tusaayaksat, winter 2010

InuvIaluIt CulturalresourCe Centre

knowledge For

past present

& Future

aFter 50 deCades oF solItude

lIFe returnsto reIndeer statIon

SpeakSOF HeRjOuRney

no 29 winter 2011 $4something new to hear about

www.tusaayaksat.com

SingeR&SOngwRiteR

LeannegOOSe

TusaayaksatVolume 22 Number 3

SUMMER 2008 $4.00

I n u v i a l u i t N e w s + C u l t u r e

Tusaayaksat

DREAM BIG!

Kyle Kuptana National AboriginalR o l e M o d e l

ISR Graduates!

Governor GeneralVisits Inuvik + Tuk

Climate Change discussionon the Amundsen

Kyle Kuptana

Tusaaya∂satvolume 22 number 8

fall 2009 $4

something new to hear about

Tusaayaksat_Fall_2009.indd 3 10-04-19 10:31 PM


SUMMER 2008 $4.00


Tusaayaksat

DREAM BIG!

Kyle Kuptana National AboriginalR o l e M o d e l

ISR Graduates!

Governor GeneralVisits Inuvik + Tuk

Climate Change discussionon the Amundsen

Kyle Kuptana

s o m e t h i n g n e w t o h e a r a b o u t

Volume 20 Number 5

September/October 2006 $2.50

Beaufort Delta Residential School Reunion

Mary Simon's Vision for InuitGreat Northern Arts Fest

Jordin Tootoo visits EdmontonJacob Archie on Trapping

New Legislation for Tuktoyaktuk Hunters

Tony Alanak to teach FiddlingCindy Voudrach + Confidence

Lanita Thrasher Flies HighTop of the World Film Festival

Graduation TimeGrads of 2010

Language ConferenceEnglish is a Tsunami

volume 22 number 11

summer 2010 $4


summerfesTiviTies

Inuvialuit Day and Aboriginal Day

Tusaayaksat_Summer_2010-07_r5.indd 1 10-08-24 6:02 PM

Celebrating the 22nd annual gnaF

Models Walking the Runway and Inspiring

By Maung Tin

Youth aiming high, dreaming big

2010 National InuitYouth SummitBy JaMie BasTedo

no 28 fall 2010 $4something new to hear about

www.tusaayaksat.com

Inuvik Community

is a place to growgreenhouse

Tusaayaksat_Fall_2010-11.indd 1 10-11-19 5:49 PM

tusaayaksatvolume 22 number 7

summer 2009 $4

jumping into science & tradition SHSS STUDENTS TAKE OVER IVVAVIK

MAD TRAPPERMOVIE PREMIERE

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY

+

inuvialuit news + culture

Celebrate Tradition!

Volume 22 Number 2

SPRING 2008 $4.00


TusaayaksatU l u k h a k t o k drum dance reunion

Sachs Harbour m u s k o x h a r v e s t

N e l l i e ’ s commitment

IRC Hockey Cup h i g h l i g h t s

G o o d n e w s f o r

Ulukhaktok Artists


Volume 20 Number 4 July/August 2006$2.50

NELLIE ON TRADITION & CHANGEREINDEER UPDATEDRIMESTRADITIONAL ARTSINUVIALUIT DAYYOUTH RAP TO BUTT OUTJAMBOREE IN TUK, AKLAVIK & ULUKHAKTOKPETROLEUM SHOW& CLASS OF 2006GRADUATION!

HealtH Minister

Visits the ISR

elder story:Roy ‘Sugloo’ Ipana

real. inspiring.Parks Canada’s Inuvialuit Team

volume 22 number 10

spring 2010 $4


Tusaayaksat_Spring_2010-03_r2.indd 1 10-05-04 10:32 PM

Volume 22 Number 6


SPRING 2009 $4.00

TURTLE CONCEPTSINUVIK YOUTH BUILD CONFIDENCE

LEADING THE WAY WITH INUVIALUKTUN

IRC HOCKEY CHAMPS

+

+


FALL 2008 $4.00


Tusaayaksat

Whitefish Station

GROWING UP in Paulatuk

INUIT HEALTH SURVEY

Tuktoyaktuk Graduates!

Drum Dancing GainsM O M E N T U M

Celebrate Life!

Celebrate Life!


Volume 20 Number 3 May/June 2006$2.50

MUSKRAT

JAMBOREE

2006

AGNES FELIXLOVE POINTERS

SELF-GOVERNMENTYOUNG MUSKRAT TRAPPER REPORTS

KURT WAINMANTHE GREAT

NORTHERN CIRCUSMAKTAK STIR-FRY

IRYC PICS!AWG WINNERS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA DICK!& Lots More!

Olympic Flame

Lights up inuvik

Building Healthier communitiesthrough heaLthy

Foods north

museums andmukluks:a trip to thesmithsonian

volume 22 number 9

winter 2010 $4


Volume 22 Number 5


SOURCE 177 MOU SignEd

REMEMbERing billy day

nEw diRECtiOn FOR iCS

NortherN

hockey

Gets competitive

WINTER 2008 $4.00


Volume 20 Number 6

November/December 2006 $2.50

Emma Dick "It's Good to Wake Up in the Bush!"Christmas Greetings from the ISRWhat do we want? Safe Homes!Iqalukpik JamboreeMargaret Lennie Inuvialuktun Writing SystemCN Rail Memories Kendyce Cockney "John John" Stuart& The Tuk Youth CenterThe Bomber Pages!

Children’s Story & Contest Inside!

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Volume 21 Number 3

March/April 2007 $2.50

Going for GoldInuit Games at the

Canada Winter Games

Edward Lennie, Father of the Northern Games

IRC Native Hockey Cup

Edmonton Special:Achieve Your Dreamz

Moving South for a ChangeLarga Home Away from Home

Sachs Harbour Environmental

Monitoring Course

Caribou Summit

Inuvialuit Guardian Angels

Ulukhatok Revives Printshop

Lila Voudrach

Phillip Jacobson

A NortherN StArSinger Leanne Goose tells all. By MaunG Tin

16

Supply ANd demANd Meeting the need for inuvialuit cultural resources. By JaMie BaSTedo

37

46

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42454647

Tusaaya∂satNo. 29 wiNter 2011

Our goal: to celebrate and showcase the voices of Inuvialuit across Canada, bringing you the best coverage of our news, vibrant culture, and perspectives.

oN the Coverleanne Goose shining at Boot lake.

