Rice Krispies (Mom likes Special K)

A few days ago, I got an e-mail from a reporter at the Nunavut News newspaper who said she was interested in our recycling initiative and wanted to know more about the project. This morning, she called for a phone interview, and asked about the involved parties and the steps we took to get to where we are now. I was so excited to talk about the project that I'm not exactly sure what I said, but I do know I managed to make my two most important points, which were:

1) This is not going to be just another unfinished project. Cambridge Bay will have a recycling program in the near future.

2) If nothing else, I hope that this project showed the students that they have the power to make big changes in this community, and that their voices are important and respected.

After lunch, I conducted an oral interview with Kim Crockatt, the director of the Nunavut Literacy Council. I chose to interview her because I admire that she, as an outsider, was able to become a valuable part of the community and initiate several incredible social programs.

I also took the opportunity to ask her about what inspired her to adopt her first child (she's had over 50 foster and adopted children!). Surprisingly, she said, "It was an accident, really!" She met her first daughter while working at the library. The little girl would come in every day, and Kim learned that she lived with her grandmother. When her grandmother died, Kim and her husband told the RCMP that they wanted to help in any way possible, which led to her moving in! Kim laughed and said, "Then, a few days later, the RCMP called and said that she had some brothers, so we moved them in too!"

Kim Crockatt...Superwoman

The rest of the workday was spent preparing for Canada Day tomorrow. We are organizing the community's festivities, so we spent the majority of the day baking desserts and moving in the barbecue supplies (unfortunately, not real barbecue...only hotdogs and hamburgers). I learned that I am no good at making Rice Krispy treats. I am comforted by the fact that this enabled me to fulfill a goal of mine for this summer, which was to further recognize my weaknesses. Now, I just have to figure out how to hide this newfound weakness! : )

I had to use force to keep Lisa from pilfering Rice Krispy treats

I spent the rest of the day working on the manual for the recycling program. I am including a history of the project (how the project was born and what has already been accomplished), directions for the future, a description of how the project could work and contact information for all parties involved.

It's almost Canada Day! Also, for those of you who didn't understand the title, it's from a song called "Cereal and Milk". : )

The Great Canadian-American Oreo Battle

Though today was not the epitome of excitement, one thing was certainly settled once and for all...

Canadian Oreos are better than American Oreos.

It's true. I thought it was just a figment of my imagination, but after the taste test I conducted today, I found that 5 out of 6 tasters agreed that they do indeed taste different. This is not surprising, as Oreos in the United States are made by Nabisco, whereas in Canada they are made by Mr. Christie. Three people favored the Canadian over the American brand, because it has a sweeter cream. Two people favored the American version, giving the reasons that it was not too sweet and that the cookie part tasted better. The final score was four for the Canadian Oreo (that includes my vote!), two for the American Oreo and one person who said they couldn't tell the difference.

Cameron was a Canadian fan

Brendan preferred the American Oreo

I was thinking about Minda's recent blog comments as I was running tonight; she wondered about why I said I thought I knew more about the prevalent social problems in Cambridge Bay than of those in Salisbury. It's a complicated question, really, and since I have been in the North, I have observed much that has allowed me to come closer to the truth.

At home, I was sheltered, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, it is unfortunate when people live in their own comfortable bubble in their own neatly trimmed yard in the middle of a quiet suburb, because though they are vaguely aware that social problems exist, they don't know many people who deal with them. Though I did my fair share of service in the community as I grew up, I served in "comfortable" ways, like the Special Olympics or at nursing homes. Because of this, I developed a passion for service. However, now, whenever I encounter people who are struggling with serious social problems, like abuse or addiction, I am not sure how to handle the situation, or I try to escape from the awkwardness through humor.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that my parents sheltered me from the evils of the world; I really am! However, I am also grateful for opportunities like this Summer of Service, which allows me to experience these issues more in depth than I would get to in my hometown (where I already know which streets to avoid and people are less willing to share about their problems). I hope that in the future I will have the opportunity to engage in more "dangerous" service experiences, because I want to understand the difficult struggles that others go through, and to learn from firsthand experiences.

Part of the problem, too, is the Southern "that's just the way it is" attitude. If you have ever lived in a small town, chances are you've heard these words many times. If you are like this, you have seen it all. You have tried to help, and you know that nothing with ever change. You are a jerk. How would you feel if you were a victim of abuse, addiction, gang violence, etc. and someone told you that nothing would ever change? I mean, frankly, I can't help but become exasperated when encountering this attitude. Nothing is ever permanent! Since change is inevitable, why not change for the better?

I am really excited about returning to Duke in the fall. Thus far, i have not had the opportunity to do service within the Durham community. I have already begun to brainstorm next semester's activities, and I am excited about the possibility of assisting with a Girl Scout troop. Perhaps I can find other, more "dangerous" ways of serving as well. ; )

The Beauty of the Tundra

The inside of the Anglican Church

I arrived 15 minutes early at the Anglican church this morning, so I took a seat around the middle and snapped some pictures while I waited for the service to start. There were only a handful of elders at the Inuinnaqtun service, held every Sunday at 11:15 am. Mary Kilaodluk led the service, and was very kind to tell me the page numbers for the hymns and scripture readings in English. At one point, she turned to David and conversed with him for about a minute. I could have sworn that she said the word, "kublunuk" (white person) several times, but I wasn't sure what was going on, of course. Then, she read the passage in English for me. : )

Later in the day, Lisa took me four-wheeling out to Mount Pelly! It was a beautiful day (the temperature is about 7 degrees Celsius now), and it seemed that everybody was out at their cabins enjoying the fine weather. Now that the ice is almost gone, the muskox are down by the river and wildflowers are beginning to bloom. I never knew rocks and moss could be so beautiful, but that is basically all that the tundra is, and boy, is it gorgeous! On the back of her four-wheeler, I caught myself grinning at all I saw, which unfortunately made for a very gritty mouth.

Moss, lichens, rocks and wildflowers

We hiked up Mount Pelly to the very top, encountering a hunting fort on the way up! I'm sure there's a more official name for it than "hunting fort", but regardless of its name, it's basically a stone wall that people hid behind while waiting for caribou and muskox to come along. Mount Pelly is known to be a popular muskox 'resort' of sorts, since it is home to lots of yummy plants for them to eat. At the top, there is a World War II memorial to all of the Inuit who served.

From the hunting fort...to the top!

The view from the side of Mount Pelly. Just a few weeks ago, all that land was covered in ice!

