, salluit and Kuujjuaraapik. We met so many wonderful people: families, community leaders and researchers who told us stories about life and learning in this vast, important part of Canada. The six-day visit gave us a greater understanding of daily life in these remote regions and highlighted the many initiatives underway to overcome local challenges and to create opportunities for northerners. We look forward to future visits to Canada’s northern regions. My grandchildren call me Grampa Book because I’m rarely seen without a book in my hand — often a children’s book! sharon and I, along with Nunavut Commissioner Nellie Kusugak, had a great time with the children enrolled in the Aboriginal Head start program in Arviat. The book we’re reading in this photo, Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story, was in Inuktitut and English, and was a real page-turner!

The Arviat Young Hunters program brings together young people and Elders to share knowledge and customs, as the Elders have a wealth of experience on the land. We were fortunate to go dogsledding on a qamutiq and learn more about Inuit culture during our time in Arviat. The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful.

Cape Dorset, one of Canada’s artistic capitals, is world-renowned for its printmaking and sculpture. Everywhere we turned during our time there it seemed as if we spotted an artist at work. The local sculptor pictured here was working on a soapstone carving of a walrus. The end result was truly beautiful.

2016 | 05

COMMUNITY

Food security is an important challenge in Canada’s North, so I was delighted to learn about the success of Kivalliq Arctic Foods in rankin Inlet. This innovative company works with local hunters to distribute fresh, wild meat to northern communities. The collaboration provides a source of income for hunters and for individuals working in the rankin Inlet processing plant and store (pictured here), as well as a nutritious addition to the diet of local residents.

As commander-in-chief of Canada, I was proud to be greeted by members of the Canadian rangers and to inspect their guard of honour upon my arrival in salluit. The rangers stand on guard not only for their northern communities but also for all of Canada. It was a privilege to meet with these dedicated men and women during this visit. Imagine my surprise when I learned that a group of young runners from salluit had recently journeyed 7,500 kilometres to Hawaii to participate in a halfmarathon! That’s quite a trip! Being active is so important for so many reasons: physical, emotional and mental. The success of the salluit running Club is a great example of what we can do when we work together to improve our communities. sharon and I were delighted to meet with these young people during our visit to the Iqaliarsarvik Fitness Centre.

The natural environment of Canada’s North is very sensitive to climate change, which poses a significant challenge to northern communities. This photo was taken in Cape Dorset, where we heard how the annual melt of the sea ice is happening earlier every year. A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ s A rC T I C J O U r N A L

One of the stops on our visit was at the Centre for Northern studies (CEN) Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuaraapik research Complex, which is working with local communities and research institutions from around the world to better understand and develop strategies for adapting to climate change. In this photo, scientific director Warwick Vincent tells sharon and I about the remarkable range of the Centre’s network.

2016 | 05

BOOKsHELF

Disko Bay

Nancy Campbell Enitharmon Press November 2015

In this debut collection, poet and award-winning book artist Nancy Campbell explores the ever-changing Arctic from the frozen shores of Greenland. Disko Bay is a meeting place for whalers and missionaries, scientists and shamans. These poems are about stories from hunters, explorers, settlers, and the legendary leader Qujaavaarssuk, from the past. Topics include the struggle for existence in the harsh polar environment and tensions between modern life and traditional ways of subsistence. As the environment begins to change, hunters grow hungry and their languages are lost. In the final sequence, Jutland, we reach the northern fringes of Europe, where shifting waterlines bear witness to the disappearing Arctic ice.

Hunting seal in the summer solomon Awa Nunavut Arctic College May 2016

Hunting Seal in the Summer is a guide to hunting one of the most important game animals for Inuit. Practical information includes preparing for the hunt, boat safety, different kinds of seal and where to find them, skinning seals, preserving the meat, and safe firearm operation. The book also covers traditional Inuit hunting beliefs and taboos, and suggestions for how to keep the seal population stable and healthy. The book comes with a DVD with actual hunting footage and interviews with hunters, Elders, and wildlife officers. Developed in collaboration with the Nunavut Department of Environment, Inhabit Education, Taqqut Productions, and the Amarok Hunters and Trappers Organization, it is also available in Inuktitut.

The Great Canadian Northern Bucket List: One-of-a-Kind Travel Experiences robin Esrock Dundurn Press February 2016

Travelling across Canada’s vast northern territories, author robin Esrock discovers oneof-a-kind experiences in the Yukon, Northwest

Territories and Nunavut. Covering topics on na-

ture, culture, history, and food, Esrock offers readers a unique perspective on camping in

the High Arctic, crossing the Northwest Passage,

watching belugas, tasting muktuk and Arctic char, dogsledding with a Yukon Quest legend,

flying with Buffalo Air and swallowing the sour Toe Cocktail. Add one of these adventures to your bucket list!