Contentsletter From theedItor IN ChIeF

We Both GroW oN the lANdBy JaMie BaSTedo

home-GroWN treASureSBy JaMie BaSTedo

BeGINNING oF the eSkImo peopleBy KenneTh PeeLooLooK, TranSLaTed By aLBerT eLiaS

A NAtIoNAl lANdmArkBy MeLiSSa Lennie

INuvIk CrAFt FAIr 2010 By MaunG Tin

AurorA ColleGe CrAFt FAIrBy MaunG Tin

CommuNIty ChrIStmAS CoNCert By MaunG Tin

After 50 decAdes of solitude

life returnsto reindeer stAtion

inuviAluit culturAlresource centre

knowledge for

pAst present

& future

SpeakSOF HeRjOuRney

no 29 winter 2011 $4something new to hear about

www.tusaayaksat.com

SingeR&SOngwRiteR

LeannegOOSe

Tusaayaksat_Winter_2011-02_r4.indd 1 11-03-08 11:33 AM

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21

BACk oN the mAprevitalizing reindeer Station, renewing a people. By JaMie BaSTedo

duane Smith sits on a boat over-looking reindeer Station from a distance.

A view of the Inuvialuit Cultural resource Centre.

4 Tusaaya∂sat WINTER 2011

publisher inuviaLuiT CoMMuniCaTionS SoCieTy editor in Chief ToPSy CoCKney

managing editor MaunG Tin Assistant editor ahMad Syed

Contributors JaMie BaSTedo, aLBerT eLiaS, MeLLiSa Lennie, KenneTh PeeLooLooK, MaunG Tin

Contributing photographers inuviaLuiT CoMMuniCaTionS SoCieTy, inuviaLuiT CuLTuraL reSourCeS CenTre, ParK’S Canada, Leanne GooSe,

Louie GooSe, Zoe ho, david STuarT, MaunG Tin

Acknowledgements KaThLeen aLLen, CaThy CoCKney, deLoreS harLey, MaviS JaCoBSon, veroniCa KaSooK, BiLLie Lennie,

CaThy ManaGLana, MiKi o’Kane, anna PinGo, danieL roGerS

designer david LiMo production auKuSTi Media deSiGn STudio

ICS Board of directors president JeroMe Gordon (Aklavik)

vice president donna KeoGaK (Sachs harbour) treasurer deBBi raddi (tuktoyaktuk) directors deLoreS harLey (Inuvik) MiLLie ThraSher (paulatuk) MarGareT KanayoK (ulukhaktok)

tusaayaksat is Inuvialuktun for “something new to hear about.” Published quarterly by inuvialuit Communications Society at 292 Mackenzie road, inuvik, nW Territories, Canada.

For advertising and subscription inquiries: please email us at [email protected] or call (867) 777-2320.

Before Inuvialuktun became a writ-ten language, it was transmitted only orally. Through oral communication, the Inuvialuit learned about their world. This oral tradition was not

only a means of communication for survival, but along with song and dance, a way of expressing deeper meanings about life. With time, change became inevitable, as without written words, the Inuvialuktun language was threatened of extinc-tion. In an initiative to preserve the language, various language commissions created and adopted a system that could be easily taught and retained. Today, the Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre continues this legacy by taking great measures in preserving the language and by

developing educational tools to meet the needs of individuals from all walks of life. Preserving the language means preserving history of the Inuvi-aluit life. This issue celebrates the success that oral traditions have achieved through depicting youth and elders, growth and accomplishments, modernity and convention and as a reflection of limitless possibilities in this ever-changing world.

topsy Cockney

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Editor-in-ChiefLetter from the

Bringing you Canada’s natural and historic treasuresMettant à votre portée les trésors naturels et historiques du Canada

Pingo CanadianLandmarkparkscanada.gc.ca

Le site canadien des pingosparcscanada.gc.ca

Phot

o: M

. Gill

is

L’Arctique de l’ouest. Unique. Vraiment.

Western Arctic. Real. Inspiring.


Rarely will you find a more beautiful book about the land. It overflows with brilliant photographs of trees and flow-ers, shining landscapes and enticing close-ups, smiling faces and working

hands. The writing is clear, spacious and multi-lay-ered with fascinating facts, practical wisdom, and a multitude of local voices. But the central beauty of this book is the relationship it celebrates between the Inu-vialuit people and the green neighbours with whom they share their natural home.

Crack this book open and the first words you read on the inside jacket capture the intimate spirit of this relationship. “People and plants are very alike,” says Jimmy Memogana of Ulukhaktok. “We both grow on the land.”

The book’s preface puts this relationship on cen-tre stage. “In a relationship wrestled from one of the earth’s most demanding landscapes, the Inuvialuit have not just occupied this land, they have flourished in it. The words and thoughts of Inuvialuit elders in this book are a link to this hard-earned relationship. Plant names, medicinal uses, harvesting techniques, culinary delicacies – all point to where they have come from, to prepare those who travel ahead.”

At the official launch of this book, held on Thurs-day September 9th 2010, at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) building in Inuvik, Nellie Courno-yea, Chair of the IRC conveys “Inuvialuit Nautchiangit is a book that took a long time to go over and over. It started in the fall of 2002 thanks to the support of the three project partners, IRC, the Aurora Research Insti-tute, and Parks Canada. This book is an answer to a lot of the questions we have as Inuvialuit: What do we use [on the land]? How do we give information to our young people as they learn the traditional knowledge held by elders? How are we going to make sure that this knowledge is passed on?”

Steering the project from start to finish consisted of over fourty elders, who all played an influential role in bringing the book together along with the project researcher Robert Bandringa, an ethnobotanist from the University of British Columbia, and major finan-cial sponsors, including Esso Imperial Oil, BP Canada, and Conoco-Phillips Canada.

Plants as traditional foods, teas, medicines, building materials, fuel, tools, dyes, fibres, glues, fragrances, ornaments, toys, games, shamanic amulets, and yes, snuff – this book’s got it all! Want to learn how to make a muskrat caller with a willow branch and »

Inuvialuit Nautchiangit

Relationships between

People and Plants

Prepared by Inuvialuit elders with robert Bandringa

By Jamie BastedoBook review

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Angel flower

kavlarnat, bearberry

larkspur-leaved monkshood

“People and plants are very

alike,” says Jimmy Memogana

of Ulukhaktok. “We both grow

on the land.”

rita Allen

Plants as traditional foods,

teas, medicines, building

materials, fuel, tools, dyes,

fibres, glues, fragrances,

ornaments, toys, games,

shamanic amulets, and yes,

snuff – this book’s got it all!

elsie Nilgak

Wild Flowers

Small Flower Anemone

Arctic Willow


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rosie Albert

Billy day

Barbara Allen

birch bark? How to start a tundra campfire with fuzz from a woolly lousewort? Or how to make “Eskimo ice-cream” out of cranberries and caribou fat? Look no further. This book even includes a section on the simple joys of sticking a plant between your teeth and just plain chewing.

This book taught me that since the Inuvialuit first walked this land, they have been chewing on various plant parts for both nourishment and pleasure. These include the sweet, juicy springtime shoots of uqpik or willows, the tart red stems of quaqqat or Arctic dock, and the long fleshy roots of qunguliq or Arctic sorrel.

So popular is willow chewing in Aklavik, to this day, that resident Barbara Allen observes that, “In the springtime, many are seen with little cuts on either side of their mouths from pulling and eating so many willows. When the kids start eating ipsaq (willow sap), they can’t stop!”

