Christmas Festivities (2018)

*Warning: This post may contain images that some viewers may find graphic.

Arctic Bay must have been on everyone’s radar in late 2018 because another community feast was held on December 15.  That was the third community feast in the last two months!  This feast was hosted by the Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation.  Representatives from the mining company were in town to showcase their proposed additions/improvements to the Mary River mine.  The open pit iron mine opened in 2014 and is located between Arctic Bay & Pond Inlet in the Mary River area.  The operation employs many Inuit from several communities including Arctic Bay.  The company has many plans to expand its operations, too many for me to explain in this post.  I’ll just go over what was shown during the presentation.

            

The presentation/feast began at 6pm in the community hall.  Tables and chairs were set up along the walls with a large open space in the centre.  In the centre of the hall were blue tarps & flattened cardboard boxes.  On these lay frozen pieces of arctic char and a large seal.  There were also three tables with silver trays of ham, chicken, rice, and bannock.  At the front of the hall sat a table with a red Baffinland table cloth draped over it.  On it was a laptop and projector.  A white screen hung behind this table on stage.  The mayor, Frank May, was also in attendance.

            

A Baffinland representative welcomed & thanked everyone for attending the presentation/feast.  He briefly updated everyone on the current conditions at Mary River.  Long story short – money is being made and the employees are being well looked after.  He then continued with the future plans for the mine. 

Port picture.

The first picture to be shown was the new rock crushing plant.  This new addition will speed up the processing of iron ore.  The second picture he showed was a computer rendering of a new port facility Baffinland wants to build in Milne Inlet.  The port would see the construction of two docking areas for large cargo ships.  These additions will increase the amount of iron ore the company can ship out of the area during the brief summer shipping season.  Of course, an increase in traffic will have consequences on wildlife and the surrounding environment.  I don’t think the possible consequences were deeply talked about during the presentation.

There was one thing that wasn’t mentioned in the presentation: the proposed railway between the mine and Milne.  Baffinland had proposed to build a 149km railway to Steensby Inlet in the early 2000s but appears to have abandoned this idea.  Now they’re looking at possibly building a railway to Milne Inlet.  I think the plans are still being reviewed by the territorial government.  We’ll see in the future if the railway gets approved.

Seal meat.

The feast concluded the presentation.  An elder used a savik (knife) to cut open the seal in the middle of the hall.  People lined up at the three tables with paper plates to take ham, chicken, rice, and bannock.  I stayed back and took several photographs before taking two pieces of bannock.  I left the C-Hall after eating the bannock.

Christmas Concert Audience.

Emcees.

Inuujaq School held its annual Christmas concert on the evening of December 19.  Middle & high school students spent the day decorating the community hall for the big event.  From what I witnessed at the dress rehearsal the previous day, parents and community members were in for a great show.  Everyone involved in the concert came dressed to impress.  The community hall was packed.  The building was built in 2007 and the community has already outgrown it.  Regardless, the show must go on.  Two high school students were the emcees, one speaking in Inuktitut while the other translated into English.

Grade 2

Grade 3

The Grade 4 student impersonating me.

Preschool began the concert by singing “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”.  Kindergarten continued by reciting a poem called, “Seal, Do You Have Skin?”  The Grade 1 class sang a bilingual version of the Christmas classic, “Silent Night.”  They also included hand motions, taught to them by their teacher.  The Grade 2 students took everyone back to the year of 1993 by performing the Macarena.  It’s not a Christmas tune, at least to my knowledge, but their dance did entertain the crowd.  The Grade 3 class did a short play that included an Inuit drum performance.  The Grade 4 students turned to comedy for their performance.  They dressed up as the staff of Inuujaq School and impersonated our mannerisms.  The student who impersonated me did a good job.

MLA David Akeeagok & Dental Hygienist.

MLA David Akeeagok thanking Grade 1
teacher Piuyuq for her many years of
service.

There was a pause in the concert program.  Nunavut MLA David Akeeagok was in attendance and wanted to use the event as an opportunity to publicly recognize several GN workers for their many years of public service.  He recognized three individuals: a nurse, a dental hygienist, and a teacher.  The nurse received a certificate congratulating her for her 25 years of service in Nunavut.  I’m not sure if all those years were accumulated in Arctic Bay.  The dental hygienist received a certificate and a small wooden qamutik trophy for working 30 years in the north.  The Grade 1 teacher, Piuyuq, also received a small wooden qamutik trophy for her 40 years of teaching in Arctic Bay.  (She already received her framed certificates last month).  There were rumours going around that CBC News North were coming to the community in the new year to interview Piuyuq for tv. 

