Tusaayaksat Magazine – Spring 2016

TUSAAYAKSAT MAGAZINE / SPRING 2016 / $5

STORIES THAT NEED TO BE HEARD

COMMEMORATIVE HOCKEY POSTER INSIDE

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CULTURAL-BASED TOURISM IN THE ISR INTERVIEW WITH DUANE NINGAQSIQ SMITH MAMAQTUQ! BELUGA HARVESTING THROUGHOUT THE AGES

FACEBOOK.COM/TUSAAYAKSAT

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON CLIMATE CHANGE

ON THE COVER: Photographer Angela Gzowski captured this image of Aurora Research Institute technician Edwin Amos. Edwin assists researchers on projects across the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, including many that contribute valuable data and findings to global climate change research. To read about ongoing climate change projects being conducted in the Western Arctic, check out our feature story beginning on page 56.

Published quarterly by ICS at Box 1704, 292 Mackenzie Rd, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, X0E 0T0.

Contact us at +1 867 777 2320 or tusaayaksat.magazine@gmail.com PUBLISHER Inuvialuit Communications Society EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

TUSAAYAKSAT MEANS “STORIES AND VOICES THAT NEED TO BE HEARD.” WE CELEBRATE THE INUVIALUIT PEOPLE, CULTURE AND HERITAGE.

OUR MISSION:

TO EMPOWER, CELEBRATE, COMMUNICATE, HEAL AND BOND. TO BRING YOU THE BEST COVERAGE OF OUR NEWS, VIBRANT CULTURE AND PERSPECTIVES.

CONTENTS

HEAD DESIGNER Vanessa Hunter EDITORIAL TEAM WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison COPY EDITOR Laura Worsley-Brown INUVIALUKTUN TRANSLATOR Albert Elias CONTRIBUTORS Elaine Anselmi, Charles Arnold, Dennis Allen, Jacob Klengenberg, Donna Johns, Nellie Pokiak, Nadine Klengenberg-Kuneluk, Jean Ehpakohak, Allysa Felix, Susan Blake, Jeremiah Lafferty, Emmanuel Adams, Collin Byrne, Karis Dekwant, Janessa Blake, Tanner Gillis, Joelle Victoria Charlie, Nicole Wilkinson, Kendall Allen, Annie Goose, Chloe Kanayok, Damien Haogak, Dawn Keim, Catarina Owen, Philip Marsh, Philip Wookey, Lorna Street, Jennifer Baltzer and Sheree Mcleod

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10.

BEAUTIFUL IMAGES FROM ACROSS THE ISR.

BEAUTIFUL IMAGES FROM ACROSS THE ISR CONTINUED

News 2 FUNDING BOOST FOR ARCTIC RESEARCH FACILITY 2 TRUDEAU MEETS NORTHERN LEADERS 3 A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GWICH’IN AND INUVIALUIT

PHOTOGRAPHERS Angela Gzowski, David Stewart, Faith Raymond, Colin Pybus, Peter Mather, Sonja Ostertag, Kate Snow, Émilie Couture, Richard N. Hourde, Adam Kudlak, Dawn Keim, J.F. Bergeron, Terry Parker, Gerold Sigl, James McCormick, Charla Jones and Lisa Heiberg SPECIAL THANKS TO The Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre, Megan McCaffery, Colin Pybus and the staff at East Three Secondary School, Wilma and Donny Hendrick, the Northern Games Society, Skills Canada NWT, Duane Smith, Sonja Ostertag, Dawn Keim, the Hudson’s Bay Company, NWT Tourism, NWT Archives and the Taylor family BUSINESS OFFICE Inuvialuit Communications Society BOARD OF DIRECTORS: PRESIDENT, INUVIK Lucy Kuptana TREASURER, TUKTOYAKTUK DIRECTOR Debbie Raddi AKLAVIK DIRECTOR Colin Gordon ULUKHAKTOK DIRECTOR Joseph Haluksit PAULATUK DIRECTOR Anne Thrasher SACHS HARBOUR DIRECTOR Jean Harry

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Q&A WITH NEWLY ELECTED IRC CHAIR AND CEO DUANE SMITH

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MAMAQTUQ! BELUGA HARVESTING THROUGHOUT THE AGES

Features 4 INUVIK & BEYOND 11 WHY SOMETIMES CHANGE ISN’T SO BAD AFTER ALL 12 A CHANGING OF THE GUARD 18 MAMAQTUQ! BELUGA HARVESTING THROUGHOUT THE AGES 32 WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Veronica Kasook OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Roseanne Rogers SUBSCRIPTIONS E-mail subscription inquiries to tusaayaksat.magazine@gmail.com or phone +1 867 777 2320 FUNDING MADE POSSIBLE BY Inuvialuit Regional Corporation GNWT (Education, Culture and Employment) GET SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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STUDENTS AND ELDERS SOUND OFF ON FOOD SECURITY IN THE NORTH

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COMMEMORATIVE POSTER

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BOBBY’S LEGACY

56 CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH IN OUR OWN BACKYARD 62 NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL VACATION

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62.

THE TAYLOR CARVING TRADITION

CULTURAL‑BASED TOURISM IN THE ISR

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CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH AT ARI

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THE GREAT BARRIER REEF OF THE ARCTIC

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CHANGING WEATHER

THE IMPORTANCE OF NORTH WATER POLYNYA

INUVIALUKTUN LANGUAGE GAMES #7 CHANGING WEATHER

TUSAAYAKSAT UPINRAKRAMI TUSAAYAKSAT IN THE SPRING QANUQ ITPIT! HELLO! What happens in the Arctic doesn’t always stay in the Arctic.

That’s especially true when it comes to climate change. Although participants of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference agreed to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, the Arctic is warming much faster than that– and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region has already exceeded that limit. Trapped inside the Arctic’s permafrost is an estimated 1.68 trillion tonnes of carbon, and if the permafrost continues to melt, much of that could be released into the atmosphere.

What happens in the Artic doesn’t stay in the Arctic.

That’s why the work taking place at the Aurora Research Institute is so important to Northerners. In our latest issue of Tusaayaksat, we bring you stories like this with a special global perspective. In ‘Climate

change research in our own backyard’ on page 56 you can read about the work done in the ISR by researchers and scientists visiting from across the world.

In ‘Mamaqtuq! Beluga harvesting throughout the ages’ on page 18 we look back at the traditions of beluga harvesting in the Arctic, and look forward to the most up-to-date research on one of the Inuvialuit’s most cherished food sources. In ‘When worlds collide’ on page 32, students from across the Beaufort Delta sound off on the state of food security in the North. In ‘Not your traditional vacation’ on page 62, writer Elaine Anselmi delves into the growing cultural-based tourism industry. And in ‘The Great Barrier Reef of the Arctic’ on page 70, Tusaayaksat examines the political and environmental importance of Pikialaorsuaq, the most biologically productive ecosystem north of the Arctic Circle.

What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic – and it’s no longer just important to Inuvialuit. People far and wide are listening.

QUYANAINNI THANK YOU, Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison Editor-in-Chief

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News from Trudeau meets around the Northern leaders ISR and beyond A historic meeting between the new federal government and Inuit leaders saw in-depth discussions on various issues including social and economic development in the North.

Funding boost for Arctic research facility Before the fall federal election, the Conservative government kicked in support for upgrades to Arctic sciences, with a pledge of $4.4 million for Natural Resources Canada’s Polar Continental Shelf Program facility in Resolute.

Leona Aglukkaq, then Minister of the Environment and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, announced the investment in July 2015.

The Polar Continental shelf program offers logistical support necessary for researchers operating in the North. The investment saw energy efficiency upgrades to the facility and touched on logistics and communications services to improve the operational efficiency of the program.

Big award for Greg Elias Having the highest-overall GPA among any program offered at Aurora College garnered Greg Elias of Inuvik a Governor General’s Academic Medal.

Elias is a renewable resource officer with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, having started his career in his hometown of Sachs Harbour as a patrolman with the department.

At the college, he’s working on completing the Environment and Natural Resources Technology Program.

At Inuit Tapariit Kanatami (ITK)’s head office in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett gathered with

NWT MP Micheal McLeod, as well as his counterpart from the Yukon, Larry Bagnell, and Fisheries and Oceans Minister Hunter Tootoo.

The federal representatives were in good company with ITK president Natan Obed, along with the heads of various Northern development corporations, including outgoing Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair Nellie Cournoyea and her replacement Duane Smith.

ICC launches three summits At a January meeting in Ottawa, the Inuit Circumpolar Council discussed its planned initiatives set to launch by the next General Assembly in 2018.

November of this year in the Canadian Arctic. In February, an economic summit was held in Alaska and an Inuit education summit is planned for fall 2017.

Three Inuit summits were announced, including a circumpolar wildlife summit planned for

The summits will involve Inuit from Russia, Alaska, Greenland and Canada.

NWT furs a hit at auction Several species of furs harvested in the territory sold out at the January 25 auction in North Bay, Ont. Wolverine and three varieties of fox furs were a popular take at the first sale of the season. Arctic wolf and black bear were a close second and third with 93 per cent and 96 per cent of the stock selling, respectively.

An average wolf pellet bid saw $353.90, topping out at $661.50 – the highest at the auction. Wolverines saw an average of $311.35 per pelt and went as high as $432. This season, more than $460,000 has been paid out through the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur program, as advances to trappers in the territory.

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A historic meeting between the new federal government and Inuit leaders saw in-depth discussions on various issues including social and economic development in the North.

GNWT cabinet announced Following the fall territorial elections, a new cabinet for the 18th Legislative Assembly was named on Dec. 21.

