A Day of Fun!

The Carnival was a blast, and most importantly it seems as though much of the community came together to make it fun for the students!  Not only did smiles prevail, but I learned a lot more about traditional Inuit games and life. It was intriguing to watch children as young as 5 (and a few younger children who came to join the festivities) and adults participate and enjoy the history of the culture. Seeing children recite traditional Inuit songs, and play drums, and participate knowledgeably in igloo building, and Inuit games and activities made me feel like I was seeing a living culture. Often I assume culture is something that is difficult to describe or grasp, but it was clear today that people here, young and old, know who they are and what they value. I wonder if down south we have the same appreciation for our past and future, or if I just see it here more because it is new to me.

On another note, the other night a few of us ventured to one of the two restaurants in town. Unlike restaurants down south this restaurant is open on select days and part of the menu requires a call in advance for it to be available. I did not quite understand that, until I saw the menu that required advance communication; it included caribou meatloaf, arctic char, and many other land foods that I assume would need to be caught in order for it to be available.  Despite not ordering from the land food menu, we had a great evening chatting and exploring the Dorset Suites (the restaurant was part of one of the hotels here, and it looks comparable to a Hilton on the inside).


The Igloo (Iglu; Igluviaq Snow House). It was impressive to see the men showing the students how this is done, especially since the snow was not ideal.

Sledding was one of the activities!

Hockey was another. I joined in quite often and impressed the students with my "Sydney Crosby" like skills.