Elder Rosie Albert told Tusaayaksat about the endur-ing value of plants in Inuvialuit life. When asked what kind of plants are still used today, she declared, “All kinds! Some for eating, some for medicine, some for dyeing. For instance, if you shoot your seal, you can dye it any kind of colour that suits you for making your kamiks.”

The tangy gum from spruce trees, generally known as napaaqtuq, is another traditional chewing favourite. Like most Inuvialuit who retain a strong relationship with local plants, Rosie credits her parents for teach-ing her what she knows about them. “If we were going to go to Kendell Island for the summer, they’d take a lot of gum from spruce trees just in case somebody got cut. I went through that myself when I had a boil in my knee at the whaling camp. So my mother put that spruce gum on my boil then put some old bread on that and wrapped it around with clean cloth and left it there for a week. No matter how sore it was, I had to suffer the pain until it went away. By then it was perfectly clear. Still works today!”

Inuvialuit Nautchiangit touches on all aspects of daily life from diet, medicine, technology, traditional beliefs, arts and crafts to associating with animals on the land. A complex concept to grasp when looked with for-eign eyes; however for the Inuvialuit it is a model that defined their existence for generations and continues to do so today. It has the spirit and intent of the Inu-vialuit, and the information and knowledge they can pass on – not only to the Inuvialuit but also to other people who are interested in their culture.∞

AliciA lennie

weAring MuskrAt

pArkA with blue

fox triM. Made by

Winnie CoCkney.

Mukluks

with florAl

eMbroidery.

Made by billie

lennie.

Staying warm,being Safe &feeling cozy

I wear my beautiful beaded slippers wherever I go. I wear

them at home in winter, relaxing by the woodstove. I wear

them out on the land in summer, sitting around the camp-

fire. As a children’s author, I’ve proudly shown them off

to kids at book events from Halifax to Vancouver, from

Iqaluit to Whitehorse. I’m wearing them now as I type.

I’d wear them to bed if my wife let me. My slippers are

adorned with two brilliant roses, one purple, one blue, set

artistically against a flawless background of tight, white

beads. The high cuffs of my slippers are rimmed with the

softest, shiniest beaver fur imaginable. After enduring

many kilometres underfoot, my slippers still retain the

lovely scent of smoked moose hide.

WINTER 2011 Tusaaya∂sat 11

TREASURESGROWNHOME–By Jamie Bastedo


“You have to take pride in what you do,” says Inuvik’s Jessie Colton, the gifted creator of my beaded slip-pers. “Don’t slap things together just to make a quick buck. Do it to get a beautiful, satisfied smile from your customer.”

I first smiled at my beaded slippers many years ago while up from Yellowknife for a meet-ing at Aurora College. My host, Alana Mero told me, “While you’re in town, you just have to go to IRC’s gift shop!” I took her advice and ducked out over lunch. I found the shop downtown, on the third floor of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation’s (IRC) headquarters. There they were, sitting quietly on a shelf, my beaded slippers, virtually calling out my name. It was love at first sight.

Needless to say, I returned late to my meeting, so tantalizing were the treasures I found at the IRC gift shop. Beaded slippers, gloves and jackets, carved hunters, fishermen, drum dancers, jewelry, paintings,

mitts, mukluks, tradi-tional games, drums and CD’s of local musicians. It’s all home-grown stuff, and the main reason this place exists is to promote the local artists who cre-ate it.

“It started almost ten years ago,” says gift shop manager, Mavis Jacob-son, “when IRC’s Chair, Nellie Cournoyea, used

to buy things from people who wanted to sell their art in order to help them. Eventually we just started adding and adding. She bought their things for many, many years. Then we’d resell it for her. Finally it got »

We are a non-profit organization and all the

money goes directly back to the artists. Basically we’re

just promoting their art.

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"Inuvialuk on a log". made by Betha Chicksi

from tuktoyaktuk.

"the dreamcatcher" made by James ruben from paulatuk.

"the Inukshook", made by Shane Goeson from Inuvik.

Children's parka made by Jessie Colton from Inuvik.


IrC gift shop.


too big and a gift shop was opened at IRC to cater the artists.”

The artists who fill the store’s shelves with their beautiful creations come from all six of the Inuvialuit communities – Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk, Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, and Inuvik. “There are an awful lot of artists out there in our communities,” says Jacobson. “In Tuk, for instance there are fourteen art-ists in two families alone. Most of them carvers.”

One of Inuvik’s well-known carvers, Patrick Har-rison, says that his carving career really took off with the support and attention provided by the gift shop. “A few years back I was looking for a place to sell my carvings and somebody told me about the gift shop. I checked it out and it seemed to be a nice place. The other places take off too much. I like to sell to people I know and a lot have been ordering stuff from me now. I think it’s mainly because of IRC. They tell all the people about my stuff, they give out my number. It seems to work well.”

Artists like Harrison couldn’t ask for a better deal. “We have no markup,” Jacobson stresses. “We keep nothing. We sell art for the same price that we buy it. We are a non-profit organization and all the money goes directly back to the artists. Basically we’re just

promoting their art.”Who buys their stuff? “Mostly tourists,” says Jacob-

son, “or locals buying a present for somebody in their office or in town or for their children. It gets really busy just before Christmas.”

The gift shop doesn’t advertise much beyond Inu-vik’s town bulletin and the local hotels and visitor’s centre. Mavis says, “one of the most effective PR tools is word of mouth. I can tell you it sure worked for me”.

“It’s a really good location,” says Harrison, whose soapstone and alabaster carvings can easily fetch a thousand dollars or more. “And they don’t take off any money from what I want. They advertise for me. All around, it’s pretty good.”

The gift shop and IRC also support Inuvialuit art-ists by helping them order raw materials such as seal pelts, moose hides, beavers, rabbits, and whatever they need. Nellie Cournoyea likes to keep her hand in the business and will pick up both artwork and orders in her many travels through the region.

“There’s a lot of nice stuff here if people want to come and take a look,” says Jacobson. “I think it helps the local economy. It helps the artists. Basically we’re here to promote the artwork of our people. They get the best price possible; and they seem happy.”∞

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Seamstress Ida Inuktalik of

ulukhaktok.

IrC gift shop manager mavis Jacobson. Carver patrick harrison from Inuvik.

roslyn rogers weAring sheAred boxer

beAver Mittens. Made by PatriCia allen.

oliv iA lennie weAring wolverine Mittens.

Made by Jennie lennie.

we are beaUtifUl

16 Tusaaya∂sat WINTER 201116 Tusaaya∂sat WINTER 2011

By maung tin

leanne Goose performing at the

end of the road music Festival.

Inuvik, 2008.