Premier Bob McLeod is Minister of the Executive, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and Minister Responsible for the Public Utilities Board. The remaining portfolios include: • Hon. Robert C. McLeod Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Lands, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs • Hon. Glen Abernethy Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister of Human Resources, Minister Responsible for Seniors, Minister Responsible for Persons With Disabilities, Government House Leader • Hon. Alfred Moses Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Minister Responsible for Youth • Hon. Caroline Cochrane Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, Minister of Public Works and Services, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women • Hon. Wally Schumann Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Minister of Transportation • Hon. Louis Sebert Minister of Justice, Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, Minister Responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission

What about men?

An initiative of the literacy councils of all three territories, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, has led to a report into the engagement of First Nations, Métis and Inuit men in learning and work.

The report, titled “What about the Men? Final Report of the Northern Men’s Research Project”, compiles the stories of various indigenous men through community-based research.

Participants were asked what success

meant for them, what would help them realize their aspirations, what sort of barriers they face and what the best methods of addressing their needs are.

On-the-land opportunities and retreats, organized gatherings for men, facilitated connections with industry, and training programs to develop skills and potential were among the recommendations included in the report.

Transportation Act reviewed Increasing the base level of funding for Northern transportation infrastructure was a major takeaway from the federal government’s review of the Canada Transportation Act. “The Government of the NWT has consistently lobbied for dedicated base funding to address the needs of our jurisdiction and this recommendation is a positive indication that our voice is being

Inuvialuit and Gwich’in team up A new company is being established in the North as the result of a partnership between Gwich’in and Inuvialuit in Inuvik.

Beaufort Delta GP Ltd., a partnership between the Nihtat Gwich’in Council and Northwind Industries, will work on construction projects such as highways, within resource development and provide remote logistics support for industry.

heard,” NWT Transportation Minister Wally Schumann told the Legislative Assembly in late February, following the report’s release.

The report went as far as to name three transportation projects in the territory, deemed critically important: the Mackenzie Valley corridor, the Tlicho all-season road and connecting the Slave Geological Province to a larger transportation system.

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Wolverine and three varieties of fox furs were a popular take at the first sale of the season.

Photo by David Stewart Photo by David Stewart

Not only does the new year bring a fresh start, it also brings some of our favourite regional events: the Dene and Northern Games Summit, the IRC Cup, the Gwich’in Cup and the NWT Regional Skills Competition.

Congratulations to all of the participants for your achievements and great sportsmanship. Aarigaa!

Photo by David Stewart

Photo by Faith Raymond

Photo by David Stewart

INUVIK & BEYOND

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Letters from down south:

Why

sometimes change isn't so bad after all Uvlaamilautak from Southern Alberta.

It’s +15 degrees Celsius in the middle of March. I remember trapping rats one spring with my dad and it was so cold on March 10 that I busted my starter rope trying to start my skidoo. We’ve been down here since August. My wife is going to the University of Lethbridge.

I was going for a while too but I kept spilling the mop pail and they had to let me go.

We were living in Whitehorse for eight years before that. I was making a few bucks playing music and working on my films. My wife wanted to get a university degree so we could have a better life. I thought we were doing pretty good going from hand to mouth.

But really I was scared of the change.

I didn’t know what I was going to do down there. I knew it would be hard to get the work that I like to do, which is working on filming. She just about had to hit me in the head with a frying pan to make me go. I sure fought it. But in the end I knew it was best for us all.

Photo by Faith Raymond

Our kids sure cried when they left their friends. But I think it was better to take them out at that young age as opposed to try and take them out as teenagers.

I remember one time my mom wanted me to cut my hair when I was fifteen.

She said I looked like somebody forgot to throw their old mop away. Change is harder when you get older for sure.

The day my wife got accepted, I felt a little bit weak. I knew the gig was up and I had to start packing up. I just built my 20-foot scow and I felt kind of sad to leave it alright. I sure dragged my feet.

WORDS BY DENNIS ALLEN

But inside I was excited. Like when we used to go to West side to hunt geese.

I used to like going over there ‘cause it was different.

When we got here I had to learn the country. I didn’t know anybody so I had to start looking for new guys to have coffee with. I went straight to the pool hall and starting playing 9-ball. I won enough for a clubhouse and a Pepsi.

Right away some guys starting asking me where I was from. I eventually found a partner. He was into rodeos so he brought me to some rodeos and I sure had fun watching them guys get bucked off them bulls. Then one day when we were at Tim Hortons, he was counting his change and I saw a guitar pick. I said, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you played guitar?” He said ‘cause I didn’t ask him. To make a long story short, we’re pretty good partners right now.

My wife is really enjoying her studies at the university. She finally feels like we’re going to have a chance to give our kids a good life. After all, that’s why we had kids, to give them a better life than we had. I’m not complaining, but it’s always good to give the next generation a better chance. I start a job at the Bowden Institute working with Inuit inmates next week. It pays good and I might even be able to buy a bigger kicker for my scow. I’m sure I’ll get holidays and that’s when I can bring my kids back north to visit their friends.

I wasn’t too crazy about moving down but now I see where my wife was right.

Change is good she said.

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A CHANGING OF THE GUARD AN INTERVIEW WITH NEWLY ELECTED IRC CHAIR AND CEO DUANE NINGAQSIQ SMITH

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fter serving nine consecutive terms as IRC Chair and CEO, Nellie Cournoyea, the ‘Iron Lady of the North,’ decided not to run for re-election on Jan. 25.

Duane Ningaqsiq Smith, who has been a director at IRC for over a decade, put his name forward, and won with 23 of the directors’ 42 votes. Instead of trying to fill the big shoes Nellie left behind, Duane says he will be aiming to start fresh. After his first two months on the job, he sat down with the Inuvialuit Communications Society to talk about his goals for his upcoming term as Chair and CEO.

Q&A

What are your goals for your upcoming term as IRC Chair and CEO? I should say thank you to the beneficiaries, as well as the directors, for voting me in, and giving me the confidence to lead them over this term, as well as giving me the support during this duration. I hope to work very closely with them to implement some changes that they will hopefully bring forward to me, and we can look at implementing those throughout my tenure. I hope to review the organization and see where there needs to be some improvements.

Some changes need to be made.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I think I’m a pretty straightforward person. I don’t try to play any games. I just like to get the issue on the table and get everybody to agree on a path forward. Let’s work on getting that implemented and achieved as soon as we can for the benefit of the people, the region - and when I say the people, I mean everyone will benefit, because what we do around here does benefit a lot of the region.

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What have your first two months in office been like?

It’s been quite a run, and I’ve already made quite a few changes. I’ve put a lot of processes in place for review. We’re going to be assessing all of our policies, every one of them, not only within the IRC, but all of the subsidiaries as well. We are making sure that the policies are updated, that they reflect the goals and objectives of the organization, as well as assessing the capacity and support that we’re giving to our beneficiaries in various forums, to make sure we’re meeting their needs as well. We hear a lot of concerns raised from our beneficiaries, and hopefully we’ll try and come up with processes to address that.

You were a director at IRC for over a decade. Which initiatives are you most proud of?

“I think I’m a pretty straightforward person.

I don’t try to play any games. I just like to get the issue on the table and get everybody to agree to a path forward.”

Well, working with Nellie, as one of her Board of Directors, and being the Vice-Chair for most of that time as well with her, I’ve been able to learn a lot from her abilities chairing and co-ordinating issues throughout the organization. But during that time period the organization has grown quite significantly. We also have to keep in mind over the 10 years our membership has grown by about 900 to 1,000. We’ve grown by about 25 per cent, roughly, so that means there’s added responsibility, expectations, obligations, that continue to be a responsibility of the organization overall. So it continues to grow, and the organization has to grow to look after the well being of beneficiaries again.

How will you support language revitalization with Inuvialuit?

Language revitalization is a very difficult issue, if I can put it that way, because it’s been such a long time since my generation and even the younger generation have spoken the language. For myself, I’m the third generation that wasn’t allowed to use the language, so my kids are the fourth generation. So we have to treat it like a second language.

We have to begin to work with the Education Department more proactively. We do have some education and assistance within there, but the level of staff is not enough. We have to revitalize the language program that was initiated, with ourselves as well as the college, to look at bringing back the language program for teachers. We can teach our beneficiaries how to get their Bachelor of Education, but at the same time learn the language, so when they do graduate they’ll be teachers. They can deliver those programs in their own language. I see that as a long-term commitment, and we have to get not only ourselves to develop this vision, but also plan what we want to see done over a ten-year period, because we didn’t lose the language overnight. We’re not going to gain it back in one year or a few years. It’s got to be a long-term vision that we can share together and commit to. We have to have the beneficiaries commit to it for it to be successful.

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IRC had a close working relationship with the Conservative Government.

What are your hopes for working with the Liberal Government?

I think the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation has always tried to have a good relationship with whatever government is in place, because it’s not only in our interest, but it’s in their interest as well, to try to have a proactive relationship on issues. We both have similar mandates, and that’s to improve the economy, to improve the wellbeing of the people, deliver different programs, try to look after the environment at the same time, as well as looking after health, housing, and infrastructure.

We also keep in mind that implementing the land claim together is one of the most important issues.

How did you get started in politics?

“I hope to review the organization and see where there needs to be some improvements. Some changes need to be made.”

When I was graduating from high school I said to a buddy of mine who has since passed away that we should go to college and take the natural resource technology program. I said, “They’re actually doing this program, and they’ll hire you to be rangers, to be on the land.”

So I said, “We’re going to be on the land anyways.” And that was my philosophy, and so that’s how I got into that, and I became a conservation officer and I started learning more about the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA). What I was being told as a conservation officer was conflicting with the Inuvialuit rights, so I got on to the Hunters and Trappers Committee here, and that’s how it all really started to evolve, because I just kept pushing and pursuing the rights under the land claim from that point on. I eventually left the government, and here I am now, looking after the whole IFA.

How will you improve support for students during your term?