On our way back to town, we swung by Old Town, which is home to the old stone church, the Eagle, the radio tower (which has its own Wikipedia page!), the (failed) wind farm and the Maud. The Maud is a shipwreck that is visible only during the summer when the ice melts. She was meant to sail the Northeast passage, but in her later years she supplied goods to trading outposts instead. She got stuck in the ice at Cambridge Bay in 1926 and sunk in 1930. All that remains is the bottom of the boat; the wood was all picked off by locals (wood is a precious commodity in the Arctic!).

Lisa took me right underneath the tower! We are not afraid of danger! : )

Money, Money, Money...

I have very little of interest to write about today, at least concerning my personal adventures, since I spent the majority of the day on the couch recovering.

I walked into town to do some grocery shopping in the middle of the day, and stopped by the library afterwards to help with the "redesign". Our "redesign" consisted of moving the entire children's section and the librarian's desk, as well as dusting, removing labels from shelves, vacuuming and other odd jobs. We are hoping that these adjustments will make the library look more professional and spacious.

Dee vacuums while redesigning

My dad and I collect coins, so I spent part of the day collecting my loose change to see which I could contribute to our cause. I observed that unlike American coins, which have a different "head" for each coin value, Canadian coins always have a picture of the Queen on the front. However, there are several versions of the Queen's picture, because it is updated when deemed necessary. Here's a great website about Canadian currency, with great pictures of the coin "tails". Of course, if you want to know absolutely everything about Canadian currency, check out this Wikipedia site. It's very informative!

My favorite thing about money here is that Canadians call their dollar coin a "loonie" because of the loonie bird, and their two-dollar coin a "toonie". As my good friend Jacques says, "Who can take Canadian money seriously when we call it loonies and toonies?!" : )

A Most Depressing Post

Today was probably the most boring day that I have had since being in Cambridge Bay. "Why is that?" you ask? Well, today, I stayed home from work because I am sick. Yes, I do have the basic symptoms of the swine flu. And yes, lots of people in town are sick, though I haven't heard that there have been any confirmed cases in Cambridge Bay yet. Yay for pandemics. No worries, though; I don't have any of the "If you have the following symptoms, go to the doctor immediately!" symptoms. I just hope I get better before I go through customs!

Here's an article that claims Nunavut's high number of swine flu cases is due to extensive testing.

Because of all the video problems and barbecue yesterday, I forgot to write about an important piece of news. Pia came into the Heritage Society yesterday afternoon, saying, "Did you hear? There was a suicide this morning."

Though none of us knew the woman, we all knew her biological son; a 10th grade boy I met working in Jacques' shop. Quiet and shy, he has sparkling eyes and a ready smile, and my heart went out to him. He has never lived with his mother, but that does not lessen the grief he must be feeling. A solemn mood passed over the room...

for a few minutes. Then, everything returned to normal. We went back to getting ready for the barbecue and I started to work on my video again. In fact, we pretty much forgot about it for the rest of the day.

Later yesterday night, Renee reflected back, saying, "You know, the fact that we all just returned to work so quickly shows you how desensitized this community is to death now." In the past six months, at least ten deaths have occurred in Cambridge Bay. Probably only half of them occurred naturally. Renee said Julian's (the boy who committed suicide from jumping from a plane) death shook the community for several days; that all of Cambridge Bay became like a ghosttown. After experiencing that kind of grief, what can shock them?

Here's a happy picture to make up for the bad news! This is Pia's son, Waylon, trying on her sunglasses.

"In the Future it Will Change"

Renee helps one of the kids with his hotdog at the barbecue

Happy belated Aboriginal Day! To celebrate, the Heritage Society held a barbecue, where people could come to hang out with their neighbors and get free food, of course! The event was held at the Youth Centre, so most of the clientele was kids...very hungry kids! : ) I cannot tell you how pleased I am that the Youth Centre reopened. During the summer, there is not much for kids to do. All of the kids not yet old enough to work complain that they are bored and want to go back to school. The Youth Centre is a wonderful chance for them to socialize in a healthy environment.

At the beginning, it took me a while to realize that the Heritage Society's camera only works with Mac computers. When I figured it out, I tried unsuccessfully to load the video onto my PC. I resigned myself to working with iMovie, a tedious and frustrating video-editing software. After a few weeks of figuring out the program, I got the recycling video together. We were supposed to premiere it at the barbecue today, but then remembered that the projector doesn't work with Mac computers. After several attempts to burn the video to a CD, I finally gave up.

It is probably better that we didn't announce to the community that the director of a local company was donating a shed to house the recyclables. Earlier today, we walked over to his office to discover that he had quit the day before. Also, the lady who is in charge of approving land use permits is leaving tomorrow, so since the new director couldn't commit, it looks doubtful that I'll be able to get the permit approved by the time I leave.

I have told you all of the challenges I encountered because they have culminated to one of the summer's biggest life lessons: where there's a will, there's a way. It is a trite statement, perhaps, but never before has it applied to my life than now. I knew before I started the project that it would probably not be comleted before I left. Now that I only have about a week left in Cambridge Bay, I am forced to think about the feasibility of this project in the long term. I must face the unfortunate possibility that it will never be completed. Over the next few days, I will write up directions for how the project should work, including contact information of the businesses involved and suggestions for future improvements.

You see, I don't want to be another outsider that comes into Cambridge Bay with a great idea, gets everyone excited about it and then leaves without seeing it through. Granted, by this point in the life of the community, it is very difficult for them get excited about any new ideas, since they have seen so many broken promises in the past. The last thing I want to do is break my promise to the kids and this community.

Nigel really enjoyed his hotdog!

I hope that this project is completed simply because I want the kids to know that they have the power to change their community! Yesterday, I sent a message via facebook to one of the guys who I filmed for the video, thanking him for his participation. This is part of what he wrote:

"Thank you for the opportunity of getting us into recycling and going green. We finally have the part of the community on our side, I hope this changes the community. Now we wait and observe the town. In the future it will change. "

If nothing else, I hope that during my brief stay here I communicated to the kids how strong I think they are. Hopefully, the video will convey the idea that it only takes a few people to better a community, and that if they are passionate about something, they should pursue that passion.

I want a hat like Nigel's!

Fist Pumps for Recycling

Today was mostly spent shopping for supplies for tomorrow's Aboriginal Day celebration barbecue at the Youth Centre. I have been working on the environmental video all day, which meant I got to see some of the environmental students outside of school in their element (a.k.a. at work).

I headed to the Northern to film Logi, who works there from 10am-7pm every day. Then, I went off to the Quik Stop, where I filmed Gary, Colin and Eric doing some fist pumps for recycling. Tracy was also there, so I asked her to make a few comments about the health effects of burning waste. It was quite a productive day, and I have spent the rest of the day editing the video.

I got a little antsy later today, so I decided to poke around in the storeroom (see pictures below).

Wolverine attack!

