Discovering

of Mercy Bay. Minister Prentice was very impressed with the entire project. During his stay he was treated to bannock, fresh char, unbelievably warm weather, and a dive in Mercy Bay for a close up look at the Investigator.

The Inuvialuit members of the expedition, John Lucas Jr., Mervin Joe and Joe Kudlak, contributed greatly to camp operations and safety. Aulavik National Park Site Manager John Lucas Jr., had a wealth of knowledge regarding the weather, animals and safety. Mervin Joe was great to be around, as he was always whistling or had positive comments or quotes. Their keen eyes for finding artifacts were very helpful. Joe Kudlak, the avid fisherman was very knowledgeable of plants and animals. No matter what the weather was like, we would often see him exploring and enjoying his time on the land. On our very first night at Mercy Bay, we were treated to a fresh char dinner, caught by Joe at Polar Bear Cabin while we were on our way to Mercy Bay. At times, I would sit with Mervin, John and Joe and we would tell stories, talk about our families and share our experiences. Being in Mercy Bay made me wonder what it would have been like for our ancestors who had lived in the area so many years ago.

It was an awesome experience to actually be walking and camping in the area where our ancestors had traveled, hunted and camped.

Parks Canada is a great organization I was fortunate to work with in exploring beautiful Aulavik National Park. My favourite part of the trip was visiting and recording the Paleo-Eskimo site, situated on the south shores of Mercy Bay, dating back as far as 2400 years. It is not very far from the infamous cave in Gyrfalcon Bluff that elders warn people not to visit.

We were graced with great weather and a successful expedition. However, once August came around, the weather quickly turned to fall. On the way back, we were forced to stay at Polar Bear Cabin for one night. Foggy weather in Sachs Harbour forced us to take a detour to Ulukhaktok. It was a huge contrast to our smooth trip up to Aulavik National Park. Unpredictable weather and extreme conditions are some of the many characteristics of the north. Nevertheless, the Inuvialuit and Inuit in general have adapted to the weather conditions and managed to survive. The project was an amazing experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.∞