tusaayaksat presents
The Inuvialuit Year
A s h owc a s e of c o n te m p o r a r y I n u v i a l ui t l i fe a n d c ul t ur e | T H E I NU V I AL U I T Y E AR 1. |
The Inuvialuit Communications Society (ICS) is a nonprofit organization founded in Inuvik, Northwest Territories (Canada) in 1978 to foster communications, as well as cultural preservation and understanding in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and with the rest of Canada. Tusaayaksat magazine (Inuvialuktun for ‘Something New to Hear About’) is published by ICS. Tusaayaksat is deeply connected to the history and culture of the Inuvialuit. Before 1978, there was no media representation or communications through print or broadcast by the Inuvialuit. At that time, COPE (Committee for Original People’s Entitlement) was formed to provide a political voice for Inuvialuit concerns in a changing social, economic and cultural environment, impacted first by the European fur trade and then by the discovery of oil in the region.
Bibliography
COPE then began publishing Inuvialuit, a newspaper that communicated the voices and concerns, as well as news and achievements of the Inuvialuit. Topics covered included political updates, community news, elder stories (a way to carry on their oral tradition), and Inuvialuktun language lessons. The newspaper was an important tool that helped unify and inform the Inuvialuit, while assuaging their sense of pride.
Arctic Vol. 55, Supp. 1 (2002) P. 1–3 Renewable Resources of the Beaufort Sea for Our Children: Perspectives from an Inuvialuit Elder (FJMC)
Since 1985, Inuvialuit has been renamed Tusaayaksat, and transitioned into magazine format. Published bi-monthly, Tusaayaksat is mailed free to 2,000 beneficiaries of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, available to subscribers and retailed in the communities of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Tusaayaksat is the voice for Inuvialuit issues, stories of achievements and culture. For more information, please write:
By Peggy Jay
The Inuvialuit Communications Society Box 1704, Inuvik, NT, Canada X0E 0T0 Telephone: (867) 777 2320 email: ics@northwestel.net
(in alphabetical order)
Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op Community Reports 2006-2007
By Annie B. Gordon, May Andre, Butch Kaglik, Steve Cockney, Mildred Allen, Randall Tetlichi, Robert Buckle, Allen Firth, Jenny Andre, Matthew Gilbert, Bruce Iglangasak & Flora Rexford Published by Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Society (2008)
Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Website [Culture] Modern Inuvialuit Culture, Drum Dancing http://www.irc.inuvialuit.com/culture/ Inuvialuit Settlement Region Traditional Knowledge Report August 2006
By Inuvik Community Corporation, Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation, Aklavik Community Corporation (2006)
Inuvialuit Pitqusiit: The Culture of Inuvialuit Published by Northwest Territories Education ,Yellowknife. (1991)
Tariurmiutuakun Qanuq Atuutiviksaitlu Ilitchuriyaqput Ingilraan Inuvialuit Qulianginnin – Learning about Marine Resources and Their Use Through Inuvialuit Oral History By Elisa J. Hart and Beverly Amos Published by Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Center (2004)
© 2009 by Inuvialuit Communications Society First Edition Printed in Edmonton, Canada All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-0-9812627-0-3 Photo credits: Zoe Ho and David Stewart of the Inuvialuit Communications Society Text/ editing credit: Zoe Ho Cover and book design by Zoe Ho The text of this book is set in Hypatia Sans Pro font. Printed by Quality Colour Printers.
With special thanks to: (in alphabetical order)
Aklavik Community Corporation Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC) Inuvik Community Corporation Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Center Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Joint Secretariat Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation for allowing permission to excerpt and adapt, as well as reprint content from publications by these organizations.
tusaayaksat presents
The Inuvialuit Year A showc ase of c ontemp orar y Inuvialuit life an d c ulture
Foreword The Inuvialuit Year is a pictorial showcase of contemporary Inuvialuit culture and life. Inuvialuit means "the real people". Believed to have descended from the Thule people who once lived in the Arctic, Inuvialuit also count Tan'ngit (foreign) whalers and Alaskan Inupiaut among their descendants. Historically, distinct groups of Inuvialuit lived and hunted within their traditional territories. Each group takes the name of the main village in their region. The Qikiqtaryungmiut (people of Qikiqtarrut) live west of the Mackenzie Delta, the Igluyuarungmiut (people of Iglulualuit) in the east. They survive and prosper on their lands, moving from place to place as fish, sea mammals, land animals, berries, and roots come into season. Today, many of the 4,000 Inuvialuit reside in the communities of Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok (Holman). They have adapted to life in a progressive twenty-first century society, and are active participants in today’s global economy, with affluence brought by ownership of petroleum resources. Nevertheless, the Inuvialuit’s love and appreciation for the land remains strong, and their diet remains mainly traditional and harvested from the land. "I'm going to the bush" or "I'm going out on the land" are commonly heard phrases. Camps - bush, fish or whaling - are spread out over Victoria Island, Banks Island, and the Beaufort-Delta, some close enough for a quick weekend getaway by skidoo, boat, or ATV. An elder from Aklavik sums up Inuvialuit harvesting over the course of a year. He said, “I pretty well go by seasons you know, winter and fall for caribou hunting, in the fall fur, caribou and herring fishing, spring time for jiggling, geese and the odd caribou, and in summer time whaling and fishing.” The Inuvialuit also prize elders for their environmental knowledge and survival skills, passing on their traditional knowledge to the next generations. Inuvialuit arts and culture, song and dance continue to bond the generations. At community gatherings and celebrations, the faces of Inuvialuit, young and old, glow with pride and joy as they share a drum dance or compete in Inuit sports. In this photobook, Tusaayaksat captures moments of celebration, connection with the land, and community life throughout the Inuvialuit Year. We bring to you the faces of our elders, leaders, hunters, artists, sportspeople and future leaders. Enjoy. | 4. THE INUVIAL UIT YE AR |
Spring
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In those days our ancestors didn't live by a clock. Perhaps only by the big one, the reliable one the sun, the siqiniq. Beasts of the land, fowl of the air, all the fish and whale and seal and all of life as regulated in a cycle. There was a time for working, a time for hunting, fishing and a time also for relaxation, for amusement and entertainment.