Grade 7.

The concert continued with the Grade 5 students performing a skit titled, “Games At The C-Hall.”  The Grade 6 class performed a Christmas rap while the Grade 7s did a skit called, “Tell Me A Story Grandma.”  The skit concluded with an Inuit song and drum dance.  The Grade 8s also did a skit called, “Just Sitting Around”. 

The Grade 9s did a musical number but with a comedic twist.  They used the improv/drama game Helping Hands.  The students, except for two, were hiding behind chairs with a parachute draped over them.  Two students had volunteered to stick their heads out while two others stuck their legs out.  This made it appear as if the two students were really, really short.  When the music played, everyone moved to make it look like the two students were dancing.  Everyone enjoyed the performance.

One of the high school classes did a radio show skit in Inuktitut. 

The time had finally come for my drum class to perform on stage.  We had set up our drums in the main hallway about two acts before and did our stretches during the high school radio show.  The kids crowded around the front of the stage – as they’ve always done – when they saw my students & I walking to the stage carrying our drums.  We quickly set everything up behind the closed curtains while the emcees kept the audience busy.  When I was certain everyone was ready, I gave the signal for the curtains to be drawn.  Our show began.

We played three drums cadences as a group.  They were all well received by the audience.  One of my quad players and I did a duet of the second cadence, but we played it three times faster.  It was her favourite cadence and she had practiced it so much that she could play it faster than anyone else on the drumline.  What was more impressive is that she played the faster version on the quad toms.  Quad means four.  I could tell that the audience were blown away by her speed & coordination because right after we hit the last note, they cheered and clapped loudly.  What followed were a few drum solos from the students and myself.  When the curtains closed, we all breathed huge sighs of relief.  I shook the hands of all my drummers and congratulated them on a job well done.

The staff of Inuujaq School finished the concert by dancing and playing air instruments to the tune “Winter Wonderland”.  I brought a piano onstage but it wasn’t plugged in.  I just pretended to play it.  When the recording stopped, we wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.       

The Christmas festivities continued the next day.  The day was December 20; the last day of school before the Christmas break.  Classrooms were cleaned out in the early morning.  Memories of last night’s concert were still fresh in everyone’s minds.  People, young & old, were coming up to me, saying they really enjoyed the high school drumline.  The entire student body gathered in the gym after morning recess for carolling.  This time, the lyrics were projected onto the wall instead of handing out papers.  We sang a variety of carols until it was time for lunch.

Santa came to visit & give out gifts to the students in the afternoon.  I followed Santa and took pictures of him with the students.  Once Santa was done, everyone was dismissed.  I wished everyone a safe & happy break and then rushed home to pack my suitcase.

I flew down south for Christmas.  The weather was good on December 21.  There were no serious problems and I reached my final destination at the end of the day.  While waiting for my flight to Ottawa at the Iqaluit Airport, I took pictures of the newly installed fish sculpture in the departure lounge.  Why a fish sculpture?  Because Iqlauit means “place of many fish.”    

See you all in the new year!

Cadets, Skiing, Potluck, & The Final Cut

3045 Army Corps held its last Parents Night Parade of 2018 on December 5.  We normally only have one of these parades in the fall, but there were enough awards and announcements to warrant another one.  Plus, a number of cadets had achieved the necessary criteria to be promoted.  In preparation for the parade, the cadets worked tirelessly on their uniforms, the corps staff put together a program, and parent volunteers prepared several snacks for the reception.

            

We all showed up an hour early to set up the gym for the festivities.  Chairs, tables, flags, coffee machines, and garbage cans were placed in strategic locations.  Once everything was in place, the cadets were sized in ranks.  The parade began at 6:30pm.

            

The parade was a standard affair, following the same established routines as before.  I was the commanding officer and the guest reviewing officer.  The audience stood for the General Salute and O Canada.  I inspected the cadets on parade while Frank kept the audience busy with some upcoming announcements.  The cadets did a March Past after the inspection.  The audience sat down and we continued with the awards.

