Happy Victoria Day!

Happy Victoria Day! That's right, I celebrated my first Canadian holiday today! It was a special occasion because not only did I get off work, I also saw the biggest snowflakes of my life!

Today was also the last day of the Omingmak Frolics. There was a soup and stew competition around lunchtime, so I paid a few bucks to sample the entries and vote. There was also bannock included in the deal, so I definitely got my money's worth! On my way out, I was stopped by a 10th-grade boy named Eric, who wanted to know if he could hang out with me since he didn't have anything to do (before you get suspicious of his motives, let me explain that he spent the next twenty minutes telling me about how much he misses his girlfriend who broke up with him a few months ago). I didn't mind, especially since Eric is a Duke basketball fan (and a UNC fan, but we won't talk about that)! We walked out of the town to the cemetery, because I wanted to take some pictures before the snow melts. We talked about Canadian and American politics, college, music, and more serious issues, like suicide and teen pregnancy. Eric wants to be the first Inuk in the NBA, but he doesn't know if he will go to college. I encouraged him to go to college, but it felt strange. How do you explain to someone how wonderful college is if they have grown up in a culture where people have been successful without it?

Eric in the snowstorm with Cambridge Bay in the background

The graveyard trip was worth the walk. Eric knew how most of the people had died...snowmobile accidents, suicides, cancer...and the experience reminded me of how painful deaths can be to a small town.

Eric pays respects to his aunt

I attended the Frolics closing awards ceremony after dinner and then headed to the last night of the traditional music and games. The entertainment tonight was very special; an Inuivialuit dance group performed for us! It was fascinating to see their form of drum dancing in comparison to Copper Inuit (the Inuit of Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk) drum dancing. Drum dancing in this region consists of one person with a drum stepping in a circle, beating the rims of the drum with one hand while flipping it with the wrist of the other hand. The Inuivialuit style had a drummer and several dancers, who stomped and made rhythmic movements with their arms that looked similar to arm movements in hula dancing. In fact, it is speculated that Hawaiian traders who came through the Inuvialuit region influenced their style of dancing.

Tommy Kaloudlik drum dancing in the Copper Inuit style