Felix Nuyaviak
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Jamboree
The Return of the Sun ritual in Ulukhaktok and the annual fireworks display in Inuvik ring in the first rays of sunshine after a month of darkness every winter. When the sun comes back in full force upon the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, it is time for jamboree! Jamboree, or Spring Carnival happens at different times in the six Inuvialuit communities, depending on when spring arrives there. Each jamboree’s namesake is unique to the area. Mad Trapper RendezVous (Aklavik) and Muskrat Jamboree (Inuvik) are in March, while the Beluga Jamboree (Tuktoyaktuk) is in April, the White Fox Jamboree (Sachs Harbour) in May, Kingalik [Duck] Jamboree (Ulukhaktok) and Ikhalukpik [Char] Jamboree (Paulatuk) in August. Jamborees began about fifty years ago, as harvesters and families spread out over the region came up with the idea of a gathering on ice, to celebrate and reunite with relatives and friends in other communities. Elder Elijah Allen remembers jamborees in their early days. “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, a big fire and dog races sometimes.” The sharing of country food, friendly competitions of traditional skills and sports, and late nights of drum dancing were also customary at jamborees. Many look forward to delicacies such as roasted muskrat and caribou head soup at the community feasts. Today, people of all ages enjoy the traditional competitions: muskrat skinning, dry fish making, tea boiling, dog mushing and ice chiseling, just to name a few. Inuvialuit also continue to express their culture at jamborees through northern games and drum dancing. Contemporary sports such as skidoo races and jigging contests have been added to the jamborees, and are especially popular with younger generations. Volunteers are the backbone of every jamboree; they raise funds, organize, and run the events. Every person working on the jamboree are volunteers, from the jovial MCs who keep the audience entertained with their jokes, to the cooks and time keepers. A king and queen are crowned at each jamboree, to recognize the volunteers who helped raise the most funds. Jamborees usually span several days, and all visitors are welcome to sip tea, chat, feast, and participate. A young Inuvialuit couple, Tony and Lily Alanak said, “The races, the jamboree, the muskrat skinning and the teaboiling…we like it all!” | 12. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
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Geese Hunt
As the land thaws towards the end of Spring, harvesters are anxious to get up to the coast, to places like Egg Island. This is when migratory waterfowl return, in tens of thousands, to the Inuvialuit region to nest. Tundra swans, geese, loons and ducks flock, to the Mackenzie Delta, the Eskimo Lakes, and to the Banks and northern Victoria Islands. Inuvialuit look forward to goose hunting season, as geese make up a significant part of the local diet. Banks Island supports the largest nesting population of snow geese in the Western Arctic. The geese harvest is particularly important to Inuvialuit at Banks Island. In late spring, Inuvialuit transition from fishing to geese hunting and egg collecting. Geese nests are embedded into the ground. The tell-tale signs of a goose nest is the clusters of soft white down cushioning the eggs. Inuvialuit take care to only take some eggs, leaving behind enough in the nests so the geese can propagate. Elders also stress the importance of harvesting male geese instead of female geese, so more eggs can be laid. The eggs and geese harvested are often distributed to family and elders, and bartered for maktak. Familes share the work of plucking, cleaning, freezing and drying geese, celebrating their harvest with the warming satisfaction of roast goose or goose soup. Inuvialuit watch the weather and the ice closely, knowing the geese will arrive with the availability of open water in the spring. Elder Peter Esau says, "The weather has to be right‌then they will come." | 20. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
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Summer {Auyalliliqtuq}
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Nuna, niryutit, imaq, qilalukkat, iqaluitlu saniqpayuauat sivulliptingnun qangma suli atuqpakavutli inuvialuk innaq. {The land, the animals, the waters, the whales, and the fish were very important to our ancestors and still are to us.}
Billy Day
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Beluga Har vest
My name is Billy Day. I was born at Tom Cod Bay, along the Arctic Coast, a few years ago. I was born in a schooner called the Moose River, which was owned by my dad and Taylor Pokiak. Whaling has been going on in the Western Arctic for many hundreds of years, maybe thousands, according to our stories, which were passed on orally from generation to generation as the Inuvialuit had no writing system. The way whaling is done has changed four times over the past century. In the beginning, whaling for beluga was done with kayaks, which leads me to believe that maybe the Inuvialuit invented the kayak. Many years ago, there was a large community of Inuvialuit at Kittigazuit near the mouth of the Mackenzie River on the Beaufort Sea. My mother was born and raised there in the 1800s. Our ancestors used kayaks at Kittigazuit. I spent many hours with a great friend of mine, Felix Nuyaviak, who was born in the 1800s and saw whaling with kayaks. Kittigazuit is the really high point on the Beaufort Sea. That is where people kept a lookout for belugas when the whales started coming into Kugmallit Bay. The hunt would be planned for some time in July, when the beluga whales were in Kugmallit Bay and when the weather was right, because this might be the only chance for the people to get their winter supply of muktuk, oil, and dry meat from the beluga.
