Omingmak Frolics

This weekend in Ikaluktutiak (Cambridge Bay ) there is a celebration like no other. This week welcomes the first vestiges of spring. The people of this small hamlet celebrate with special events during the whole week but this weekend there are special entertainment events and dancing where the whole hamlet can say goodbye to winter.

By our standards this is not true as the hamlet is still  in the grip of winter as the lakes, rivers and North West Passage are still frozen hard. This enables the locals to have their ice events. Ice fishing, dog pulling contests and snow machine races all take place on Cambridge Bay.

Indoors there are traditional Inuit games for all and young and old either take part or watch. Shouts of encouragement call out from the stands when outstanding performances are made. Jigging to the tune of the fiddle brings out many contestants. Here again old and young perform all dressed in native attire. In between the dancing there are throat singers and drum dancers from the area. This Frolic brings people in from all over Nunavut.

On the ice, bannock baking, sculpturing, and games, continue without stop. Country food is provided and muskoxen and caribou burgers are cooked outdoors at no cost to the public. Raw seal meat and caribou are provided for the elders and anyone brave enough to try. While I lived up there I participated in all events and learned the value of the Inuit diet.

Special church services are held in Inuit and English and are well attended. The music provided by the Inuit choir is both unique and beautiful The week long celebration ends when all the people plan to leave. Many come by snow machine from nearby hamlets and have a two day return over the ice. The rest come by air and the airport is crowded with the visitors and the locals wishing their guests a safe return and an invitation to come back next year to the wonderful Omingmak Frolics in Ikaluktutiak.