Sharon L. Hardy

Sharon's FINAL Arctic Trip Journal #10 July 2008

Hello all, I left off after the boat excursion….we came back and had lunch in the French café (food cost 3x what it does in the States – everything is flown in or comes by ship 4x/year between June and Sept).  The Plane we flew in on was half cargo and half passenger, and they fed us like royalty!  Then back to the hotel where Walt was waiting to hear about when he was set up to meet more officials.  While he rested a bit, I went down to the Wildlife office to get an export permit (free) for my Caribou antler, so I could take it through customs back to the USA.  When I got back, Walt had found out that he was doing his presentation at the City Council Chamber the next morning (today) for the Mayor and several other Council members and other organizational officials.  We also had dinner plans with our friend Lynda again. 

With that settled we asked the hotel to shuttle us out to the “Road to Nowhere” so we could hike on the tundra again.  They were happy to comply and the driver (a lovely man named Martin from Quebec) took us out to a beautiful section near a river and told us he would pick us up in an hour.  We found out from Martin that Iqaluit is about 1/3 Inuit, 1/3 French Canadian and 1/3 English speaking Canadian mostly from the Maritimes (Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) and other “southern” provinces. We loved hiking and could have stayed out much longer, and we have more great pictures.  We also found another Caribou jaw with teeth intact, and decided to take this one home with us!  I made another trip for a tag today and we now have that to show as well. 

We met Lynda at the bar at 6pm, and had more excellent conversation, meeting locals and buying MORE carvings – very hard to resist.  I took pictures of the Inuit carvers and I do think I am going to try and set up some opportunities for display and sale of their work in NJ.  They are great unique art pieces. When we went in for dinner, we ran into several more people at different tables that all tuned out to be more great connections for Walter and/or me!  Walt was chatting with one couple and she turned out have written a book on sacred retreats, and had just found a great book on Exceptional Women Environmentalists, which fit with the idea I am developing for interviewing women in leadership roles making a difference, to write a book about them.  She told me where I could get both books in town.  She gave me her card and website info so we can stay in touch.

Then I met two men who bought one of the polar bear carvings I had resisted, and when I started chatting with them, they turned out to be Mariners, one of whom was from the Maritime college at Halifax, and he and Walt then connected and he may be the linkage to setting up an Environmental Officer program for the Inuit in Nunavut, which Walt had been recommending in his talk! Major connection there, and they were very interested in follow-up. 

Meanwhile, Lynda had started talking to a third group at the table next to ours (we had not even sat down yet), and they turned out to have an interest as well, and had been at the conference with us.  Business cards kept passing hands, and Walt has a TON of follow-up to do when he gets back – the emails are already coming in.  Looks like he will have some return engagements here, which he is thrilled about and perhaps, some consulting work.  They are most interested in the impact of the cruise ships, which Walt has a lot of experience with.  We finally got to have a lovely dinner (I went for the Arctic Char one last time and Walt the Caribou).  We hit the bar afterward for a nightcap and met up with another couple that are retired and come to visit and vacation here from Vancouver – again very interesting people.

Finally to bed around midnight while the sun still shone in the window.  I finally got smart and used my bandanna as a blindfold so I could sleep, and I slept the best last night.  It had been too hot to shut the curtains, since there is no air conditioning and the breeze is needed, but it is so bright all night!

We packed up in the morning and were picked up to go to the Council at 8:20.  The room was full and Walt was asked excellent questions.  He found out some information he was not aware of, and he shared information that they were not aware of.  Again, ideas were flowing and connections were made for follow-up.  Oh, I forgot to mention that on the way from the hotel, we heard the 8:30 CBC radio news and Walt’s interview was broadcast!  So we got to hear it live, and that was exciting.  The interview was great - very “on message.” There were 2 newspapers represented at the morning talk as well.  Walter has a great manner with people and is both low key, funny and has a very serious message but also ideas for solutions, so people are responding well to his style and presentation.  And they are SO open.

  I think that has been the most striking thing about our experience in Iqaluit- the people here are so open and friendly and have welcomed us as family and part of he community every step of the way.  Part of that I am sure is that they see that we care what happens up here. We know that what happens here happens to all of us. 

After the talk, we finished packing and had a Chinese buffet lunch (yes they have that here too!) with Lynda and then a last stop to pick up the books recommended the night before and off to the airport. Once there, we ran into one of the officials form the morning talk – the one who had the most knowledge about what Walt was talking about, and is key for follow up.  He is the head of the Territorial Wildlife Management for all of Nunavut.  He also turned out to be the father of the Inuit boy (he adopted him) that was the grandson and helper on the boat trip we took (Virgil). He is not Inuit but speaks the language fluently. Small community; and strong community.   He was traveling to go to the village that had been selected to conduct one of the three traditional Bowhead whale hunts this year.  In all of Nunavut they are only allowed to take 3, and the village is rotated that gets the opportunity and honor.  He will be monitoring the hunt.  He is a tall white bald man – looks like the great white hunter!  He was eloquent about how hunting is part of the natural order of nature and has its place.  Hunting is still a major way of life here.

