"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.