A little voice inside of you resurfaces every now and then, but reality overcomes it and pushes it to a place where it remains waiting for freedom. For many, this gift becomes sup-

pressed and morphs into the refrain: “I could have.” The courage to move forward, allow your inner voice to take shape and let your creativity flourish takes much hard work and balance. For Leanne Goose, listening to her inner voice allowed her to harness her love for music. At the age of twelve, she began writing and singing, and today that very voice has blossomed and captures the hearts of thousands. Passion for music in her family goes back three generations. Her grandmother inspired and mentored her father Louie Goose to become a musician. The memories of those years are still very vivid for Leanne as she explains, “there was always music in the house, somebody played the guitar, a drummer drumming or a base player who would fill the air in every corner of the house with music…and soon I found myself falling into it”. Louie Goose has been a musician for over 48 years. Today, at the age of sixty he continues to entertain audiences. Last year at the End of the Road Music Festival, his appearance on stage was cheered on with much applause as he took his audience to a place of wonders with his melodious songs.

Perseverance, sacrifice and hope paved the road for Leanne’s success. There was a moment in her life when she had to put music aside in order to raise her family. Soon after, the passion found her again. When it did, it would not let her go and drove her to the

height of her current success. Eight years ago, Leanne went on a journey that would soon define her destiny as an artist. Initially, she began taking small steps by applying for grants from various organizations. She attained grants from Northwest Territories Arts Coun-cil, Canada Council for Arts and Inuvialuit Education Fund. Such support allowed her to travel, learn and become more acquainted with the theoretical aspect of music composition, voice, performance, and musi-cal instruments. At the aboriginal music camp, she learned and breathed music and established a network of artists that shaped and mentored her passion. She furthered her study by attending the University of Manitoba and St. Germain Music Studio where she learned about voice, music theory, composition; how to play the piano, and the guitar.

Gradually, Leanne began to understand what her needs were as an artist. She had to understand herself as an artist before she was able to learn how to utilize the gift she was blessed with. When asked about this, Leanne explains, “I learned it by asking myself what I like, How I like it, What tones I like to hear, What keys I sing in, The way I am going to inhale and exhale the next breath over a word or under a word. All these things have to be put into context…music is like learn-ing a new language.”

Her first album, entitled “Anywhere,” received much praise and was nominated by many music award ceremonies, including the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Success of the album opened up a world of opportunity for Leanne to travel across Canada and

leanne Goose performing at the

Canadian Aboriginal music Awards

Soundcheck. rogers Centre, 2008.

Albert elias, Clara elias,

and leanne Goose. Sachs

harbour, 1976.

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the U.S. Being able to perform live has brought about new experiences, giving her a chance to explore and learn how to read the crowd, as well as network with other artists.

Creativity comes out of the blue Leanne says, “Some of the best ideas come at unexpected times, I remember sitting on the bathroom floor of the hotel with a notebook writing down music.” She also gains strength from the knowledge that all of her experi-ences have allowed her to grow as an artist and overcome many obstacles and fears. She explains that, “playing in your hometown is comforting but playing in a stadium with 2500 people looking back at you is a whole different experience. Lights on, cameras going, flashes all over the place…adrenalin rush kicks in, your nerves all out of whack and all you are think-ing of is “what ifs”…this is called stage fright and I have experienced it. This experience has completely changed the way that I am and who I am.”

Her latest album titled “Got You Covered” is a country music album that touches on the themes of childhood, relationships, love and hurt. The title of the album was a concept inspired by her fans. This is also an album dedicated to all her fans and individuals who have gotten her to where she is now.

Geographical isolation of Inuvik was a challenge for Leanne as an emerging artist. There are many talented artists in Inuvik, but the lack of infrastructure and support is an obstacle to their growth. To overcome this barrier, Leanne has setup workshop seminars allowing individuals to learn about every facet of creating music. In the workshops, she incorporates

learning to play different instruments, voice refine-ment, and song writing. This basic knowledge allows individuals to understand their strength and weak-nesses so that they are able to develop with time and focus on the next step.

Leanne is planning on expanding these workshops so that they will help individuals promote themselves using interactive media. For instance, she envisions the artists in Inuvik could increase their use of Face-book and Youtube to garner exposure. Creativity and business go hand-in-hand and emerge as an essen-tial tandem in order for artists to survive. Leanne explains, “when I decided to go through with the process eight years ago, I was not in it for the pay. Going to school, paying for the rent, making sure bills are covered and trying to focus on my goals required a lot of devotion and time…it’s a completely different lifestyle…but now it’s different, you have to incorpo-rate talent with business”. For any true artist who performs with their heart and soul, building a base is paramount to their success.

Leanne is in it for the long haul and shares that her next album will be country-rock based, with a hint of blues and a touch of classical music, giving it a funky and organic feel. For all the aspiring artists out there, Leanne provides them with sage advice: “go after your dreams. Trust your gut feeling and where you are going with your music. Practice as much as you can. Have a strong belief that you are going to get to where you want to go. You are your own best critic. Watch your attitude because it’s a treat to work with real great people.”∞

leanne Goose with the mackenzie delta Band: kurt klassen, louie Goose, ron dillman and raymond vandermeys. Inuvik, 1979.

louie Goose performing live at Jim koe park Inuit Circumpolar Conference, 1989.

A moment from the pAstplouigneAu, frAnce, noveMber 1973. sAMMy lennie At 14.

A view of reindeer Station from the river.


Revitalizing Reindeer Station, Renewing a PeopleBy Jamie Bastedo

While paddling down the Mackenzie River, all the way from Fort Providence

to East Whitefish Station on the beloved Beaufort coast, I packed along the

standard navigation charts that any first-time traveler down the river should

carry. Even though these charts were published just a few decades ago, they

still showed little clusters of long-gone buildings that were once thriving

trading posts, sawmills, or traditional gathering places supporting an active

land-based economy. For instance, not far downstream from Fort Good Hope,

we encountered some American kayakers looking forward to a hot shower

and maybe some ice cream at Little Chicago. Their map – same as mine –

suggested a bustling village. What they eventually discovered was a humble

plywood shack and an overgrown graveyard.

BACK ONTHE MAP

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duane Smith measuring the open space in front of the newly constructed cabins.

Final construction phase of the new cabins at

reindeer Station.


Then there’s Reindeer Station. On my map it too looked like a busy place. Between the Delta’s Oniak Channel and Reindeer Station, we paddled down a saber-straight stretch of river that skirts the base of

the beautiful Caribou Hills. While keeping an eye out for Reindeer Station – or what was left of it – I thought about the Inuvialuit reindeer herders who, for decades, roamed with the reindeer as they grazed the bald tundra just above those hills.

It all started in the early 1900s, when wild cari-bou, a crucial food source for the Inuvialuit, became scarce. The federal government transplanted a herd of domestic reindeer from Alaska to this region and encouraged Inuvialuit to become herders. Reindeer Station was built as a base for the new reindeer indus-try. Called Qun'ngilaat by most Inuvialuit, this station was indeed like a small town with houses, a school, a trading post, workshops and warehouses.