            

Cdt Issuqangituq receives Level 1 Marksmanship.

LCpl Tilley receives Level 4 Marksmanship.

I started with the marksmanship badges.  There are four levels a cadet can achieve.  Four cadets achieved Level 1, two cadets achieved Level 2, and one cadet achieved Level 3.  I then continued with the physical training (PT) badges.  There are four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Excellence.  Three cadets achieved Bronze level fitness, one cadet received Silver, one cadet achieved Gold, and four cadets reached the level of Excellence. 

            

I then called out the three cadets who won first place in their categories at the Fall Biathlon in October.  They were publicly congratulated for their achievement and received military clothing as prizes. 

            

The best part of the parade was saved for last: promotions.  I could see the cadets were anxious and eager to hear who was advancing in the ranks.  I briefly explained to the audience the prerequisites of receiving a promotion.  They get more challenging for the senior ranks because you take on more leadership responsibilities.  I began with the lowest ranks.  Two cadets advanced to the rank of Lance Corporal.  Four cadets moved up to the rank of Corporal.  And on cadet was promoted to the rank of Master Corporal.

            

Three Master-Corporals were promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  They now had the privilege of wearing the red sash across their green uniforms.  They were very delighted to receive the sashes.

            

The three new cadet sergeants.

The new cadet Warrant Officer.

For the last promotion, I briefly explained to the audience that the corps was now “top-heavy”.  There were too many sergeants, four to be exact.  The corps needed to be balanced at the top, so one sergeant would be moving up to the rank of Warrant Officer.  Everyone had a pretty clear idea of who it was.  I called out her name and she marched up to the front to receive her badge, slip-ons, and pace stick.

            

The parade concluded with the Advance, General Salute, and the playing of God Save the Queen.  The cadets were dismissed to the back of the gym for a group photograph.  When I was satisfied that we had the right photograph, I dismissed the junior cadets to the reception.  I took separate pictures of the four senior cadets holding up their rank badges.  They all looked very happy.  I took about three photos and then dismissed them to reception as well.  Everyone was out of the gym by 8:30pm.

            

On December 13, a cross-country ski instructor from Iqaluit held a workshop for the cadets.  This workshop was organized by the recreational director at the Hamlet Office and I.  The instructor would teach skiing techniques the cadets would use when competing in the yearly biathlon competitions.  Biathlon is one of many activities that the cadet program offers.  The corps was very fortunate to exploit this opportunity because Arctic Bay doesn’t have a dedicated cross-country ski instructor.  Funding was secured by the Hamlet Office.

            

The workshop took place at Inuujaq School’s gym.  The instructor had brought a lot of skiing equipment with him.  I later found out that the Hamlet Office had bought it and would rent it out to interested community members during the winter months.  (The instructor would teach community members the following day).  I observed the workshop from a distance.

            

The instructor went over the basics of cross-country skiing equipment and how to handle them.  He also explained & demonstrated how to properly propel yourself forward using the skiis and poles.  He had the cadets line up at one end of the gym and then practice these techniques to the other side of the gym.  They just had to imagine they were using skiis & poles because they were in the gym.

            

The instructor would take them outside with the actual skiis & poles on the weekend.  He also gave me a list of the type of wax we should use on our skiis.  

            

The staff Christmas potluck dinner was held at the school on the evening of December 14.  The high school science classroom was turned into a dining area complete with Christmas decorations.  Everyone brought something to the occasion.  A small Christmas tree was set up in a corner of the classroom with large star on top.  Secret Santa gifts surrounded the tree.  All the food & beverages were spread across the counters along the wall.  An elder blessed the food when everyone was present.  The feast began.

            

I waited a little bit before standing in line.  There was still plenty of food when it was my turn.  I was glad I brought my own dishes and cutlery.  I filled my plate with delicious food.  My stomach was full by the end of the dinner.  The staff who participated in Secret Santa exchanged gifts at the end.  Everyone cleaned up but left the decorations.  The high school science teacher felt the decorations would help the high school students write their final exams by creating a more welcoming atmosphere.

           

            

And finally, after many days of work, I was ready to present the final cut of “Mr. Putugu’s Classroom” to my English students of the previous semester.  The video was the same except there was now music & sound effects in certain places.  We watched the short film together.  I was nervous, wondering if the students would accept the soundtrack I created.  When the credits started to roll, my former students gave me their seals of approval.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  I told them I would upload the final cut to the school’s Facebook page over the Christmas break.      

