Why do you like Jamborees?

“Skidoo Races, they are fun to watch. All the jamborees are exciting.”

“I like to play hockey at the Jamboree.”

"I like the food, all the soups and pastries, mmnn I am getting hungry!"

“The togetherness and gathering. Meeting new friends and enjoying old friends. Just the friendliness of everyone. This is the second Jamboree I’ve been to. I’m enjoying every minute of it, the sunshine, enjoying the best of the traditional food.”

“Because you can play a lot of games and eat good stuff.”

Roy races are pretty slow every year, so it would be good if people helped and get things done faster. I’ve been helping out for the past three years. The hundred mile skidoo race is the best race. It takes at least three to four hours around the track.”

“The gatherings and the games and the races and all the people, the friendliness.”

“The races, the jamboree, the muskrat skinning and the teaboiling…I like it all!”

Maybe in a couple years I might join!”

“It is very well organized. Way back, 50 years ago when I was just a young man, we never had skidoos, or trucks like this. We just walked. And we had little iglus, have a big fire and dog races sometimes. Now language is all changing to English too. Back then, we spoke in Inuvialuktun.”

Last night we had a dance until midnight, and many people stayed till 3 or 4am. I guess it’s going to happen every night at the jamboree.”

“Skiddoo races. They are fun to watch, very exciting!” “Because they go so fast!”

“I like the jamboree, every spring they do it in Macpherson too. I like this one in Inuvik too. I made tea boil, me and my partner. Pretty soon I’ll be 86. I used to make bannock and cut rats. I don’t get money but I don’t mind, just have fun, it makes me happy. Don’t know how long we’ll live, that’s why we do it. I really feel happy there’s a lot of people with us to do it.”

My favourite parts are tea-boiling, and running for King and Queen. I’ve been 2nd for almost the 8th year!”

“It’s been 49 years, and it gets bigger all the time! The younger people took it over and did a wonderful job. That’s what I like to see!”

It’s a great thing to have every year! I get to meet people from different communities. It doesn’t matter which Jamboree. I like them all!