We want to enhance the Human and Education Resources Department, where we’ll look at adding capacity, as well as reviewing the role and function of each of the staff that are presently there. We will also look at all the program support that we already deliver, to see if it’s meeting their objectives. If not, then how can we review and improve them so that there are better outcomes for the beneficiaries at the end of the day. And there are a number of programs that we do deliver.

To watch the Inuvialuit Communications Society’s interview with Duane Ningaqsiq Smith, stay tuned for the airing of Tusaayaksat TV! The 22-episode program will highlight news and events from across the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

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A 1936 beluga whale hunt near Tuktoyaktuk.

MAMAQ Richard N. Hourde/HBCA 1987/363-足E-足341/54

Richard N. Hourde/HBCA 1987/363-E-341/34

BELUGA HARVESTING THROUGHOUT THE AGES

Richard N. Hourde/HBCA 1987/363-E-346.2/2

TUQ!

Words by Charles Arnold and Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison Translation by Albert Elias

Photo courtesy of National Museum of Natural History/ Smithsonian Institution/MacFarlane Collection/E2545-02a

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Drawing by an unknown Inuvialuk circa 1865 showing hunters in kayaks harpooning beluga whales.

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he very first among my early memories is of the white whale hunt. In the spring, families from all the surrounding camps came to Kitigaaryuit for the hunt. Lots of people – lots of kayaks. I was too young to be able to count them; I only know the long sandbank of the Kitigaaryuit beach was hardly large enough for all the kayaks drawn up there. And the beach was a good eight or nine hundred yards long. The sight of all those kayaks putting out to sea was a spectacle we children never tired of.

These are the words of Bob Cockney in his autobiography I Nuligak. He was recalling a time in the late 1800s, when traditional Inuvialuit hunting practices had not yet been greatly altered by the arrival of Tan’ngit – whalers, traders, missionaries and others from ‘outside’ who had started appearing in the Inuvialuit homeland.

The scene that Bob Cockney described had been played out countless times over many centuries at favoured beluga whale hunting areas in the Mackenzie River estuary. When lookouts on hills spotted beluga

Inuvialuum aglauyaqtanga ukiumi 1865. Anguniaqtit qainnamingnin nauligaiyuat qilalukkanik.

whales, approaching hunters would launch their kayaks, shouting and slapping the surface of the water with their paddles to drive the whales into shallow waters and onto sandbars, and then dispatched them with harpoons and spears. The carcasses were towed back to the hunting camps, where they were butchered and processed. Much of the meat, blubber and oil from the belugas was stored for the winter months, when people lived in villages of driftwood and sod houses near the beluga hunting areas.

In other seasons, families and small groups of people travelled widely over the land, hunting caribou, harvesting the rich fish resources of the estuary using nets, and gathering plants and other materials needed for survival. Following an ancient cycle, with the beginning of the cold, dark season Inuvialuit would come together in their winter villages. According to oral history, a strong sense of social cohesion existed within these villages. Each of the villages had a name, and people identified themselves by those names. The villages were occupied each winter for many years, often over several generations, until conditions in the ever-changing estuary drew people to better beluga hunting areas.

Photo courtesy of NWT Archives/Bern Will Brown/N-2001-002

S

ivullirmik puigulaitkiga qilalukiqiniq.

Upinraksami ilagiit suminliqa Kitigaaryungmun nuatpaktuat. Inuvialuit inugiaktut, qainnat inugiaktut. Nutaraublunga qapsiutilaangingnik nalugitka. Kitigaaryuit sinaa takigaluaqtuq tajva inaikapsakpaga qainanik.

Qainnat tamarmik saavitaraagamik tariumun alianaivialuktuq akijutaluni.

Bob Cockney-nim tajva uqausingit quliaqtuamini taiguami I Nuligak. Quliarimayait ilisimayani taimani ukiut 1800 nungniarutaani. Qanuq Inuvialuit anguniarutait allalimaitilugit Tan-ngit – arviqsiuqtit, niuvaayit, alraqsuiqtillu qaitinnagit taunanga nunaptingnun.

Taamna Bob Cockney-m quliaqtuanga Inuvialuit pitqusirivagaat qangangaaniin qilalukiqiviktik Kuukpaum paangani. Nasisimayuat kitikanin qilalukat takugamigit anguniaqtit qainatik saavilugit upitpagait.

Ququalamayut, anguutitiklu immamun pataktuqlugit.

Ikkalrumun unguuqlugit. Nauligaqlugitlu kapuuqlugillu tajvani. Taima aasiin kallilugit inimingnun nabluqtak-

sat sanaiyaaksat. Niqaillu uqsuillu tutquqlugit ukiumi niqiksatik. Inuit taimani inuuniaruuyut qilalugarniaviit qaningani. Iglulgit qiyungniklu nunaniklu. Tajvanga aasiin inuit nunamun sanguvaktuat anguniluklutik. Tuktuliqiblutik. Iqalliqiblutik kubyatigun. Auyami asijiqiblutik, sunaliqaa pukuluklugu nunamin quyallitiksat. Taima qiqrurman, daaqsiman Inuvialuit katillutik nuatpatuat ukiivingminun. Qangangaaniin taimana pitqusilgit. Initik nayuqtatik atilgit. Nakin qaitilaaqtik nalunaitkutait.

Inuuniarviktik sivikittumik nayuqagait taimani. Nunam allanguutaa malirulugu nuktiqpaktuat niryutauyuamun.

Qanuq uva Inuvialuit inuusingat aullaqiva Kuukpaum paangani? Initurlinin nalunaittuq tajva Inuvialuit sivullingit tamatkuat Thule-mik atilgit maungarniqtuat Alaska-min ingilraan (800 ukiuniluuniin). Siaklutik aasiin sinaanunlu Kuukpaumlu paanganun. Atqunarlutik qilalukisuittut tamatkuat inuit. Iqaluksiurniq kubyanik nalugaat. Igluliuqpangniqtuat qiyungnik. Ilaanni nayuqtamingni arvirit sauniinik igluliuqlutik. Tamatkuat Thule inuit ukiiviit iglut inukittut. Sivikittumik nayuqpangnigait.

Photo courtesy of Richard N. Hourde/HBCA 1987/363-­E-­341/53

Photo courtesy of Richard N. Hourde/HBCA 1987/363-­E-­341/55

Photo courtesy of HBCA 1987/363-­E-­347/11

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Photo courtesy of NWT Archives/Bern Will Brown/N-2001-002

Photo courtesy of BWB N-2001-002-3921

Photo courtesy of Richard N. Hourde/HBCA 1987/363-足E-足347.1/14

Photo courtesy of NWT Archives/Bern Will Brown/N-2001-002

Photo courtesy of Richard N. Hourde/HBCA 1987/363-足E-足347/7

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How did the distinctive traditional way of life of Inuvialuit in the outer Mackenzie Delta come about?

Evidence from archaeology shows that the ancestors of the Inuvialuit, known as the Thule people, migrated into the Beaufort Sea from Alaska about 800 years ago, and soon afterwards spread into Kugmallit Bay and the Mackenzie River estuary. There is no evidence that large-scale communal whale hunts such as Bob Cockney described were carried out by the Thule before they moved into the estuary, nor does it appear that they knew about net fishing. They built winter houses from driftwood logs, and in some areas, from bones of large bowhead whales, but Thule winter settlements had only a few such houses, and at most they were used only for a few winters.

There is still a great deal to be learned about the transformation from the nomadic Thule way of life to the traditional Inuvialuit seasonal pattern of dispersal to temporary camps for hunting and fishing during some seasons and coming together at relatively permanent villages in winter. Archaeologists and Inuvialuit traditional knowledge holders are working together to unlock the secrets of the past. The development of the communal beluga whale hunting strategy is a key topic of research, and Cache Point, which juts into the estuary at the mouth of the East Channel of the Mackenzie River, holds many of the clues.

Cache Point is the tip of a plateau that is connected to the much larger Richards Island by low-lying flats that are barely above the level of the river. Until perhaps as recently as 500 years ago, the plateau was a small island, and the low-lying area that connects it to Richards Island was a river channel that was filled in over the years with silt carried downstream by the Mackenzie River.

A Thule culture harpoon head found at Cache Point.

The buried remains of long-abandoned sod houses, the earliest that have been discovered in the area, are clustered in several locations at Cache Point, with the oldest located along the side that faces the flats that extend to Richards Island. It is thought that people lived in those houses before the flats formed, and that a shallow channel along that side provided an ideal area for hunting beluga whales in the manner described by Nuligak.

Over time, as the channel filled in, people relocated to the other side of the plateau. Later generations of beluga whale hunters and their families moved to other locations further downstream, seeking better conditions for hunting. The most recent of the traditional winter villages included Kitigaaryuit on the east side of the estuary as recounted by Bob Cockney, and Kuukpak on the western shore.

Cache Point, Kitigaaryuit and Kuukpak are waypoints along a river of time. Propelled by food security due in large part to the summer migration of beluga whales into the Mackenzie River estuary, and by the development of local knowledge for harvesting, processing and storing the whales, the population grew in size, and larger villages with bigger and more complex winter houses were established. The relatively recent adoption of foreign items such as wind-powered whaleboats, schooners with inboard motors, and aluminum and fiberglass boats for the annual beluga whale hunt have altered the way that beluga whales are hunted, but they have also enabled the traditions associated with beluga whale hunting to continue through times of great change.

For more on Inuvialuit history, visit the Inuvialuit History Timeline website (www.inuvialuithistory.com).

Mamaguaq paqitaq Cache Point-mi. Thule inuit sanayangat.

Photo Courtesy of Canada. Dept. of Mines and Technical Services/Library and Archives Canada/PA-019470 A skin-covered kayak and a wooden whaleboat.