Recruitment, Dedication, & Bad Weather

Four Canadian military recruiters from Ottawa arrived in Arctic Bay to speak to the high school students about careers in the Canadian Armed Forces and summer training programs for Indigenous Peoples.  The presentation was in my classroom and occurred on November 27^th.

Contact between the school and the Ottawa recruiting office was established in September.  I was the school’s liaison.  The recruiters mailed a box of posters, pamphlets, application sheets, and memorabilia prior to their arrival.  They would stay in the community for a week, helping interested students fill out applications, conduct interviews, and carry out medical & physical tests.  The recruiters would also speak to the community and find people interested in signing up.  I was glad that the school had just enough space available to accommodate the visit.

The presentation began with the recruiters introducing themselves to the students.  There was a lieutenant, warrant, sergeant, and corporal.  The sergeant conducted the presentation, using a PowerPoint slideshow as a visual aid.  He explained the 5Ws & 1H of the Canadian Armed Forces, and listed some of the careers you could pursue.  (There are over a 100 job types available in the military).  He mostly focused on the Indigenous summer training programs: Bold Eagle, Raven, Black Bear, Carcajou, and Grey Wolf.  The programs are 6 weeks long and introduce military training & routines to successful applicants.  The programs incorporate Indigenous culture (ie: First Nations, Inuit, Metis) into the curriculum.  The military provides everything and you get paid $4,200 for attending.  The programs are open to all Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

The sergeant fielded questions from the students & teachers after the presentation.

The recruiters returned to my classroom the following day to help interested students with the applications.  I was surprised and glad to see many students filling out the applications.  The recruiters told me they would focus on getting the applicants onto the Black Bear program.  Unfortunately, the program can only accept a certain number of candidates.  Since the program attracts applicants from all over the country, competition for spots is inevitable.  I hope at least four people from Arctic Bay get selected for Black Bear.

One of the superintendents from Qikiqtani School Operations visited Inuujaq School near the end of November.  He wanted to see how the new principal was handling the day-to-day operations and talk to the students.  He was also there to give out long service awards to several teachers.

   

Principal Morty receives her long-service certificate.

Grade 1 Teacher Piuyuq.

The principal organized a short assembly in the gym on November 29.  She introduced the superintendent who spoke for several minutes to the students.  He then called upon the high school art teacher, Paulette, and the former principal to receive their 10-year certificates.  He then awarded the current principal, Morty, a plaque for her twenty-plus years of service in the field of education.  And finally, he called Grade 1 teacher, Piuyuq, to the front of the gym to publicly recognize & congratulate her for devoting 40 years of her life to teaching Inuit kids.  She received a certificate and a letter from the Education Minister for her dedication & service.  Both documents were enclosed in a large frame.  She gave a brief thank you speech and received an extended applause.

            

Arctic Bay is relatively safe from extreme weather because of the surrounding mountains.  However, sometimes being surrounded by tall mountains & hills isn’t enough.  The people of Arctic Bay found that out on Monday, December 10.  A blizzard had rolled into the area, blanketing everything with snow.  Winds were roaring at 71km/h with gusts reaching up to 91km/h.  The temperature was -35˚C with windchill.  The entire town was shut down for the day until the blizzard was over.  I had enough supplies to last me several days.

            

I went outside at 3:30pm to record the blizzard with a camera.  It was very dark outside, but thankfully, the street lights were still on.  I was able to record snow blowing by the street lights and the sounds of the wind.  I later walked around the neighboured to see if the conditions listed on the Government of Canada website were correct.  To be honest, it didn’t feel like the winds were howling at 71km/h.  Maybe they were down by the bay.

           

The blizzard came to an end in the evening.  School continued on Tuesday.         

Two Feasts

*Warning: This post contains images that some readers may find graphic.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) hosted a community meeting & feast on November 20.  The focus of the meeting was to present & discuss the findings of the progress report on the Tallurutiup Imanga Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (TIIIBA) negotiations.  QIA and the Government of Canada have been in talks since early 2018 to create a marine conservation area in the high arctic.  So far, both parties have reached an agreement in principle.  If the negotiations are a success, the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area (TINMCA) will be created.  The feast would conclude the meeting.