When the belugas were nearing the spot for the planned drive, the lookout would give the signal, and scores of kayaks would leave to surround the beluga. The hunters were armed only with harpoons and spears. They would paddle quietly out until everyone was in position and when the leader gave the signal, everyone would start paddling and making lots of noise and the drive would be on. The drive would be when the tide was going out so that the water would be at its shallowest. The hunters would drive the belugas into shallow water and then start spearing the whales in the blowhole, killing them instantly. Any whales not taken would escape when the tide came in. The hunters have been known to take as many as three hundred belugas at one time, as the hunt would be shared by the whole community for their winter supplies of food. The hunters would all have a short piece of willow with a hole through the middle. They would cut a hole in the whale and blow air into it, so that the whale would float up. Then they would be able to tow the whales back to shore. Many whales were taken, because it was uncertain if they would get another chance. The winter supply would be taken in one hunt if possible. Felix Nuyaviak once told me that when he was too young to go on a hunt, he watched his father tow in five whales at one time with his kayak. When the hunters returned, the real work began. This involved all the people in the community, for the whales had to be cut up right away so that no part of the whale would spoil.
First the muktuk and blubber would all be taken off and put on logs to dry so that the top part could easily be cut off, as there should never be any blood mixed in with the oil. All the meat would also be taken off and put on logs so that the blood could drip out. Then the meat was cut into thin slabs and hung up to dry. When all this was done, some of the maktak, the flippers, and the flukes would be stored for safekeeping in icehouses that were dug into the permafrost. Even the heads would be stored. Most of the meat was dried. Sometimes a deep hole was dug in the sand for storage. While some of the people would be busy with storing these parts of the whale, others would be taking the rest of the whale apart. Every part of the whale was used: even the lungs were dried. The stomach and throat would be taken out, cleaned, and then blown up to dry for use as containers. The stomachs were used to store many things, such as berries, roots, dried meat, dried fish, and muktuk put in oil to preserve. The throat was used for the same foods, but being smaller, it was more used when the hunters were traveling. The heart, liver, and kidneys were all taken out and were the first parts to be eaten. Individual hunting of the beluga was not encouraged, but it was done at times if the need was there. When an individual went out with a kayak, he would find a whale in shallow water and then would get in the whale’s wake and stay right on top of the whale until he could harpoon it. The harpoon had a float and a large plate attached. This would really slow down the whale so that the hunter could spear it in the blowhole. | T H E I NU V I AL U I T Y E AR 27. |
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The second phase of whaling was done with the whale boats left or traded to the Inuvialuit after the great hunt of the bowhead in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when our bowhead population was almost completely destroyed by American whalers. Fortunately, the Inuvialuit of the western Arctic did not depend on bowheads, because of the abundance of the beluga. What we called “whale boats” were actually lifeboats from the whaling ships that came to Herschel Island in the last part of the 1800s and early 1900s. They were sometimes traded to Inuvialuit for meat and fish to feed the crews when they wintered at Herschel Island. One boat was traded for what was thought to be gold nuggets, which turned out to be fool’s gold. At this time, there was no more need for large numbers of whales. There had been a large influx of people from the south, who brought along with them many diseases for which there were no medications. The majority of the Inuvialuit died. When the Inuvialuit started using the whale boats, they were using sails. It was very difficult with the whale boat and sail, as the wind did not always cooperate. The boats of course had a large pair of oars, which the hunters sometimes had to use. Most people by that time had guns to shoot the whales, but by using sails they could still get right up to the whale and harpoon before they shot and then let the whale tow them until they could shoot to kill it. It was then a long, tedious journey back to land if the wind was not blowing from the proper direction. Some of the whales were chosen to have the whole outer part taken off—in other words, they skinned the whole whale. Then they would take all the blubber off and stake the leather out to dry for making waterproof clothing and rope. Before being staked out, the leather part would be put on a big log, and all the blubber would be scraped off. Once all the meat was cut and hung on racks to dry, the work on the maktak would begin. The slabs of maktak would be taken and put on wooden tables, and the dried skin and pieces of meat would be cut off and put away for dog food. A part of the blubber would be cut off, leaving about an inch on the maktak. Then, the maktak would be cut into about ten-inch squares left attached to one another, cleaned in water, and hung for a couple of days for all the water and any blood to drain out. All the blubber that was taken off would be cut into strips and put into containers so that the oil would come out. It was used to preserve the maktak, some of the dry meat, and also dried fish.
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When the maktak was ready, some of it would be cooked and some of it would be put in oil (raw), buried in the sand, or put on permafrost to eat raw (it would have to be kept in a cool place and out of the sun). The containers would of course be the whale stomachs and throats. Even some of the intestines were used. They would be turned inside out, cleaned and cooked, and put in oil to preserve. The oil was used for many things, such as dip for eating meat and fish and fuel for the lamps. The ribs from the whale were taken and hung to dry for winter dog food. All that was left of the whale when they were finished was the backbone and some of the innards. In the third phase of whaling came inboard engines and schooners, and some people put small engines in their whaling boats. No one had big engines; therefore, the boats were slow, and when the whales came in, we had to wait and let them get as close as possible so we could catch them before they got into deep waters. Many times we had to shoot to try and slow them down so that we could harpoon them, but the problem of getting the whale back to shore after it was killed was not a problem anymore. During this time, the hunts were still organized. There was a camp leader, and the lookout would call the leader and let him know when the beluga were in the right spot, regardless of what time of day or night it was. In the 1940s and 1950s, the elders owned most of the schooners, so therefore they were the whaling captains. The camp leader would tell all the hunters to get ready, and everyone would leave at the same time. The schooner that traveled the fastest would get on the outside of the whales and then would go back and forth to keep the whales from going back into deep water. When everyone caught up, they would all start hunting at the same time. Because the whales were too fast for the boats, the hunters would have to shoot the whale to slow it down before they could harpoon it. If we ever sank a whale before we could harpoon it, my father-in-law would throw a rock out with a float attached and we would anchor the boat. We had to stay until we found the whale, regardless of how many whales were around us. As soon as the hunters got their whale or whales, they would hoist a flag so the people at home would know that they had a successful hunt and would be prepared to start cutting up the whales. Up to the early 1950s, it seems it was the custom for the Inuvialuit of the Delta that only the men went out to hunt, not the women. When the hunters returned with the whales, the men would pull them up on the beach and then the women would do the rest.
