Stalemate & Another War

I originally planned on finishing 2023 with my previous post about Christmas, but I feel two current events need to be addressed even though they’re not directly related to this blog.

It’s been many months since I’ve talked about the war in Ukraine.  I haven’t written about it since February, but I have been keeping up to date on the country’s fight for freedom from the orc hordes.  I’m sure everyone was hoping the war would be over by the end of this year, but it was not to be.  I think too many people, including world leaders, thought Ukraine’s military could pull off a major victory with the limited resources they were given.

The much talked about & anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive began in early June.  The goal was to breach the orc front lines and reclaim as much occupied land as possible.  Some speculated the cities of Melitopol & Mariupol were the main goals because their capture would sever the land link between Crimea and mainland Russia.  Unfortunately, many factors got in the way of success.  Weather & especially late weapon deliveries from NATO led to postponement, giving the orcs plenty of time to construct defensive networks in the right places.  When Ukrainian soldiers finally attacked, they ran into walls of defences and counterattacks.  It got so bad that Ukrainian soldiers abandoned their combat vehicles and trudged on foot to the frontlines so their vehicles wouldn’t get destroyed by artillery & kamikaze drones. 

The counteroffensive came to an end in early December and succeeded in liberating around 370km² of land.  That’s better than nothing, but when you look at the map, it’s not much.  The operation did fall short of expectations, but it did show everyone, including the orcs, that Ukraine is not giving up and will continue to fight for freedom.  Unfortunately, this isn’t translating well in the political sphere.

The $40 billion in aid from the USA will be used up by the end of this year.  (It might even be all spent as I’m writing this).  There are other countries that provide military aid, but the USA provides the most.  An additional military aid bill worth $60 billion is being considered/debated by American Congress, except there are orc friendly Republicans who don’t want to give Ukraine more money & military equipment.  I don’t understand that at all.  They’re using isolationist excuses like focusing on strengthening the border with Mexico and saying Americans should only worry about problems inside America.  It’s the same rhetoric used during World War 2.  I also don’t understand how these Republican politicians can support the tyrants in the Kremlin.  They must be brainwashed by orc propaganda.  It must have been the same during World War 2 except they were brainwashed by Nazi propaganda until December 7, 1941 . . . “a date that will live in infamy.”

Too many people believed Ukraine had the ability to pull off another stunning victory like in 2022 when Ukrainian forces rapidly advanced in the Kharkiv & Kherson Oblasts.  Well, they would have, if NATO gave Ukraine everything they needed right away instead of in pieces.  Or even better, join Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefields and liberate all occupied lands including Crimea.  That would have been nice.  NATO & the Free World must not be intimidated by nuclear threats from the orcs.  They don’t have the will to use them because they will lose a nuclear war.  Many people want NATO to avoid going to war with Russia, but I’m beginning to think it’s inevitable, because some douchebag in the Kremlin wants to be remembered as the orc who took on the Western World and won.  That’s not going to happen.

I really hope Congress approves another $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine.  The country needs it.  Ukraine is fighting for everyone’s freedom.  F-16 fighter jets are supposedly coming, but their deployment is still months away.  They will give the Ukrainian Air Force a much-needed boost, but they alone won’t turn the tide of the war.  More support is needed, especially air defences.  It’s now winter and the orcs are attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure again.  The power plants need protection from missiles, bombs, and drones.  If NATO leaders are reading this, please send Ukraine more missile defence batteries (Patriot, NASAMS, MANPADS, IRIS-T, Centurion C-RAM) right away.  They’ll be used and not sit in warehouses gathering dust.

Slava Ukraini!

While the Ukrainian counteroffensive was going on, another war began in the Middle East in early October.  Hamas terrorists decided to launch a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, launching rockets, killing thousands of civilians, and taking 251 people as hostages.  Israel immediately retaliated, declaring war, and sending its military to push back Hamas and expel it from the Gaza Strip.  Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and indefinitely occupy Gaza.  That’s going to be a challenge for the military because Hamas has built an extensive network of underground tunnels to freely move around.  Entering those tunnels & clearing them of Hamas fighters won’t be easy.    

