Flying J's: ᐅᒥᐊᒃᑯᑦ - umiakkut

We had the opportunity to spend a day exploring out on a boat, thanks to Alex Flaherty and Lucassie Metuq. We were bundled up in our winter gear, in addition to our survival float suits. Depsite the air temperature being around 8 degrees Celsius, we definitely needed all the layers to stay warm out on that icy water.

Our first stop was at the Qaummaarviit Territorial Park. "Archaeologists believe that the Thule settled at Qaummaarviit at least 250 years before Christopher Columbus discovered America. Over 3,000 tools and 20,000 bones dug from the tundra by archaeologists stir our imagination of what life may have been like at Qaummaarviit. Far from the bleak existence many people might envisage, Qaummaarviit's inhabitants thrived. Sled runners and a variety of dog harness equipment suggest that Qaummaarviit's hunters were capable of travelling great distances over sea ice in search of game. Though evidence of skin boats is less abundant, thousands of sea mammal bones tell us that qayaks and umiaks were used repeatedly to hunt a variety of seals and whales. Artifacts used closer to home, such as hide scrapers, awls, needles, ulus, and soapstone lamps remind us of the vital roles woman played, while toy weapons, tools and dolls recall the central importance of children in Inuit culture. Summer found Qaummarviit's inhabitants at rivers fishing for char, and along coasts hyunting seals, walrus and toothed whales. As the weather worsened, they began to stockpile food and provisions for freezeup in the fall – a time when ocean travel and sea mammal hunting were impossible" Source

As we explored this ancient site, I found in amazing to think that 200 years ago, those people saw the same site I was seeing today. That is one of the things I love about Nunavut, it is so untouched. After learning about their homes, their tools and enjoying the scenery, we continued on between the islands. We stopped for lunch at a scenic spot as the tide was going out. We dug clams, ate raw caribou, hiked the multi-colored rocks, practiced our shooting and fished as we waited for the tide to return. We enjoyed Alex's delicious caribou stew as we enjoyed the scenery. After lunch, we navigated through the bay. It was perfectly serene as the sun came out and the wind calmed down. During our tour through the inlets, we all were very relaxed and soaking up the sights of rocky islands, talls rugged cliffs, sea gulls rising in the wind and the water splashing up against the terrain. All in all, we deemed it an excellent day and are thankful to Alex and Lucassie for the chance to experience life on the water.