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. 

Halloween 2023

Costumes, contests, and candy were on everyone’s minds on October 31.  Halloween.  The day is very well observed & celebrated in Arctic Bay.  Who doesn’t want free candy?  As I mentioned before, I start thinking about Halloween as early as August.  My focus at that time is purchasing a costume from Spirit Halloween and candy for trick-or-treaters.  Better to have everything arrive well in advance instead of a day late. 

2013.

Spirit Halloween “is an American seasonal retailer that supplies Halloween decorations, costumes, props and accessories.”  I’ve been buying costumes from them since 2012 and they haven’t failed me yet.  I buy a new costume every year to keep things fresh, current, and surprising for students & staff at school.  If I stay here for many more years, I’ll have enough costumes to start a drama club.  I keep my old costumes for students & staff to wear in case they don’t have their own.

Skeleton King.

To mark/celebrate 10 years of living & teaching in Arctic Bay, I bought a costume similar to the one I got in 2013.  I played it safe back then because it was my first-year teaching in the community, and I wasn’t sure how invested the people were in the event.  (I quickly learned they were).  The costume was a black suit painted with white skeleton bones.  It also came with a black top hat and skeleton cane.  This year I bought the Skeleton King costume, complete with a crown, cape, and skeleton mask.  The mask is easy to wear, and you can see clearly through it.  This would be essential for the drum performance.  More on this coming up.

My Halloween candy.

The school’s Events Committee begins planning Halloween activities in early October.  There would be two contests: classroom door decoration and best costumes.  Classes were given the week before Halloween to decorate their doors.  There would be an afternoon assembly where my drummers would perform, followed by the costume contest.  The winners of both contests would be announced.  Students & teachers would then return to their classes to do Halloween themed activities.  School Administration agreed to purchase bags of candy for each class. 

The high school drumline’s first public concert is Halloween.  I’ve been training & practicing with them since August.  We prepared a short group performance featuring three cadences, followed by solos.  Solos are optional for students.  I always do one.  What’s great about performing at Halloween is that you can wear a mask & costume to hide stage fright.  I assured the drummers that if they kept going after making a mistake, the audience wouldn’t notice.

A high school classroom door.

Grade 7 door.

The classroom doors were judged by a panel of three on the morning of October 31.  Lunch was extended to 90 minutes to give students & staff time to get their costumes ready.  The extension also gave me time to borrow a vehicle and bring all my costumes from home to school.  I changed into my Skeleton King costume and left my previous outfits in my classroom.  I immediately went to the gym to set up the drums.  My drummers joined me a few minutes later.  Everything was ready to go by 1:30pm.  I quickly went to the washroom to wipe accumulated sweat inside my mask.

Grade 4 door.

Many students and teachers came to school in costume.  A few parents also came dressed up.  Some correctly guessed it was me underneath the Skeleton King mask.  It was easier for others when I was holding drumsticks.  Everyone made their way to the gym after an announcement was made.  The assembly began at 1:45pm.

The principal did a brief introduction and then called on the high school drumline to perform.  My drummers & I calmly entered the gym and took our positions behind our assigned drums.  I looked in both directions to make sure everyone was ready.  I looked forward and raised my sticks.  Two & half months of practice finally came down to this moment.  I clicked my sticks 4 times.  The music began.

Each cadence was just under a minute long.  That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for a beginning drumline, it can feel like an eternity.  Thankfully, I didn’t see anyone buckle under pressure.  We got through the 3 cadences.  Then two students & I each performed a solo.  And just like that, our 6-minute concert came to an end.  The audience gave us an extended applause as we all took a bow.  We made it.

The drums were moved back to make room for the costume contest.  Classes were called to walk around the gym to display their costumes.  A panel of three judges selected the best dressed student from each class.  Staff and parents also participated.  The lucky winners received Co-op gift cards.  The classes that won the door decorating contests were awarded pizza parties.

My drummers helped me move the instruments & equipment back to class after the assembly came to an end.  Those who borrowed costumes from me returned them before the bell rang for dismissal.

Everyone raced home to get ready for trick-or-treating.  A staff member gave me a lift so that I wouldn’t have to carry the large Rubbermaid container filled with my costumes.  I got the candy ready and changed into costume.  I sat and waited for the clock to strike 5pm.

Trick-or-treaters arrived in waves.  I was busy quite a few times, handing out 4 pieces of candy to each person.  I don’t discriminate.  I gave candy to kids, teenagers, parents, and adults.  Trick-or-treaters need to dress warm because the weather is cold at the end of October.  Thankfully, many get driven to houses, so they don’t have to walk far distances at night.  Trick-or-treating ended at 6:45pm.  There were many empty boxes lying on my floor.  I quickly changed out of my costume, grabbed my camera, and headed down to the community hall.  The community’s Ugliest Halloween Costume Contest was set to begin at 7pm.

I’ve been covering Arctic Bay’s Ugliest Halloween Costume Contest since 2013 and the participants never fail to impress.  They really put thought & effort into creating the wildest getups I’ve ever seen.  People have asked me if I would ever participate, and to be honest, I did consider a few times, but my tendency to favour structure and order would get in the way of the contest’s theme.  I suppose I could get around that with reverse psychology.  Only time will tell.

I wasn’t a judge this time.  Participants took their seats in front of the stage where numbers were taped to their backs.  Participants are divided into two groups: 12 & Under, and 13 & Over.  The audience was seated along the walls, leaving a large open space in the middle of the hall.  The 12 & Under group went first, walking around the middle of the hall while Halloween themed music played on loudspeakers.  The youngest participants were assisted by their parents.  The 13 & Over group went next.  (They didn’t need assistance from their parents).  The costumes on display were very creative & interesting.

The judges took several minutes to review & agree on their top three choices for both groups.  Participants were competing for cash prizes.  The top three 12 & Under participants were called up to the stage to receive their cash prizes and to reveal their identities to the audience.  Then the top three 13 & Over participants were called up to do the same.  Their cash prizes were significantly higher. 

The ceremony ended with a short candy toss.  Hamlet staff tossed candy into the crowd for people to claim.  I didn’t take any because I still had leftover candy at home.  Students & staff were hyper for several days after Halloween.