The Big, Bad Wolf

I also spent part of the day helping Brendan adjust a display for the Heritage Society. It is a beautiful model of a longhouse and campsite. Unfortunately, the back part of the display kept falling over, so Brendan had to take apart the display case to fix it. I'll try to get a picture of it on here soon!

News Gets Around

There was so much to write about yesterday that I am using today to update you with the rest of my adventures, most of which have to do with...news.

Yesterday, I went with Mary Avalak to the store to buy the material for the parka she is making me. It will be in the "Mother Hubbard" style and I am very excited about it! True, I won't get to wear it very often, but it is a piece of Cambridge Bay culture that is very special to me, especially since Mary is making it for me.

Mary takes my measurements

Yesterday and today, we bought the food and supplies for the Aboriginal Day cookout. It is difficult to plan for events like this one that are open to the entire community, because the turnouts depends solely on how well we publicize them. Public relations in this community is a little more difficult than most. The first newsletter was published only a few weeks ago, and it is important that any radio publication is translated into Inuinnaqtun. Fortunately, word of mouth works pretty well, especially when there is free food! There is an elder here whom I have nicknamed "the college student" because every time there is an event with free food, he is there, regardless of whether it is a teacher appreciation luncheon or the 6th grade graduation potluck. : ) I should just hang out with him more often!

Food!

Today, I continued working on the "Street Beat" article for the Nunavut News North newspaper. The "Street Beat" section of the newspaper is where Nunavut residents are asked their opinions about current news issues. This week's question is, "How do you think a recycling program would benefit Cambridge Bay?" I will try to post the article when it shows up in the newspaper!

In my spare time, I discovered this article on Nunatsiaq News' website, entitled "Climate change scientists "part of the problem"." You should definitely read this article. I agree with this man's point of view that local researchers should be utilized as often as possible and that researchers who fly north have a huge carbon footprint. However, I could not help but wonder why a caribou researcher, who admittedly flies several times to the Arctic each year, would think he is the most qualified to champion this cause.

In the juicy gossip column part of the news, I have finally been here long enough to have heard a rumor being spread about me in Cambridge Bay! The lady I am living with works at the bank, and she said someone told her today, "Have you heard of that blonde girl who works at the Heritage Society? She's been here for three months and has been staying at the Green Row (apartments that cost $200 a night!)...she must be loaded!" Joey laughed and said, "Well, actually, she's only been here for a little over a month and she's staying with me!!" : )

The High North Shall Rise Again!

To make up for my very short blog yesterday, I have quite a few exciting things to write about today! Buckle up!

Firstly and most importantly, the recycling program is 100% going to happen!! We are in the process of applying for a development permit to build a storage facility beside the school that would house the recyclables, and have a verbal commitment from a local business to donate a shed! The students are very excited about their accomplishment and all of the community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm going to finish up the video editing before this Thursday's Aboriginal Day celebration so we can show it at the Youth Centre barbecue.

Logi was thrilled to hear about our recycling program's success!

I saw a flyer posted about a community meeting for tonight; a public forum for people to discuss the Nunavut Government and how well it has been serving its constituents within the last ten years. When I first arrived at the Community Hall, I peeped inside and saw that only two people were present. I turned around and started walking home; I was just going to observe and didn't want to sit there awkwardly with only two other people! I got about 30 feet away from the door and thought, "Oh, come on, Abbey. Just go!" I turned around, and was so glad I did.

There were only seven community members in attendance at this meeting, which was held by a consulting firm hired by the Government of Nunavut. The firm is in the process of visiting all of Nunavut's communities to conduct these public forums. As the two ladies opened the floor for discussion, one man quickly spoke up. " Just out of curiosity, how long have you been here? We have a lot of groups come through here for a day or two, not giving us any time to prepare or think about these issues, and then nothing is ever done! These kinds of trends wear down a community." Also, "Why wasn't this announced more in the community? We should have more people here than this!" and "We speak Inuinnaqtun here, so if there were any monolingual elders here, your Inuktitut would be wasted on them." I cringed; this was going to be a long meeting! What he was saying, however, was true, and it was good for me to see his frustration.

I was the only white person from the community to attend, so the meeting was a unique opportunity for me to gain insight into what Inuit feel should be done for their community. It struck me that if we had to name the top five social issues that should be addressed in Cambridge Bay, perhaps only two of mine would overlap with theirs. Housing problems, for example, is an issue that I have not had firsthand experience with, but was a priority to those in attendance. I was surprised to learn that the current system requires that people pay rent based on their income, meaning that people with no income pay less rent than those with an income. One man said, "This is Communism, and we know from history that Communism does not work." He said this system "crushes initiative," as some people would prefer to be unemployed and pay lower rent. He suggested that banks be allowed to finance mortgages so that private business could take care of this issue while the government focuses on other issues. Another man raised the point that the available public housing is in shambles, with moldy 2x4's being used for flooring.

There was a drawing at the meeting for two $100 gas cards, but I was not a lucky winner.

Here were some other interesting quotes spoken and points raised as a part of the discussion:

-"The Kitikmeot region is often forgotten. We always get the leftovers of what the Baffin and Kivalliq regions get."

-"Why are we taking sending kids to foster families down south? The Department of Social Services is doing the same thing to kids now as the Department of Education did to us a few decades ago in residential schools! They're stripping them from their families and taking their culture away from them!"

-"The nurses in Cambridge Bay are all contract nurses, meaning that they are not allowed to be long-term residents of Cambridge Bay. This discourages local residents from pursuing a nursing degree, and is bad for the community because we are not being served by our own people."

-"We need more elders in the area of social work, because they have the knowledge and experience to tell youth how to live better lives."

-"A lot of times, Canadian law conflicts with Inuit culture. The Government of Nunavut should have the power to make its own laws! To do what's right for its people! If its good for Inuit, it should be good for Nunavut!"

-"When Nunavut was formed, it gave a lot of programs to the communities. All this did was make us broke. The government should take these programs back."

-"Because of the Canadian laws, we are not allowed to discipline our children! Inuit way is to discipline our children. I think not disciplining them leads to a higher suicide rate."

-"We should encourage young couples to get their own houses. There should be less priority on public housing. Housing and unemployment go hand in hand (see above paragraph)."

-"There should be more opportunities for young people to go out on the land, so they can fall in love with it and have a reason to return here after they are educated. Right now, why would they choose Cambridge Bay over Edmonton? Aboriginals are being cut off from their land and non-Aboriginals are taking it over. We are going to the table on our knees to beg (for land) when it should be the other way around."

-"We should reward hunters who provide traditional food for their families and for the community. Right now, the traditional food is being handed out at the Wellness Centre for free for families in need. It's being treated like charity! It's degrading! That's not the Inuit way! The Inuit way is to share and say "You're welcome. Take whatever you need.""

