Ice Chiseling

Water Pumping Station

The teaching staff of Inuujaq School can be equally split into two groups: Inuit & Qallunaaq (non-Inuit).  Nearly all qallunaaq teachers come from the provinces, and since the provinces are to the south of the Nunavut territory, we are called 'southerners' by the Inuit.  This title basically applies to all non-Inuit visitors.  Even though Nunavut is a part of Canada, the cultural landscape is much different.  For example, down south, bilingualism revolves around English & French.  In Nunavut, it's Inuktitut & English or French.  There are also many cultural differences and practices, too many to list in this post. 

            

Inuujaq School's teaching staff use a buddy system, pairing southern teachers with Inuk teachers so that the southerners become more in tune and in touch with Inuit language & culture.  These cultural exchanges can take place any time, but they usually occur on the weekends when there is no school.  The Inuk teachers can also act as translators during parent-teacher meetings. 

            

At the beginning of the year, I was paired with Kataisee, the high school Inuktitut teacher.  Up until January, we didn't have a chance to do a cultural exchange because of our busy schedules and school work.  Finally, an opportunity arose in the middle of the month.  Kataisee's elder mother, Qapik, needed fresh water because her stock of arctic ice was running out.  To replenish this supply, Kataisee goes out on the land every two weeks and collects large pieces of ice.   She asked me if I wanted to go ice chiseling with her.  I happily agreed because it was a cultural activity I had yet to experience.

            

Ice chiseling is when you collect fresh ice water that can be melted for drinking & cooking.  Before the communities were built in the 1960s & 1970s, ice chiseling and melting snow were the two primary methods of collecting fresh water.  Traditionally, it's the youngest daughter's/son's responsibility to look after the water needs of the family household.  This responsibility instills discipline and self-reliance in the child.

            

Qapik prefers water from ice because it's fresh, and has no contaminants & chemicals.  The chemicals that are used in water treatment & purification change the taste of tea.  When you use ice water, you can taste the tea, not the chemicals.  Her favourite is water from an iceberg because it quenches your thirst.

            

Arctic Bay in the distance.

Our ice chiseling adventure began in the afternoon on Sunday, January 18.  The temperature outside was a chilly -35ºC.  Kataisee picked me up in her truck and we drove towards the water pumping station behind the airport.  From there, we would walk onto the frozen lake and collect the ice using a long ice pick.  I had my machete with me just in case we needed a large knife.  The lake behind the water station was chosen because it contains fresh water and it was near a road that is routinely used by the water trucks.  If anything bad happened, we could flag down one of the drivers.

            

"That area is just one of the many places I go to get ice for my mother," explained Kataisee, as she drove along the Road to Nanisivik.  "My mother usually gives me specific instructions of where to get ice."

            

"Because she knows where all the best ice is," I said.

            

"Yes and so that I don't have to deal with polar bears and rabid foxes.  I usually have someone come with me because the bin gets very heavy when filled with fresh ice."

            

We arrived at the water pumping station after a 12-minute drive.  It was my first time seeing the small building up close.  The community's water trucks come here to refill their empty tanks before driving back to town to replenish the many empty water containers that sit underneath the buildings.  It would be most beneficial if the Government of Nunavut built a pipeline from the station to the Gas Station because that would greatly cut down the travel time and usage of gas for the water trucks.  And having the refill station closer to town would definitely come in handy in an emergency, like the infamous house fire we had in October 2014.     

            

Next to the water station sits a collection of weather measuring instruments and a small radio tower.  The weather data collected from these instruments (ie. temperature) is sent to Environment Canada.  When you check Arctic Bay's temperature on the Internet, it's really the temperature around the water pumping station.

            

Upon stepping out of the truck, I immediately felt the arctic cold on my face.  I was glad that I was wearing heavy winter clothing because the added wind chill made the temperature drop to -45ºC.  I carried the long ice pick and Kataisee carried the plastic bin & knife.  As we walked onto the frozen lake, Kataisee explained the 'science of ice chiseling.'  "There are specific ways to do it, otherwise, you'll be stuck out on the land for hours!"

            

Kataisee sweeps away snow around a crack in the ice.

Step 1: Find a crack in the ice.  If there is snow on top, then you have to shovel the snow away until you find a crack in the ice.  If you don't have a shovel, use your feet.