“We had happy times here,” remembers Ellen Binder who lived at Reindeer Station in its heyday,

“because everyone was treated the same. We were all issued a tent and a stove and ration every month and reindeer to eat. Everyone was happy.”

Former reindeer herder, David Roland, recalls the day he was first hired. “I had to ski out to the herd – fifteen miles. I'd never skied in my life before. Boy! When I got to the herd I stayed in the tent for two days because my legs were so tired.”

Somewhere deep in the halls of Ottawa’s federal bureaucracy, someone in the late 1960s decided to move the base of reindeer operations to Inuvik. That brought an end to the way of life enjoyed by Ellen and David and hundreds of other local people who had worked and lived at Reindeer Station over the years. The station was abandoned and basically left to rot.

When we landed our canoes there a few summers back, the only prominent structure left standing was the station manager’s two-storey house, built in the 1930s, which once resounded to the music of all-night square dancing and fiddling among local herders. We also found a few cabins that looked like they were »

reindeer Station: looking towards the east Branch river.

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hudson's Bay staff house.


still maintained for trapping, hunting, fishing or plain old relaxing on the land.

That was about it. This traditional hub of Inuvialuit culture, soaked in history but cherished in living mem-ory by only a few, seemed like a pretty overgrown and forgotten place.

Not anymore.The Inuvik Community Corporation is breathing new

life into Reindeer Station. Leading the charge is the Corporation’s chair, Duane Smith who has a special attachment to the place. “We used to live out there. I spent my first year and a half there. There are quite a few people that were born there including a couple of my older siblings. My grandfather used to be the manager of the Inuvialuit workers. I still have his old notebook describing all the activities out there.”

Duane’s original vision was to revitalize the site to provide a consistent, easily accessible, land-based location for Inuvialuit culture and language programs. He worked hard at the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) level to find funding for a project that has since

gained a lot of momentum and public support. “For many years, it has been the wish of a lot of beneficia-ries, especially elders,” Duane told Tusaayaksat, “to see this place restored.

With the funds freed up, Duane helped organize multiple work parties and spent many hours on site leading hands-on activities that have transformed Reindeer Station from a decaying remnant of Inuvial-uit history to a vibrant and welcoming facility. He gets a lot of satisfaction describing features of the new improved site. “The main building will be 24 by 48 feet with a large deck. We hope to build a large platform for outside functions in front of the main facility. We also have four 16 by 16-insulated cabins plus four tent frames. There are some older buildings on site but our intent is to just leave those alone to help preserve them. Roughly three hundred square metres have been cleared of brush.”

Now that most of the on-the-ground work is over, the Inuvik Community Corporation is focusing on the kinds of programs that could be offered at Reindeer

veronica kasook corporate manager of ICC.

Foreman Archie kaglik.


Station. Duane stresses these are still very much a work in progress. “Once we assess what programs are needed and how they match up with existing facili-ties in the community or region, we would look at the calendar and see how and when we would potentially use this facility.”

Duane envisions elders and youth coming out to the site, sharing some quality time and hands-on experi-ences together. “Kids could hear directly from our elders about our people, our culture, our history, and learn things about day-to-day activities around here as well. It’s such a nice place for them to be using and it gets you away from that classroom atmosphere.”

The intent is to complement, not replace, existing Inuvialuit culture programs, whether in Inuvik or other communities. “We felt that some of our community programs might be enhanced by delivering them out on the land to get people away from any distractions.”

Duane does his best to dispel the idea that Reindeer Station is a hard place to get to. “From an Inuvialuit perspective it isn’t really that far away. It’s very close

when you look at how the Inuvialuit travel around. For instance going to the coast to do their whaling is not considered a long trip at all. That’s roughly four times farther away from Inuvik than Reindeer Station. When the Station was still being used and Inuvik was being constructed, people used to regularly ski back and forth between the two places. It’s really how you look at distance. It’s less than an hour by boat depending on how fast you go.”

Once programming plans take shape, Duane hopes to arrange a convenient and economical system for both winter and summer transportation. “Safety, he adds, “will always be our primary concern whatever the season.”

No one knows yet whether the facility will oper-ate all year. It will depend on the kinds of programs offered, the level of demand, and of course, funding. “We may shut it down for the winter and have it peri-odically checked on. Or we may have a manager on site. We’d have to put a budget together to accommo-date that person. Or it could be a couple or a family »

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pat Wilki construction labourer at reindeer Station.

duane Smith sits on a boat over-looking

reindeer Station from a distance.

reindeer hills near reindeer Station, 1952.


that stays out there.Besides formal language and cultural programs,

Reindeer Station will likely be made available for regular folks to just get out and enjoy the land. “We also want to keep periodic windows open for Inuvialuit families to go out there and use the facility for short term purposes. It’s a nice place, not that far away, and a lot of families really don’t have the opportunity to get out on the land. We still have to develop some policies and guidelines that we would expect our ben-eficiaries to follow out of respect for the site.”

While most of the on-site work is over, there’s still much to be done. “It’s happening as quickly as they can pound the hammers and shred the willows. There’s a huge pile of brush and metal debris that has to be disposed of. We also need to develop a water and sewage plan for the facility.”

Securing long-term funding support is another item on Duane’s to-do list. “That’s the next step that the community corporation will take. Hopefully all the beneficiaries will help us out in that respect. We have

to recognize that we can’t fully depend on govern-ment funding in the long term. We will have to try to find a variety of funding sources; government is just one option. We’re also looking at foundations or private donors to help with the upkeep of this place because of its history.”

These days, there’s a lot more meat on the bones of Duane Smith’s original vision for Reindeer Station. He, and the Inuvik Community Corporation he rep-resents, has helped put this cultural hub back on the map. “Once Reindeer Station is completely the way we see it, we hope people will respect and use this site. We hope to see it continuously used, kept up by the people themselves, that they’ll bring their fami-lies, their kids, everybody. We hope that our school programs will bring kids out here to get a real good experience out on the land, to learn about the history of this place, about the Inuvialuit in the region. Just to see a bunch of people using this site, especially kids, because it’s such a nice relaxing place, it’s not that far to get to – that’s what we hope to see in the future.”∞

I rememberwAlking through the hAll of Mirrors. sunlight coMing in through the tAll windows.

engrossed in exciteMent. My heArt full. the experience wAs eye opening.

pAlAce of versAilles, frAnce. noveMber 1973. nAudiA lennie At 16.

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EldEr Story:

Beginning of the Eskimo PeopleBy Kenneth Peeloolook

kenneth peeloolook


“This story has been passed down for

many generations. It was a long time ago

on the Southern Alaska coast where it was

believed this story took place. The area

was described as a good hunting place and

was near a mountainous area. There were

many trees and the game was abundant

with mountain sheep and caribou.

A man, his wife and their son lived

close to the community. They were a happy

family. One morning, the man looked in

the distance and saw a black object ris-

ing from the horizon. He looked to the

earth and before him on the ground

appeared blackness. He was worried and

became afraid of what appeared. He looked

again to see if it was his mind playing

tricks on him, but it became clear that

this sight was no illusion and it was real.