The schooners would never take more than two whales at one time, I was told, because they did not want to take more than the women could take care of. In 1959, we were out on a hunt with my father-in-law Tom Kalinek on his schooner the Only Way. After we got our two whales, and there were a lot of whales all around us, I asked if we could get one more. He said if we, the hunters, would work with the women, he would agree. So we got our third whale, and the men had to work when they got back from the hunt. There were a lot of people from the Mackenzie Delta at East Whitefish during the mid 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, when there were a lot of schooners. The schooner owners would take with them from three to five families, depending on the size of their boat, and possibly 50 to 60 dogs. There are a number of places that the people would go for whaling each summer: East Whitefish Station (Nalguriak), Kendall Island (Ukeevik), West Whitefish (Neakonnak), and Shingle Point (Tapkak). The people from Tuktoyaktuk would also go whaling right from home. The fourth phase of whaling is the one that we are in now. We hunt whales with smaller aluminum boats with large outboard motors, rifles, and harpoons. Each community’s Hunters and Trappers Committee has guidelines for what equipment should be carried and how to hunt. Hunters are not supposed to hunt alone, and in some camps a lead hunter is still designated. The recommended method of hunting is to first harpoon the whale and then shoot it. We have hunt monitors to count the number of whales and to take samples for scientific studies. I have talked mostly about whales, but we have many species of fish along the Beaufort Coast and on our rivers and lakes as well—fish that our people have depended on for centuries, such as arctic char, broad whitefish, cony (inconnu), and herring, which are second to none. I believe that we need some protected areas, at least on a seasonal basis. I am not sure whether permanent protected areas are the best choice for either the Inuvialuit or all the people around us, with the changes that are going on with the environment. But I am sure that we need to protect our resources.
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Maureen Rogers throws scrap pieces of maktak (beluga blubber) to hovering seagulls. This keeps them away from the maktak hanging on the stands.
Ashline Hendrick enjoying a snack of maktak with HP sauce, at her nanuck's (grandmother's) camp at Whitefish Station.
Maureen Rogers and her daughter Patricia working together to prepare maktak. Patricia washes and hangs the maktak while Maureen cuts it into strips for preserving.
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Elder Victor Allen prepares his harpoon for a whale hunt.
At Victor Allen's whale camp on Baby Island, friends and relatives gather for a cup of hot tea.
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Bush Camp ď‚ƒElder Annie B. Gordon sitting at the door of her cabin at Shingle Point. ď‚ƒ
Fried eskimo doughnuts are made inside Anne's cabin. (top). Elder Renie Arey makes sourdough pancakes over a gas stove in her cabin. (bottom) | T H E I NU V I AL U I T Y E AR 35. |
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Elder Annie B. Gordon from Aklavik has seen and felt how being on the land rejuvenates Inuvialuit. She said, “I remember when we were growing up, an old lady would have one or two dogs, and that’s her vehicle or her transportation there. And those two dogs, no matter even if it was one dog, they'll haul wood, they’ll go fishing, they'll go trapping, they'll do anything. And they'll get everywhere with it. Now today, elders are missing their life out on the land. That’s part of their medicine. They can’t sit at home in town, because right away, you are going to hear them saying, ‘Oh, I feel sick. I don't know what is making me sick.’ But when they go out on the land, they don’t feel sick at all.” Elders are leaders at camps, organizing tasks for adults and children to accomplish. An elder who usually leads a quiet life in town might become a picture of strength on the land, lifting pails of maktak (beluga blubber) and chopping wood, so as to bring to their children and grandchildren a traditional Inuvialuit camp experience. Delicious smells: of sweet, golden doughnuts, or savoury caribou headsoup permeate the cabin as the elders prepare meals for the whole family. Children watch and learn from adults the traditional ways of harvesting, preserving and preparing food. Stories about Inuvialuit culture are told over cozy fires, and children learn to play traditional games. Camps such as Shingle Point host annual gatherings, where the generations bond over country food feasts, games, music and dance. Inuvialuktun teacher Clara Day stresses the importance of taking her grandchildren back to the land. Every year, her family travels from Inuvik to Whitefish Station by boat. It is a fourhour journey, and fuel costs can exceed a thousand dollars. “It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it,” she said. “I would spend a million dollars just to come down, for my grandchildren to have this experience.” | T H E I NU V I AL U I T Y E AR 37. |
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Dr um Dance "Drum dancing is a living tradition of the Inuvialuit. Our ancestors would gather after hunting to dance. I remember hearing the sound of drumming from my tent at night, when I was a kid in Tuktoyaktuk,” elder Albert Elias said. Stories of great feats and important legends, lessons and traditions in Inuvialuit history are passed down this way through generations. Drum dance songs usually begin softly. Drummers tap their caribou skin drums, as dancers sway rhythmically. The drumbeat intensifies as a song starts over, and singers raise their voices. Dancers throw their bodies into the song with arms and knees bent, their outstretched, open hands wave to and fro capturing the drumbeat. At feasts and celebrations today, the drum dance performance is eagerly awaited, as drum dancers of all ages take the stage to sing and dance in traditional costume. Often the audience joins in and young children compete with pride in drum dancing contests. Judging from its popularity today, it is hard to fathom that during the sixties and seventies, drum dancing was in danger of becoming a lost tradition. A group of elders, led by Billy Day, persisted with promoting drum dancing during the 1960s. These elders from Inuvik, Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk did radio shows and made a special trip to Ulukhaktok in the 1970s and to other communities to host drum dancing workshops. The ISDP (Inuvialuit Social Development Program), under the IRC, obtained the funding needed for settlement communities to practice and preserve their traditions. “We learned a variety of dances. The motion dances from Alaska are danced the same way each time, and are popular in Aklavik and Inuvik. In Tuktoyaktuk, you follow the beat of the drum, but dance as you like. The men yell out chants and stomp their feet, the women have more gentle movements. We told stories in song,” said elder Albert Elias from Ulukhaktok. Justin Memogana, a young man from Ulukhaktok said, “I was taught drum dancing by Jimmy (my grandfather) ever since I was one to two years old. It feels like I’ve been doing it all my life! I love it, it’s part of our lineage, and it makes me feel good inside. If I ever feel down, I just sing it all out. It also helps me understand the language.” | 48. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
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Fall
{Ukiahaqharailiqtuq}
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To hear them tell these stories one would think our ancestors were rich people never going hungry. Every bit of food they caught was stored away and nothing was wasted.
