Country Food, A Gathering, & A New Machine

Warning: Some of the following images in this post may be considered graphic.

Sorry for the long wait, but I’ve decided to summarize the remainder of November rather than write a few micro-blog posts.

The local District Education Authority (DEA) purchased several pounds of caribou (tuktu) meat for the purpose of distributing it to students.  The meat most likely came from the Nunavut mainland because there is a caribou hunting restriction on Baffin Island.  The herd is quite small and needs time to repopulate. 

The frozen meat arrived on November 17 and was placed on flattened cardboard boxes on top of a large blue tarp in the Home Ec Room.  The meat was packed in large black Rubbermaid bins.  The meat had been cut up into fairly large sizes, but I assumed they would be cut into smaller pieces to guarantee equal distribution.  Judging from the meat on display, I think there were pieces from every part of the caribou. 

The meat was handed out at the end of the school day.  Students were first and staff were second.  I took a small piece.  The meat can be eaten raw or cooked.  I’ve done both.  Caribou tastes like beef.  I call it “the chicken of the North” because when you eat other Arctic animals (with the exception of fish), they taste like caribou. 

Inuujaq School held an Elders Gathering in the gym on the afternoon of Saturday, November 19.  The purpose of the gathering was to connect with local Elders and encourage them to sign up for the school’s Elders List.  They would be authorized to come into the school to give talks, lessons, and extra supervision.  The RCMP were also present at the gathering to help interested Elders fill out the police check forms.

The school ordered country food & store-bought food.  Tables and chairs were set up around the gym.  One row of tables contained fruits, vegetables, snacks, desserts, caribou stew, and a variety of beverages.  Large pieces of frozen caribou and seal meat lay in the middle of the gym on top of flattened cardboard boxes and a blue tarp.  Large & small ulus (knives) were ready to be used to cut the frozen meat.

Quite a few Elders came to the gathering.  I joined the ones sitting around the frozen country food and ate a few slices of caribou meat.  Dipping it in soy sauce makes it tastier.  I also had a small plate of food.  School Administration and teachers mingled with the Elders and discussed various topics.  I didn’t stay until the very end because I had school work that needed attention.  I think several Elders did sign up to be included on the school’s approved Elders List.  The staff would be informed of the updated list in the following week.

Dark season has been in full swing since November 11.  The sun no longer shows itself, only rising behind mountains and then sinks back down.  I have enough Vitamin D pills to see me through until the sun returns.  I’m still not convinced on buying a sun lamp.  Speaking of light, I always carry a flashlight when I’m outside during this time of year.  It just makes things more manageable.

I decided to upgrade my transportation capability by purchasing a new skidoo (snowmobile).  The Northern Store had a 2022 Backcountry model they (somehow) didn’t sell last year and the manager offered it at a lower price.  I agreed and put in a big downpayment.  It’s great when you have most of the money on hand.  I will pay off the remainder in a few weeks. 

I took possession of my new machine on November 27.  It drives quite well.  I’m going to wait until the spring to take it out on the land.  As for my old skidoo, I’m going to hold on to it for a little while longer and then maybe sell it.

      

Remembrance Day (2022)

School was closed for Friday, November 11, because of Remembrance Day.  This allowed the army cadets of 3045 & I to hold a community Remembrance Day ceremony at the community hall.  Preparations for the ceremony began weeks in advance.  The program mostly stays the same; finding volunteers is the challenge.  It’s good to get the community involved.  Cadets are assigned several parts too.  (More on that coming up).  I also asked for donated decorations from classes at Inuujaq School.  The cadets & I practiced the drill several times before the day arrived.

The cadets & I arrived at the community hall an hour early to set everything up.  Two Hamlet staff members assisted us.  A large colourful poster prepared by the Grade 4 class was placed centre stage (literally) to serve as a background.  Other decorations were taped on the walls.  We placed rows of chairs in the centre, and four chairs & a podium in front of the stage.  A box of poppies was placed on a table in the foyer for people who didn’t have any.  Prior to the start of the ceremony, the cadets formed up in the foyer and attendance was taken.  I instructed them to take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and not worry.  I wished them good luck, took my position at the podium, and signalled the start of the ceremony at 10:45am.

The cadet flag party marched to the front and deposited the flags of Canada and cadet corps.  The two cadets then took their positions as left markers.  The remaining cadets marched into the hall and formed a platoon next to the left markers.  The two local RCMP officers marched behind the cadets and stood next to the platoon.  They & the audience remained standing for the opening prayer.  I invited the audience to take their seats thereafter.

My Welcome Address was mostly the same as last year’s except I mentioned the ongoing war in Eastern Europe.  I briefly described how Remembrance Day came to be and how Canadians answered & continue to answer the call to defend freedom.  My speech was translated into Inuktitut by a community member.  

Everyone stood for the playing of “O Canada”.  Two community members read a Bible passage in English & Inuktitut.  The audience then sang the hymn, “Abide With Me” in both languages, accompanied by an instrumental track.  What followed was the most important six minutes of the entire ceremony: Last Post, Minute of Silence, Piper’s Lament, and Reveille.  The cadets & I had to stand at Attention for all six minutes, but we did practice several times before.  The audience stood too, but they were allowed to move.