Uvva qayaq amivialungmik amilik. Taamnalu qiyungnik sanayayaq umiuyaq.

Tamatkuat Thule inuillu Inuvialuillu qangma suli idjusingit inuusingit pitqusiillu qanuq allagiitilaangit nalunaqtut. Tanmaavingit, anguniarvingit, tatqiqsiutini.

Ukiaksami, ukiumi, upinraksami, auyamilu pitqusingit.

Tajva aglaan Tan’ngilu Inuvialuillu ikayuqtigiiklutik ilitchuriniaqsimayut qangma. Ikayuqtigiiklutik Inuvialuit atautchitun qilalukiqigamik quyallitsamingnik tamarmik isumagiblugu. Kuukpaum paangani.

Cache Point. In the distance is Richards Island.

Cache Point-min Richards Island takunaqtuq.

Rosemary Lundrigan looking at the remains of sod houses at Cache Point: “I could feel the presence of my ancestors.” (Glen MacKay) Rosemary Lundrigan takunnaksimagait igluluaryuit Cache Point-mi. “Misingnaqtuq sivun-nipta akunrani itunga”

Cache Point tajva Richards Island-mun atayuq natirnami. Ingilraan taamna natirnaq qiqiqtaraluaq. Kuugaq taamna sarvam marilugu sivituyumik nunanguqtitaa.

Richards Island ilagiliqlugu. Igluluaryuit tamaani sauyat inugiaktut. Sivulluliit iglut siangayut. Cahche Point qaningani ittut. Utuqauniqsat iglut natirnami ittut. Inuit nayuqpagungnagait iglut tamaani natirnanguqtinnagu. Qilalukkivagungnaqtuat ikkalrumi qanini taimani.

Taima aasiin kuugaq nunangurman inuit tamaani nuuniqtuat ungataanun. Taimaliman Inuvialuit tarium tungaanun nuuniqtuat qilalukkat malirullugit. Tajva taamna Kittigaaryuit ukiivigivangnigaat, Nulikkam quliaqtangani.

Cache Point, Kittigaaryuit, Kuukpaklu nuitaniqsat taimangaaniin. Kaangnailuni tajva Kuukpaum paanga qilalukkat inugiaklutik auyami Inuvialuillu sapiqsailam sukkuliqaa inuit inugiaksiyuat. Munnaqigiklutiklu niqinik. Inuuniarvingit angigliblutik. Iglugaluangit angigliblutik. Qangma qilaukiqiniq allanguqtuaq tamatkuat umiuyat tingilrautilgit, umiaqpauyat, qayariallu ingniqutilgit kayumiktuat maungarmata. Aglaan tajva Inuvialungnun quyallitauvialungmiut tamatkuat. Inuusiq alangamun igliqtuq qangma.

Inuvialuit pitqusingit takusukkupkit uvuuna qaritauyakkun takunaqtut: www.inuvialuithistory.com

Photo by Peter Mather

26

C

ulturally, traditionally, and spiritually significant - it’s hard to overemphasize the importance of the ‘white whale hunt’ in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. But the environment is changing, and belugas – and the people who hunt them – are being forced to adapt.

For four days in February, delegates from each Inuvialuit community met with researchers, harvesters, elders, youth and resource managers for the first ever Beluga Summit in Inuvik.

They met to share beluga knowledge, identify common concerns and knowledge gaps, and help direct future research in the ISR with the goal of long-term sustainability. And for the first time, representatives from Sachs Harbour and Ulukhaktok were able to speak about harvests of their own.

Photo by Peter Mather

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CJ Haogak, a Sachs Harbour whale monitor, told delegates at the Beluga Summit that there has been a large increase in whales in and around the community in the past three years. As a result, they have started monitoring and harvesting whales, and when there are whales around, everyone in the community gets involved.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” he said. “And in Sachs, where man power is low, the community used a loader to tow whales.” When asked why he thinks whales have started showing up in the community, CJ guessed that the decreasing sea ice levels have had a big impact.

Clara Day of Inuvik has seen big changes too. “There are fewer whales, and they’re not as big as they used to be, and you’re lucky if you catch the run of the herring. It’s really changed. This year I probably made only about 100 herring dry fish. In other years I made 300; or 400,” she explained. “There’s so much going on in the world with oil spills and radiation. Will the whales be affected by that? Will we be affected by them?”

The Inuvialuit Settlement Region has the longest running beluga monitoring program in the world. For 35 years, co-management has “successfully blended traditional knowledge and western science and increased our understanding of the numbers, life history and health of beluga whales in the Beaufort Sea,” said Vic Gillman, chair of the Fisheries Joint Management Committee. “The program has yielded an Inuvialuit Beluga Management Plan, hundreds of scientific papers, worldwide respect, and successfully achieved the intent of the third key principle of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement ‘To protect and preserve Arctic wildlife, environment, and biological productivity’.”

Photo by Peter Mather

“Our people have been adapting for thousands of years. Whatever change comes before us, we’ll adapt to it to be able to hunt.”

-WILLIE GOODWIN, KOTZEBUE, ALASKA

Photo by Peter Mather

Photo by Peter Mather

30

Lisa Loseto of Fisheries and Oceans Canada told delegates at the Beluga Summit that the beluga population in the Mackenzie Estuary is only one of six beluga sub-populations out of 29 in the entire Arctic that are thought to be stable or increasing. “We’re quite lucky here,” she said.

Since the 1990s, the focus of research in the ISR has shifted to understanding the cumulative impacts of climate change, changes in the ecosystem, noise and contaminants. “We’re already starting to see climate change impacts in the region,” Lisa explained. “With the reduction in ice, we know that’s having an impact on beluga habitat. We know with reduction in ice there’s going to be changes in the food web and the food that they have access too.”

“We know that the climate is changing,” explained Frank. “We’re having earlier break-ups in the springtime. We notice that. We don’t know whether it’s going to benefit the belugas, but in some way it probably will because there’s more open water for them. Maybe it’s a good thing, but we’re not denying there’s climate change. Also, in the coastal areas, even in the Alaska area, we’re losing a lot of land to erosion from the winds. We notice all that. But what people have to remember is that we’ve been living with these changes all our lives and we continue to live with these changes.”

Willie Goodwin, chair of the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee, agreed. “Our people have been adapting for thousands of years,” he said. “Whatever change comes before us, we’ll adapt to it to be able to hunt.”

Photo by Peter Mather

Scientists are trying to figure out how the changes are impacting belugas, she said. “We do believe this is a very healthy, stable population, but we’re starting to see changes in the ecosystem. So how can we be ready for climate change?”

Photo by Sonja Ostertag Photo by Northwest Territories Tourism/Jason Van Bruggen

2016

Beluga Summit community delegates AKLAVIK: Dwayne Benoit, Joe Arey Sr., Ally Gordon TUKTOYAKTUK: Jocelyn Noksana, John Noksana Sr., Richard Gruben INUVIK: Clara Day, Kyle Conley, Lawrence ‘Fraser’ Angasuk SACHS HARBOUR: Ryan Lucas, Norman Anikina, CJ Haogak ULUKHAKTOK: Corrie Joss, John Alikamik, Kelly Nigiyok PAULATUK: Ruben Green, Joe Illasiak, Melanie Wolki, Diane Ruben

32

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE Students and elders sound off on food security in the north

Photos by Faith Raymond, David Stewart, Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison and Adam Kudlak

I

t’s no secret — food doesn’t come cheap in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Whether you’re buying groceries at the local store or hunting on the land, everything comes at a price. To delve further into the topic of food security, students from across the North spoke with elders about the rising costs of food, both from the land and at the grocery store.

Your communities, your voices

34

“

“When you live in a remote community in the North and the only ways in or out are by boat and plane, Mother Nature can easily get in the way of bringing in food and supplies. This is when I realized food security in the North is extremely important.”

—JACOB KLENGENBERG, 15, HELEN KALVAK SCHOOL, ULUKHAKTOK

THE PRICES IN STORES ARE SO RIDICULOUS THAT I OFTEN JOKE ABOUT IT BEING EASIER FOR FAMILIES TO RAISE A CHILD ON CANDY AND POP THAN ON HEALTHY MEALS.”

—DONNA JOHNS, INUVIK

“You have to teach your little ones to start doing the harpooning and the hunting of the geese so you are teaching them values of our traditional lifestyle. Down south you buy the chicken from the store where they pluck them and then sell them. Here you have to pluck your own geese, you have to cut it up and cook it, and so you have different values given to the kids. When I was growing up a box of 250 matches had to last us 250 days. You were taught to light the candle and if the match goes out then at least you could light the stove. Elders understand that life was tough long ago.”

—NELLIE POKIAK, TUKTOYAKTUK

“ “ULUKHAKTOK HAS AIRPLANES THAT SHIP THE FOOD TO THE AIRPORT AND GET DELIVERED TO THE LOCAL STORES. SOMETIMES THE PLANES GET CANCELLED DUE TO SNOWSTORMS, FOG COVERAGE AND HIGH-SPEED WIND.” –NADINE KLENGENBERG-KUNELUK, 15, HELEN KALVAK SCHOOL, ULUKHAKTOK

We used to be able to stay on the land longer thAn we usually do. The land is changing faster.”

–JEAN EKPAKOHAK, ULUKHAKTOK

“LOWERING THE COST OF FOOD, LOWERING THE PRICE OF HUNTING AND TRAPPING TOOLS, GETTING AND GIVING A BETTER EDUCATION, AND HUNTING MORE ON THE LAND INSTEAD OF BUYING HIGH-COST FOOD ARE JUST SOME WAYS TO PREVENT AND LESSEN THE FOOD INSECURITY.” —ALLYSA FELIX, 15, MANGILALUK SCHOOL, TUKTOYAKTUK

Growing up in Fort McPherson, our food was mainly from off of the land. Back when Mama was raising all of us kids she was a single parent.

