Above & Beyond
My journey to Greenland started with the intent of answering these questions as much as possible. In two weeks, I travelled to a dozen villages, visiting Viking ruins, old European settlements, glaciers and ice fjords, sheep farms, museums and met with many interesting people.
In about the mid-1800s (the date is not certain) two groups of Inuit set out from Pond Inlet and headed north. Two men, one named Qitdlarssuaq (aka Qillaq) and the other, Oqe, each led a group of their followers toward a new homeland to the northeast.
Among the various expressions of welcome to feasts, games and gatherings, tunngasugitti (pl) is not only an expression of welcome, it is also an expression of praise and respect. It is a fitting welcome to those who come from faraway to join in a celebration. Somewhere throughout the communities in Canada’s Arctic a celebration may be taking place this very moment.
Early August, Rideau Hall disclosed that two well-known Northerners are to receive the Governor General’s Northern Medal (presentation ceremony date still to be announced) to honour their significant contributions to Canada’s North and its people.
Many of us older folks, especially those of us who live in small communities, are well acquainted with the echoes of that typical summertime lament teenagers are so famous for, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do.” To address this commonplace social dilemma, a dedicated cadre of volunteers work tirelessly to source or develop appealing youth-relevant activities.
Sailing on Great Slave Lake offers a quiet counterpoint to the bustle of city life.
The lake — especially its East Arm — is a beautiful, unspoiled sailing destination
that takes years to fully explore.
Inuit have noted many changes in weather over the past few decades. Among other things, they report that the weather is harder to predict than it used to be. This complaint echoes observations I’ve heard from Alaska (where I live), Canada’s western Arctic, Nunavut, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Something is undoubtedly going on.
Although the calendar indicated it was June 10, so technically still spring, the
weather was fine. Better than fine… the evening was warm, the skies crystal clear.
A typical summer’s night in the Capital actually, perfect for gathering up
family and friends and hitting the streets for a stress-relieving bout of entertainment
at week’s end.
“Unikkausivut” means “sharing our stories” in Inuktitut, the name of a National Film Board initiative that is bringing Inuit stories to all Canadians.
On a beautiful spring week featuring cloudless skies and twenty-four hours of sunlight, a group of established and up-and-coming Inuit photographers came together from a number of Nunavut communities for a historic event: a professional level photography workshop.
