This was one Nunavut community I worked in several years ago, welcomed and also one night as well invited to drum dance..

A night to remember in Gjoa Haven

• September 10, 2012 10:53 AM | Comments0Recommended3
• By THE NATIONAL

By Peter Mansbridge

The good people of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut put on quite the show for us Friday night, one we'll never forget.  Most of the town was there at the request of the mayor, Allan Aglukkaq, as he wanted our little CBC crew to get a sense of what culture and tradition for them is all about. And did they ever deliver!
 
For almost three hours, we watched drum dances, throat singing, and a special kind of Inuit square dancing. At one point they even got me involved, presenting me with a special drum dance cape (an "Attigi") and asked me to do a drum dance myself.  I did, and I tried my best.

They gave me a nice round of applause but let's keep things in perspective -- there were no calls for an encore!
 
It was a very special evening and one that involved all ages -- the village elders were very much a part of the show but so were many of Gjoa Haven's youngest and they all were good natured and spirited in their presentations.
 
The Inuit are a part of the Franklin story we're here to tell.  It's their oral history of what happened in this area more than 160 years ago that is helping to piece together aspects of the search for Franklin's missing ships Erebus and Terror.  And the people here have been eager to be a part of our coverage so we'll devote our Tuesday night broadcast to the Inuit angle.
 
This is a small community -- at most a thousand residents and life isn't easy. The weather is a constant challenge, climate change is impacting life in both good and bad ways, unemployment and especially youth unemployment, worries many. Housing is an issue, through the roof food costs are stunning, and the environmental impact of increased sea traffic is being monitored, but through it all the Gjoa Haven Inuit are a proud people anxious to show their heritage to those like us traveling through the area.

And Friday night, we were lucky and honoured to witness it.

These are some shots of the delightful times where one observes some of the mixing of ages, traditional vs. modern cultures, Inuit and non-Inuit. the foot prints here were a pre-school day at the clinic encouraging check ups and inoculations; a young mom with a smile packing shirt and toque; 5 year old accompanying his father who was selling green and black soap stone carving of a drum dancer: at the school elders demonstrating traditional string and bone games and trying on caribou clothing

The vernal equinox is a time of activation and growth as nature springs forth and day and night are of equal length.

I am still up north but the seams of my worlds of Edmonton and here are starting to overlap, as back in mid-April, BUT at the moment I am cocooning on a Sunday evening in an isolated arctic community and it is okay!

Sewing and reading are favorite activities in the winter when I go north but to date have not been able to find a regular ladies sewing group in Gjoa Haven.

So...oo we sort of created our own yesterday afternoon, when I had Linda, Erin and Katherine over to my place. Linda is Inuit and has been doing traditional sewing for a long time so she provided much of the guidance and materials. I had my sewing bag with lots of different colored thread  and the others came with ideas and enthusiasm.

Tea and home made blueberry and cheese scones added a comforting touch.

Here is the beginning of my wall hanging of moon and snowy owls and Katherine's of inukshuk and fish.

Three hours passed very quickly.

That request about the churches here had me out with my camera yesterday, looking for a blue building with steps! A beautifully sunny day  was much welcome after blizzardly three days of no flights in and out ( guess what I was doing at work....travel agent not social worker )

This blue paneled building is the Catholic church. Next door a number of houses and this sign for the tourists found another smaller building which peaked my curiosity. Asking a lady coming out she said it was the Elder's and Heritage center and definitely OK to come in! Delighted to find a group of elders playing games, apparently in honour of a birthday.

The circle games involved a dice and when certain number rolled passing a rope with knots and untying or picking up stones in the center. Asked to join I preferred just taking shots. However one challenging one was the muskox horn on the string! Try as I might could not master the swing to even get it close to being lodged on the nail....the elder ladies did it so easily!

Traditional caribou clothing and other artifacts were on display.... this colorful wall hanging as well.

Asked if this building had ever been a church or if memories of when built ( through an interpreter ). Told by one lady who could remember when that yes, it was built first as a church before the present Catholic one and yes, the were some " missionaries " from the south who helped.

So Nicole, I think found the church that your father worked on....so add some details if you can!

Transport around the hamlet includes a variety of modes....the school bus

Walking this morning spied this polar bear skin on the wall of one house amid the plastered snow   Got a ride home later in the Home Care truck....two of us live in "uptown". This is the view from inside my front door, but borrowed a shovel and spent noon hour doing my steps, which had not been done in a while and fairly hardpacked! Previously had just had a broom so the shovel from the neighbour much appreciated but job finished with snowy parka and hat!

The Gjoa Haven high school group is planning an exchange trip to Scotland and Friday night had a fundraising dinner. A number of us from the health center came together.... well I don't think I have enjoyed a meal of fine dining on my trips north as much as I did this one in a long time!

The menu included for starters " Roasted sweet potato soup with home made buns" and a choice of caribou and arctic car prepared in different methods and sauces. I chose the #3 which was " Can't make up your mind?" which had panfried arctic char in mild cajun spice" & "seared caribou in blueberry sauce ". Finished off by dessert or " creamy chocolate truffle" and coffee.

This was all for $40/couple or $25/ single.....Couldn't get much better!

  Last night at the hamlet office community center there was a  2 hour gathering with drum  dancing of all ages from 17   to middle age     to elders. The song chanting was done by a group of elder ladies. Lots of greeting of old and young, note the wrinkled hand in the fore front of this shot.

It has been just over a week of weather and housing delays since I left Edmonton but have finally arrived in Gjoa Haven, where I will be working for the next two months in an acting supervisor position. Only one day in the office in the health center so not alot of time yet to explore.... except of course that noon hour when I succeeded in finding myself locked out of the transient unit!

Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, located on the southeastern coast of King William Island on the Northwest Passage, is also known as Uqsuqtuuq, or 'place of plenty blubber', because of the once plentiful seal. One of the fastest growing communities in the Kitikmeot Region, in 1961, its population was estimated at 100 and now well over 1000.

The hamlet seems very spread out with two sections of the town separated by a long gully. Main facilities such as the schools, COOP, Northern, health center, RCMP detachment & houses, hamlet office etc. also seem to be scattered. Attending a potluck supper last night, must have driven 20 minutes around every street to find the right unit, finally asking a group of children for directions! I brought a salad and enjoyed everything from pyrogies to icecream with strawberries and pineapple! A pleasant evening with some of the staff from the health center, some of whom leaving soon, stories were exchanged & some deeper discussions on slowing down, living in the present moment and the richness of life we encounter in our work as health care professionals.

Personally much of the past week has been packing and unpacking and am finally glad to be settled!!! I am in a lovely two bedroom transient unit ( shared housing maintained by DHSS) in a newer area but had to be cleaned, furnished and equipped with the basics of kitchen dishes, pots & pans, bathroom shower curtains, bedding quilts and sheets .... the latter all of which arrived at 9:30 PM the first night I arrived. It was somewhat like Christmas unpacking and putting away the boxes but must admit very zapped when I finally fell in to bed after midnight!

This weekend am rather housebound because of the minus 30oC temps and horizontal snow today decided x-c skis were not it, but instead did the stairs as exercise. Also a chance to add those personal touches to the unit such as with my wall hangings and books. Quite amazed that my plant cuttings have survived, although the hydrangea bulb has blossomed at a strange angle....just a little attempt at bringing some touches of spring!