She worked, but buying meat from the store happened only once in a while. Caribou was our main diet. Fish, rabbits, muskrats and ducks were all harvested during different seasons. These were cooked in so many different ways. Meat and fish were dried to preserve for eating later on. Berries, rhubarb, the pink roses, roots and what we used to call juicy willows were our source of fresh fruit.”

—SUSAN BLAKE, FORT MCPHERSON

How far will your money get you at the grocery store?

Tuktoyaktuk

12 Eggs – $4.29 12 Apples – approx. $12 Loaf of White Bread – $3.99 Lays Original (large) – $5.19 Can of Coke – $1.76

Ulukhaktok

12 Eggs – $3.89 12 Apples – $11.99 Loaf of White Bread – $2.89 Lays Original (large) – $8.99 Can of Coke – $1.99

Inuvik

12 Eggs – $4.50 12 Apples – $18.00 Loaf of White Bread – $5.00 Lays Original (large) – $6.00 Can of Coke – $1.50

36

“The prices are getting higher and higher, and you know it really doesn’t last if you don’t have a good enough paying job. The food won’t last you until next payday.”

—JEAN EKPAKOHAK, ULUKHAKTOK

“WE’RE FACED WITH CONFLICTS AND ISSUES THAT CORRESPOND TO FOOD SECURITY, WHETHER IT BE THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD A MONTH’S WORTH OF GROCERIES OR THAT THE STORE HAD JUST RUN OUT OF FRESH PRODUCE. THERE ARE DOZENS OF ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS THAT MAKE FOOD SECURITY AN ISSUE IN THE NORTH.” —JEREMIAH LAFFERTY, 15, DENINU SCHOOL, FORT RESOLUTION

CELEBRATING HOCKEY

SCENES FROM THE IRC CUP AND GWICH’IN CUP IN INUVIK

Photos by Faith Raymond and Tom Mcleod

McPhoo Lightning

Mighty Ducks

Malena Selects

LJ’s Sabres - A Division

K&D Outlaws

LJ’s Sabres - B Division

Aklavik Oogs

Aklavik Knights

IRC CUP 2016 COMMEMORATIVE TEAM POSTER

1. LJ’s Sabres 2. K&D Outlaws 3. Malena Selects

A-DIVISION

1. Tuk Bulldogs 2. Aklavik Knights 3. PCM Pros

B-DIVISION

K&D Outlaws Northwind Malena Selects Whitehorse LJ’s Sabres

A-DIVISION TEAMS

Whitehorse

Tuk Falcons

FINAL STANDINGS

Tuk Bulldogs

PCM Pros

Northwind

Slyck Stars

Paulatuk Storm

Northwind Old Dogs

Tuk Falcons Slyck Stars Tuk Bulldogs Paulatuk Storm Northwind Old Dogs

B-DIVISION TEAMS

Aklavik Oogs Aklavik Knights Mighty Ducks McPhoo Lightning LJ’s Sabres PCM Pros

“WE NEED EXPOSURE TO BRING AWARENESS. AWARENESS MIGHT BRING CHANGE. EXPOSURE TO THE PRICES, TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PROBLEMS THAT FOLLOW THAT.” —ALLYSA FELIX, 15, MANGILALUK SCHOOL

—NELLIE POKIAK, TUKTOYAKTUK

-TANNER GILLIS, 16, EAST THREE SECONDARY SCHOOL, INUVIK

”

“I look at it this way: how many of the young people eat the traditional foods like we do? The caribou hoofs, the caribou heads, the different parts of the intestines of the ugyuk and the different foods. Not very many eat that kind of food anymore.”

-NELLIE POKIAK, TUKTOYAKTUK

Photo by Adam Kudlak

“

The Northwest Territories has a wide variety of wildlife ranging from ptarmigan, goose, duck, moose, caribou, muskrat, squirrel, muskox, lynx and lemming. Due to global warming and climate change, the population and diversity of these northern animals is decreasing. Not only does this affect the land and environment, but also the traditional people that live and hunt off the land.

“We start hunting at specific times. We know when is a good time to get the muskrat; we know when is a good time to get the lake trout; we know what time to hunt the seals; we know what time to hunt the beluga whale; we know what time to hunt the geese. It’s a cycle that people learn, but how many of these young people know those cycles? To me, I always give credit to the elders that passed on because they are the ones that taught the knowledge. My husband Frank was taught by his dad and then my husband taught my son and then he is teaching my grandson to hunt.”

“

Hunting is really big in my community.

The majority of the people here enjoy going hunting because then we don’t have to spend money on meat from the store. Not only that, it’s our tradition and our parents, grandparents and ancestors grew up on the land hunting.

It is important now to learn how to hunt not only because it’s our tradition, but also so we can pass on our traditions to our children. All these animals can be harvested during all seasons except for the ducks and geese, which only come in spring and summer when we have warm weather. Berries are another main source that we get in the summer months. I enjoy the freedom we get here to hunt, trap and fish. Having these traditional foods for meals are way better than any meat or canned food you would usually buy at the store. I feel proud to be Gwich’in and to eat my Gwich’in food.”

–JANESSA BLAKE, 15, CHIEF JULIUS SCHOOL, FORT MCPHERSON

“I’ve seen a change in the later freeze up and earlier melt in April just after the Tuk jamboree.

I’ve been noticing the caribou’s migration routes change in the fall as they’re migrating earlier.”

–EMMANUEL ADAMS, TUKTOYAKTUK

Cranberry Jam

BY JOELLE VICTORIA CHARLIE, 15, EAST THREE SECONDARY SCHOOL, INUVIK Here’s a recipe to make delicious jam that has ingredients that are easily accessible at a typical grocery store in the North. In this case I bought almost everything I needed at Stanton’s in Inuvik. I chose to make this recipe because I wanted to try something new and incorporate locally harvested cranberries in this recipe. I hope that you choose to pick your own berries as well in order to promote culture and an active lifestyle.

I bought about $8.00 worth of groceries. You will have to take into account transportation costs when berry picking. However, if you choose to buy frozen cranberries from a grocery store, the cost would be about $15.00.

Yield: 3 medium jars INGREDIENTS 2 cups of cranberries 4 cups of granulated sugar 1 cup of water 1 package of pectin

“It costs more to live off the land than it used to. With rising costs of hunting supplies and materials, northerners are finding it more difficult to do so. The only alternative to living off the land is going to the grocery store, where prices are through the roof. Compared to the South, a hunter there would have a lot less financial trouble than one in the North.”

–TANNER GILLIS, 16, EAST THREE SECONDARY SCHOOL, INUVIK

DIRECTIONS 1. Crush the cranberries.

2. Stir in the sugar with the cranberries and let the mixture set for 20 minutes, stirring often.

3. In a small saucepan, combine the water and pectin. After the solution comes to a boil, turn the heat off after one minute.

4. Add the pectin solution to the berry mixture and mix well.

5. Pour the final mixture in clean mason jars and seal them with a lid.

6. Store the jam at room temperature for one day.

7. After the jam is set, store the jars in a fridge or freezer to keep fresh.

8. Spread your jam on your favourite bread, such as toast, bagels, buns or bannock. Enjoy!

44

“Today’s prices are way more than they used to be. For instance, A DAIRY MILK CHOCOLATE BAR and other chocolate bars used to be about ten cents. Now today they are about $2.79 each, so there is a big difference.”

–ANNIE GOOSE, ULUKHAKTOK

“Elders, families with low incomes and single parents struggle to pay for food for their family and other essential needs.”

—KENDALL ALLEN, EAST THREE SECONDARY SCHOOL, INUVIK

Meat is still too expensive to live off of and caribou is our main diet. Our wild meat is nutritious; the animals eat from off of the land that is healthy.

We buy meat from the store just for a change of meal. We’ve raised our kids on wild meat and now they feed their kids wild meat. What you’ve been raised eating is what you will like eating for the rest of your life. If you compare our meat to what is in the store, ours is more healthy. Our wild meat has no preservatives in it and less expensive to get. Young people really enjoy hunting for food for their families to eat and that’s good for their bodies and mind. Anything you do out on the land and anything you eat from off the land makes you feel better. Always remember to thank God for giving us so many choices of meals.”

—SUSAN BLAKE, FORT MCPHERSON

“I think the food in the market is costly, and some of us who have jobs feel that. You know, sometimes the prices are high.

Imagine for people on income support who try to make ends meet, and single parents. I think it is costly for everybody but there is a group of people with children who feel it a lot more. because anything flown in doubles the price almost. If you don’t have enough country food you have to really rely on market food.”

—ANNIE GOOSE, ULUKHAKTOK

“Food security in the North has become

an increasingly worrisome problem. Even with programs like Nutrition North being implemented there is little to no change.

With global warming, the ice doesn’t stay as long as it used to, which means ice roads have to close earlier and there’s less time to fish on the ice.”

–CHLOE KANAYOK, 15, HELEN KALVAK SCHOOL, ULUKHAKTOK

“IF THINGS KEEP GOING THE WAY THEY ARE, THERE MIGHT NOT BE A BRIGHT ENOUGH FUTURE FOR YOUR KIDS OR GRANDKIDS BECAUSE OF THE DYING ANIMALS AND THE WARMING CLIMATE. I’M WORRIED ABOUT THE DYING ANIMALS AND THE WARMING CLIMATE. WHAT WILL THIS HOLD FOR OUR FUTURE? THERE MIGHT NOT BE ONE IF THERE ISN’T A CHANGE.” -ALLYSA FELIX, 15, MANGILALUK SCHOOL

46

BOBBY’S LEGACY Half a century after Bobby Taylor Pokiak first picked up a hand file, the carving tradition in his family remains strong Photos by Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Bobby Taylor, 10, pictured carving above, was named after his great-grandfather Bobby Taylor Pokiak. “It started with my daduk Bobby, then my dad, then myself, and now my boy Bobby is starting to do it,” says Curtis Taylor. “He’s going to follow me. He’s going to be carving beside me”

48

The Taylors in attendance at the 2015 Great Northern Arts Festival William Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Mary Anne Taylor Reid, John Taylor, Marion Taylor Pokiak, Derrald Taylor, Curtis Taylor, Bobby Taylor

No one knows exactly why Bobby Taylor Pokiak started carving in Tuktoyaktuk in the 1960s. Maybe someone showed him. Maybe he picked up the tools one day and realized he had a knack for it. The only fact that’s undisputed is that his decision influenced the lives of three generations of carvers to come.

