Showing posts with label caribou. Show all posts
Showing posts with label caribou. Show all posts
Friday, February 3, 2012
My Favourite Arctic Animals
While living in the high Arctic I discovered pure joy in my relation with the animals. When I arrived in Akaluktutiak to be interviewed it was in February and the temperature was near 50 below zero. The only wildlife in the hamlet were the numerous dogs. I found out however that the land was actually full of wildlife.During the week I shared with the people there I was given an opportunity to look around and was provided with a snow-machine to get about.
On my first excursion I headed out of town to see Mount Pelly. It looked about a couple of miles away but actually it was about15 miles distance from the Hamlet. I followed a well travelled trail and encountered numerous Arctic hares. Large for a rabbit and stood nearly three feet when standing ion it's hind legs.
About a mile out I encountered some Peary Caribou and this was the first time I ever saw these smaller Caribou native to this area and becoming endangered due to heavy hunting. They were not too afraid so I watched them for a while.
Next came the biggest surprise, the snowy owl. This year was one which produced many lemmings so there were many owls. I got within a few feet of the owl before it flew off. I discovered it was eating a lemming. On my first day out on the tundra I saw four of natures creatures and it made my day.I did not photograph these animals as I had no working camera because of the cold.
My week ended and I returned home with the great enthusiasm of returning and getting the opportunity of actually seeing and photographing the Arctic animals like the muskoxen and polar bear.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Camping on the NWP (con't)
Long before any sane person would get up I heard the trashing about of some hungry dogs. There were several dogs along for the ride as safeguards for polar bears. These dogs are able to smell bears miles away and bears can smell seals and food twenty miles away if the wind in correct. I poked my nose out of my bedroll and reached for my clothes. It is important to dry out your clothes every night to ensure their safe for wearing. The high Arctic is a desert and very dry. Clothes will dry even at very low temperatures.
The air in my tent was probably below forty and getting the courage to slip into my clothes was an effort. First my caribou pants and then the three layers of army issue sweat shirt and sweater. In a minute I was warm. My final outer wear would wait until after breakfast.
As I emerged from my tent laughter greeted me as everyone was ready to move on. Breakfast was hot oatmeal, beans and caribou and tea. Bannock is a staple and with canned jam and is prepared at every stop. Cooked in a frying pan and loaded with fat it is the perfect food for the north. Two babies we being fed by their mothers and cold did not stop the process. Young kids were given caribou ribs to chew as we travelled. Even at a very young age Inuit children learn to eat country food. Dry meat and fish are favourites of the very young and the very old.
Re-packing our komiticks was done carefully. Everything was patted clean of ice or snow and packed in a way for easy access for the next stop.
Our guide Ikey told us to stay close, meaning within sight for the next while as the ice in this area was subject to currents and open water. He also advised us to check our loads to make sure everything was tied down as we were travelling along the shore and from time to time we would have to mount the banks which we very steep.We lengthened our tow ropes to 60 feet to make sure the komaticks would not run into us when we had to stop or return to the ice. Many people are injured by being hit by their komiticks when stopping.
The snow machine can stop quickly but a loaded komitick weighing 12 to 15 hundred pounds has a great force and no brakes. After a quick check Ikey gave the signal to proceed. He put me up front with him to keep an eye on me. So far I was doing ok but the next hours gave me a real challenge. A light breeze came up and small swirls of snow followed us as we made our way across the ice. At this moment I was in heaven experiencing the adventure of a lifetime.
Moving along at 25 mph over rough ice was shaking my bones and putting a real strain on my arms and legs. I checked my watch and it was 5:30 am and our next scheduled stop was 8:00 am. I wondered how I would feel. Ikey signalled a stop to prepare for a run up the bank to land. It was dark so all I could see was what appeared in my headlight. He told me the bank was 60 feet high with a ridge at the top. Get up to speed, 40 mph and do not stop until you get over the ridge or you will have a problem, a big problem.
Ikey moved off at an ever faster pace and after ten minutes the land tilted upwards. Now I could see the ridge with Ikey on top. I thought I would never make it but with the machine wide open I climbed and gained the ridge. I moved out of the way and one after one came over the top.
One machine choked and never made the ridge. Everyone raced to the rescue and another machine was hooked up and with lots of help they made it. The machine blew a piston so tent was set up quickly and several men began the repair job. Tea was boiled and jovial conversation was made and a certain amount of attention was given and directed towards me. Little English was spoken except when I asked a question or was told something.