-Why aren't we tapping into the oil and gas in the high Arctic? We could be a rich territory if we would just do that!

-"We need cement. A few years ago, calcium chloride was put on the roads and now it is kicked up with the dust."

-"We need more government announcements in Inuinnaqtun. Right now, the Government of Nunavut is just taking the Inuktitut syllabics, changing them to the Roman letters and pronouncing it Inuinnaqtun. If you're going to serve people who speak Inuinnaqtun, it needs to be translated properly."

-"The biggest priority we have is to prevent suicides. How is it possible to go from our elders, who fought tooth and nail to survive, to our 20 and 30-year-olds who can't handle their everyday lives? It's a disgrace to our territory!"

At one point in the conversation, a woman said that she wished elected officials would make more of an effort to be present at community events. Another man piped up and said, "How many people here are on the Hamlet Council?" We all laughed, because nobody was, of course! During my time here, I have never seen the mayor at a single public event. "Where are our Hamlet Council members? Where is our mayor?" the woman asked. Her husband suggested that all of us overthrow the Council. I told them all that if I could vote in Canada, I would vote for them, and instantly won over some new friends. : ) Then, the man joked that Cambridge Bay should secede to Alaska and Greenland...The high North shall rise again! Sweet!

Happy Aboriginal & Father's Day!

A very special shoutout to any fathers reading this blog, especially my dad! Happy Father's Day!

It was also Aboriginal Day today, so I woke up by watching the Yellowknife Aboriginal Day celebration, which included performances by throat singers, a rapper and a blues band. Here is a blog that has some great pictures of the festivities. The Cambridge Bay Aboriginal Day celebration will take place this Thursday, so I will write more about that when it happens.

I decided to walk around tonight and take video of Cambridge Bay in case I have time to make a small documentary before I leave. I was glad to get some of the kids on film, but not much was going on in town tonight.

As I have started to prepare for my departure, I have been dealing with some mixed emotions. I wish I could stay here longer because I want to do so many more things for this community. This is the first time that I have stayed for a long period of time in a place that I will probably never return to. Though I would love to come back to Cambridge Bay someday, I have to be honest with myself. I have not let this affect the way I pursue relationships since I've been here, so it will be difficult to leave them. Hopefully, I will maintain these long-distance relationships well, but this is something I have not done so well in the past.

Um, Here's Some Money

Joey and I both woke up kind of late this morning, so we decided to make a nice brunch of french toast and sausage. She went outside to feed the dogs while I was cooking, and when she returned, she announced, "We're going to have a visitor for breakfast today!" I looked down at my pajamas and hoped it wasn't the mayor. I turned around to see Johnny bursting through the doorway. "HI ABBEY," he exclaimed. "The cats are inside?" He quickly found out they weren't, and began to climb up on the kitchen chairs to escape from them.

Johnny stuck around to watch TV and go shopping with us. He would have stayed with us all day if Renee had not taught me how to say, "Okay, Johnny, it's time to go home now." He finally took off for the library's Kids Crafts Day when Joey assured him that he could come over for dinner tomorrow night.

I spent the next few minutes making cards for the two kid Crockatts' birthday party. I thought I was going to give them a movie, but DVDs are almost $30 each! Then I thought I was going to give them a board game, but a good one ranges from $40-70!! So I ended up giving money...lame, but certainly appreciated by the two 11-year-old kids.

The kids open their presents

Dave and Kim Crockatt, who have eight foster or adopted children at the moment. All of their children are lovely, one works with at the library, so I see him a lot, and another is a special leader in the Cadets program. My friend Eric stays over at the Crockatt's every few weeks because his mom works at the mine. One is a personable junior high kid from this community, so he uses his free time to hang out with his mom. The two having the birthday party are sweet kids that I met when their class came to the Heritage Society. I had a really great time at the party! I learned a lot while I was there and enjoyed spending time with the Crockatts, because they're all really nice people.

Kah-ooh-hee-mah-who?

I was disappointed to learn this morning that there are laws against sending drugs across the border. Perhaps I should explain...I take an antibiotic called Ampicillin for my acne, and I came here with only a month-and-a-half supply, because my pharmacy wouldn't let me get an early refill. I figured I could just transfer the prescription here...no problem, right? After a bunch of trips to the local pharmacy and one to the Health Centre, I have decided to give up my fight against the border laws. I will not give up, however, my fight for muskox burgers. Evidently, though char can be shipped to the states, muskox cannot be shipped. I am greatly disappointed at this news, though my parents are probably relieved. Hopefully, I can declare my muskox burgers at customs. It would probably be too hard to sneak them past the bomb-sniffing dogs.

Since school let out this week, I figured a great way to relax would be to bake some cookies during my lunch break. While we were baking, my conversation with Renee somehow made its way to the topic of bullying. I already knew that my life is scarily similar to Renee's; we both have librarians for moms and accountants for dads, for example. However, she shared with me today that she, too, had been bullied in the third grade. She, too, feels that it was one of the best things that could have happened to her, because it gave her the ability to recognize when others were feeling uncomfortable in social situations and the maturity to include them. It makes sense, because Renee is always making an effort to welcome and befriend those around her. Funny how life works, eh? : )

Renee and I also decided what I would try to accomplish during my last two weeks in Cambridge Bay. Of course, the recycling project and video is my number one priority, but I would also like to do some smaller projects, like a display for the museum about Inuit tattooing. I am also very excited about making a presentation about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (kah-ooh-hee-mah-hah-too-kahn-git), the Inuit value system. These six values are extremely important to Inuit culture and society.

1. Pijitsirarniq: Concept of serving
2. Aajiiqatigiingniq: Consensus–Decision Making
3. Pilimmaksarniq: Concept of Skills and Knowledge Acquisition
4. Qanuqtuurungnarniq: Concept of Being Resourceful to Solve Problems
5. Piliriqatigiingniq: Concept of Collaborative Relationship or Working Together for a Common Purpose
6. Avatimik Kamattiarniq: Concept of Environmental Stewardship

I think these values are fascinating because they show the traits that Inuit believe a leader should have. You can read more about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit at this Department of Nunavut site or this Wikipedia site. There have been many efforts to revive this value system, as modern society tends to dismiss it as outdated and irrelevant.

When I got home from work, I discovered a dog tied up outside of our house. The lady I am staying with is an animal lover, so it did not surprise me that she would be taking care of her friend's dog (named Extra) while she went on a business trip. Extra has lived in a shelter his whole life, so he did not do well when I walked him. He spent most of the walk either trying to jump on me, walking directly in front of me or (my favorite) running four feet and then halting abruptly in spurts, all of which made me look quite silly. No worries, animal lovers...Joey brings him inside as often as she can because she cannot bear to see him outside in the cold.