A lot has happened in just two months.  Unfortunately, the war coming to an end is not one of them.  Israel has blockaded the Gaza Strip, bombarded it with its air force, invaded in late October, paused for a truce in late November, and then resumed fighting in early December.  The war is still ongoing as I write this, and I don’t know how it will end.  Hamas has given reasons for its October 7 attack, but I wonder if they were hoping it would encourage its allies to join in the struggle.  Hezbollah has in a way, but its fighters haven’t crossed the border and invaded northern Israel.  Iran gives support to Hamas but hasn’t sent its military directly to the conflict zone.  (That would be difficult considering the country of Iraq sits between Israel & Iran).  I think several countries bordering Israel want to get involved but are hesitant because Israel possesses nuclear weapons.  The country doesn’t publicly acknowledge or deny they have them, but the entire world pretty much assumes they do.  If a larger regional war does break out in the Middle East, then who knows where that will go.    

And while all this is happening, Palestinian civilians in Gaza continue to suffer.  Although, truth be told, Hamas hasn’t been kind to the people of Gaza since they took over in 2007 and ruled with an iron fist.  There are widespread & documented reports of human rights abuses committed by Hamas.  For the civilians right now, there are very few safe places to go because Gaza is a small strip of land, and they can’t leave because of the blockade.  The Israeli army hasn’t attacked all of Gaza, but many observers believe it’s only a matter of time.  Civilians must hunker down, find shelter somewhere, anywhere, and find food & water.  The children of Gaza are suffering the most, seeing & experiencing things no child should have to go through in a lifetime.    

This war may go on for a very long time, leaving only flat land & rubble for civilians to return to.  Israel says the war will take months, and I can see that happening, unless the conflict spills over and becomes a regional war.  Will this latest conflict lead to World War 3?  I don’t think so, unless USA & Russia get involved.  The war in Ukraine looks like the more plausible trigger.

My hope for 2024 is for things to get better.  I want Ukraine to succeed in liberating all its territory and push back the orc hordes to the 1991 borders.  If victory means further fracturing Russia, then so be it.  The world survived the collapse of the USSR; it will survive the collapse of Russia.  I also hope peace will return to the Middle East.  I know that sounds like a farfetched dream because that part of the world has been volatile for many years, but it’s still possible.  We just haven’t found the right solution yet. 

 

Christmas 2023

Christmas decorations started going up in Inuujaq School at the beginning of December.  Classes decorated their doors and staff decorated the main hallway, main office, and staff room.  The student support assistants made a large banner in one corner of the main hallway on behalf of the school staff.  Christmas themed pencils were given to teachers to distribute them to students.  The decorations made the school’s interior appear lively, a needed distraction from the constant darkness outside. 

The school’s Christmas Concert was on everyone’s minds.  Classes had been busy preparing their acts while also making decorations for the concert.  The high school drummers & I were also busy preparing our set list.  There would be three cadences performed as a drumline followed by solos.  The selected three cadences were more challenging, but doable.  I just had to rearrange a few parts.  Everyone practiced their acts at the afternoon dress rehearsal two days before the concert.  The dress rehearsal took place at the community hall.  I borrowed Frank’s truck to transport the drums, stands, music, hardware, and a keyboard.  The keyboard would be used for the final act: school staff singing a Christmas song.     

Classes also made decorations for the upcoming Christmas concert.  High school & middle school students put up these decorations at the community hall on December 14.  The decorations were transported on vehicles provided by staff.  Students & staff also set up chairs and a few tables.  The setup lasted the entire morning.

December 15 was very busy & exciting.  Santa visited classes and took pictures with students.  One of my high school drummers volunteered to play the role.  He was the first person to try on the new Santa costume I bought from Spirit Halloween.  (Yes, they also sell Christmas costumes).  Thankfully, the costume fit.  A few high school students helped Santa dressed as elves.

Several middle school students helped staff set up tables & chairs in the gym for the evening Staff Christmas dinner.  White tablecloths were placed over the tables, a sound system was set up at one end of the gym, the large staff banner was taped to a wall, garbage cans were placed in strategic locations, and a large Christmas was placed near the sound system.  Everything was ready just before the bell rang for lunch.