Even the fish they caught, every bit of it they saved.They were scaled and dried into dryfish.The liver, eggs and gizzards were all cleaned, dried, and stored in bags of fish oil. This was very delicious and one could not stop eating once he started. How wealthy our people used to live in those days.
Amos Tuma | T H E I NU V I AL U I T Y E AR 53. |
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Car ibou Har vest
The Inuvialuit’s relationship with caribou runs deep. From the very beginning, their survival in a harsh environment depended on the protection and sustenance provided by the caribou's meat and skins. Hunters to this day are grateful, and enact rituals to give thanks to the animals they harvest, but much is changing for a new generation of hunters. “My grandchildren were telling their classmates which parts of the caribou they eat; eyeballs and brains, head and tongue,” said Frank Pokiak, Inuvialuit leader and chair of the Wildlife Management Advisory Council. “Their classmates are grossed out. If you don’t cook the eyeballs too much, you can use it as a rubber ball. If you want to eat it, you have to cook it until it’s really soft,” Frank laughs. Different cultures have different perspectives of what “delicious” means. The Inuvialuit follow the caribou’s migrating patterns, and Frank’s father took him to Aklavik to get his first caribou when there were none in Tuktoyaktuk. It was rite of passage for a young hunter. “We celebrated. My whole family shared it. I sent the first few caribou I got to family members in Tuktoyaktuk. We have a big family, it didn’t last very long.” Caribou can also be made into spiced jerky and dry meat. “It is very good. We also cook the sinew from the legs, and boil the hoofs until its very soft. The caribou has a part called the “bible”, it looks like it has pages on it. We clean and boil that. There’s another part, the “sausage”, near the lower intestines. We stuff it with small pieces of kidney, tongue and heart. The waste track, I am not sure if a lot of people use it, but if you turn it inside out and fry it with meat until it’s crispy, man it’s tasty! There is also a coating of fat over the guts, we wash and hang it dry for frying with meat.” “We like the natural flavour and don’t really spice it. We only add spices to caribou soup, and eat that with plain rice and onions.” Frank also explains with delight how you can use their skin to make “mattresses”, warm, cushy and portable bedding for hunting trips; they know fall is the best time for harvesting the skins to make winter clothes, and summer is when you harvest skin to make thinner coats. Frank said mukluks are especially beautiful when the skin from the caribou’s legs are used to make patterns. “The hair doesn’t shed from there.” Many Inuvialuit prefer the flavour of caribou to frozen meat choices at supermarkets. A younger hunter, Dougie Joe would take caribou “any day” over other meats. He has hunted by himself since he was fourteen, and was taught by a great number of his family; “stepfather, uncles, aunts, grandmother and great uncle”. He skins and butchers the caribou he catches on the spot, and before discarding the carcass, he slits its throat to let the spirit out. He believes this allows him to catch more caribou at his next hunt. | 60. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
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Winter {Ukiuq}
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I would like to say that I know in many ways I inherit what my grandfather and my father have given me. A place to live in, a place to own, something I have a right to. When I am here... I would like to give something to the future generations...so they will have something to talk about and something to live by and something to live on, and they also should have the right to inherit this country.
Peter Thrasher
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Ice Fishing
For centuries Inuvialuit have been blessed by a rich bounty of fish. Fish is enjoyed in many ways: from frozen raw quak to smoked dry fish (de-boned fish hung to dry in the sun or smoked in a smokehouse), and as suvaq (fish eggs that may be eaten frozen or cooked). Elder Ivy Raddi remembers how Inuvialuit used to ice fish. She said, “Long ago they didn't worry too much. They'd go jiggling and make lots of holes [in the ice], and they would make an open fire and have tea and enjoy life…for a few days. They'd feed their dogs real good. This they would do in the fall.” Handmade nets were also used for fishing in the past. Made of baleen or sinew, they were set under the ice of winter, or in the open waters of summer, suspended from bark floats. In warm weather, special poles twenty or thirty metres or more in length were used to set the nets from shore. Fish were also speared, and taken with hooks through the ice. Inuvialuit today continue to fish in a sustainable manner, using modernized versions of these methods in their favourite fishing areas. An ample harvest of fish used to be crucial for the survival of the Inuvialuit household because of their dependence on the use of sled dogs. Elder Frank Cockney says, “It was necessary for Inuvialuit to catch a lot of fish during the days when dog teams were in use. Before trapping, people only had one to three dogs at most, that were used to help pull sleds and pack gear in summer. Once the trapping era began people used more dogs and required a lot more fish for dog food.” Families also bond while fishing together. Joe Nasogaluak tells this story. He says, “Now my granny had a song to sing again and she did. And now as she put her hook in the ice hole she said to her hook, ‘Now get us a fish.’ She had jiggled a few strokes when she pulled up a coney. Now she started catching coney and once in a while she would get a loche. We had lots of fish [at Anderson River].” The Inuvialuit fishery was and is productive all year round. Fish may have been the single most important element in the traditional diet. | 68. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