He had experienced many floods in his

times, but the sky did not tell the tale of

such blackness as it did now.

He talked with his wife and explained

what he had seen. His wife said it was

indeed a sign for him to prepare for a

flood that they had never experienced

before. From the sign, the danger would be

long with them. The couple then »

In the story “Beginning of the Eskimo People elder Kenneth Peeloolook tells a tale

of how life began for the Inuit. In the context of Peeloolook’s story, the meaning of

hardship, strength, trust and fear displays an individual's determination. the road to

rebuilding a society portrayed in the story is similar to the modern-day civilization that

relies on the voices of the elders in setting a strong foundation for future generations.

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began to gather all the material they

needed to build a sturdy raft that would

carry them through the toughest time of

their lives. Many yards of ugruk skin

rope were made. Trees of the largest and

strongest quality were cut and laid upon

the ground, making the layers of logs

four deep. The ugruk rope bound the logs

together. The man worked very quickly as

he knew that he would have only a short

time for preparation. In the distance, the

black object rose higher and higher con-

suming the horizon, and constantly grow-

ing larger as the days passed.

The man knew that he must continue to

work even though he grew tired. He asked

others to help him but they only laughed

and told him he was getting excited about

the things he did not know. They ques-

tioned him as to “why such a thing was

going to happen if it never happened

before? After all, why make such a huge

raft and on top of it all, make it on the

ground?” The man was regarded as very

foolish and unproductive. Indeed, what

sort of man was this who became excited

about such a little matter when everyone

was well off? Hence, he was left to his own

devices.

A young orphan girl was the only other

person who helped the family. She did not

have any parents and wandered around the

village, moving from family to family.

When she came by and saw the building of

the huge raft, she was more than happy to

help.

As the black clouds rose higher and

higher, the sky darkened and the four

people—husband, wife, their son and the

girl—worked harder to get everything

prepared. Once the logs were bound, a tent

frame was built on the raft and covered

with treated caribou skin. The skins were

treated so that the water would not pen-

etrate through the skin. The tent frame

was made with the heavies of willows,


fastened to the logs. A stone anchor was

made and was secured to the raft. Then

the rain began, the black clouds covered

the sky and darkened the earth. It rained

until the earth gradually disappeared.

Those who had not heeded the warning

cried out for help but it was too late for

any help.

The storm continued for many weeks

until all of the land disappeared. Even-

tually, the storm grew quieter, although

it continued to rain. The waves pushed

at the raft, threatening to overturn all

those who occupied the retreat. “Do not

be afraid my wife,” said the man. “We will

not drown like the others.” Soon, even the

mountains had gone under water. The land

had sunk.

The couple, their boy, and the girl

slept to conserve their strength. They

awoke when they felt a tug on the raft. It

appeared the anchor had lodged onto some-

thing. They found when they awoke that

the water was still high but appeared to

be receding. The raft was still as they

waited until the time they were able to

go onto the earth once again. When they

felt quite safe, they made a camp and

began to live a life with good principles

and understanding. The orphan girl and

son of the hunter lived together and soon

had children of their own. It is said that

the Eskimo people began from that time

onwards, and each year the children grew

in numbers. The husband and wife advised

the young people how to live a strong and

healthy life-style.

This story was passed down through the

generations. Its origin is not completely

known, however, it is believed the Eskimo

people originated on Alaska’s southwest

coast. There is a place where, to this

day, one can find whalebones and remains

of dead fish high in the mountains, which

can barely be seen from the lowlands

except on a very clear day.”∞

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AngAyuPtA unIPKAAngIt:

Sivuliit InuvialuitAtia Kenneth Peeloolook Mumikti Albert Elias

kenneth peeloolook


Una quliaqtuaq ingilraanitaq. Ingil-

raakaluk taunanikaluk Alaska-m sinaani

tajva una quliaqtuaq aulaqiyuaq. Nuna

taavangna tusarnaqtuq anguniarvigik-

tuaq, irrit qaningani.

Angunlu nulianilu irniqtiklu inuuni-

aqsimayuat inuuvium qaningani. Quvia-

suktut. Ublaasiami angun taamna nasil-

luni qirniqluni suna taima takutkara

ungasiktuq taava. Unmun qiviarami nuna

taunna qirniqtuq. Isumaaluakihlaqtuq

iqsisaklunilu takumayaminik. Qiviatq-

ikhluni qapirusukhluni, aglaan tajva

ilumun nakarnaituq takumaniqtuaq.

Inuusirmini uliqpait takumavagait aglaan

tajva silam nalunaqipkagaa taamna

qirniqtuaq.

Nuliani quliutayaa takumayaminik.

Nuliangan kiuya tajva nalunaittuq sanai-

yarnaqiniqtutin uliqpak tikitinagu.

Takumayan nalunaittuq, iqsinaqtuksaq.

Taima nuliariik tajvangaaniin qiyungnik

pukuakiqtuak umiaksamingnik. Ulurian-

qtuamin inuutchimin akpautisukhlutik.

Ugyuit amiinnik akhlunaaliuqhlutik taki-

yukalungnik. Napaaqtut anginiqsat sil-

ingniqsat kibluqhlugit nunamun iliblugit,

quliriilqhlugit sitamanik. Aklunaanik »

tajvani unipkaami "Sivuliit Inuvialuit" Kenneth Peeloolook quliaqsimayuaq qanuq

Inuit inuguqtilaangitigun. Peelooloom quliangani tajva takupkaraatigut atautchim

inuum nikaiqsuqtilaangatigun inuusiq nanginaraluaqtilugu. uvani quliaqtuami

nakarnaituq tajva angayupta uqausiit malirutqaaratigit ilurilaitpangniqtuanni.

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qiliqsuqhlugit. Angun taamna qilamiiq-

suqhluni savaksimyuq. Ami uva ilisimayuq

sivikitumik savaktuksaq. Taavakaluk qir-

niqtuq qutchiksimun aulayuq, sila talu-

magaa. Ubluq tamaan aglimun igliqtuq.

Taamna angun ilisimayuq tajva yaraga-

luarluni savaktuksaq nutqalaittuq. Ika-

yuqubluni apiqsivakaluaqtuaq alanin

aglaan iglautigiginaqpagaat. Uqalakhlutik

tajva naluugaqhlutin taimaliukiqtutin.

Apiriyaat, “suuq uva angivalaaqtumik

umialuikiqpit, nunami?” Kangiqsiman-

gituq unniqhlugu, sukaitpalaariblugu.

Suuq uva qanusiugami inuk kangiqsimani.

Tamapta uva ayupsangaittugut. Taima

qaunagingitaat.

Niviaqsiraq, arnaq tajvatualuum ikayu-

paluksimayait taapkuat. Aapaituq, amaa-

maittuq, inungnun sanguugaqsinaqtuq.