Extra

This One's For Guy!

Since there was not much going on in the Heritage Society this morning, I asked Lisa to take me on a tour of the Cambridge Bay Fire Department. I did this especially for my good friend, Mr. Guy Lucas, but there was certainly personal gratification as well. Hi, Guy! : ) I'll send you more pics via e-mail!

She showed me the hamlet's two fire trucks and all the cool buttons inside. Because water pipes in the Arctic are not a good idea, there are no such things as fire hydrants. The trucks have to fill up from the hamlet's main water pump, located next door. On the same note, Lisa stressed that it's very important that the fire hall stay heated. Evidently, in Gjoa Haven (another Kitikmeot community), the heat in the fire hall was not maintained, and firefighters discovered that one of their truck's engines had cracked in half!

Lisa was the first woman fire chief in all of Nunavut!

The next room she showed me had their lockers in it. The Cambridge Bay Fire Department has 11 volunteer firefighters. Lisa let me try on some gear, but I did not dress in under a minute like they do. The next room over contained the ambulance. The firefighters take the ambulance with them for each fire call, but there are no paramedics in their department. Lisa described the fire department as a "delivery service;" they simply administer first aid until the patient is delivered to the Health Centre. This is not surprising, since the Health Centre is less than a two-minute ride from anywhere in town.

I told Lisa that if there was an alarm, I would just hop on the back of the truck. : )

In the afternoon, everyone in the Heritage Society gathered for a meeting with the founder and president, Kim Crockatt. Mrs. Crockatt is also the director of the Nunavut Literacy Council. Obviously, she has done a lot for the Cambridge Bay community! I find her story fascinating, because she is an outsider, a white person, who not only has a passion for preserving Inuit culture and society, but has been successful at gaining the trust of the people she is serving and created some fantastic initiatives in Cambridge Bay.

After work, I took Johnny and Cameron to the lodge for dinner. I had my usual muskox burger, and Johnny had his usual poutine. After dinner, Cameron headed off to work and Johnny and I went to the Youth Centre to play some board games. There were a lot of little kids who came to play Sorry! with us, and I was mistaken several times for a Youth Centre staff member. Who knew I was already past my prime!?

Johnny and Cameron at the Lodge

"What Time You Get Up?"

I thought today was going to be my same usual routine: go to work, work on the recycling video, Ramen noodle lunch, come home, eat dinner, go to the gym, write the blog. Except for a few deviations from the plan (like mooching off the staff appreciation luncheon), the day went exactly as I thought it would... until I came home from the gym.

I was walking past the Youth Centre when I heard the shuffle of footsteps in the gravel from behind me. I whipped my head around to find a sheepish-looking Johnny creeping towards me from about thirty feet away.

"I try surprise you!" he said, giggling. "You going home?"

I responded that I was, and he invited me to go to the neighborhood playground. I asked him to wait outside my house so I could put my stuff down, but when I went back outside he had already taken off to play. Joey (the lady I am staying with) asked me to take a pot of water to the dog next door, so I headed over there before meeting Johnny at the playground.

Many people in Cambridge Bay have dogs, mostly huskies and labs. However, most are not treated as pets. Left outdoors on chains (even in the winter), these dogs are largely ignored. If you ask me, this is a form of animal cruelty. Joey takes care of the dog next door, feeding it and walking it occasionally. I would venture to say that the mistreatment of these animals stems from their use as sled dogs in the past. Not long ago, it was considered acceptable to beat the dogs, similar to the way one would whip a horse to make it go faster. At least that practice is no longer used!

A neighbor's dog chained to his doghouse

It was at the playground that I realized that there is something about a child that erases all the evils of the world. As I was running around trying to tag Johnny, I felt the warmth of his smile and thought that this is what I came to Cambridge Bay for. Johnny has an innocence about him; he does not recognize when other people are lying to him because he does not think them capable of doing so. He always wants to play, and more than anything else, he loves to ask questions...even if they are the same questions. He asked me four times today, "What time you get up?" : )

Johnny always smiles. Always. Well, except when he is around cats, which scare him to death. And I have never heard anything so joyous as the way he greets me each afternoon when the library opens. "HI ABBEY!" he shouts, grinning from ear to ear. Though they took me a while to get used to, I now look forward to his nightly phone calls, and daily phone calls to the Heritage Society, and walks home, and the dinners he invites himself to, because as Renee put it, "These kids need all the love they can get." I know that Johnny is going to be one of the people that I miss the most when I leave Cambridge Bay.

Johnny at the playground

The Russians Are Coming!

Today was a slow day at the Heritage Society. I worked on the recycling video while the rest of the crew cleaned out the storage room. Then, we did what we at the Heritage Society are so fond of doing...we mooched. It was the last day of school for the students today, so the faculty held a barbecue, and of course, we attended.

Dana is 15 and Anne is her teacher, which explains the "look" : )

Today was also the day that report cards got handed out. It was an experience that was a bit of a culture shock for me; here is one of the conversations that I overheard.

"I think Ms. Smith just wanted to pass me because she didn't want me to come back to her class for a third time. I had a 30 at the mid-term, but now I have a 55."

Could you imagine if someone had that kind of grade back home? They would probably be a student with disciplinary issues, a learning disability or considered a "slacker." However, the girl who had this conversation is one of the brightest in her grade!

On the way home, I saw the fattest seagull I have ever seen in my life. Seriously, they're monstrous! I looked off in the distance, saw the DEW Line station, and realized that I have yet to further discuss the DEW Line!

The Cambridge Bay DEW Line Station

DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line stations were built about every 50 miles across the Arctic in the 1950s just in case the Russians decided to fly over the North Pole to attack. The Cambridge Bay site is unique because it was built close to an existing community. Though the presence of more people probably boosted the local economy, it also had negative impacts. American and southern Canadian soldiers brought TVs, microwaveable dinners and the rest of their "southern" ways of life to the area, ruining the unspoiled beauty of Inuit culture. Some people here conjecture that the DEW Line's establishment caused a lot of Cambridge Bay's modern social problems.

Today, the DEW Line is still manned by both American and Canadian soldiers. Although no one can be sure what they actually do there (it's top secret!), it is well-known that the cafeteria there is the most amazing food you will find in Cambridge Bay. I am hoping that I will be able to try out their famous Sunday brunch before I leave. : )

Here are some more good sites about DEW Line stations:

1. Wikipedia article
2. I don't know who Larry Wilson is, but he's got a lot of information about DEW Lines
3. This is a great article about attempts to clean up a DEW Line site.

Guns!