The Act of Remembrance was read in Inuktitut & English by two community members.  Two other community members read Psalm 121 in both languages.  Several cadets took over the ceremony by explaining how the poppy became a symbol of Remembrance Day and how the plant inspired the late Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae to write his famous poem “In Flanders Fields”.  Three cadets then recited the poem for the audience. 

A cadet laid a wreath in front of the podium.  An RCMP officer did the same.  Members of the public were invited to lay their own wreaths.  The audience then sang the hymn “O God Our Help In Ages Past,” accompanied by an instrumental track.  Everyone remained standing for the playing of “God Save the King”.  An Elder said a final prayer and I thanked everyone once again for attending the ceremony.  The cadets & RCMP marched out of the hall, bringing an official end to the ceremony.

The cadets, RCMP, and I posed for photographs and then helped with the cleanup of the community hall.  I personally thanked the cadets again for participating and congratulated them on a job well done.  I dismissed them for the rest of the day.

Lest We Forget.

On a more positive note, Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully liberated the city of Kherson, the final triumphant act of the Kherson Counteroffensive.  The city’s residents greeted Ukrainian soldiers with open arms, raising Ukrainian flags, and chanting “Slava Ukraini!”  Ukrainian forces now have to consolidate, rearm, and defend until their ready to launch the next counteroffensive.  Unfortunately, Russian forces are still active on the other side of the Dnieper River and are still shelling the city.  It’ll still be a long time before Ukraine fully expels the orcs from its lands, but the victories in Kherson and Kharkiv are good for now.   

Slava Ukraini!

 

International Inuit Day (2022)

International Inuit Day (IID), aka International Circumpolar Inuit Day, “was created to celebrate Inuit and amplify their voices.”  November 7 was chosen to be the day and as luck would have it, it occurred on a Monday this year. 

Inuujaq School’s Events Committee organized an afternoon assembly to commemorate IID.  A program was put together with the input of staff.  I was made the English emcee and another staff member was made the Inuktitut emcee.  The committee advertised the program and upcoming activities in the days leading up to IID.  Parents, guardians, Elders, and community members were also invited to the assembly.

Students & staff were encouraged to wear traditional Inuit clothing.  I wore a tie, vest, and poppy, all made from sealskin.  (I also wore pants, socks, a dress shirt, and shoes).  Southern teachers who didn’t have Inuit clothing wore borrowed outfits.  Elders visited middle & high school classes in the morning to speak to the students about several Inuit topics.

I set up a sound system in the gym and taped a large Nunavut flag to the wall for added decoration.  Everyone was called down at 1:30pm and the celebration began at 1:45pm. 

Grade 1 Teacher.

The emcees welcomed everyone and invited the Grade 1 teacher to light the ceremonial quilliq lamp.  This was followed by short drum dance performance by two teachers.  Two community members volunteered to perform a throat singing duet to the delight of everyone in attendance.  The women did an excellent job showcasing their talents.

A Student Support Assistant (SSA) & teacher led a group of middle & high school students in a square dance performance for everyone.  They danced very well.   

The assembly moved on to the clothing fashion show.  It followed the same routine as the Halloween costume contest except this time students & staff modelled their traditional Inuit clothing.  Four judges selected a winner from each class & group.  The lucky winners received Co-op gift cards.  The judges were a teacher, custodian, community member, and a District Education Authority (DEA) member.

The next part of the assembly was Inuit Games.  During the planning process, four teachers volunteered to organize and play Inuit games with groups of students during the assembly.  The groups were divided by classes: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and High School.  Participating students would compete for prizes while the audience would observe and learn how to play the games.

Sittuqtaq

The Grade 1 teacher led the first game played by K-3 students called Sittuqtaq.  It’s a jumping game that reminds me of the Ukrainian hopak dance.  Hopak means “to hop”.  Participants first bend their knees so they’re low to the ground and then continuously kick their feet forward without falling.  The winner is the last person who didn’t fall or fell. 

Pigliqtaq

Students in grades 4-6 played Pigliqtaq and this was led by the Grade 4 teacher.  It’s similar to Sittuqtaq, except the students hop between feet & knees touching the ground.  Watching the students play made me think it would be easier for them to wear kneepads, but I think not wearing them is deliberate.  Pigliqtaq is an endurance game and the winner is the last person who can withstand the pain.

The next game was Iglukisaaq, a juggling game, and it was played by students in Grade 7-9.  The Grade 2 teacher led this game.  Students had to juggle three balls without dropping them.  The last student still juggling was the winner.

The high school students played Pakikuut, an arm pulling/wrestling game, led by the Inuit Culture teacher.

The Grade 2 class sang a few songs in Inuktitut.  One of the students played an Inuit drum while their classmates sang.

The assembly finished with one final short dance organized by a community member.  The woman sang while three girls danced in the middle of the gym.

The emcees thanked everyone for attending and wished everyone a happy International Inuit Day.  Students & teachers returned to their classes to get ready for dismissal.  Parents & guardians waited until the bell rang at 3:35pm to take their children home.