Everyone headed to the community hall after lunch.  Doors opened at 1:30pm and people flooded in to find good seats.  Students & staff were dressed in their best clothing.  The place was packed when the concert began at 2pm.  Performing acts were arranged in order of grade.  Kindergarten began the festivities by performing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.  Grade 1 did the Chicken Dance.  Grade 2 sang & danced to the tune of This Little Light Of Mine.  Grade 3 sang an Inuktitut song titled, Maani, Maani. 

Grade 8.

The theme of dancing continued with the next three acts.  Grade 4 did a Christmas dance, Grade 5 did a Jerusalem Dance, and Grade 6 did a Winter In Wonderland dance.  (Those were the names of the acts).    

Grade 9

Grade 7 performed a Grinch Skit.  Grade 8 sang the song Hallelujah and Grade 9 did a Christmas dance number.  My drummers & I set up our drums in the main foyer during the Grade 8 performance.  When the curtains closed after the end of the Grade 9 performance, the moment had finally arrived.  It was time for the High School Drumline to perform.

Kids crowded around the front of the stage as the drumline & I moved our instruments and equipment on stage.  Several people also helped.  You don’t want to keep the audience waiting.  We got everything in place in less than 5 minutes . . . I think.  We did our final stretches, made sure our music papers were in order, took one final deep breath, and exhaled.  I signaled to the emcee that we were ready.  The curtains were drawn, and we came face-to-face with the audience.  Just like at the Halloween assembly, I raised my sticks, clicked 4 times, and the music began.

The snare drummers had to play with their snares off because it would have been too loud.  We played the three cadences without problems.  The audience applauded each performance.  The drumline then took a step back to give the soloists their space.  The first soloist was a tenor player who played blindfolded.  He got through it without dropping his sticks.  Next was me on the snare drum.  I think I did quite well.  The last solo was more of a duet.  A student & set up two quad tom drums facing each other.  The duet was short & simple, but the main highlight was the two of us moving around the toms and playing at the same time.  The audience really liked that.  We all took a bow and waved at the audience as the curtains closed.  We survived.

The drumline quickly packed & moved everything off stage to make way for Inuujaq School staff.  The keyboard & a chair were brought out for the vice-principal.  Staff got into their places on stage with music sheets in hand.  The curtains opened, and the staff sang a Christmas carol in Inuktitut and English.  They practiced several times before the concert.  They performed well.  And with that the concert came to an end.

Several staff & students helped me move the instruments & equipment into Frank’s truck.  I then got a few volunteers to help me bring it back to school.  I then drove the volunteers home.  Students were now dismissed for the Christmas holidays.

The Staff Christmas Dinner began at 6pm.  The local hotel catered the event.  Staff & guests were welcomed by the principal.  An Elder blessed the food, and everyone lined up with plates in hand.  The menu consisted of roast, ham, turkey, stuffing, vegetables, gravy, peas & carrots, juice boxes, and various desserts.  The hotel kitchen staff did an excellent job preparing the food.  Secret Santa gifts were handed out thereafter and the staff played a dice throwing game for prizes.

Leftover food was distributed among the staff & guests.  Everyone helped with the cleaning of the gym.  We wished each other a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!  School would resume early next year.  Several people flew down south for the holidays the next day.  I was one of them.

Happy New Year!  See you all in 2024!

December Parade & Candy Toss

I forgot to mention in my last post that the people of Arctic Bay bid farewell to the sun on November 11.  The days have been getting shorter & darker for the last month.  We won’t see the sun again until February.  We don’t, however, endure 24 hours of darkness.  Even on the shortest day of the year, I think it’s December 21, there’s still a bit of light in the sky, but it’s dusk, or more like dusk transitioning into night.  I’ve been told the community only sees 20 minutes of sunlight on that day.  I only experienced it in 2020 when the world was still in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

3045 Army Cadet Corps held its second Parents Night Parade of the 2023-2024 Training Year on December 6.  There were several cadet accomplishments I wanted to publicly recognize before the cadets were dismissed for the Christmas holidays. 