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Nor ther n Games "The games are passed on so that we learn never to hesitate; it could save you in a dangerous situation. I’ve been on the coast, standing on ice that is just starting to form cracks; and I’ve had to determine how to run and jump over it. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here with you today. I don’t like the words ‘I can’t’ in the games or when you are hunting. The Northern Games Boys, if they ever said ‘I can’t’, they immediately do 20 pushups,” said Edward Lennie, who received a National Aboriginal Achievement award in 2003 for protecting northern sports and heritage. The Northern Games are also known as Inuit Games and Arctic Sports. Inuit needed ways to strengthen their physique and stamina in preparation for challenges met when hunting and for survival in harsh arctic conditions. Many of the sports have specific purposes. The Blanket Toss allows a hunter to stand in the center of a piece of cloth or hide, and bounce high into the air for a good view of his surroundings and prey. The Knuckle Hop, One Foot High Kick, and Swing Kick are some routines that train muscles groups that allow a hunter to make a quick getaway in a scrape, or to have the ability to execute small but exact movements that will result in a successful hunt. The games were also a source of entertainment. The Northern Games were once in peril of dying out. As Inuvialuit transitioned towards wage paying work in the communities and relied less on self-subsistence, less attention was given to the survival of the sport. Edward Lennie remembered working at a DEW Line and focusing on providing his children with a good education above all else. “In 1969, I heard the first Arctic Winter Games were to be held. I started thinking about it, and then it hit me, they are calling it Arctic Winter Games, but there was nothing from the arctic in there. It was all southern games; badminton, basketball, hockey, ping pong. It bothered me so much that I talked to Billy Day about it, and together we approached a couple of elders, Kenneth Pilluluk and Tom Kalinek,” said Edward. “These two elders, and some others have never let me down. I got their backing, and I did a lot of praying, and in the end my prayers were answered,” said Edward Lennie. The first group of Northern Games Boys flourished under guidance and the momentum for the games revival became unstoppable from the first Arctic Winter Games onwards. Northern youth athletes are active in national Northern Games competitions, and also practice and perform their culture at home. Arctic sports is unique in its emphasis on friendship above competition. Athletes can often be seen giving each other advice so as to get better results in events, even if it means they could be costing themselves a medal. “It’s always good to see young people teach each other,” said Edward at the 2007 Canada Winter Games. “The coaches from the other teams used to be coached by me, so I hope one day, these teenagers competing will take over as coaches too. Breaking records is nice, but the most important thing is to learn from each attempt,” he said. | 72. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
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Dr um Dance II Inuvialuit drum dancing is flourishing in the communities. The Paulatuk Moonlight Dancers have performed to full houses in Germany, Alaska, Greenland, and all over the ISR. This drumming and dancing group first began when its members were only about ten years old. Noland Green was the youth who started it all about a decade ago. “It was winter, 1996, the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers came to Paulatuk to teach the children at school. Brian Rogers and Shepard Norman Felix taught us. Noland later managed to find some videotapes of drummers and dancers from Aklavik, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, and began encouraging others to join him,” said Noland’s sister, Esther Wolki. “We started in 1998 with five boys – Desmond Ruben, Frank Wolki, Shane Nakomiak, Norman Jr. Kudlak, and myself,” said Noland. “The girls used to tease the boys about drumming and singing, and I would say, “What’s so funny about drumming and dancing? Why don’t you join us?” A year later, Esther Wolki, Savannah Green, Tracy Wolki, Denise Wolki and Caroline Kudlak would gather with the boys at Noland’s home to practice drum dancing when their parents were out. “When we first started, we used cardboard boxes and patched up rulers for our drums. We wore regular parkas instead of dance ones. We borrowed from my mother,” said Esther. The youth’s first performance was at a birthday party. “We didn’t even have a name for our group yet!” said Esther. The youth then received help with finding their first basic drums. Esther learnt to sew from her grandmother Merna Wolki, and Noland helped to point out features of a dance parka. In 1999, Nellie Cournoyea and Peggy Jay from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation saw the young group of drum dancers perform. IRC helped the group acquire their first real drums from Barrow, Alaska. The Paulatuk Moonlight Dancers then began their travels to perform in the region and overseas. “Germany was the biggest thing,” said Esther. “We were really young. It felt like we were in such a big world, people were lined up to see us, filling all corners of the room. It felt good. Tracy and I used to be really shy, we ran to hide behind the drummers as soon as our dance was over. When we perform at the Northern Games or jamborees in Inuvik or Tuktoyaktuk, everybody respects us as drum dancers and wants us to keep dancing. They are like our sister communities.” Today, the original Paulatuk Moonlight Dancers are teaching younger youth to dance. “I feel happy that I am passing down traditional dance and song to the little kids,” said Esther. “It still matters. Technology is moving unbelievably fast, and our traditional ways are being overshadowed. When we began dancing, we wanted to keep drum dancing alive for our grandparents. Now, we want to keep the kids positive and we know dancing will keep them out of trouble.” | 78. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
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O ur Youth “We have a high regard for certain characteristics and for certain types of individuals.We value curiosity, resourcefulness, patience, kindness and ability.We appreciate individuals who are successful at whatever they do, who are responsible, who keep their word and who are modest.These are attitudes which have not changed despite changes in all else around us.� - Inuvialuit Pitqusiit: The Culture of Inuvialuit
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Inuvialuit youth live in a world where tradition and modernity meet, living in the progressive 21st century while having their roots in the culture and knowledge of their ancestors. Our youth are nurtured as future leaders, with a wide range of education and career opportunities. Inuvialuktun immersion is a choice at kindergarten and elementary school level, while traditional language classes are offered at higher levels. Youth learn common academic subjects at school, alongside cultural lessons that include trapping camps. The Arctic Youth Leadership Program takes youth to the wild terrain where their ancestors would have hunted and travelled, helping them gain survival and team building skills. Inuvialuit youth who aspire to university education and beyond leave their home communities to attend higher education institutions. Role models who have done the same spur them on.
