Flying J's: ᐃᖃᓗᒻᒥᐅᑕᐅᔪᖓ - Iqalummiutaujunga

Now, I don't know if this is a true statement, but I found this fact on another blog and it made me laugh.

"It’s Iqaluit not Iqualuit. This is something you better learn and learn well because both spellings have entirely different meanings. Iqaluit (pronounced Eee-cal-oh-wee) means “place of many fish”. Iqualuit roughly means “unwashed buttocks.” So be very conscious of how how you spell the capital city if you intend to send any packages here. You could very well be insulting someone if you misspell it." Source

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I was going to go for another walk this afternoon to explore more of Iqaluit, but the wind has reached speeds of 60-70 km an hour now and I don't really feel up to fighting against that force. Instead, I'll work on a blog summing up what I have been learning the past couple of days.

I spent an afternoon at the Visitor Information Center watching a man build a qamutik (a sled). He is one of the rangers here. He is also involved with the justice system, a hunter, fisherman and a little of everything, it seemed. He worked at a slow, steady, exacting pace being very careful to ensure that the rope was tight and the crossboards were even. The design is geniously simple and the use of rope allows the crossboards to move and shift as needed over the rough surface of the ice and snow. He pointed out the importance of carving off the sharp edges to ensure the wood could not cut through the rope. I also learned that braided rope was best because it is not slippery. In the olden days, they would use strips of seal skin for rope and caribou legs for cross bars. Today, these sleds are pulled by snowmobiles or dog teams. Some of them can be twenty feet long and have room for eight people to sleep. Most are eight to twelve feet long. As this Inuit hunter said, the sled's ultimate purpose is to "carry stuff." It was interesting to listen to this gentleman speak with pride about his father and his heritage. It was encouraging to see him interact lovingly with his children and grandbaby and teach them what a qamutik is. The Inuit language sounds so awesome from the mouth of a two year old! Before coming here, I had been told a lot of negatives about the Inuits here - the drugs, alcohol, abuse, unemployment - and I found it refreshing to meet a hardworking man who is involved in his community and family like his father and his father's father. It took that negative stereotype I'd heard so much about and gave a fresh perspective.

ᖃᒧᑏᒃ - qamutik

Showing us the "lacing" technique that he learned from his father as a young boy

It is important to build this right the first time, as you don't want to be out on the land and have the qamituk break on you. The rope must be tight and the wood edges smooth and rounded.

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Josh and I spent some time in the Visitors Information Center together reading about the history of the Inuit people. It is a beautiful culture and history. A lot of it is familiar to Josh from elementary school, but it is all new to me. I learned about the African tribes and Bushmen, instead of the Eskimos and Inuit. Here is a tidbit that we read...for your interest sake.

ᑐᓗᒐᖅ - tulugaq - raven

In the beginning there was only Raven and the falling snowflakes. Raven sailed through the universe that stretched endlessly around him. Once, Raven caught some snowflakes on his wings that trickled down to his wingtip and made a little snowball. With a great sweep of his wing Raven hurled the snowball through the air. Raven landed on the great snowball which he called earth. Once Raven kicked away snow from the earth and saw red clay. He rolled the clay into little balls that because seeds. One seed grew into a plant that grew and jiggled until man came out. Raven plucked some of his feathers and made man a parka. He made animals out of clay so man would have food to eat.

What I like about this story is that Raven created a parka at the same time he created man. It shows the basic survival need for warmth that the first people here had to deal with. The ravens up north are unlike any raven or crow I have ever seen. First of all, they are huge. And secondly, they make the most unbird-like noises you have ever heard in your life! They sound more like a junior high percussion band with the pop, crackles, knocks, barks, woots, screeches and hollow screams that they make. It is rather unnerving. I have also heard that some are aggressive, but have yet to be dive bombed by one ... knock on wood.

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ᓯᕿᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ- siqinniqtuq

- it's sunny

This are the original 'sunglasses' that people used to combat the glaring bright reflection of the snow. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

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We went to the Iqaluit Pentecostal Church on Sunday. It was a multicultural congregation of people from all over the world, well at least everyone's ethnic backgrounds are international. The church building reminded me of the church I grew up going to in Botswana. The windows on either side of the church let you look out during the service. But instead of seeing barefoot black kids running in the dust, you see hooded parka wearing people walking in the snow. We were able to meet a lot of people and look forward to going back and getting to know some folks better. Going to church is such a great way to meet people when you're new in the community. I especially like hearing about what others have learned about this town - neat things to do or interesting spots to check out. I need to carry a notebook to right them down, however, because my brain has a tough time remembering the Inukitut words.

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Today I hiked to the top of the hill that overlooks the whole town of Iqaluit. From a distance it didn't seemed to be too bad of a hike, but once I started out I realized how slippery it is! Under the snow was a thin layer of smooth ice. In the areas that weren't snow covered, it looked like a stream of water had frozen in motion over the black rocks and orange lichen. It was beautiful. Once I got to the top, I found a wooden cross that overlooks the whole town. The view was stunning. The cloud ceiling was at a mere 1800 feet and the sky overcast today. So, instead of a horizon, all you can see is white as the snow covered ground touches the cloudy sky. I got the feeling that I was at the top of the world, so high that even the clouds were below me. It's a shame that it is so expensive to fly here. The scenery is absolutely incredible and unlike anything I have ever seen before. It would be awesome if you could come visit us and see for yourself.