 

Halloween 2022

I start thinking about Halloween in August, right after I return to Arctic Bay from summer vacation.  The main reason for this is because of the long time required to wait for things to arrive by mail.  Waiting two weeks is still the minimum standard.  The two main items I need are a costume and candy.  True, I could order these items as early as the spring and put them on my summer sealift, but at that time, I’m more focused on filling my sealift with non-perishable goods and school supplies.  I can afford to wait a little longer because the shipping costs by air aren’t too high.

Choosing a good costume was my first priority.  I’ve been purchasing costumes from Spirit Halloween since 2013 and overall, the store hasn’t failed me yet.  Buying a new costume every year keeps things interesting, fresh, current, and making the students & teachers figure out if it’s really me under the masks.  At the same time, though, I haven’t disposed my previous costumes, so now I have 11 outfits that need to be stored somewhere.  I may donate them to the school if I ever decide to move.  In the meantime, I let the high school students wear the old costumes if they have nothing else.  (More on this coming up).

My 11^th Halloween costume was the guard uniform from the South Korean survival drama TV series Squid Game.  The series debuted on Netflix in 2021 and was very well received.  I only watched the first episode this past summer, but it was interesting enough to leave an imprint on my mind.  The costume arrived in the correct size.

I ordered candy from Well.ca and Amazon.ca in early September.  Arctic Bay has a very large young population, most of them like candy, and they usually go to the southern teachers’ houses first.  I also offer candy to parents/guardians if they come to the door.  Everyone loves candy.  The candy arrived at the end of the month.

Inuujaq School’s Events Committee organized a Halloween door decorating contest and afternoon assembly.  The assembly would feature a performance of the high school drumline and a costume contest.  Classes had the last week of October to decorate their doors.  To ensure fairness, classes were divided into four groups.  Three selected judges would choose a winner for each group.  They would also judge the costume contest and choose a winner for each class.

My door.

Grade 6 Door.

October 31 finally arrived.  I walked from one end of school to the other, photographing all the decorated doors.  Several high school students decorated my door.  The winners would be announced at the end of the afternoon assembly.  Lunch was extended by 30 minutes to give students & staff time to eat and get their costumes ready.  I changed into my costume at school.  I also brought my previous costumes for my high school students.  My drummers helped me set up the drums & sound system in the gym prior to the start of the assembly.  You don’t want to keep the audience waiting.  They were impressed by my Squid Game costume.  More people arrived in costume.  I did my best to not give away my identity.  Classes were called down to the gym and the assembly began at 1:45pm.

The gym was full of people: students, staff, parents, guardians, and Elders.  The principal & vice-principal welcomed everyone to the 2022 Halloween Assembly, and called upon my drummers to start the festivities with a bang.  Everyone knew I was the Squid Game Guard as soon as I led the drummers into the gym.  The drumline and I played three group pieces and I played two solos.  The audience enjoyed and appreciated the performance.

Grade 1 Class.

Grade 3 Class.

The assembly moved on to the costume contest.  Classes were called individually to walk around the centre of the gym twice while everyone watched.  The three judges sat behind a table in a corner, debated amongst themselves, and then selected the best dressed from each class.  Teachers and parents/guardians also competed.  Winners from each group were given Co-op gift cards.  Classes that won the door decorating contest would receive funds to hold pizza parties.  Unfortunately, my door was not selected, and I did not receive a gift card.  There’s always next year. 

Grade 6 Class.

Students & teachers returned to their classrooms at the end of the assembly and played games.  The drumline assisted me in putting the drums in their cases and moving everything back to my classroom.  Students who borrowed costumes returned them before the dismissal bell rang.  A co-worker helped me transport my costumes home.

Trick-or-treating began at 5pm and ended at 7pm.  There was a steady stream of trick-or-treaters.  I wore my costume and handed out four pieces of candy to each person.  There were either more trick-or-treaters than last year or I didn’t buy enough candy, because I nearly ran out. I’m buying more next time.  I quickly changed out of my costume and made my way down to the community hall for the Ugliest Costume Contest.  The recent lifting of COVID-19 restrictions brought the contest indoors for the first time since 2019!

The annual Ugliest Costume Contest brings out creativity and laughter.  Contestants fall into one of two categories: 12 & Under, and 13 & Over.  They usually design their costumes to cover their faces, keeping their identities secret until the very end.  Large numbers are taped to the backs of the costumes so that it’s easier for judges to select the best ugliest dressed, if that makes sense.  Surprisingly, I was recruited to be a judge.  I was reluctant at first because I didn’t think I was qualified, but after much persuasion, I relented and joined the other judges on stage.  The school’s vice-principal was also recruited.

The 12 & Under contestants went first, walking around the hall a few times while Halloween themed music played over loud speakers.  The judges & I watched, and then collectively selected the top three contestants.  The 13 & Over group came next and we selected the top three from that group.  Once again, the costumes were creative, wild, funny, and scary. 

The winners were called to the stage to receive their cash prizes and remove their masks.  The audience applauded each recipient.  Everyone was dismissed for the night after the last winner was announced.  I survived my first time being a judge.