“We don’t know. We honestly don’t know,” says Ryan Taylor, a full-time carver and Bobby’s youngest son. “I just remember my dad always had a carpenter’s glove on, a piece of antler in one hand, and a file in the other. That’s how I’ll remember him.”

Bobby passed away in 2005, but the carving tradition in the Taylor family lives on with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who continue to carve to this day – and who receive recognition all over the world for their work.

At the age of 58, William Taylor is the oldest carver in the family. Derrald Taylor, working out of Frozen Rock Studio in Yellowknife, is probably the most well known. The youngest carver, at the age of 19, is Vaughn Taylor. Marion Taylor Pokiak is known for miniatures, multi-pieces and mobiles.

Ryan Taylor for his muskox, kayakers and sleeping Sedna.

Ronnie Taylor, now living in Kugluktuk, is renowned for his work with ivory. Derek Taylor is prolific at carving inuksuks.

Mary Anne Taylor Reid can carve women sewing better than anyone. Curtis Taylor and his brother John, though both avid carvers, are young and still developing their styles, and carve a wide variety of figures. The same can be said for Greg Taylor, Ronnie’s son. Priscilla Taylor, who lives just outside of Calgary, is a full-time mother and a part-time carver. When he was still alive, Bobby Taylor Pokiak was known for his flying birds and crib boards.

Four Taylors – Ryan, Derrald, Ronnie and John – are fulltime carvers, and countless more supplement their income with part-time or seasonal carving. “My dad worked hard for what he did,” Derrald says. “He grew us up by what he did with his hands. I’d like to continue that.”

But why did the carving tradition infiltrate the family tree so deeply? To put it simply, it’s a family tradition.

Taylors grow up surrounded by carving. They watch their older brothers and sisters do it. They see their parents make a living from it. Eventually, most of them give it a try.

50

John Taylor carving a muskox.

“We all start with hand tools, chisels, files and saws,” says Ryan, who still has the hand file his father Bobby gave him when he first started carving at 12 years old. Being the youngest child, Ryan followed in the footsteps of his older brothers Derrald and Ronnie, and watched them carve long before he started himself.

“I think it was Derrald who broke a bear carving and he didn’t want to finish it, so I glued it back together,” he explains. “Then Ronnie broke a seal and he didn’t want to finish it, so I glued it back together.” At the time, the Taylor Pokiak house in Tuktoyaktuk was a big draw for tourists, who would mill through the house, buying Bobby’s bone and antler creations. “So I glued those carvings together, put them on a little base, tourists came by and bought them.

When you’re a young kid and you see money like that… that’s why I started trying to carve,” Ryan says.

“I just remember my dad always had a carpenter glove on, a piece of antler in one hand, and a file in the other. That’s how I’ll remember him.” - Ryan Taylor John started carving at the age of 14 - first on his own, then with the guidance of uncles Derrald, Ronnie and Ryan, and parents William and Sheila. Now he’s living and carving in Yellowknife at Frozen Rock Studio alongside Ernest Raymond, Eli Nasogaluak, John Sabourin and his uncle Derrald. “It’s an experience. I’m picking up some different forms and details where they can teach me,” he says.

Derrald learned the basics from his father Bobby, and then taught himself by joining festivals, going to carving shows and working alongside carvers from different regions.

Ronnie started carving at the age of 10, first trying to imitate his dad’s pieces, then making his own. Curtis says he learned from watching his dad, William. At the age of 13, his first carving was a kayak hunter. Priscilla says her main teacher was her mother, Mary Anne, although she got her start at the age of five sanding bases for her uncle Derrald.

At the age of eight she completed her first carving, a walrus, which she sold to her teacher. “It was really wobbly but they were so in love with it. They wanted to pay $20 for it, but I said since it’s wobbly it’s only $10.”

William, Bobby’s eldest son, started carving at the age of 10.

“My dad was carving and he was making money. We wanted to make money for him too, to try and help him out,” he says.

His first carving was a seated bird made from antler, which he made by watching his dad carve and following along.

52

Derrald Taylor carving at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik.

Ryan Taylor, Mary Anne Taylor Reid, Derrald Taylor and Marion Taylor Pokiak at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik.

“My dad would sit down and carve for hours, sometime days, because he wanted to make some money for food. So that’s what he’d do. He would have a jigsaw and a hacksaw and about three files: a rough file, a round file and a flat file.

It was survival to us. That was all survival. You know, it was a fast way to make money, and we needed some groceries, and we got a piece of stone. We look at that stone and we can make something out of it,” William explains. “There’s no one really that taught him. He did it on his own.”

When asked, most Taylors will say it’s important to teach the next generation in the family – but the unspoken rule is that you have to wait until their interest is piqued.

No one in the family is forced into carving.

“My dad was born with one of his mom’s rib bones and a file,” jokes Ryan. In actuality, most Taylor carvers start sanding, sawing and filing when they are children, and then transition to making their own pieces as pre-teens.

Derrald has taught his children, Dalynn, 17, and Aron, 12, the basics of carving, but doesn’t pressure them into joining him at the studio. “I don’t want to rush them into it and scare them away. I know there will come a time when hopefully they can sit with me and learn from me,” he says.

“I’ll be proud the day I start seeing them carve.”

Curtis’s 10-year-old son Bobby, named for his greatgrandfather, is likely to be one of the first fourth generation Taylor carvers. “He’s going to follow me. He’s going to be carving beside me,” Curtis explains. “He’s going to learn on his own. I’m going to let him learn his way, not my way.”

Priscilla also has plans for her two daughters, Jasmine, two, and Abrianna, nine months. “The first step for them would be the sanding for sure. The second one would be the file.

Then you go with making a whale or something easy,” she says. “Jasmine is already inspired by it too. She grabs sandpaper and rock and tries to sand it.”

In addition to learning from each other, the Taylors also work alongside carvers from across the North, trading techniques and sharing tips. Ryan credits Nunavut carver Inuk Charlie with inspiring him when he was younger, and Derrald has worked closely with ‘the Nasogaluak boys’ – Bill, Eli and Joe. “I like carving with other carvers,” Ronnie says. “I get to learn something from them, and they get to learn something from me.” As for Bobby, he often carved alongside Phillip Raymond and Jimmy Jacobson in Tuktoyaktuk.

54

Derrald Taylor carvings.

Inuit art is a staple of the Canadian art scene.

That’s because when people buy Inuit art, they’re not just the buying the piece, they’re also buying the history behind it – and the Taylor name goes a long way.

“A lot of people come down looking for our work. They specifically ask for a Taylor,” says Ryan. The Taylors are stronger as a unit, and because of that their name carries a lot of weight.

The majority of Taylor carvings have been sold in Canada and the United States, but many can be found in far off countries and continents like Japan, China, England, Australia, Switzerland, Russia, Mexico, South America and Africa. Others have been gifted to dignitaries visiting the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, like the Ryan Taylor kayaker given to Prime Minister Stephen Harper when he visited Inuvik in 2008.

One of the trademarks of a Taylor carving is the realism.

They don’t just carve from the land – they live it too. “The Inuvialuit, we do realistic stuff. We go hunting on the land, so we know what the animals look like,” Ryan says. “We work with movement. You try to not make it look stiff, like a piece of rock.” Derrald agrees. “I try to carve the animals the way I see them. I’ll watch their movements, what they look like,” he says. “People ask how do we look at a rock and then make it into something so easily, so fast and so naturally. It’s second nature to us,” Priscilla adds.

“My dad was the number one Taylor that started everything, and he was the Taylor that made the Taylors. That’s all I can say about that,” William says. “We won’t let it go, because it’s a way of making money. It’s a way of survival. I don’t think we’ll ever let it go. Here in the North, you know, it’s hard to get good jobs, so carving is the best option. People like buying carvings, especially Taylor carvings.”

And how long will the tradition last?

Ask any Taylor, and they’ll answer the same way: “Forever.”

Did you know?

SOURCE: INUIT ART FOUNDATION

• Inuit art represents approximately 10-15% of Canadian art sales, yet Inuit account for less than 2% of the Canadian population • Inuit art is an icon of Canadian nationalism, exhibited at world fairs and presented as official gifts to visiting dignitaries • Inuit art is a tourist draw with high recognition value • Art provides a direct economic benefit to a large portion of the Northern population

56

CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH IN OUR OWN BACKYARD Aurora Research Institute supported projects having global impact on climate change knowledge and predictions Words by Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison and Dawn Keim, with contributions by Catarina Owen Photos by Angela Gzowski and Dawn Keim

BY THE NUMBERS Source: The United Nations

The 10 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1998 Global average sea level rose by 19 cm from 1901 to 2010 The Arctic’s sea ice has shrunk in every decade since 1979 Global emissions of CO2 have increased by almost 50 per cent since 1990

“

This research helps open up the eyes of the local people. Science does matter. We also help the scientists. Local knowledge does matter. It goes hand in hand. They have a lot of knowledge, and I have a lot of knowledge, and we can put two and two together. - EDWIN AMOS

”

2.3 degrees. There is an urgent need to understand the impacts this has had, and will continue to have, on the environment, including snow cover and melt, permafrost and water levels of lakes, creeks and rivers.