Qaigami, umiaq takugamiung iqiasungi-

tuq, ikayuruktuq. Nuvuyaqhluit qirniqtut

qutchiksimun igliqtut, sila daaqsival-

iayuq: taapkuat inuit sitamauyut savak-

tut inirukhlugu. Qiyuit qilimariksimata,

tuktut amingit tupiq napagaat. Ammit

qinilaiyaqtat. Tupqum tuqhlugutait silik-

tut uvillut, qiyungnun qiliqtat. Uyaraq

kisaksaq umiamun sanaiqhlugu. Silaluaki-

hlaqtuq, nuvuyaqhluit daaqtut sila talu-

blugu, nuna daaqsiblugu. Silaluataqhluni

nuna taliktuq. Tamatkuat inuit tusaama-

sungituat qiagaluaqtut tajva suviittuq.


Sivituyukalungmik silaqhluktuaq. Nuna

takunaiqhlugu. Silaluataqtilugu anuri

palangaqsimaakiqtuaq. Ungiulikpait tin-

uuqsimagaat umiaqtik, inuit imaarnapi-

taqtut. “Uumaa iqsinak” angun uqalak-

tuq. “Imaalaitugut ilaptiktun”. Kiisaima

irriraluat takunaiqtuat. Nuna kiviyuatun

ilibluni.

Taapkuak nuliariik, irniqtiklu arnarlu

taamna sinikpaktuat yaraiqsiqhlutik.

Tupahlaqtut umiaq nutqahlakman. Kisaq

sumun naktiluni. Tupakamik ilitchuri-

yuat tajva imailaqsimaakirniqtuaq. Umiaq

sayungituq. Utaqiugaqhlutik taimana nun-

amuhlaqtut. Annaktuatun iligamik iniksa-

liuqhlutik inuuniakihlaqtut nakuuyukkun.

Taimanaguuq tajva Inuvialuit tajvanga

aulaqiyuat. Naublutik aasiin.

Taapkuak nuliariik nukatpiqat uqa-

utivagait iluatun inuutqublugit,

munaqiriqublugit.”

Unipkaaq una ingilraanitaq. Nakin

aulaqitilaanga nalunaraluaqtuq tajva

aglaan Inuvialuitguuq Alaska-m ungata-

anin tarium sinaanin qaimayut. Irrit

qaangani atautchimi qilalukkalu iqaluillu

saunrit takunaqtut suli qangma natirna-

min silagingman.∞

AliciA lennie

weAring

Muskox

qiv iut wool

gloves.

Made by

lena Wolki.

beaUtyandtheSUn

A view of the Inuvialuit Cultural

resource Centre.


SUPPLY &

DEMANDmeeting the Need for Inuvialuit Cultural resources

By Jamie Bastedo

the Inuvialuit Cultural resource Centre, or ICrC, goes a long way in bringing

both sides of the cultural coin together – those who have rich resources about

Inuvialuit culture and those who sorely need it. tusaayaksat explored the sup-

ply side of this challenge by going straight to the source – to Cathy Cockney,

ICrC’s dedicated manager. on the demand side, we spoke with Anna pingo, an

Inuvik high school teacher who needs every resource she can get her hands on

to bring Inuvialuit culture alive for her students.

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Cathy Cockney explains that the Resource Centre was established in 1997 under the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation’s (IRC) Social Development Program, as part of their commitment to work more closely

with teachers to revive and maintain the Inuvialuit language. The centre’s main goals are to develop resources on Inuvialuit culture, help the region’s school teachers implement their language curriculum, and support all six Inuvialuit communities in their language programs.

When the current centre opened its doors a few years ago, very few people knew it existed, even though it appeared regularly in IRC’s annual report. “I and my staff have tried very hard to get the infor-mation out there,” says Cathy, “to let people know that the Centre is in an actual building with all these available resources. I think we’ve done a good job, especially through our calendars and being more vis-ible. For example we set up a table on Inuvialuit Day and we give away resources to the public. That’s one thing about the Centre; we give lots of materials away

so people don’t have to buy them.”The centre, now located at 292 Mackenzie Road, sec-

ond floor, is drawing much more interest these days, especially from language teachers across the region as well as researchers in southern Canada and beyond, who have a special interest in Inuvialuit culture. They’re all harvesting the centre’s unique resources, which include both historical and current information presented in every format imaginable – books, videos, CDs, DVDs, reports and maps.

“We have a full library here,” says Cathy. “It’s well maintained. We’re adding new material all the time. Most of it is on Inuit and Inuvialuit culture and language. People are welcome to come and sign out books. And not only in Inuvik, we also send books out to communities.”

Some of ICRC’s ongoing projects include compil-ing a book of traditional places around Tuktoyaktuk, electronically archiving tape recordings with elders, and digitizing historic and family photos from across the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Cathy has given high priority to making this kind of material more


accessible to people through the Internet. This is especially important for more remote communities. “Almost every household now has a computer and people can do a lot of their research online rather than having to come in here. We know that young people want to access information this way, so we’re working on that. We may set up a web page of our own or have a link on IRC’s site.”

If you’re a teacher, having to deliver a fast-changing Inuvialuit curriculum to students who are bombarded with daily digital distractions from around the world, the Resource Centre is more than a cultural treasure trove. It’s a life-saver.

Enter Anna Pingo, a teacher at Inuvik’s Samuel

Hearne Secondary School. She teaches Inuvialuktun language classes to grades 7 to 9 as well as Northern Studies and an in-depth course for senior high stu-dents on Inuvialuit history and culture.

One of the biggest hurdles for teachers like Anna is that most of the junior high students who walk into her class can barely speak a few words of Inuvialuk-tun, their supposed native tongue. “I shouldn’t say that we’ve lost the language,” Anna says, “I’m not sure how many elders still speak it. But most of my junior high students won’t be able to understand them.” Anna herself is not fluent in Inuvialuktun but she’s improving day-by-day.

“I don’t speak the language,” Anna admits, “ »

“We have a full library here,” says Cathy. “It’s well maintained. We’re adding new material all the time.

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but now I’m starting to pick up what the elders are saying. I’m remembering those basic words that I teach the students. I tell my husband, ‘Hey, I know what they’re talking about!’

How much Inuvialuktun do students pick up from committed language teachers like Anna? “When it comes to the student, it depends on who they are and what they want to learn,” she says, “because some-times they’re into the new generation things like their iPods and computer games. If they’re more interested in that, it might take them a little longer to pay atten-tion to the language we’re teaching. If they don’t hear it fluently all the time, it’s really hard to understand.”

In spite of such odds, Anna has a 2nd language cur-riculum to deliver, a big part of which has to do with language. Thanks to the many fun, interactive and home-grown teaching resources offered by the Inu-vialuit Cultural Resource Centre, Anna reports that her students are really enjoying the curriculum. “The centre puts a lot of games into the lessons so the stu-dents like to play these interactive activities that are connected to the lessons. They might be racing games,

for instance, where two groups of students are given a little tapper. Then, if I yell out one of our words, like avu, which means sugar, they have to race around and try to beat the other team in tapping the sugar picture. They look to me to see if they got it right. Those kinds of games they really enjoy.”