            

I walked into the community hall at 6pm to find an impressive setup.  There were three tables at the front, draped with QIA banners.  There were also two separate standing banners on opposite sides of the stage.  A large project screen hung above the stage.  A large delicious cake sat on the table on the left.  The centre table contained a laptop, projector, two chairs, and a microphone for the presenters.  The table on the right featured QIA memorabilia (ie: water bottles, sweaters) and free TIIIBA documents for the public.  In front of this impressive display lay a large tarp with a dead seal & cut up seal meat.  Wow, QIA really went all out for this, I thought.  I later found out that QIA was touring all the northern communities that would be affected by TIIIBA & TINMCA.  They are: Clyde River, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay, Resolute Bay, & Grise Fiord.

            

There was more country food at the back of the hall.  Pieces of raw arctic char lay on top of large RONA tarp.  There was also a line of tables with bowls of bread, bannock, fruits, cheese, sandwiches, and macaroni.

            

Levi Barnabas starts the meeting.

The meeting began at 6:15pm.  Local QIA representative, Levi Barnabas, introduced himself and the visiting QIA members.  An elder officially opened the meeting with a prayer.  The audience was shown a bilingual slideshow – (Inuktitut & English) - that explained TIIIBA, TINMCA, and what has been done up until now.  I was able to grab a free printed copy of the slideshow and follow along.  We also watched a short QIA-produced video that was shot in Arctic Bay.  I recognized many locals in the video.

            

Still frame of the QIA video that focused on Arctic Bay.
Pictured here are Arctic Bay's Roland Taqtu & Mishak Allurut.

Five men who were featured in the video posed in front of the large cake before the feast began.  They are Rangers and members of the Hunters & Trappers Organization (HTO).  They wore blue QIA hats.

            

Elders enjoying seal.

Everyone dove into the country food on the floor, armed with plastic bags.  The rule is “first come, first served.”  It’s the same for food on tables, but you have to line up.  I took two pieces of char and placed them in a plastic bag.  I then continued taking photographs.  Elders cut up the seal at the front of the hall and enjoyed fresh, raw seal meat.  I sat down when I was satisfied with the photographs I took.  I decided to eat some char.  I cut off pieces using my ulu (knife).  I saved the rest for a later time.

            

I left as names were being drawn for door prizes.  I declined to participate because I already have enough stuff at my place.  I hope the agreement is ratified by both parties and TINMCA becomes a reality. 

QIA mascot . . . I think.

HTO held its own community feast on November 26.  There was no meeting at this feast; just an organization sharing an abundance of country & southern foods with the people of Arctic Bay.  I think most of it was ordered, but some was caught by the HTO.  Events like these are always welcome, given the serious food insecurity problem that’s crippling the territory.  (The majority of Nunavut households are food insecure because of very high food prices.)  The menu consisted of: char, caribou, walrus, seal, lobster, bannock, vegetables, and fruits.  The country food lay in the middle of hall on a very large tarp.

            

Celery & lobsters.

An elder blessed the food and the feast began at 7:30pm.  Everyone charged into the centre with their plastic bags.  I was packing Ziplock freezer bags.  No one is rough; you just grab and go.  If someone beats you to it, too bad.  Just move on to the next best piece.  Otherwise, you’ll end up with nothing.  I filled two bags with char, caribou, and aged walrus.  You had to get the caribou meat at the front of the hall on stage.  In front of the stage were line of tables that had the bowls of vegetables, fruits, bannock, and lobster.  I took a paper plate and grabbed a lobster head, a piece of bannock, and some orange slices.  I consumed the bannock & oranges, but only ate small pieces of the country foods.  Raw walrus is an acquired taste.

            

Char, caribou, walrus, lobster, bannock,
& oranges.

I noticed several people glancing at me while I ate.  I think Inuit are always amused when they see a non-Inuk eating raw country food.  I just pretend I don’t notice.  Sometimes, people will come up and ask me if I like the country food to which I reply, “Yes.”  I know eating raw meat carries some risk, but I think the skill is necessary, especially in times of (arctic) survival.

            

I stayed a few more minutes before making my exit.  The week had just begun and tonight was a school night.  I had to be fully rested and ready to teach the following day.