These changes have the ability to impact Northern development, including the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway as stream flow increases, permafrost melts and lakes drain. The Arctic is warming rapidly, and will continue to warm in the coming decades, centuries and millennia even if greenhouse gas emissions decline.

ARI technician Edwin Amos

E

dwin Amos is noticing some big changes on the land.

“Big time,” he says.

“The amount of snow we have this year is kind of crazy. We should have way more snow than what we have now. For ice depth too, we don’t have much ice this year.”

What Edwin sees on the land is backed up by scientific data.

Although all participating countries agreed at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, the Arctic is warming much faster than that– and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region has already warmed

Over the past 50 years, the Aurora Research Institute in Inuvik has been at the forefront of countless projects that aim to expand knowledge and data related to climate change. Last year, 200 research groups and over 1,000 scientists from around the world carried out their research in the Western Arctic through ARI. The Inuvialuit Settlement Region acts as an important test site for investigations into the continuous permafrost zone of the Canadian Arctic, and this data has far-reaching impacts.

Edwin, a technician at ARI, has come a long way. Before entering the Environment and Natural Resources Technology Program at Aurora College in Inuvik, he worked odd jobs in construction and on oil rigs. “Working three months on, six months off, it was hard,” he says.

Now, with a diploma in hand, Edwin provides support to staff at ARI and travels on the land collecting data and assisting researchers. Since he started working there last June, he has helped on countless climate change related projects, from wind energy feasibility studies to monitoring data related to permafrost, cosmic radiation and air quality.

“This research helps open up the eyes of the local people.

Science does matter,” Edwin says. “We also help the scientists.

Local knowledge does matter. It goes hand in hand. They have a lot of knowledge, and I have a lot of knowledge, and we can put two and two together.”

58

Hydrology of High Latitude Watershed Conducted by Wilfrid Laurier University Words by Professor Philip Marsh

What did we do?

Our research builds on over 20 years of research at the Trail Valley Creek Research Station, located 45 km north of Inuvik, and Havikpak Creek, near the Inuvik airport. These sites have the longest continuous water records in the Canadian Arctic, which provides researchers a detailed overview of past changes in snow and water levels. Last year we measured snowfall and how it was distributed. We also measured snowmelt, soil moisture, evaporation, stream flow, water levels and the depth of thaw of the upper levels of soil. These observations will allow us to understand changes to the environment and develop better predictive tools for the future.

What did we find?

The air temperature at Trail Valley Creek has increased dramatically since 1958. Average temperatures have increased by 2.3 degrees, dramatically more than the global average of less than 1 degree. Even more startling, the number of days with temperatures below -40 degrees have decreased substantially, and the days above 20 degrees increased substantially. In addition, both rainfall and snowfall have been decreasing over time. These changes greatly impact permafrost, vegetation and water levels.

What does it mean?

With a dramatically warming and drying climate, there are many changes to the environment, including shallower snow cover, a shorter snow cover period, increased shrub cover across the tundra, deeper thawing of the soil and increased evaporation.

Permafrost regions in transition: controls on carbon cycling and greenhouse gas emissions Conducted by Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Words by Professor Philip Wookey and Doctor Lorna Street

What did we do?

Our project involves extensive fieldwork at the Trail Valley Creek Research Station. We have been measuring vegetation and soil characteristics, fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane between the land and the atmosphere, and between freshwaters and the atmosphere, and stream flow transfers of dissolved and particulate carbon at Siksik Creek. We have also measured thaw depth and temperature variations in different parts of the landscape and vegetation.

What did we find?

We have growing evidence that the most productive plant communities - dwarf birch and alder tall shrubs - are associated with the rapid exchange and release of carbon in soil. The result suggests that continued ‘shrubification’ in the Arctic may not result in the region storing more carbon, and in fact, the reverse may be true. Although methane is readily produced in waterlogged soils, little is emitted during the thaw period, which is likely the result of a microbial filter comprised of specialist bacteria closer to the soil surface which use methane as a carbon source..

What does it mean?

The amount of carbon stored in permafrost is massive, estimated at 1.68 trillion tonnes, and much of this is in the rapidly warming Arctic. Following thaw, soil microorganisms can convert this carbon into greenhouse gasses, which in turn speeds up global warming.

Our results indicate that we cannot rely on the landscape to be a carbon sink in the future. We need to understand both the land-atmosphere and the land-freshwater exchanges of carbon, and their fate down-stream, in order to predict how global changes will influence how these systems function in the future.

60

Responses of shrubs to climate warming at high latitudes Conducted by Wilfrid Laurier University Words by Associate Professor Jennifer Baltzer and PhD student Cory Wallace

What did we do?

In 2015 we focused on figuring out how patches of green alder differ from the open tundra, in order to better understand what conditions these plants grow in and how they might impact their environment. To do this we measured soil conditions and the vegetation communities both in the shrub patches and open tundra. These plots will allow us to monitor changes in tundra vegetation in the future.

What did we find?

Early results show that the seasonal thaw is deeper on the open tundra than in green alder patches, possibly due to shading by shrubs or because the soil in shrub patches is drier than on the open tundra. Within the shrub patches there is a greater build-up of dead mosses and fallen leaves, which may insulate and cool the soils. We are also seeing differences in the size and amount of plants that grow in shrub patches and on the tundra. Shrubs near draining channels tend to have more nitrogen in their leaves, an important plant nutrient, and are less in need of water.

What does it mean?

Over the past two decades, it has become clear that shrubs growing on the Arctic tundra are getting larger and more abundant. It is important to understand how fast shrubs will expand on the landscape for a variety of reasons. For example, increased shrub cover appears to be changing the abundance of low-lying plants on the tundra. Reindeer lichen cover is decreasing, which makes it harder for caribou to find good forage in the winter. If this shrubification continues as predicted, these conditions will become much more common, with broad-scale influence on wildlife habitat and population numbers, plant biodiversity and local water movements. Shrub expansion may also cause the Arctic to warm faster, amplifying the already existing problem resulting from climate change.

In addition to the research projects highlighted in this article, there were three other projects active at the Trail Valley Creek Research Station last year. Assistant Professor Oliver Sonnentag and his team from the University of Montreal looked at the influence of changing active-layer thickness on permafrost soil trace gas exchanges and carbon balance. Professor Bernhard Hรถfle, Doctor Inga Beck Heidelberg University and Professor Julia Boike of the Alfred-Wegener Institute in Germany conducted fieldwork towards the development of a satellite method to detect sinking in permafrost regions. In addition, Professor Aaron Berg and his team from the University of Guelph conducted a study of the Cosmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (COSMOS) in emerging on-site technology to estimate active layer soil moisture.

“

Reindeer lichen cover is decreasing, which makes it harder for caribou to find good forage in the winter.

�

Photo by NWT Tourism/Terry Parker

Photo by NWT Tourism/Gerold Sigl Photo by NWT Tourism/ Terry Parker

Photo by NWT Tourism/Terry Parker

Photo by Angela Gzowski

NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL VACATION Photo by NWT Tourism/J.F. Bergeron

62

Inuvialuit proving that cultural‑based tourism good for business

Words by Elaine Anselmi

Photo by Angela G

Photo by NWT Tourism/Terry Parker

Photo by Parks Canada/James McCormick

Photo by NWT Tourism/Terry Parker

Photo by NWT Tourism/Gerold Sigl

Photo by NWT Tourism/Terry Parker

Photo by NWT Tourism/Terry Parker

T

his summer Crystal Serenity, a cruise ship with nearly 1,000 people on board, will pull into Ulukhaktok to see the landscape, experience the local culture and take a piece of it home with them – be it a pair of sealskin mitts, a stomach full of char or a photo of drum dancers on the shores of Jacks Bay.

While northern communities have welcomed a number of expedition cruises – with about 150 people on board – this size vessel is only now, with the changing sea ice, able to navigate the route, says Anne Kokko, tourism development officer with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI).

“There’s a huge difference. We’ve had 150 people, now we have 1,000,” says Anne. “With expeditions, they generally go east to west and turn around. By the time they get to our region they’ve already gone through and had a num-

Photo by Angela Gzowski

Photo by Angela Gzowski

64

ber of port calls in Nunavut. From a visitor’s perspective, they might have four or five stops along the way. So, when they first come to a really remote community, they spend a little money there. The Crystal Serenity is coming the other direction: west to east. Ulukhaktok is one of the first Northern Arctic communities and it puts it at an advantage.”

In order to ready the community for the influx of visitors, ITI is providing funding to IRC’s Community Economic Development Organization (CEDO) to carry out cruise ship training workshops in Ulukhaktok at the end of March, Anne says.

“Folks are coming from the Eastern Arctic to share their experiences,” says Anne. “Nunavut has just gotten way more cruise ships, so they’ll share learnings, and best practices to set up and be prepared. The community will manage for itself what the cruise looks like.”

Photo by Angela Gzowski

Between cruise ships and the ‘boat-loads’ of tourists expected to hit the road once the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is completed, the Beaufort Delta is in a position to capitalize on the growing industry – and authentic cultural experiences just might be the key.

“Aboriginal tourism is focused on showcasing and sharing stories and the culture and I think that’s going to be a really significant part of where we see the expansion,” says Jackie Challis, CEDO project co-ordinator. “Aboriginal tourism is something that’s growing and we’re modeling a lot of what we’re doing on B.C., which has been at the forefront of this.”

The Canadian Tourism Commission’s corporate plan for 2015 to 2019 makes no mention of Indigenous or Aboriginal tourism as a unique industry, only of the “cultural identity of Canada” – which most would agree is more of a patchwork than it is a uniform trait. The B.C. government sees it

differently, recognizing the potential of the industry and the value of marketing the territory on its traditional cultures.