IRC has helped pave a two-way street between teachers and the resource centre, resulting in the development of teaching tools that are tied closely to the evolving language curriculum. Anna gives these materials high marks.

“Right now they are trying to implement a new curriculum for which they hire elders to go over the different units – like weather, heavenly phenomena, and food. It’s nice because this curriculum gets us more into doing sentences rather than just words all the time. It used to be just one word – this is what this means, this is what that means. But now with the new curriculum we’re able to give students much more. That’s one thing I really like about the Resource Cen-tre, how they’re creating these teaching tools for us. It makes it so much easier.”


Whenever Anna gets word of new resources at the centre, she goes right over and checks them out. “They always welcome us and encourage us to borrow mate-rials. They have all these songs in our language, ready for use if we want to implement them into our teach-ing. We’re able to go down there and take whatever we need and integrate it into our “classes”.

Down the road, Anna would like to see more variety of teaching tools coming out of the resource centre such as interactive CDs with cartoon people. Who knows? Maybe someday her language-teaching instrument(s) will include an animated drum dancer, polar bear, or beluga whale.

The welcome mat is always rolled for teachers and anyone else interested in Inuvialuit culture. For those who can go in and actually shake Cathy’s hand and explore the treasures on the shelves, your visit will be richly rewarded. “If people visit Inuvik, they should make an effort to come in and see what’s available here.”∞

teacher Anna

pingo in her

classroom

at Samuel

hearne

Secondary

School.

tapestry on ICrC wall. made by Agnes kuptana.

A National Landmark


Lakes that are over two meters deep gener-ally do not freeze throughout and their lakebeds can remain unfrozen. What hap-pens if these lakes partially drain? Well that is when the excitement begins. The

waterlogged sand begins to freeze, the water begins to expand and the pressures of these forces begin to create a small hill. Fast-forward to hundreds of years and this small hill grows in size making it a landmark. For the Inuvialuit these landmarks have been used for centuries as a guide for hunters and travelers and today they are known as Pingos.

Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories is the perfect getaway for exploring Canada’s Pingos. It has the largest concentration of Pingos (approximately 1,350). There are eight primary Pingos contained in a protected area of about 16 square kilometers. The pro-gram to preserve the Pingos was established during the signing of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. Today

it is known as a National Landmark. Ibyuk Pingo, name of the largest of the eight is Canada’s biggest and the World’s second largest Pingo; its circumfer-ence measures 300 metres and it has an altitude of 48 metres in height, which is equivalent to a 16-story office building.

In the summer, tour companies can get you to-and-from Tuktoyaktuk either by a short plane ride or a scenic boat ride through the Mackenzie Delta. Once there, local tour operators can bring you to dip your toe into the Arctic Ocean. Summer visitation to Ibyuk is expected to increase due to the panoramic boardwalk built last summer making Pingos easily accessible to tourists. The project took years of con-sultation and planning. Parks Canada and Canada’s Economic Action Plan made funding of the project possible. Community support was tremendous. The boardwalk consists of 429 meters in length, and ends at a circular platform providing for beautiful views

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park's Canada product

development officer

mellisa lennie.

october, 2010. Ibyuk and Split pingo. August, 2010.

A National LandmarkBy melissa lennie

Split pingo. visitors looking out at the pingos from the newly built boardwalk. August, 2010.

and photographing opportunities of Ibyuk and its sur-rounding landscape. An official opening celebration is in the works for summer 2011 to mark the completion of the boardwalk.

Building the breathtaking access to the Pingo is a significant accomplishment for both Parks Canada and the Inuvialuit. It is hoped that this will promote tourism, increasing visitation by the residents of Tuk-toyaktuk and educate individuals about the profound landmark. The access will also provide business for tour operators and facilitate in-depth training for them by Parks Canada and Industry Tourism and Invest-ment (ITI). Visit the landmark and see for yourself the natural formation that took hundreds of years to develop.∞

For more information on tour operators offering trips to the boardwalk next summer, call the Parks Canada office at 867-777-8800.

roslyn rogers weAring A coAstAl style pArkA.

Made by agnes goeson.

AliciA lennie weAring An AlAskAn style pArkA.

Made by eileen boskofsky.

oliv iA leenie weAring A Mother hubbArd down pArkA.

Made by billie lennie.

warm SmileS that warm

winter


Inuvik held its annual craft fair on the last weekend of November at the Midnight Sun Complex drawing in hundreds of people from the surrounding communities. Artists poured in numbers displaying their crafts, which included hand-made mittens, boots, hats, stuffed animals and more.

SIMply beAutIful Art work gAtherS huNdredS IN INuvIk

Inuvik 2010

Craft Fair

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SClockwise (from top): Annie Goose, from ulukhaktok conveys that the territorial government's Genuine mackenzie valley Furs program had made furs more accessible. "our hunters in our communities go on the ocean. the fur goes out of our community and gets tanned, and then it's sent back up to the communities for women to purchase and made into crafts. each woman’s work has its own distinctive style. people can easily tell the artist behind the works'. mary okheena, from ulukhaktok was selling prints made on heavy paper with brushes and dry powder ink. Images in her catalogue include animals, children sledding, arctic sports, hunting scenes, the blanket toss, and traditional Inuvialuit life. Agnes kuptana, from ulukhaktok who began sewing at a very young age. kuptana conveys, "when I was growing up, we lived in the hunting camps. In the evening, we would listen to stories from our grandparents while scraping skins. they taught us how to make patterns and trace it out, and how to sew and stitch. they watched us closely. If we made a mistake it was okay — they told us to keep sewing and that the next item would turn out better”. Judy okheena conveys, "I learned how to sew from my grandmother, my father, and my mother. they taught me how to sew my own clothing that I would wear for the winter. We made different clothing for spring, summer and winter," okheena added that crafts provide a much-needed economic boost to communities. "Some women, if they don't have work, they can spend time by sewing.


ArtS, CrAftS, food, CANdy ANd fAMIlIAr fACeS

Aurora College CommunityCrAft fAIr

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un

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in

miranda

memogana

Wool

mittens.

Cassandra Collinson, Bonnie

ross, and Carol maring.

preserves made

by marija van

Nieuwenhuyuyzen.

Craig kuptana

kyra mcdonald-Gordon

“…And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone

around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news

of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swad-

dling cloths and lying in a manger.”

luke 2:9-12

Community Christmas Concert

at the Igloo Church

Community Christmas Concert

at the Igloo Church


Shannon Furlong

Canada Post Contract 40049465

tusaayaksat, winter 2010

Documents

u i t n e w s c u

e t h i n g n e w t

e n t u mcelebrate life

t u r espring

t u r etusaayaksatu

r v e s tn e

b o u tvolume

t u r etusaayaksatdream