The cadets & I spent an hour setting up the gym for the evening parade.  We opened doors at 6:15pm to let guests find seats.  The parade began at 6:30pm.

The beginning was similar to Remembrance Day in November.  The cadet flag party marched into the gym carrying the flags of Canada & the cadet program.  They deposited the flags in front of the awards table and then took up positions as Left Markers.  The cadet parade commander marched the remaining cadets onto the parade square and halted them next to the Left Markers.  The commander dressed the platoon and then waited for the arrival of the Guest Reviewing Officer (GRO).  I was the GRO this time.

I halted in front of the cadet platoon and received a General Salute.  This was followed by the playing of the national anthem.  I then inspected the cadets on parade.  The cadets then did a March Past to showcase their drill to the audience.  I did a quick speech welcoming the parents, guardians, and friends to the parade and thanking them for supporting the cadet corps.  I continued with awards & presentations.

Year 5 Workshop cadets.

Seven cadets earned marksmanship level badges since October.  One Level 1, three Level 3s, and three Level 4s.  (Level 4 is the highest).  I announced the three winners of the Fall Biathlon competition in late October.  The winners received t-shirts & bragging rights.  Next to receive public recognition were the three senior cadets who attended a Year 5 Workshop down south in late November.  The workshop teaches leadership & instructional skills senior cadets can use at their home corps, summer camps, and excursions.

The Army Cadet League of Canada gifted the corps an Anniversary Certificate, recognizing the 30^th anniversary of the corps history.  The anniversary was in 2022, but better late than never.  I displayed the certificate to everyone in attendance and used the opportunity to announce the corps 31^st anniversary. 

The last batch of awards was promotions.  Eight cadets moved up in the ranks.  Seven lance corporals were promoted to corporals and one corporal was promoted to master corporal. 

The cadets did an Advance in Review Order followed by a General Salute.  The anthem God Save The King was played.  I marched out of the gym and the cadets were dismissed.  The parade had come to an end.

The cadets & I posed for a group photograph.  The cadets were then dismissed to the reception table.  Reception lasted about 20 minutes.  The cadets helped me put everything away.  I congratulated them one last time for putting on a good performance.  I then dismissed them for the remainder of the night.

Since I’m writing about December 6, I would like to be serious at this time and state that in Canada, December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, also known as White Ribbon Day.  This day was created in 1991 in response to the deadly & tragic École Polytechnique massacre of 1989 that occurred on December 6 in Montreal, Quebec.  For those who don’t know, a psychotic misogynist madman, armed with a rifle, killed 14 women & injured 14 others at École Polytechnique before taking his own life.  This domestic terrorist act brought the issue of violence towards women to the forefront of Canadian politics & life.  Thirty-four years later, women in Canada & around the world still experience violence & harassment daily.  That’s appalling.  I’m glad women are fighting back all over the world but much more work & fighting needs to be done.  I hope violence, discrimination, and harassment against women & girls are gone for good really, really soon.

The last day of cadets for 2023 was December 9.  I let the cadets have a fun afternoon playing sports & games.  I held a candy toss at the end to the delight of everyone.  To promote safety & prevent injury, I instructed the cadets to make a large square using gym mattresses.  Shoes were removed and extra-large Ziploc bags were handed out.  Cadets were then instructed to stand around the mattresses.  I went upstairs to the mezzanine and got a large plastic bucket filled with candy.  When the cadets told me they were ready, I picked up the bucket and dumped all the candy onto the mattresses below.  The cadets immediately jumped in to claim their sweets.  Once all the candy was gone, I instructed the cadets to put away the mattresses.  I’m glad they didn’t start right away because I quickly discovered I had more candy.  I cancelled my previous order and instructed the cadets to stand around the mattresses again.  They were excited to hear there was more candy to claim. 

The cadets put away the mattresses before forming up for a quick debriefing.  I wished the cadets a safe & happy Christmas and not to eat their candy all in one night.  I also told when the first training day would be in 2024.  The senior cadet dismissed the platoon, and everyone headed home.