And, it’s not just about the money.

Jackie says putting tourism in the hands of Aboriginal people gives them the ability to share their traditional knowledge, pass on their cultural learnings and give tourists a more authentic experience.

“It allows them to reclaim that voice, and that’s what B.C.’s done,” she explains. “They really were on the forefront of what Aboriginal tourism is: delivered by an Aboriginal person and approved by Aboriginal organizations.”

“All over the world you have non-Aboriginal people offering a cultural product, but it’s really important, authenticity is the underlying essential for successful and true Aboriginal tourism.”

66

Just getting in from leading a cultural tour of Tuktoyaktuk, Eileen Jacobson says the group must have liked what she offered because this was their second visit.

“I do a two-hour town tour or a three-hour cultural tour. I tell them about the town and drive around to the hotspots. Then on the cultural tour, I do the town tour and then the last hour they eat at my home,” says Eileen.

Cooked muktuk, dry meat, dry fish, muskox meat and caribou soup with donuts are on the menu. “I tell them how we harvest, what we harvest and pretty much what the Inuvialuit do and have been doing for hundreds of years,” says Eileen.

Photo by Angela Gzowski

She started Arctic Ocean Tuk Tours about three years ago, after working as a tour guide for her brother and sister-in-law in town. Although she estimates having about 200 guests each year, running up to two or three tours a day in the summer months, there are slower periods where the business can’t sustain itself.

With the road slated to open in 2017, Eileen says business certainly could pick up and she already has some plans of how she’ll grow her operation and make it more appealing to the new wave of tourists. That

opportunity to share her culture remains one of the best parts of her job.

“The happiness you see when they leave your home, they’re so happy to see what you have there, where you live, how the food is prepared,” she says. “You have to share your knowledge of what you have, otherwise it’ll be lost.”

Having started Tundra North Tours (formerly Up North Tours) in 2007, Kylik Kisoun-Taylor sees the value in the cultural component of his Beaufort Delta tours on multiple levels.

“It’s really important for me to share my culture and promote it and get people involved. It’s a way of preserving it for me,” he says. “From a business aspect, having that cultural component really sets you apart from everybody else.”

Expecting an influx of tourism companies from Germany and Asia coming into the region, Kylik says offering cultural experiences will be a major differentiator for local operators. In the future, he says having an Aboriginal component for tourism businesses should be a requirement.

happiness you see when they leave “ The your home, they’re so happy to see what you have there, where you live, how the food is prepared. You have to share your knowledge of what you have, otherwise it’ll be lost. -EILEEN JACOBSON

”

68

really important for me to share my culture “ It’s and promote it and get people involved. It’s a way of

preserving it for me. From a business aspect, having that cultural component really sets you apart from everybody else. - KYLIK KISOUN-TAYLOR

”

“I think in the next five to 10 years, you’re going to see a lot of these Asian-owned companies coming in and gobbling up market share,” says Kylik. “If we’re not set up by then with legislation and rules in place, we’re going to miss out on a really great opportunity in tourism, especially in the Western Arctic.” Other industries, he points out oil and gas or mining for example, have requirements for local benefit agreements.

Within the NWT Tourism Act, Anne says there is a requirement in place that all operators consult with the community. Though there are no mandatory benefit agreements, she says outside operators tend to prefer to hire local guides and only handle logistics themselves.

“That could change with the road opening and things opening up, but to this point, most tour operators from outside the region are saying, ‘Hey we want to work locally and contract out local guiding to licensed operations’,” she says. “Which is awesome and the best value for the customer too.”

Realizing the challenge in accessing Tuktut Nogait National Park, about 40 kilometres outside Paulatuk, external relations manager Sarah Culley says Parks Canada created a full-service experience for visitors that relies heavily on local knowledge – something many travellers seek when they visit the region. A basecamp was set up

in the park with an Inuvialuit host and cook hired out of Paulatuk. At Ivavvik National Park, bordering Yukon Territory, the cultural interpreter comes in from nearby Aklavik.

While seasoned backcountry trippers and outdoorspeople may prefer to take care of the cooking and logistics themselves, for others having that organized with the local culture in mind can be a significant addition to their trip.

“The history and culture is so seeped into that land,” Sarah says. “It’s one of the big takeaways or important parts of the park.”

NWT tourism by the numbers 85,000

The number of tourists who visited the territory in 2014-2015

$146.6 million

The amount spent by tourists in 2014-2015

4,272 $7.1 million

The number of fishers who visited the territory last year The amount spent by visiting hunters last year

Guide and Paulatuk resident Jonah Nakimayak shows Parks Canada staff Cassandra Elliot a caribou antler in Tuktuk Nogait National Park.

Photo by Parks Canada/Charla Jones

Tourists visiting from ‘down south’ try their hand at building inukshuks at the Western Arctic Regional Visitors Centre in Inuvik.

Photo by Lisa Heiberg

ITI Tourism Development Officer Anne Kokko.

Photo by Angela Gzowski

70

The Great Barrier Reef of the Arctic Words by Elaine Anselmi

Photo by Getty Images/Minden Pictures RM

72

Inuit band together to protect Pikialaorsuaq

B

etween Greenland and Ellesmere Island, in northern Baffin Bay, is the most biologically productive ecosystem north of the Arctic Circle, and it could be in trouble. The North Water Polynya – known as Pikialaorsuaq by the Inuit that hunt and fish the area – is an 85,000-square-kilometre body of water surrounded by sea ice.

“The North Water Polynya is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere, so we know the importance of what is up there in terms of wildlife and its importance,” says Okalik Eegeesiak, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC).

“We felt we had to take the lead in finding ways of co-

management and how the communities would want to have that managed before anybody else takes the lead.”

With funding from Oceans North Canada, the Oak Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund, the ICC has kicked off the Pikialaorsuaq Commission to collect Inuit knowledge on the crucial area: what changes have already been seen and how it should be protected in the future.

It’s a project ICC science advisor Stephanie Meakin expects will garner significant attention.

“I think there’s going to be a huge amount of interest in it,” says Stephanie.

“This is sort of the Great Barrier Reef of the Arctic in my mind – that greatly important ecosystem.”

Polynyas are a natural occurring phenomenon that sees currents bring up warmer, nutrient rich water, keeping the surface from freezing, despite being walled in by sea ice. In the Beaufort Delta, a similar formation, a flaw lead – a waterway that opens and closes between moving and fixed sea ice – runs from Sachs Harbour down the side of Banks Island just off from the coast, says Stephanie.

“These are very, very important biological areas. In a sense, if we’re looking to the future and seeing oil and gas development, seismic testing, an increase in shipping, tourist traffic, and more people being there, what is that going to do to the Arctic as a whole and what are the threats to this very important area?” asks Stephanie.

“At one point during the year in the North Water, you can find 98 per cent of all of the narwhals in the Arctic. If something happened at that particular moment, would we wipe out all the narwhals? These are things we have to learn and know about.”

The commission – headed by Okalik as International Commissioner, Eva Aariak as Canadian Commissioner and Kuupik Kleist as Greenland Commissioner – met for the first time in Iqaluit in January. The commissioners will begin visiting communities surrounding the polynya in the spring, starting in the Canadian High Arctic and then moving onto Greenland following break-up.

“I think a lot of research has been done already … but primarily by people or researchers other than Inuit, so we want to make sure that we are proactive in how we address this and how to look after the area,” Okalik says.

“

“There is strong recognition of how Inuit would like to see our waters managed or protected or conserved.”

At one point during the year in the North Water, you can find 98 per cent of all of the narwhals in the Arctic. If something happened at that particular moment, would we wipe out all the narwhals? These are things we have to learn and know about.”

-Stephanie Meakin

In the future, the commission could serve as a framework for involvement of communities on projects of a similar scope as they bear significant importance to Inuit people, says Duane Smith, newly elected Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair and former president of ICC Canada.

“It’s a part of the Inuit identity and Inuit culture and we see ourselves as a part of the ecosystem, so anything that’s going to affect it is going to affect the people,” says Duane.

“We have a strong respect for the wildlife we depend on as a part of our culture, our nutritional needs and beliefs. We try to live within those means as best we can to try to ensure it’s looking after us as best we can.”

74

CHANGING WEATHER It’s no secret that the Inuvialuit Settlement Region is getting warmer. In fact, for a day this past December, Inuvik was the warmest place in Canada, beating out Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. “Bears are coming out earlier, the ice is getting thinner and we rarely get to -40C,” says David Haogak of Sachs Harbour. Some of the most immediate and obvious effects of climate change include melting permafrost, dangerous and frequent wildfires, changing migratory patterns and a shorter ice road season. Words by Damien Haogak Words and translation by ICRC Illustrations by Sheree Mcleod

INUINNAQTUN

1. Qanuritpa hila?

2. Hiqinnaaqtuq.

3. Nipalliqtuq.

4. Anuqhiqtuq.

5. Qiqailiqqaa?

6. Hii, qiqailiqtuq.

CHANGING WEATHER inuvialuktun language games #7

SIGLITUN

1. Qanuq itpa sila?

2. Siqinnaariktuq.

3. Silaluktuq.

4. Anurauyuq.

5. Qiqaiqsimaakkiqpa?

6. Ii, qiqaiqsimaakkiqtuaq.

76

CHANGING WEATHER

inuvialuktun language games #7

UUMMARMIUTUN

1. Qanuqitpa hila?

2. Hiqinaariktuq.

3. Hialuktuq.

4. Anukłiqtuq.

6. Ii, uunnaruaqhiruq.

Answers

1. How is it outside?

4. It is windy.

5. Uunnaruaqhivaa?

^

2. It is sunny.

5. Is it getting warmer?

3. It is raining.

6. Yes, it is getting warmer.

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