The lady I am housesitting for is coming back tomorrow, so this post will have to be short because I have yet to clean up. I would have done so already, but there was this puzzle that I was working on...

This morning, we had a morning wake-up call that was better than a cup of coffee...an entire class of kindergarteners! Brendan showed them some artifacts, and they enjoyed "shooting" him with a bow and arrow as he donned a caribou skin. It is interesting to see the differences in culture between here and back home as it relates to education. For example, when Renee asked the kids about what they used to go hunting, they all said, "guns!" Back home, the only time our teacher mentioned guns was to tell us to stay away from them. However, gun crimes are unheard of here. Guns are used for hunting, plain and simple. They are not something to be feared, because people are familiar with how to use them and keep them kid-safe.

The experience with the kindergarteners was very cute. However, after a while, it got closer to recess time and the kids became increasingly rowdy. This experience confirmed that I would never be able to be a kingergarten teacher without a continuous supply of caffeine.

Brendan reads "The Cat in the Hat" to a pre-school class that dropped by in the afternoon

I e-mailed the Hamlet Lands Director to see if she could meet with some of the environmental students to talk about a location for the recycling drop-off site, and she agreed to meet with us. Unfortunately, she said the hamlet does not have any sea cans available for our project. She did suggest, however, a few local companies that may be willing to loan us one of their extra sea cans.

Pia and Cameron pose with the Hamlet Lands Director

After almost a month and a half, I really feel like a part of this community. When I walk down the street, I always see someone I know. When I go to the co-op, I know my cashier by name. As I walk by the Youth Centre's basketball court, there's always a kid that shouts my name and waves. Today, I even got invited to a birthday party (a party for two elementary schoolers, but it is still a birthday party)! I also get a daily phone call from Johnny, who always asks me what I ate for dinner and whether I played on the computer.

Though it feels nice to feel accepted, I must admit that I probably couldn't live in a town this small for a long time. Cambridge Bay has the same characteristics of small towns everywhere else, and I cannot help but feel that small towns are stifling in some ways. Certainly, in some ways they can be positive and uplifting environments, but many times small towns harbor resistence to change and "drama." It is fascinating how many similarities I have discovered between the Cheraw, SC community (from last summer's service placement) and the Cambridge Bay, Nunavut community.

Small Town Volunteering

It snowed all day today, so I did what North Carolinians do when it snows...I stayed in. I had an extremely life-changing, community-supporting day of watching TV and working on a puzzle.

This weekend, I have been thinking about how I can take what I have learned back home. My immediate thought is that it is difficult for me to imagine myself teaching a dance camp, or doing a video about Salisbury youth, etc. because the Salisbury community already has a lot of those resources and projects going on. It is much easier to publicize and organize in a small town (less red tape!), and my meager talents are more valuable, as well. For example, in Cambridge Bay, there is no dance studio, so I am by default one of the most experienced qualified people to teach a dance camp. However, in Salisbury, there are plenty of opportunities for kids to take dance lessons.

Of course, I could volunteer with organizations already in existence, or simply volunteer in parts of town with access to less resources. But what about getting to know a community better? What about familiarizing myself with a community's needs by meeting its people? Why is it that after living in a place for 15 years I still am not familiar with its needs? I hope that I can use my time at home this summer to engage myself in service in the same way I have done here in Cambridge Bay.

Volunteering is Awesome : )

The One-Eyed Purple Construction Paper Heart

Once a month, a lady named Angela hosts a craft club for elementary school-aged girls. She invited me to come and help today with making Fathers Day cards, and I had a blast! The girls were really cute, and enjoyed decorating their fish cut-outs with glitter.

One of the girls chose to glue an eye on her purple construction paper heart

We even had a surprise visit from Jinx (a teacher's dog)!

I wish that there were more programs like this for girls in Cambridge Bay. I may have already mentioned this, but there are no after-school clubs here besides Cadets, the Canadian equivalent of JROTC. It would be great if scouting was brought to Cambridge Bay. The only Girl Guides (the Canadian equivalent of Girl Scouts) group in Nunavut is in Iqaluit, the capital. I initially thought that if a group was created here, they would be limited in the badges they could earn. However, in looking at the badge list, there are only a few that they would have difficulty earning (Horsepower and Gardening, for example).

Hopefully, a troop will be started here in the future. From personal experience, scouting is a wonderful experience for girls because it encourages personal growth, increases self-awareness and self-esteem and exposes girls to a variety of new opportunities and experiences. I often tell people that the only thing I know I want to do with my life is be a Girl Scout leader. This is probably because I have a passion for empowering young women; a passion that makes me sad to see the lack of opportunities for the young women of Cambridge Bay.

The rest of the day was spent working on the recycling video and catching up with my blog (the pictures are back!).

No Sugar, No Flour, No Fun!

I have exactly three weeks left here in Cambridge Bay. This is not a countdown, but a reminder of how few days I have left, because I feel as if I've just begun; that there's so much that I want to do within that period of time. I have to get moving!

To keep myself accountable, I am going to share the things I have yet to accomplish on my to-do list with you:

1. Go ice skating
2. Meet the mayor
3. Learn to sew mittens (halfway there!)
4. Learn to make bannock
5. Show recycling video to the community
6. Finish the recycling project
7. Make documentary about Cambridge Bay and its youth
8. Take the "polar plunge"
9. Make dried char
10. Eat maktaaq

When I am through with my summer, I will share with you my entire to-do list, which has more meaningful tasks on it. For now, I will share with you the exciting progress that I am making regarding #5 and #6!

Today I made a phone call to Canadian North (an airline) to work out the details of the recycling program. I knew from Pia that the cargo crew agreed to transport the recyclables from Cambridge Bay to Yellowknife for free if we could provide the labor to count and sort them, as well as a place for temporary storage. I was concerned that it would be difficult to convince someone to volunteer to sort the recyclables regularly, but the guy with Canadian North assured me that we would receive the profit from the Beverage Refund Program, which returns 10c for every can and bottle. This is fantastic, because it means we could pay students for their work. Perhaps the community would make more of an effort to recycle if it knew that it was supporting a young person in addition to the benefits of recycling.

All of this means that the recycling program will be in place before I leave! Though I am hesitant to celebrate at this point, I am excited that all of the students' hard work will be recognized in such a short period of time. The Heritage Society is responsible for planning the events associated with several upcoming holidays, so Renee has agreed to incorporate a "green" event for Aboriginal Day (June 21st)! We are going to try to organize a video screening and cultural ceremony that incorporates Inuit traditions that celebrate the special relationship between people and the land. I really enjoy working with Renee and Brendan; they always try to buy the most environmentally-friendly products available...no styrofoam cups for us!

