“There is no such thing as the cold. Only the underdressed.”
Thursday, March 19th: It was a smooth landing at the YFB (one of the longestrunways in Canada, at over 9000 feet), we headed to the hotel by cab. To take acab anywhere in Iqaluit costs just $7 a person, no matter where you’re headed. As well, locals do not refer to places with street names, just by numbers. Our hotel, Hotel Arctic, is not referred to as 953 Federal Road, but rather 953.
After checking into the hotel, a small group of us decided to explore Iqaluit. We stopped by the Visitors Centre, and picked up maps. The gentleman working there told us about the best places to view the Northern Lights (which Mila explained is caused by solar flares exciting electrons in magnetic fields). We visited a local art museum, which had such beautiful prints, clothing, and carvings. The group then travelled to the “beach”. We walked onto the ice, however being exposed to the wind off the bay was something none of us were prepared for, and we returned to exploring the town. Afterwards, we stopped by North Mart, which is sort of a Northern Wal-Mart. The prices were outrageous. Prices didn’t vary too much in the ways of produce; everything was about $1 to $3 more than expected than down South. What really shocked me is the price of a 24 pack of canned pop…. $35. Diapers? An 84 pack is $57. And you can forget about school supplies, a pack of 150 lined paper sheets is $5.
Then, we headed to the Snack. This is a small diner-like restaurant (spaghetti - $22). I ordered chicken nuggets, for the price of $11, and received what could be considered equivalent in size to a 6 pack of Chicken McNuggets. At this point, I realized the severity and challenge of food security in the North, and was really looking forward to learning about the topic more on Friday.
At 5:30, everybody met in the lobby of the hotel before heading to the Parish hall. The Hall was emptying from a Mayor’s meeting, so I was able to try left over catered food. I found Arctic Char to be very similar to salmon, only with a thicker texture, and slightly more “wintery” taste. We met our Northern counterparts. I was introduced to Hope, a high school student from Iqaluit. She is a member of her student council, and I very much look forward to discussing education, and the operational and functional differences between Northern and Southern student groups with her. We were divided into teams, which will be the group with which we hold our roundtable discussions. Our team, Team 3, renamed ourselves to be “Three Infinity and Beyond!”. We had dinner in our group, which was delicious pasta, garlic bread, and Caesar salad.
Becky Kilabuk spoke to us after dinner about Inuit culture and heritage. I found her to be so inspiring, and I sure learned a lot about Inuit values. She is the one who provided the (very true) title of this post. Becky is a self-taught master throat singer. I had never really understood this talent, however after hearing Becky and her friend sing together, I absolutely understand the draw of throat singing. Throat singing began as a way for mothers to sing lullabies to their young children as they hung in baby-sized hoods on their back. I learned throat singing, the most complex form of human vocalization, creates vibrations throughout the chest, which can be relaxing for the infant, just like a lullaby. I think it is so interesting that in most parts of Canada, wearing a child on one’s back is so uncommon, while in Northern Canada, and many other cultures in the world, it is completely normal.
Next, Johnny Awesome shared the Arctic games with us. Arctic games are a series of unconventional competitions that test and train for skills necessary to sustain the Northern hunting practices. Most of the activities focus on agility or strength, both of which are absolutely necessary when chasing animals, or when carrying that 200lb caribou back to wherever it needs to be! Johnny shared stories with us, and I really admire the way he is able to share the values of his culture with so many people through Arctic games.
Between Becky and Johnny’s presentations, I really was made aware of how deeply ingrained Inuit culture is in their lifestyle. It blows my mind how such strong traditions are passed for thousands of years through a now changing nomadic society.
Heading back to the hotel, we experienced the Northern Lights for the first time. We were in the town, so it was very difficult to focus on the sky through the lighting of the streets. We were SO ecstatic to have seen the green lights in the sky.
Mila and I then headed back to the hotel. I started writing up the blog posts about yesterday, and she worked on finishing a novel (she tried explaining the plot, it was something about dragons).
Overall, I am so happy and grateful to have the opportunity to immerse myself in Inuit culture. The locals are so kind, and I am always asking for recommendations for places to visit. I hope to stop by Arctic Char to see if I can try foods I have never had before.
I’m really looking forward to collaborating with the people I met over the last 24 hours. I love meeting people from all across Canada, who all have different backgrounds, passions, and aspirations. More importantly, I love that because of the community support I have received, I am able to say I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Northern and Southern students.