 

Remembrance Day 2023

Inuujaq School held a National Aboriginal Veterans Day (NAVD) & Remembrance Day assembly on Friday, November 10.  NAVD is on November 8 and Remembrance Day is on November 11.  Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday in Nunavut, so school is closed if it’s on a weekday.  This year, November 11 was on a Saturday.  (More on this coming up).  The school’s Events Committee was busy the last couple of weeks, planning three large school events.  (The previous two were Halloween and International Inuit Day).

Classes were encouraged to make posters, wreathes, and wear poppies for the assembly.  I was put in charge of the audio/visual equipment.  Invitations were extended to Elders, RCMP, and two military officers from Winnipeg visiting the local cadet corps.   

The assembly began at 10:45am with the principal doing the Opening Remarks.  A staff member translated the speech into Inuktitut.  The learning coach then lit the ceremonial qulliq.  Everyone stood for the playing of O Canada.  I played the trilingual version recorded by the Inuksuk High School Drum Dancers.  They’re based in Iqaluit and are led by Dr. Mary Piercey, the music teacher.

Everyone took their seats and the assembly continued with the laying of wreathes prepared by classes.  A local RCMP officer led the procession and the wreathes were taped to the wall around a large mural poster made by high school students.  Everyone then stood for the playing of Last Post and then remained standing for the One Minute of Silence (OMOS).  I played a short video from the YouTube channel Simple History titled, “The Short Story Of The Poppy”, after the OMOS.  The video explains why we wear poppies as a symbol of remembrance for those who gave their lives in war. 

The Grade 6 class read John McCrae’s famous poem In Flanders Fields in Inuktitut and English.  Two high school students, a teacher, and one of the visiting military officers read a passage from Eddy Weetaltuk’s memoir, From the Tundra to the Trenches, about one of his experiences in the Korean War.  Continuing the theme of Indigenous Peoples contributions to past war efforts, I played a tv video clip made by APTN in 2020 about Arctic Bay Elder Qapik Attagutsiak’s experience collecting animal bones during the Second World War.  “The bones were then shipped south to be used for making munitions, glue, and fertilizer.”

The vice-principal did the Closing Remarks and the Grade 1 teacher concluded the assembly with a prayer.  Classes had their pictures taken in front of the Remembrance Day decorations before returning to class.  High school students stayed behind to put away chairs, tables, and sound system.

3045 Army Cadet Corps held a Remembrance Day & NAVD Ceremony at the community hall on the morning of November 11.  I was allowed to use the school’s decorations.  The cadets & I arrived at the community hall an hour early for setup.  The visiting officers also assisted.  The cadets then changed into their uniforms.  Doors opened at 10:30am and the ceremony began at 10:45am.

The cadet flag party entered the hall carrying the flags of Canada and the cadet program.  They deposited the colours in the left corner of the hall and took up positions as Left Markers.  The cadets then marched in, followed by the RCMP.  The cadets assembled next to the Left Markers, and the RCMP sat next to them.

A local minister did the Opening Prayer.  I continued with my Welcome Address.  I recruited a former coworker to be the Inuktitut translator.  I kept my speech short and to the point, talking about the beginnings of Remembrance Day, Canada’s contributions to both world wars and beyond, the sad reality of conflicts still happening around the world, and the hope that world peace will be achieved soon.  Everyone stood for the playing of the national anthem.  This was followed by a Bible reading in both languages.  Next came the hymn Abide With Me.  I provided the instrumental music on piano.  I surprisingly did well.

The middle section of the ceremony is the most important but also challenging for cadets . . . and possibly the audience.  Cadets are required to stand at attention for six minutes.  The audience just stands.  Standing at attention for 6 minutes is quite a length of time so the cadets practiced beforehand.  The middle section begins with the playing of Last Post, followed by the Minute of Silence.  The Minute of Silence is timed to 11am, the same time the guns fell silent in Europe, and the First World War came to an end.  (I am aware it was actually 11:11:11, but it’s difficult to time it exactly).  The last two music tracks are Piper’s Lament and Reveille. 