The high school awards ceremony was this morning, and to be honest, the majority of it was uncomfortable. The majority of the awards were awarded to the minority of white students or higher-class Inuit students. In addition, most of the students who received awards received more than one! Perhaps those students were the most deserving of the awards, but what kind of message was sent to the other students?

Renee invited me to eat dinner with her and Tahner, her boyfriend, at the house of their friend Al, the Medevac dispatcher. A man in his mid-60s, Al has a great sense of humor and was a real pleasure to laugh with. He fed us a great dinner that included chicken, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, with chocolate-covered cranberries for dessert! Tahner contributed a sugar-free cake for dessert. It actually tasted good! You see, Tahner is what some would call a "health freak." He does not eat sugar, white flour, grease, processed meat, dairy or anything else that tastes good. One of my favorite memories of Cambridge Bay will be my conversation with Renee on the day of Tahner's birthday, which began with my asking her what kind of dinner she was going to make.

"Well, I don't know," she responded. "I don't have that much time to make anything special."

"Pasta is quick and easy," I suggested.

"Oh, but Tahner doesn't eat anything with white flour," she replied.

"Hmm...I guess that rules out pancakes too, huh? And pizza...and grilled cheese...and stew...and casserole...geez, Renee! What are you going to do for his birthday cake!?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "I don't really have time to make a no sugar, no flour, no dairy cake!"

We laughed, and I wished her luck with her grocery shopping.

The next morning, I asked her what she ended up doing for a birthday cake. She laughed, saying, "Well, I bought a watermelon, cut it in half and stuck a candle in it!!" : )

SWINE FLU UPDATE: Unfortunately, Tahner was called in the middle of dinner to fly the jet to Medevac someone out of a nearby community. He's been making a lot of flights to Gjoa Haven, Talloyoak and Kugaruuk (see map below) lately to fly out suspected swine flu cases (mostly small children). Yay. This means I was incorrect in my earlier post when I said that there were no cases of swine flu in the Kitikmeot region. In fact, I learned today that about 100 cases have been diagnosed in Nunavut. Yay. However, there have not been any cases yet in Cambridge Bay. If there were, however, I have no doubt that it would spread rapidly, as it has in other Northern communities, because everyone shops and works in the same areas. Yay.

Click on the map to enlarge it

Summer Snowstorms

I spent most of the morning getting ready for the grade 5 class' inuksuk project and watching the environmental class' video. At this point, it seems that I am going to have to finish the video editing for them. This is fine with me, but I do not intend to present the project to the community, even on their behalf. As I have said before, it is essential that these students promote the recycling program, because they are valued members and future leaders of the community.

I had a great conversation today with Pia, the high school girl who works at the Heritage Society in her spare time. Pia is a 19-year old single mom with two kids, ages two and four. You may be thinking that this girl has wasted her life or that she has made poor decisions. I admit that those thoughts crossed my mind at first. However, the more I have gotten to know Pia, the more impressed I am by her maturity and drive. She is brilliant and insightful, and I have no doubt that she is destined to be an important leader in her community. Today's conversation was a great reminder of how inspiring it is to be surrounded by other motivated young people.

Pia as she made phone calls for the recycling project

I told Pia that I wished I could stay in Cambridge Bay longer, simply because it took me so long to get adjusted that I didn't feel I had actually done anything for the community in return. I cannot help but feel inadequate after everything that this community has done for me; I wish I had discovered more ways to give back to it.

The kids assemble their inuksuit and answer questions about their creative choices

After work, Johnny helped me go shopping for the dinner he invited himself over for. : ) We called up Cameron and convinced him to come, too, and I rushed home to do the dishes. We had a great time eating dinner, but Johnny was restless and wanted to play Inuit baseball right afterwards. I find that he has much, much more energy than I have ever had.

A little after 9 pm, it began to snow the most beautiful, soft snowflakes I have seen here in Cambridge Bay. No matter how long I stay here, I think I will continue to be in awe of summer snowstorms.

"So Heavy in the Air!"

Some of my friends at the 6th grade graduation

Only 13 years old, Chelsea Klengenberg is nervous about her first long-term trip down south. She is participating in a program this summer that will place her with a family in Edmonton as she completes an internship of her choice. Before she leaves, she must complete a series of assignments, including an interview with an elder she admires. Today, she asked Mary Avalak, one of the ladies who helps with the sewing programs at the Heritage Society, a few questions about her life experiences.

Most of the questions were straight-forward, like, "Where were you born?" and "How did you travel when you were younger?" However, one particularly interesting question was, "What do you remember about the first time you saw a plane?" Mary smiled and said, "Oh, I remember that! I was outside and I looked up in the sky and said "What is that?" (in Inuinnaqtun). I showed my parents and I said, "How does it fly? It looks so heavy; so heavy in the air!""

When Chelsea asked Mary about what things were worse now than in her childhood, Mary became more serious. "The drinking," she said, "is so bad now." She also said, "toooo much TV!"

I was very excited to be a part of this interview. The elders in this community have so much knowledge, much of which is unique and undocumented. Opportunities such as this one give youth insight into the history of the pasts of their community, families and people group. This particular generation of elders had quite fascinating lives. They were taken from their nomadic lifestyle as children, and it was their children who were taken to residential schools. They are the bridge between the old ways and the new, from dog teams to ski-doos, for better or for worse.

My good friend Johnny (the one mentioned in a previous blog entry) graduated from grade 6 today! In this community, there are only two schools, so these students will go to high school next year. Renee and I arrived early and quickly found Johnny, who was dressed in a very nice red shirt (red is his favorite color). When we asked Johnny where his mom was, he said, "Kugluktuk." "Where is your dad?" Renee asked. "He's at home," Johnny responded, nonchalantly. Renee and I glanced at each other with the same concerned look.

Later, when a teacher asked Johnny where his parents were, Johnny answered the same way, but this time he looked up at Renee and said, "Renee, you should be my mom." Renee, who was probably holding back tears at that point, simply smiled and said, "Johnny, your mom wouldn't want that! She loves you!" Johnny, who may or may not have been listening to what Renee said, said, "And Tahner (Renee's boyfriend) can be my dad!" I said, "Johnny, where does that leave me?" He just grinned and attacked his macaroni. Renee saved the day by suggesting that I could be the auntie. : )

Johnny and Auntie Abbey

Johnny ended up getting the Most Improved Student Award, and was quite pleased with himself. I only wish that his mom and dad, who are actually his foster parents, could have been there to see him.

BREAKING NEWS...Before I left for the summer, I joked that everyone in America would get the swine flu while I was isolated and untouchable in the Arctic. However, my father found this radio interview online (hopefully not by searching Google for "Will Abbey get the swine flu in Nunavut?) about an H1N1 outbreak in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Fortunately, Iqaluit is in the opposite end of the territory and there have not been any cases in the western region of Nunavut. It could make for an interesting story if I did get the swine flu up here, but I'll try not to, if only for my mother's sake.