We were falling behind schedule so one of the men radioed ahead. The return message said we were heading into a small blizzard and to be careful.One hour later we were on our way full of warm tea. We shortened our ropes while over this land and closed our distance between machines. There was a quick stop and several shots fired and word came to us that two caribou were shot so fresh meat was had for the next break.
My mind wandered as I saw these Inuit so happy and resourceful in their environment. I would never be one of them but I was determined to learn and respect these first nations people and to try to live as close to nature as I could. The many hours we managed to travel was like a dream with my whole world being that space lighted by my one snowmobile light. In the open sections we seemed to be like a long caravan snaking through the snow with the sound of our high pitched motors breaking the otherwise silent landscape.
I had to go to the bathroom but there were no gas stations or even a tree. At the next stop I shall solve the mystery of bathrooms breaks in the Arctic in mixed company. (To be continued )
The air in my tent was probably below forty and getting the courage to slip into my clothes was an effort. First my caribou pants and then the three layers of army issue sweat shirt and sweater. In a minute I was warm. My final outer wear would wait until after breakfast.
As I emerged from my tent laughter greeted me as everyone was ready to move on. Breakfast was hot oatmeal, beans and caribou and tea. Bannock is a staple and with canned jam and is prepared at every stop. Cooked in a frying pan and loaded with fat it is the perfect food for the north. Two babies we being fed by their mothers and cold did not stop the process. Young kids were given caribou ribs to chew as we travelled. Even at a very young age Inuit children learn to eat country food. Dry meat and fish are favourites of the very young and the very old.
Re-packing our komiticks was done carefully. Everything was patted clean of ice or snow and packed in a way for easy access for the next stop.
Our guide Ikey told us to stay close, meaning within sight for the next while as the ice in this area was subject to currents and open water. He also advised us to check our loads to make sure everything was tied down as we were travelling along the shore and from time to time we would have to mount the banks which we very steep.We lengthened our tow ropes to 60 feet to make sure the komaticks would not run into us when we had to stop or return to the ice. Many people are injured by being hit by their komiticks when stopping.
The snow machine can stop quickly but a loaded komitick weighing 12 to 15 hundred pounds has a great force and no brakes. After a quick check Ikey gave the signal to proceed. He put me up front with him to keep an eye on me. So far I was doing ok but the next hours gave me a real challenge. A light breeze came up and small swirls of snow followed us as we made our way across the ice. At this moment I was in heaven experiencing the adventure of a lifetime.
Moving along at 25 mph over rough ice was shaking my bones and putting a real strain on my arms and legs. I checked my watch and it was 5:30 am and our next scheduled stop was 8:00 am. I wondered how I would feel. Ikey signalled a stop to prepare for a run up the bank to land. It was dark so all I could see was what appeared in my headlight. He told me the bank was 60 feet high with a ridge at the top. Get up to speed, 40 mph and do not stop until you get over the ridge or you will have a problem, a big problem.
Ikey moved off at an ever faster pace and after ten minutes the land tilted upwards. Now I could see the ridge with Ikey on top. I thought I would never make it but with the machine wide open I climbed and gained the ridge. I moved out of the way and one after one came over the top.
One machine choked and never made the ridge. Everyone raced to the rescue and another machine was hooked up and with lots of help they made it. The machine blew a piston so tent was set up quickly and several men began the repair job. Tea was boiled and jovial conversation was made and a certain amount of attention was given and directed towards me. Little English was spoken except when I asked a question or was told something.
We were falling behind schedule so one of the men radioed ahead. The return message said we were heading into a small blizzard and to be careful.One hour later we were on our way full of warm tea. We shortened our ropes while over this land and closed our distance between machines. There was a quick stop and several shots fired and word came to us that two caribou were shot so fresh meat was had for the next break.
My mind wandered as I saw these Inuit so happy and resourceful in their environment. I would never be one of them but I was determined to learn and respect these first nations people and to try to live as close to nature as I could. The many hours we managed to travel was like a dream with my whole world being that space lighted by my one snowmobile light. In the open sections we seemed to be like a long caravan snaking through the snow with the sound of our high pitched motors breaking the otherwise silent landscape.
I had to go to the bathroom but there were no gas stations or even a tree. At the next stop I shall solve the mystery of bathrooms breaks in the Arctic in mixed company. (To be continued )
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Integration Ikaluktutiak Style
While living in Akaluktutiak in the high Arctic I was fortunate to choose a path that led me to integrate with the Inuit culture.The real bonus was the friendship I developed with the children who lived nearby on TuTu (caribou) and Okaluk (Arctic Hare) Streets. I first met these children through their parents who worked with me at the Hamlet. One of my favourite young persons was Alice who used to visit frequently with her younger sister Palouk. Alice used to pack her sister in her shirt and had no problem as all young girls were called to perform this task to help their mothers who often had several young ones at the same time.