Everyone sat down as a cadet and two community members read the Act Of Remembrance in English, French, and Inuktitut.  It’s a short verse.  Another cadet and a schoolteacher read Psalm 121, the second Bible Reading in the program.     

Two cadets did a short presentation about Lt. Col. John McCrae and the poppy.  Three cadets then read his poem In Flanders Fields.  A cadet then came forward and placed a wreathe in front of the speaker’s podium.  The RCMP did the same.

The second hymn the audience sang was O God Our Help In Ages Past.  I also played the piano.  Everyone remained standing for the playing of God Save The King.  (This was a recorded track).  An Elder did the Closing Prayer and I concluded the ceremony with the Closing Remarks.  The RCMP & cadets then marched out of the hall. 

The cadets, RCMP, visiting officers, and I came together for a group photograph.  Once that was completed, the cadets were given a break to mingle with friends & family.  I personally thanked the RCMP and everyone involved in the ceremony for their time & assistance.  The cadets & I assisted the community hall staff in cleaning up.  Everyone was home in time for lunch. 

Lest We Forget.

International Inuit Day 2023

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, the day occurred on a Tuesday this year.  The school’s Events Committee began planning activities & an assembly in the middle of October.  We made sure to reserve time at meetings because our minds were mostly focused on Halloween.  We reviewed last year’s program, used it as a guide, and put together a similar program with several additions.

Students & staff came to school wearing traditional Inuit clothing.  I wore a sealskin vest & tie.  Several activities were planned for the morning involving Elders and young performers.  Elders demonstrated & taught seal skinning and Bannock making.  Two young throat singers visited classrooms and performed several songs.  Teachers also did Inuit-focused lessons in subjects such as social studies, science, health, math, and language.  I attended three workshops.

The first was the seal skinning workshop in the high school Inuit Language & Culture classroom.  The Elder was the lady who made my sealskin parka, vest, and mitts in 2017.  She brought several skins and her tools.  She was instructing middle & high school students.  She went over the history of seal skinning, the importance of seals to the Inuit, what tools are needed, which seals should be used for specific clothes, and how to properly skin.  Patience & dedication are a must.

The second workshop was Bannock Making in the Home Ec room.  The two Elders presiding over this workshop began making Bannock the day before for the afternoon assembly.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for students to make it themselves.  The workshop was primarily a demonstration presentation.  The three Bannock styles present in Arctic Bay are donut shape, scone shape, and large loaves.  All are delicious.

The third workshop was a throat singing performance.  Two ladies demonstrated their throat singing skills to high school students in the high school science room.  A high school student also sung a duet.  It’s a skill that requires much practice, focus, & dedication to master.

The afternoon assembly began at 1:45pm.  Attendance was extended to parents, guardians, Elders, and community members.  I & an Events Committee member were emcees.  I spoke in English & they spoke in Inuktitut.  (I’m still working on my Inuktitut language skills).  We began with a brief welcome address.  Then an Elder lit a ceremonial qulliq to signal the start of the assembly and to recognize the significance & importance of Inuit culture.

The assembly continued with the fashion show.  The show followed the same sequence as the Halloween costume contest.  Classes walked around in the middle of the gym, and the best dressed were selected by a panel of judges.  Parents & guardians also participated.  The lucky winners received Co-op gift cards.

The next portion of the assembly was devoted to several performances.  The invited throat singers performed first.  Then an Elder sang two Inuit songs while a staff member & adult took turns playing an Inuit drum.  The last performance was a square dance done by school students, led by the Grade 2 teacher.  All performances were applauded.

The last part of the assembly was Inuit games.  Several classes played a variety of games in the middle of the gym.  Those who didn’t play observed & cheered.  The winners also received Co-op gift cards.

Bannock was handed out at the end of the assembly.  Some contained raisins.  I enjoyed two pieces.

High school students helped with the cleanup of the gym after everyone left.  The fire in the qulliq was extinguished.  The qulliq was then cleaned and returned to the Main Office.     

Overall, everything turned out great.