They Don't Have Those in Vancouver!

My work today culminated in a presentation to a 5th grade class about Inuksuit, after which they created their own using rocks, paint and glue. For those of you who are new to the blog, Inuksuit are the piles of stones that are so often used to represent Inuit. Inuksuit is the plural form of inuksuk (eastern Arctic spelling)/inukshuk (English spelling)/enokhok (western Arctic spelling, because they did not use the letter s). They were used for several purposes, including to mark a sacred site or a burial place, to give direction, to welcome or just to show that people had been there. They can be found all over the Canadian Arctic, and every time I go out on the land I see a new one!

Sinclair paints a rock for his inuksuk

Lisa, who also works at the Heritage Society, showed me thiscommercial to use in my slide show. Her mom is the lady that speaks in Inuktitut!

Contrary to popular belief, the piles of stones shaped like people are not inuksuit. They are inunnguat (plural of inunnguaq). Inunnguat can be seen on both the Nunavut flag and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics logo, though one adept 5th grader pointed out that they don't have those in Vancouver!! : )

The Nunavut flag

The 2010 Olympic logo

I have several pre-med friends who have been asking about the healthcare situation up here. I was surprised to learn that there is no permanent doctor, dentist or veterinarian in Cambridge Bay. Every few weeks, these people will visit the community for appointments. Though medical attention is occasionally available, it is not enough for this community of 1,500 people. I have seen only two kids with braces, though more need them. Many people in their 40s are missing half of their teeth! Also, if someone has a medical emergency, he or she must be taken by Medevac to Yellowknife. Pregnant women are taken a month before their due date to Yellowknife to wait until their babies are born, meaning their families are not present for the occasion. It strikes me as odd that one of the largest communities in the Canadian Arctic does not even have a permanent doctor!

SPECIAL SHOUTOUT to my BN buds in Cheraw and Marion! I just got a very encouraging letter from Ben DeMarco that reminded me of how much I love all of you! I hope all is well in the South!

"He Was a Good Boy"

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" I asked the French teacher, who was eagerly awaiting answers to her questions about her students' video project. They were having difficulty getting the taped video onto their computers.

"Well, the good news is that eventually, your students will be able to get their video onto a computer."

To make a long story short, it turns out that all of the filming that had been done by the French students, as well as the environmental class' recycling video, cannot be transferred directly to our computers. Great.

Omingmak Street, the main road in Cambridge Bay

The day didn't get any better when I headed over to the funeral for John Paul Tologanak. Though I had never met him, I thought it would be important for me to see this more painful side of the community. Cambridge Bay has experienced an incredible amount of sorrow this year. Since January, there have been seven or eight funerals. The Tologanak family, in particular, has lost four relatives in that time, both here and in Kugluktuk. I have heard one person say, "Somebody has laid the death card down pretty hard on Cambridge Bay."

John Paul Tologanak died two weeks ago at age 23 from alcohol poisoning. Judging from the number of people at the funeral, he must have been a very special part of the community. The funeral began with eulogies from his mother and his aunt and uncle, who raised him. I was a little taken aback when his mother began to wail; it almost sounded like howling. Renee later affirmed my suspicion that wailing is part of the culture, just like in many cultures around the world. It was quite moving, and there were few dry eyes in the room. After the funeral, the coffin was taken out of the room and transported to the cemetery for the burial.

I spent the rest of the day preparing for tomorrow's Inuksuk activity with the 5th graders. More about that tomorrow!

No, Abbey! It's Nibbles!

I heard that my friend James, a tall, black man from Harlem (two traits which make him stick out here in Cambridge Bay) had his own radio show on the local radio station. A few days ago, I mentioned that I'd like to see the station, so he invited me to come today to help with renovations. Though there wasn't much for me to do, I did have the opportunity to ask some questions about how the station operates.

There are about three or four people who have weekly radio shows. They choose the music they want to play and make community announcements. The rest of the time, the music is simply put on shuffle. This works unless the CDs skip, which has happened several times while I have been working out. : ) The most popular kind of music here is country and western, although the station is stocked with 70s, 80s and aboriginal music as well.

Sometime this week I will hang out with Abe, one of the afternoon radio hosts. I am hoping that I will have the opportunity to get on the air at some point. Unfortunately, there is no online streaming, but I'll try to get some video of it if I do!

A boy plays in a giant puddle with the radio station in the background

The rest of the day was spent watching So You Think You Can Dance (I'm a little embarassed to admit that) and preparing for tonight's big dinner. I invited Renee, Lisa, Cameron and Richard over to eat dinner tonight, so I spent most of the day cleaning. Renee and Cameron arrived early to help make the pizza and Lisa arrived later with a pie! The dinner was delicious, and by the time it was through, we were all stuffed! Richard, a 6th grader, spent the whole time being simultaneously immensely curious and scared to death of the cats.

I was really confused when he insisted that Sweet Pea's name was Nibbles and that she used to belong to one of his friends. The lady I'm housesitting for told me that she was a rescue cat, but I never thought that this community was so small that people knew the pets by name too! : )

Cameron makes friends with one of the cats

Caps, Gowns and Kulliks

"Ladies and gentlemen, the largest graduating class in the history of Kiilinik High School, and perhaps in the entire Kitikmeot region, the class of 2009!"

Some of them laughed, some cried, some smiled, but it was obvious that each of the fourteen students standing on the stage were proud of their accomplishment. Together, they had overcome teenage drama, family hardships, and social pressures to make it to one of the most important moments of their lives. All dressed in black caps and gowns, you wouldn't know that one of them was a single mom who came back to school to graduate at age 21. You wouldn't know that one of them was the first to graduate in his family, or that another was destined for the University of Alberta.

Congratulations Class of 2009!

The ceremony began with Lena lighting the kullik, the traditional stove of Inuit. The kullik (also spelled qulliq) is lit using Arctic cotton and seal oil, and is a very symbolic act. Here is a video that my dad found of the process. Mary followed the lighting of the kullik with her traditional drum dancing. Since Lena and Mary were sponsored by the Heritage Society, I was invited (no, I didn't just crash the party) to attend the ceremony and dinner, which was catered by the Arctic College's cooking program.

Lena lights the kullik

I was extremely proud of this graduating class, several of whom I have had the pleasure of working with in the environmental class. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come; that more youth of Cambridge Bay are recognizing the importance of getting an education. You could tell by the looks on the faces of the graduates' parents that they believe there is hope in the youth of Cambridge Bay. I wish them all the best of luck and hope they pursue their dreams with all of their hearts.