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ s A rC T I C J O U r N A L

2016 | 05

Muskrat Falls threatening Inuit rights, health and way of life

A joint review panel appointed by the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2009 recognized that the Muskrat Falls hydro development would have significant adverse effects on Labrador Inuit. It also concluded that Nalcor Energy, the project’s proponent, did not carry out a full assessment of the fate of mercury in the downstream environment, including potential pathways that could lead to mercury bioaccumulation in seal and fish and the potential for cumulative effects of the project along with effects of other sources of mercury. The panel also recognized the dietary and cultural importance of fishing and seal hunting in Goose Bay and Lake Melville, including the Labrador Inuit settlement Area. In June 2012, the Nunatsiavut Government announced a partnership with ArcticNet to launch a comprehensive study of the downstream environment of the project, using credible, transparent, and peer-reviewed research methods and processes. since then, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation respectively issued a Fisheries Act Authorization and an Authorization to Alter a Body of Water, allowing construction of the generation station and the

flooding of the reservoir. We opposed these decisions, and filed judicial applications — one was dismissed and the other was dropped. Meanwhile, work continued to determine potential downstream effects. On september 7, 2015, peer-reviewed research from the Harvard University, confirmed that flooding of the reservoir would increase methylmercury concentrations in Lake Melville, disproportionally impacting those who rely on the ecosystem for food and resources. In an effort to convince the federal and provincial governments to force Nalcor to make changes before flooding starts, the Nunatsiavut Government launched the Make Muskrat Right campaign in the fall of 2015. On April 18, 2016, the Nunatsiavut Government released the Lake Melville Scientific Report, the result of four years of multi-pronged investigation that has led to important discoveries about how methylmercury accumulates in the Lake Melville ecosystem and how it will impact Inuit who rely on this body of water for food and resources. The research confirmed that hundreds of Labrador Inuit will be pushed above regulatory guidelines for exposure to methylmercury if the Muskrat Falls reservoir is not fully cleared of all wood, brush, vegetation and topsoil.

A B OV E & B E YO N D — C A N A DA’ s A rC T I C J O U r N A L

GUEsT EDITOrIAL Protesters during a Make Muskrat Right Rally in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, in June. © Bert Pomeroy

On June 14, 2016, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador all but dismissed the scientific evidence by accepting Nalcor Energy’s Human Health risk Assessment Plan with a condition that should methylmercury levels reach the Health Canada threshold and consumption advisories are necessary, Nalcor will compensate those affected. The Harvard comprehensive research is credible, independent science, conducted by experts in their field. Instead of considering the true facts, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador dismissed the overall science in the receiving environment and how it works together to sustain Inuit — opting to take the colonial attitude of raping indigenous people of their rights and pay us off if need be. We’re not interested in compensation. We want to be able to continue our way of life. We want to enjoy good health, and we want our children, grandchildren and generations to come to know they don’t have to live in fear, that they can eat the fish, the seal and the birds from Lake Melville. The Nunatsiavut Government will continue to pursue all options to Make Muskrat Right, to protect Inuit health, rights and a way of life.

Johannes Lampe President of Nunatsiavut

INUIT FOrUM

Inuit Voices Key to Canada’s Climate strategy

ITK President Natan Obed met with federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous leaders in Vancouver in March to help outline the pan-Canadian framework for clean growth and climate change. © Government of Canada

Protecting the Inuit Nunangat Environment is one of the seven objectives ITK identified in our 2016-2019 Strategy and Action Plan. Our culture, language, and way of life are rooted in our environment and protecting it is imperative for the continuity of Inuit culture and society. Issues such as climate change, resource extraction, and pollution impact our ability to feed our families, sustain local economies, and pass on our knowledge. But our interest in climate change isn’t just about mitigation and adaptation measures, our interest as a people is ensuring the health of the planet for all. We are advancing this work through participation in the pan-Canadian framework for clean growth and climate change along with federal, provincial, and territorial partners. The framework was established at the First Ministers’ Meeting in Vancouver in March 2016 with the goal of implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement on mitigating emissions of greenhouse gases,

climate change adaptation, and finance. This framework set up four working groups to help Canada meet its climate objectives: 1) Clean Technology, Innovation and Jobs; 2) Carbon Pricing Mechanisms; 3) specific Mitigation Opportunities; and 4) Adaptation and Climate resilience. The working groups, co-chaired and made up of federal, provincial and territorial officials, were mandated by First Ministers to complete four reports outlining existing evidence and a suite of policy options in each of the four themed areas and to engage with Indigenous peoples in their work. ITK, along with other National Indigenous Organizations, receives regular updates on the discussions of the four working groups, but does not have membership in the four groups. ITK is developing a national Inuit report in collaboration with Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada and the four Inuit regional organizations outlining Inuit priorities and recommendations for Canada’s climate strategy for the consideration of First Ministers in early fall.

We have requested that this report be considered in parallel with the final reports of the working groups and we will do all we can to ensure that it is provided to the ministerial tables responsible for developing policy recommendations for First Ministers this fall. ITK is determined to ensure that Inuit voices shape Canada’s climate strategy. Global efforts to transition to a low carbon economy in order to combat climate change are of profound importance to Inuit and shape the choices we face as we adapt our way of life to a rapidly changing climate reality in Inuit Nunangat. We look forward to sharing the Canadian Inuit report with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change in september and discussing our expectations directly with First Ministers this fall. These discussions will be a key first step to establishing the collaborative partnerships we must foster to ensure that Canada takes a just and equitable approach to a low carbon future.

Natan Obed

President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

2016 | 05

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