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Before them, Inuvialuit have become pilots, nurses, dentists, doctors, carpenters, soldiers, teachers, engineers, and administrators; elected leaders, trappers, filmmakers, artists and more. Kyle Kuptana, winner of the Aboriginal Role Model award in 2008, is studying to be a natural resources technician at Aurora College in his hometown, Inuvik. “We learn about botany, combining traditional and scientific knowledge,” he said. “I hope to work for ENR (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources).” Born and raised in Inuvik, Kyle said, “I want to stay here and contribute to the community, I like it in a small town, there’s no panic to get anywhere, you know everyone and I feel safe here.” Kyle, like many other Inuvialuit youth leaders, is also mentoring younger generations as a sports coach. Inuvialuit youth are increasingly technology savvy, bridging distances with the Internet and living as most Canadians do. They travel extensively in Canada and internationally, representing the Inuvialuit in sports such as the Canada Winter Games and youth parliament at the Legislative Assembly in Yellowknife.
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Photo Capt ions 4. A young man from Ulukhaktok sings and drums at a drum dance reunion. 5. Northern Lights dance over the Mackenzie River delta. 6. A buffet of country food at a community gathering, Ulukhaktok.
20. Snow goose and egg nest. 21. Egg Island is a popular hunting spot for Inuvialuit hunters. Jojo Arey carries the geese he harvested. 22. Jimmy Kalinek takes a shot. 23. Kevin Allen, his partner and Jimmy Kalinek all head towards the boat to make their journey home from geese hunting. 24. When the Mackenzie River thaws, Inuvialuit often travel by boat from town to their camps.
43. Outside a home in Ulukhaktok, a lucious row of fatty char is being sun dried. 44. Isabelle Hendrick shows off a nice fish in front of the smoke house. Isabelle takes pride in learning to help her grandmother prepare dryfish for the first time at Whitefish Station. 45. Isabelle watches her aunt Rose Day stoke the fire for smoking dry fish.
26. Whaling camp at Baby Island.
46. The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers performing in front of the Inuvialuit Corporation Center on Inuvialuit Day (June 5th).
8. Jamboree Time: Elder Barbara Archie takes part in the tea boiling contest at Inuvik's muskrat jamboree.
27. Maktak (beluga blubber) is hung up to dry.
Drum dancers performing outdoors on a sunny Aboriginal Day.
9. Log sawing contest at jamboree.
Elders Dorothy Arey and Maureen Rogers cuts up maktak at the maktak stage together.
Young boy Jeremy Allen is an up and coming drum dancer even though he is only six years old.
10. Faith Gordon and Carol Arey, volunteering as MCs at the Mad Trapper Rendez-vous in Aklavik.
28. Maktak is carefully boiled over a wood fire.
48. In Paulatuk, a girl smiles as she performs drum dancing in the Angik School Gym.
7. Feeding the Sun Ritual in Ulukhaktok. Food offerings are tossed into the air to give thanks for the return of spring.
11. Elder Sarah Meeyook leads the younger generation in a drum dance performance. Andrew Gordon drums and sings with the Aklavik Drum Dancers and visiting drum dancers from neighbouring communities. 12. A parade at the White Fox Jamboree, where residents of Sachs Harbour take their decorated ATVs around the hamlet. 13. Two girls taking part in games at the White Fox Jamboree. 14. Muskrat skinning contest at the 50th Muskrat Jamboree in Inuvik: (L-R) Elder Sarah Meeyook taking part, dressed in her traditional parka; Roy Ipana, volunteer MC for many years running, sets the audience up for the excitement to ensue. 15.Elder Sarah Tingmiak celebrates being the fastest at muskrat skinning on Aboriginal Day 2008. 16. Muskox Harvest in Sachs Harbour: (L-R) Baby Muskox. Catherine Rogers feeds the muskox, it is her summer job. An adult muskox eating. 18. Jojo Arey urges his dog team on at the Suliq Dog Mushing Race. 19. Angel Kalinek sits content with her bounty of eggs harvested at Egg Island. | 94. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
31. (Clockwise) Inuvialuit hunters harpooning a whale. Pulling a whale up to shore. Maktak glistening in the sun. An elder cuts maktak with an ulu. Stripping maktak off a whale. Hunters enjoy fresh flipper right off the whale.
49. The resurgence of drum dancing can be attributed to the efforts of youth in Paulatuk, who mentor young children to learn the art too.
36. A young boy and his pet are happy to spend summer at Shingle Point.
50. Noland Green, the youth who first inspired others in his generation to learn drum dancing again.
37. Relatives from Alaska come for the Shingle Point Games. Here they are pictured laughing as they sing.
The Paulatuk Moonlight Drum Dancers enjoy dancing on a hill near Rat Lake.
38 - 39. (L-R) Top: Washing hair outdoors at Shingle Point. A view of the community at sunset. Driftwood and cabins glow as the sun sets on the beach. Bottom: A relative from Alaska plays the guitar for a sing-along. Elder Albert Elias from Ulukhaktok plays the ring game at Shingle Point. A child amuses himself and the photographer.
51. Paulatuk Moonlight Drum Dancers Lauren Green and Melanie Wolki.
40. Beautiful rows of herring hanging up to dry at Whitefish Station. 41. Elder Angasuk checking his fishnet at Kipnik, a bush camp in the delta. 42. At Kipnik bush camp, elder Mabel Allen cuts up fresh catch to fry for dinner. On the coast of Tuktoyaktuk, Nellie Pokiak shows her grandson how to carry a fish from the net with a stick.
52. Colours of fall along the Dempster Highway. 53. A sunset near James Rogers' bush camp in the Mackenzie Delta. 54. Elder Emma Dick sits content outside her bush camp at Amagavik in the delta. 55. Spruce gum on a spruce tree. The Inuvialuit harvest it as a herbal medicine. 56. Evening at Amagavik camp. Elders like Emma Dick (pictured) communicate with others at their bush camps by radio. 57. Emma Dick at her home in town, showing a bowl of berries harvested from the land.
