September 9 Cambridge Bay, Victoria Island

We passed Simpson Strait during the night just 120 years after Amundsen passed this point – when you’re out there in the wilderness these things take on new meaning. We woke in Queen Maude Gulf on our way to Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island where we were to make a landing. The morning was occupied with lectures as we navigated to the port. 

Cambridge Bay, which in Inuinnaqtun is Iqaluktuuiaq meaning ‘place of good fish’, is home to 1700 people. The abundance of Arctic Char (related to salmon) have sustained communities here since the pre-Dorset period 4000 years ago – it is a delicious fish. Native copper found in this region has been used by the Inuit for centuries (and of course has been exploited by new comers). We landed among the usual gathering of kids and happy smiles and were taken to the Canadian High Arctic Research Station – an impressive modern building which combines ‘western’ science with Inuit knowledge. It’s an impressive very modern resource institution.

The results of a wonderful program to engage youths in creating art out of scrap

I wonder whether our caravan would like antlers on her roof?!

Setting off to the Research Station with me dragging behind

Ski-doos/snowmobiles waiting out the summer

Doesn't look like much but the seed configuration can tell a lot to a plant nerd (like me)

Most people walked to the Research Station. Unfortunately (because of a jarred back  – rather a mixed blessing) I got to be driven around town with Billy, who has mobility issues. It was quite luxurious actually. The Research Station is truly a modern wonder with some stunning Inuit art and images - and lots of innovative research facilities and accommodation for scientists. An excellent innovation.  In the Station, among so much, I found some impressive wall hangings, copies of plant collections that had been documented mostly by Fritz Johansen on the Canadian scientific Arctic Expedition 1913–1916. Simply beautiful displays. The southern party of that expedition, who collected these specimens, was there to document the geography, geology, resources, wildlife, and people of the region. Not surprisingly, the copper deposits and trade routes were of particular interest.

The floor was designed by Inuit artists and inlaid with Inuit images

Beautiful early botanicals. R: a huge wall hanging all made of felt from reindeer hair

We then took a tour of the Resource/Community Centre which houses the library; a better ‘community centre’ I am yet to see. It combines artifacts and resources, craft spaces and an excellent library. The exhibits were fantastic and the accompanying descriptions and stories excellent. 

On the left is a bone drill  made from reindeer bone and sinew. The mouth piece is a knuckle bone 

Picture top left is the  bone drill being used.

This is the craft room where the women meet regularly to sew and create

Numirutit nahaq (dance hat)

This was one of my favourite pieces - a Numirutit nahaq (dance hat). They were luxuries worn by people of influence. The hat is exquisitely made from strips of white caribou fur, dark shaved sealskin and red-stained sealskin. Inset in the top is the head and beak of a yellow billed loon. A white ermine skin is attached to the hat for symbolic protection and to accentuate the movements of the dancer's head. The detail is meticulous.

A traditional storage bag

This feathery piece caught my eye. It is a traditional storage bag made from the skin and decorated with feathers of the red-throated loon. The Inuinnait, or Copper Inuit, recognize the red-throated loon for its speed and diving abilities. The skin and feet of loons were often sewn to the inside frame of kayaks to bestow similar skills on their paddlers. There is an old Inuit story that tells of "a blind boy who drifted away from his mother inside a kayak. The mother's weeping can still be heard today in the sound of the loon's mournful cry." This traditional storage bag was sewn by Cambridge Bay elder Mary Avalak. There are so many delightful stories many of which were recorded by the Canadian Arctic expeditioners between 1913–1916. Ethnographer Knud Rasmussen in his expedition around the same period also recorded many of the legends and stories. We spent a few hours listening to Innuit fables told by our Innuit This one I love - the Myth of Sedna. In Inuit mythology, "the goddess Sedna rules the underworld and the creatures of the sea." Myths about Sedna explain the origin of sea creatures and reflect the harsh environment of the Arctic. Because she provides the animals used for food, Sedna is the most important Inuit deity.

The beautiful tragic Sedna

You will not be surprised to know that they almost had to drag me out of that treasure trove. The Librarian wouldn’t let me leave without a set of 3 CDs of drum song dance music recorded by elders of the region to preserve this important part of their culture. (Listening to that music many months later at home has been very moving. hey are reminiscent of the song lines and stories of our Australian aborigines.) 

A treasured momentum

The afternoon was topped off with a delicious tasting of local foods at the local gallery. We had raw seal prepared a couple of the traditional ways and it was quite delicious. That was followed by local berries and cream, yum.  Eli gave me the recipe for the cream.

Inuit berries and cream

• Shred frozen caribou fat 
• Add spoons of oil whipping all the while .
• Add a little water and beat until foamy. 
• Add berries. These days they add a little sugar but once they didn’t. 

It was a delicious dessert. Try it at home  - if you can get the caribou fat! It was a fascinating visit.

One thing before I leave this day that I wanted to mention is the importance of seals to the diet of the Innuits of this whole region. There has been strong moves to prevent them killing the seals but they are reliant on raw seal meat for Vitamin C and other essential vitamins and minerals. This is supplemented with local herbs and flowers during the relatively short summer but remember that this is a desert. Other than that they have no local source of vitamins and mineral other than seal and whale meat - particularly the skin eaten raw.  There is of course 'fresh' and packaged food flown in (when the weather is good) but that is costly and as a result the food is fearfully expensive and in many cases not very nourishing. The knock on effect of that, and poor nutrition education, is generally poor health and abysmal dental problem. I'll tell you more of that later.