            

Step 2: When you find the crack, you sweep the snow away.  Using an axe, you make a long semi circle around it. If you don't make a semi-circle, then the ice pick will only break off very small pieces of ice, which are not worth using.  You want big pieces.  Plus, it would take you around 2 hours to fill a container.  Using the semi-circle method, your time gets cut down to 30 - 45 minutes. 

            

Step 3: Using a long ice pick, you hit the semi-circle at an angle so that the ice breaks off into large chunks.

            

Step 4: Place the large broken off pieces into a large container, and break them into smaller pieces using a knife.

            

Me ice chiseling for the first time.

Kataisee ice chiseling.

We both took turns breaking off large pieces of ice using the long ice pick.  From a distance, we looked like two hunters trying to catch a seal.  We also took pictures of the activity and the surrounding landscape but the extreme cold drained my camera battery after several minutes.  When we had collected enough ice, we pushed the large Rubbermaid container to the truck.  It took both of us to lift the container into the back of the truck.  Our cheeks were white when we sat inside.

            

Me holding a block of ice.

Bucket of ice.

We drove to Qapik's hut to deliver the collected ice.  Along the way, I learned that everyone in town takes turns getting her ice because she is a very respected elder.  She has a large barrel that is filled with ice all the time.  Locals periodically check to see if it's full or not.  If it's not, they will go and get some ice.  When hunters are out on the land, they will bring back ice for Qapik, if it's from an iceberg.

            

Me ice chiseling again.

Qapik has a house of her own but she prefers to spend most of her time in the hut that was built by her son.  Her hut serves as a sewing place and meeting room.  She does marriage counseling, mental health, child rearing, teaches sewing, and receives many visitors.  Her place is a main attraction in Arctic Bay, because she is the only elder who lives in a traditional hut that is only heated with seal oil for the last 50 years.  The last time families lived in huts was in 1964.  "All outside visitors & tourists make time to visit her," explained Kataisee.

            

"Does she ever get tired from all the visits?" I asked.

            

"No, she likes it."

            

Kataisee led me to Qapik's hut.  "It's been a tradition that when you bring Qapik fresh ice, you have to have tea & bannock with her."  Knowing that I was about to meet such a prominent elder in the community, I suddenly felt underdressed.

            

"I should have worn a suit," I said, commenting on my Canada Goose parka, snow pants, and heavy boots.

            

"No, no," chuckled Kataisee.  "What you have on is alright."

            

Qapik Attagutsiak. Photo taken by Clare Kines. Source: CBC News North.

In Inuit culture, when you enter & leave an elder's hut, you shake hands and introduce yourself.  Or you shake hands and get introduced.  Kataisee introduced me and I shook Qapik's right hand.  One light bulb illuminated the entire hut while two oil lamps provided heat.  Kataisee & her mother would be having tea while I would be drinking hot chocolate.  The hot water was boiled in a kettle that was hung above one of the oil lamps. 

            

Oil lamp boiling water.

While we waited for the water to boil, we talked about our ice chiseling adventure, Inuit culture, and Qapik's life experiences.  Kataisee  translated the conversation between Inuktitut and English.  Qapik has lived in the area of Arctic Bay since 1947.  She moved to the community in the 1970s when the school was built.  The government had told her family to move into the community because her children had to attend school. 

            

Inuit ice cream.

When the water was boiled, we each poured ourselves a cup.  We ate delicious bannock that Qapik had prepared several hours in advance.  We also had Inuit ice cream made from caribou fat.  It is the only known Inuit dessert.  This particular batch of ice cream also included store-bought currants.  Qapik usually makes it with wild blue & black berries.  The black berries, however, have to be shipped up from Iqaluit.  Several of Qapik's children live there.

            

When it was time to leave, I thanked Qapik for the hot chocolate, bannock, ice cream, and for hosting me.  She thanked me for bringing fresh ice.  Kataisee drove me back to my apartment.

            

"Your mother is very active in the community," I commented.

            

"Yes, she's still going strong," replied Kataisee.  "She'll be celebrating her 95th birthday this summer."

            

I thanked Kataisee for the cold & fun experience and for letting me meet her mother.  As her truck drove away, I wondered where I would be when I turned 95.  

Kataisee

    All background information was happily provided by Kataisee.  Thank you.