It's been a while...

...I've started a new job/department, got married, the Prime Minister has graced us with his presence (and made a flurry of announcements across the north), and we took a months holiday since my last post. Oh, and my brother-in law also got married.

Did I mention we drove across canada this summer?

What's new with things?

Toonik Tyme

Toonik Tyme to me has existed forever. Toonik Tyme means hockey, games, feasts, singing, races, and enjoying the spring thaw. It is held in Iqaluit, Nunavut every year for over 20 40 years.

Interestingly, 'Toonik' (or 'Tuniq' in standard roman orthography) translates to the ancient giant beings that once occupied the same lands where Inuit have found a home in. The plural term for 'Tuniq' is 'Tuniit.' These strong and sturdy beings mysteriously vanished from the Arctic region leaving only a few traces of their existence.

On another note, the festival was probably brought about due to the fact that the Arctic experiences some extreme contrasts between the darkness of night which peaks in late December, and the oft-stated 24-hour sunlight that does not appear to dim in June.

It is this time of the season (spring) when Inuit have a very good reason to celebrate - We have survived another year! A time when we know that things will be easier and to look forward to the warm weather and all things that come with summer!

So, if you're in the neighbourhood, go out and take a walk, go sliding or skidooing and participate in the activities that the have been organized for everyone's fun - And remember to stay safe!

Those Eskimos

Eskimos were those smiley, brown-skinned, fur-trimmed and round-faced people who inhabited the Arctic region.

Eskimos were those that were labelled by another tribe of humans for eating raw meat.

Eskimos were those families who traded fox skins for guns, ammunition, tea and flour.

Eskimos were those who experienced racism without even knowing what racism meant.

Eskimos were those strong and fit men who could lift a half-tonne rock without much strain and run alongside a dog team for hours on end.

Eskimos were those patient and resilient women who seamed countless skin boots, mitts, parkas, snow pants, avatait, qajait, umiat and tupiit and also found the time to establish the warmth of a home.

Eskimos were those children who obeyed the words of their parents by going outside every morning when they woke up.

Eskimos were those people that gave their last bit of food and tools so that another person would eat or be able to hunt.

Eskimos were those innovative and resourceful people who built Inuksuit to mark land of significance and transformed stone into a cooking stove (not to mention heat and light).

Those Eskimos are my role models.

Is climate change getting to your head?

apparently for some, it is.

"Last year, an anxious, depressed 17-year-old boy was admitted to the psychiatric unit at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. He was refusing to drink water. Worried about drought related to climate change, the young man was convinced that if he drank, millions of people would die. The Australian doctors wrote the case up as the first known instance of 'climate change delusion.'"

This is more extreme than the idea of climate change damaging polar bear's hearing through the sounds of melting ice.

what more will climate change bring?

Akulliq by-election woes

i've been keeping away from blogging as I don't have a "full-time" computer.

I suppose that's why i'm about to cover some old news...

i feel for the riding of Akulliq in Nunavut. They have suffered a pretty long election that just seems to never end.

Meanwhile, Tagak Curley was recently inducted in the Nunavut Government Cabinet. Congrats to him - he finally decided to accept that he will likely never get voted in as Premier and this was probably his last chance in being a top decision-maker.

That means the Akulliq Member will not have a stab at taking on responsibilities in the Executive Council. How's that for democracy! After residents in the Akulliq riding go the polls once gain on March 2 it will be the time to say "bye bye elections!"

untitled

As told by Mariano Aupilardjuk

A wise elder was teaching his grandson about life.

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves."

"One wolf is evil; he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego."

"The other wolf is good; he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

"This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought for a minute and then asked, "Which wolf will win?"

The wise old elder replied, "The one we feed."

iskimuu.

inuit uqausia avitturiinnaugaluaq. sanamaninga tukisinaqsivuq avitturlugu.

suurlu nilliagunnatalimaangi inuit nalunaiqtausimaanittuit. i, u, a, pi, pu, pa, ti, tu, ta...etc. nalunaikkutauliqsutit. taimaimmat atira taiviti (ta-i-vi-ti). inuit uqausingita taigusingit ajurnangittukuluugaluaq ilangit nalugijauvakkaluaqtuit asini uqausilinnut. taigusiit pimmariuningitta ujjiritsiaqtakka. ammaluttauq uqausiqatigiinngikkaluasuta inuujutigu piugivattara sunatuinnait uqaqtauningit ajjigiinngikkaluaqmata tukingi ajjigiippattuit. ajjigiinnginniit inuit uqausinginni katigutigingaariaqaqquuqtavut uqausivut pirurniarattigu. isumaga angillinnasuqattaqtara tavvuuna uqausikkut.

sunalimaat inuusirmi tukiqaqtuinnaummata.

Inuit qaujivallialauqtillugit qallunaat iliqqusinginnit tavvattauq uqausiq titiraqtaugunnasigivuq inunngnut. suuqaimmat inuktituuqtuit qallunaatituuqtuit amisuulirmata/unuqtuulirmata.

taakkua titirartakka nalunaikkutiralaat ajuriqtuijinut ammalu maanauliqtu gavamanut inungnuungaliqtausimammata inuktitut tukiqattitausimavut. atii inuusitta isuanu atuinnalaurlavut kinguvaattinnullu qaangiutinnasuinnaqpallugulu.

Taima.