There were concerns in the community at first as to my intentions as a white man befriending young chilren. To eleviate these concerns I met and socialized with their parents and gained their confidence through time.The process was slow but rewarding as it gave me a sense of family.I would invite the children to my home for dinner and make it a rather formal ritual. We would set the table with all the silverware and even napkins. Full dressed tables were not the norm up there but we followed good manners and proper eating etiquette. The children relished these meals and soon learned to appreciate our dinners. Always we ended with cookies and pop and cleaned up the dishes.
Sometimes I invited the parents but they felt strange with our way but never complained.The favourite white mans food was spaghetti and meatballs. Alice always came to visit packing her sister.Alice lived with her grandmother and mother and there was no visible father in the picture. This was not uncommon as young girls had children and they were looked after by them or their parents.It is not uncommon for girls to give their babies to their brothers or sisters through informal adoptions. I have never heard of an orphan in Nunavut.
One day Alice came to my home and informed me that on my birthday she and the children would supply a special meal. At about six o'clock I heard Buck barking and opened the door to six kids carrying a steaming ten gallon pail and very happy children. They came in out of the cold and dark and took off the many layers of clothing. Since this was a traditinal Inuit meal cardboard was placed on the floor and contents of the pail was emptied on the cardboard. Two steaming caribou heads made up the dinner and the only thing you needed was a knife. Alice took over and became the boss. I was a little hesitant but took my place and prepared to partake of the specialty.
We were seated and Alice took over, "Henry, you like eyes?". Before I could answer the eyes were eaten and so on for an hour where each part of the animal was offered and without a quick response it was devoured by the girls. I did manage the tongue which was delicious and other parts as well. The girls called this a feast and it would not be the last during my stay. Traditional meals are called feasts and are a strong part of the Inuit culture.
The feast ended when not a speck of flesh remained. The girls tried to see who could make the biggest burp and one backfired and made everyone laugh. Since it was my birthday they presented me with a small gadget which was a measuring tape and a pack of needles.We ended the evening with cookies and pop and they informed me that the people in the hamlet called me Elenok which means friend. I was happy.
The lesson I learned from this was you can find happiness anywhere if you open your heart and mind to accept people for what they are, not what you want them to be.
There were concerns in the community at first as to my intentions as a white man befriending young chilren. To eleviate these concerns I met and socialized with their parents and gained their confidence through time.The process was slow but rewarding as it gave me a sense of family.I would invite the children to my home for dinner and make it a rather formal ritual. We would set the table with all the silverware and even napkins. Full dressed tables were not the norm up there but we followed good manners and proper eating etiquette. The children relished these meals and soon learned to appreciate our dinners. Always we ended with cookies and pop and cleaned up the dishes.
Sometimes I invited the parents but they felt strange with our way but never complained.The favourite white mans food was spaghetti and meatballs. Alice always came to visit packing her sister.Alice lived with her grandmother and mother and there was no visible father in the picture. This was not uncommon as young girls had children and they were looked after by them or their parents.It is not uncommon for girls to give their babies to their brothers or sisters through informal adoptions. I have never heard of an orphan in Nunavut.
One day Alice came to my home and informed me that on my birthday she and the children would supply a special meal. At about six o'clock I heard Buck barking and opened the door to six kids carrying a steaming ten gallon pail and very happy children. They came in out of the cold and dark and took off the many layers of clothing. Since this was a traditinal Inuit meal cardboard was placed on the floor and contents of the pail was emptied on the cardboard. Two steaming caribou heads made up the dinner and the only thing you needed was a knife. Alice took over and became the boss. I was a little hesitant but took my place and prepared to partake of the specialty.
We were seated and Alice took over, "Henry, you like eyes?". Before I could answer the eyes were eaten and so on for an hour where each part of the animal was offered and without a quick response it was devoured by the girls. I did manage the tongue which was delicious and other parts as well. The girls called this a feast and it would not be the last during my stay. Traditional meals are called feasts and are a strong part of the Inuit culture.
The feast ended when not a speck of flesh remained. The girls tried to see who could make the biggest burp and one backfired and made everyone laugh. Since it was my birthday they presented me with a small gadget which was a measuring tape and a pack of needles.We ended the evening with cookies and pop and they informed me that the people in the hamlet called me Elenok which means friend. I was happy.
The lesson I learned from this was you can find happiness anywhere if you open your heart and mind to accept people for what they are, not what you want them to be.
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