2. About The Arctic
The Arctic is the northern extremity of Canada
It Covers almost 1.5 million square kms
Summer temperatures between 1°c- 30°c
Winter temperatures between -15°c - -60°c
The polar night lasts around 28 days
The midnight sun lasts around 50 days
5. Interesting Facts
Considered uncivilized for hundreds of years
Yellowknife is the centre of Diamond production
A pingo, is a mound of earth-covered ice
Nunavut has highest suicide rate
Liquid freezes instantly in sub-zero temperatures
Inuktituk is one language with many dialects
11. Inuit Food
Eat Caribou bones, fat, meat and blood
Arctic Char, frozen, dried or cooked
Seal meat, fresh, frozen and cooked
Bannock, baked or fried
Nuts and berries from the land
Muktuk, raw or in salads
17. Cost of Food
Food prices are higher in the North
Higher for communities further North
Air planes fly food to all main communities
Most Inuits rely upon “Country Food”
Fruits and vegetables very expensive
Good morning/afternoon.
How many have gone completely out of your comfort zone? Many of us are uncomfortable if we get away from what we know and away from our daily routines….. I did just that.
I wondered what it would be like to live way up North. So I got on the internet, looked on the Job Bank, and then did some research on the areas that were offering jobs. I applied for and was surprised 2 days later when I got a phone call. We did the interview over the phone and I committed myself to leave 2 weeks later.
You need to be able to adapt to your surroundings, if you can’t, you will not last in the North, as it is a bit of a culture shock.
In some areas, the temperature has gone as low as -70
There have been times when the summer is hotter than the south during the 24 hr sun. In the south the temperature drops during the night cooling down. There is no cooling down period in the north because the sun does not set.
During the peak of the summer sun, there is no sunset, it just skips along the horizon.
There is no or very little sunrise in the winter, depending upon the region you are in, instead there is twilight.
Yellowknife Diavik Mine opened in 2003 and has an annual production of 6-7 million carats of white diamonds.
The inuit language has many different dialects. While working at one of the Art Shows I was interested in soap stone carving, and had to find someone who spoke that particular dialect, in order to communicate with the artist.
View of one of the Pingos while flying into Tuk
Suicide is an epidemic in the north. In Repulse Bay, there were 3 in the time I was there. The last one was an 11 year old boy, the week before I left. It was rumoured that he ended his life because of a dispute over a bicycle. I was very sad and disheartening to see so many young children feel that life is so terrible that this is the only way out.
Muktuk is the blubber from whales. I have tried frozen raw caribou and boiled seal meat, however I drew the line at trying Muktuk.
I am not a huge fan of fish, though I did try it out of respect. It was not something I could eat all the time, unless I was in a situation where that was the only choice.
Raw seal meat was one thing I did not try while there, but I did try it cooked. The meat is very dark in colour, almost black.
I was invited to join the community for the feast where frozen raw caribou was the only thing on the menu. When an elder asked me how I liked it, my reply was, “It was good, but I like my meat just a little more cooked.” He looked at me and told me it cooks in my stomach. I could not help but laugh over that.
A huge favorite of the Inuit. I watched most of them eating it fresh from the whale as though eating an apple.
The following slides will be self explanatory.
I attended the summer games thinking it was like ours, with baseball games etc., but no…
Their summer games are tea boiling, bannock making, blanket toss, and beaver skinning. One woman skinned the beaver in 18 seconds.
The event has its origin in whale hunting: when a whale was taken, a messenger would run to the village and kick both feet in the air once within eyeshot.[Villagers would then know to prepare to harvest the whale.
The competitors pull upon the opposing ear using their own ear until the cord comes free or the opponent quits from the pain.
Each player pulls until the loser yields to the other.
Hopping across the floor on knuckles and tips of toes, no other body part can touch the floor.
You toss the cup with holes in the air and try to catch it on the pointed bone.
One of the little ones we fed for Christmas dinner.
They carry the babies up to 2 years old. It can be worn the other way when they need to breast feed. Besides keeping baby warm it is good for bonding with mother. I have seen the men wear these and carry the babies also.
A co-worker and myself drove the ice road to Aklavik, and was welcomed in by this lady for a meal of caribou.
Little girl waiting for the whale the hunters were bringing in to shore.
I knew the Iceberg was big but did not realize how big until one of the men we were with climbed up on the small edge.
Going out that day with the dogs was one of the best I had.
Children playing while other festivities were going on in front of the school.
My co-workers thought this would be a nice surprise for me when I walked into work the next day. They had prepared it for a roast our boss was having that weekend.
The snow and the wind covered the windows of the hotel in a matter of a few days.
My spur of the moment decision to fly to Whitehorse for a weekend. It was September, a little cold and rainy, but that did not stop me. I bought an umbrella, rented a car and drove and walked all over. Very pretty there.
I flew my youngest daughter up for a visit then took her on a day trip flight to Tuktoyaktuk for a birthday present.
While in Tuk, I was not leaving until I went for a swim. The water was like getting into an unheated pool, but once I was all the way under it was fine.
One of the smaller cracks in the ice we had to jump to get out to the edge of the ice flow.
One of the guests at the hotel came all the way from Florida to take pictures of the wildlife. I was a bit jealous that he got to experience the bears that close, while I was working back at the hotel. My chance to see them came later on, but not that close.
More pictures that Douglas took.
I did manage to see these while living and working in Qikiqtarjuaj in 2010.