58. Cranberries are one of the myriad varieties of berries that can be harvested in the fall. 59. Elder Margaret Lennie hanging up caribou meat to make an Inuvialuit favourite, drymeat. 61. Caribou are sustainably harvested by the Inuvialuit. These three caribou are feeding in an area near Paulatuk. 62 - 63. Young caribou at Stokes Point. 64. The Inuvialuit practice many forms of art, including music, print making, sewing, sculpture throughout the year. Pictured is Markus Ruben, a well-known fiddler in Paulatuk. 65. The Delta Good Times Band is made up of (L-R) James Rogers, Angus Alunik and (not pictured) Charlie Kasook. These performers provide hours of entertainment and joy during community gatherings and dances. 66. The surface of frozen Thrasher Lake in Paulatuk. 67. Fish harvested with nets placed beneath the ice: Georgina Mazasumi takes the fish off the net. This fish is used for food, sharing with the community as well as feeding dog teams. 68. Hazel Harrison is happy with her catch at the ice fishing derby held at Thrasher Lake. 69. Elder Stanley Keevik shows off a large catch. Georgina and Barney Mazasumi receive help from a friend to pull out their fish net. Hundreds of fish can be caught at a time. 70. A young girl from Paulatuk tries her hand at jiggling for fish. Elder George Krengnekterk drills a hole in a frozen lake with his auger. 71. George sits cozy in a tent (heated by a gas stove) as he waits for the fish to bite. Driving home by skidoo after a day of fishing. 72. The father of the Northern Games, Edward Lennie watches as youth James Williams succeeds at Two-foot High Kick on Aboriginal Day. 73. Abel Tingmiak, one of the original Northern Games Boys, mentors youth in the games. The games are often performed at celebrations and is a popular sport amongst youth.
74. Abel Tingmiak demonstrates the blanket toss on Aboriginal Day in Inuvik. Inuit used the blanket toss so as to look for animals from a high vantage point. Gerry Kisoun, Abel Tingmiak and Edward Lennie have volunteered much of their time to helping the next generation learn the Northern Games. Here they are pictured holding up a blanket gifted to Abel. 75. Youth Craig Gruben won a gold medal for knuckle hop at the Whitehorse Canada Winter Games 2007. Here he demonstrates the blanket toss, touching the ceiling in his jump. 76. Canada Winter Games 2007: (clockwise) Paulatuk youth Dwayne Illasiak during competition in Knuckle Hop. Craig Gruben from Tuktoyaktuk poised to kick the seal in Swing Kick. (L-R) Aurora Williams (Inuvik) and Marion Green (Paulatuk) compete in Arm Pull, as referee Gerry Kisoun looks on. 77. Marion Green executing the Swing Kick. Craig Gruben in the Alaskan High Kick. 78 - 79. Inuit from the Ulukhaktok area are of Copper Inuit (Inuinnait) origin. In a rare Drum Dance Reunion, elder Alice Aliyah of Kugluktuk drums as she dances, while the other elders (from Ulukhaktok and Cambridge Bay) sing in harmony. The setting is an iglu outside the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Center in Ulukhaktok. 80. Ulukhaktok Drum Dance Reunion: (clockwise) Drum dancer Bobby Kakolak from Kugluktuk dances as elders chant and children peek in at the iglu’s door. The fringe of a dancing parka made from wolverine fur trim. The dancers wear beautiful hand crafted mukluks (boots) made of soft hide (caribou or moose), strout, fur trim and artistic applique. 79. Elder Renie Oliktoak lights the qulliq (a traditional oil lamp, usually lit with sinew dipped in seal oil) to start off the drum dance reunion.
Dee Dee drumming with her child-sized drum, sitting next to her father Joe Nasogaluak (left). 84. Drum Dancers in Tuktoyaktuk pose for a photo with the Governor General Michaelle Jean. 85. Abel Tingmiak performs for visitors at Kitti Hall in Tuktoyaktuk. 86.Kindergarten graduates sing a song about how fun it was going from kindergarten to grade one. 87. Everette, Markayla and Eric, children who were part of Mrs. Sandra Ipana's Inuvialuktun immersion class. 88. Alexandria Sayers tried on a graduate’s hat at the 2008 Mangilaluk School Graduation celebration. She says she would like to be a graduate one day too! Esther Wolki, a youth from Paulatuk who went from being part of the Northern Rangers to a gunner for the Canadian Forces. She is based in Shiloh, Manitoba. 89. Aboriginal Role Model Award 2008 winner Kyle Kuptana is from Inuvik. He is an outstanding athelete who also gives his time back to youth in his community. Noel Cockney (Inuvik) is an accomplished Inuvialuit athlete who has won countless awards at national and international sporting events. He is currently at University in Arizona, pursuing a double major in psychology and sports education, while skiing with the best of international skiers. 90. Children enjoy festivities like Halloween, getting dressed up and visiting elders at the Long Term Care facility in Inuvik. Here a child is bowling with a pumpkin. 91. Emma Dick (left) is a retired Inuvialuktun teacher. She joins Mrs. Roy Ipana's class to teach the children conversational Inuvialuktun. 92. Nature is the children's playground in Ulukhatok. It is safe for them to play tag outside on the rocks. 93. In the spring, youth in Ulukhaktok are not afraid of the cold and take every chance they can to play outside.
More examples of artistic mukluks and parkas. 82. Dee Dee Nasogaluak drum dancing at a reception for the Governor General of Canada. | T H E I NU V I AL U I T Y E AR 95. |
Upin’ngaqharaiyaliqtuq Auyalliliqtuq Ukiahaqharailiqtuq | 96. THE INUV IAL UIT Y E AR |
Ukiuq