The plane took us first to Kujjuuvaq, which is in northern Quebec and is where the tree line ends.  The trees there were very small.  We then flew on to Montreal and will leave for NY tomorrow morning, where we are hoping to rendezvous  with our daughter Tara and her boyfriend to go sailing on their boat, before I connect up with a new OD friend to go and learn abut Leadership development work with horses in Pittsburgh, PA on Monday.   That will be another adventure!

Thus ends our journey to the Arctic – or perhaps just this chapter, as we have certainly made new friendships and it looks like we will have opened opportunities that may call for a return visit!  Walt has already been invited to speak at the Territorial Municipal Government conference in Ottawa in February.  I hope you have enjoyed this journal; I have had a lot of fun writing it. Your feedback is welcome!
Sharon

Sharon's Arctic Trip Journal #9 July 25 2008

Hard to imagine this trip getting even better, but the boat trip this morning was fantastic.  We met the boat around 7am; had to go to the causeway outside town, as the tide was out and the tides here are huge – 38 feet. There was mix-up with the times I think, and since I had called to check, I knew we were going early – we were the only two who showed up so we had a private trip on the “Silver Dolphin” with a friendly and knowledgeable captain and his 17 year old grandson Virgil as crew.  They took us across the bay and further in to a place called the Historic Park.  Weather is gorgeous; it was chill on the boat but they had us in floater suits, so we were quite warm and very safe.  We got out and hiked at this park, which is an island that was inhabited extensively 1000 years ago.  The archeological sites were very intact, and he showed us everything.  You could clearly see how the homes were constructed, the stone meat caches, where they put the canoes and kayaks up on stones to dry out, and much more.  We even went through the graveyard area, and could see the different size graves.  He took us to one area where there is a totally intact grave, and he had us look in a hole in the top – there were the remains inside; skull and ribs. This is really a remote area!  There were also ancient whale bones in the homes. We also saw another large caribou antler – this one I left where it was!  (Mine is the perfect size, and I intend to go and get it “tagged” today so that I can legally bring it back with me)!  We saw the areas where the ancient people had cut out the sod to put on their houses, and the ponds that remain.  We also saw a fox trap, and our guide explained how it was constructed, all of stone.  Stone is what they have here – no trees, no rope or vines, so stone is what they are very good at using.  Stone and bone, and skins; and sinew from the animals.  There were about 27 home sites there he told us; we saw a lot of them.  He noted that the Caribou were very plentiful in this area about 5 years ago, and then they moved further inland.  When they come through, they eat everything and it takes a long time to grow back. 

When we got back in the boat, we talked about the whales in the area.  He said that last Sunday the hunters had taken 17 whales.  Then they took tours out on Monday and saw none. As we went along, we heard shots and they said that meant whales.  He explained the Belugas (white whales about 6 feet long) come in close to the islands to scrape their skin on the rocks and sand.  We watched and saw one of the whales that the boats were hunting surface.  We were a bit further away and only saw a flash of white.  Several more boats came in to help – they work together and all share the meat. The boy explained that technically whoever harpoons the whale can claim it, but that practically, they all share it. They still use the harpoon method from the ancient ancestors - a detachable harpoon tip attached to a line with an inflated seal skin float on it and a drag, so that the animal tires and they can find it.  The boats circle and hope to confuse the animal to stay in the area. They shoot them first to either kill or wound them, but still have to harpoon them at some point.  They only surface briefly, so getting a shot is not easy to do.  The captain of the boat told us he had been a wildlife manager for many years, and there are a lot of beluga in the area.  There are not quotas on what the Inuit can take, nor on seals here.  This is subsistence hunting, not commercial fishing.

We took the boat further out and then we saw whales in another direction, away from the hunters!  We saw them really well – 2 white beluga and a gray baby.  I had binoculars and Walt had the camera telephoto lens, so we had great views.  They guys on the boat said that they should tell the hunters, but they did not, so we got to watch them surface several times.  It was so cool to watch them, and I was glad they let them get away.  I appreciated our boat Captain!

After awhile they went behind an island and we headed back.  They have Bowhead whales here too (huge), but we did not see any.  We were told that pack ice is blocking the bay entrance, and many animals are staying out beyond that – most of the seals as well.  We enjoyed the boat ride back and were back here by 11:30!  (Update note:  one day after we got back, Walt received an email from Lynda with pictures, showing that the pack ice had broken up that day, and the bay was now full of floating ice bits!)

We fly out tomorrow afternoon – so I will probably have one or two more journals and then this adventure will come to it’s end – but the memories will certainly not, nor do I think some of the friendships. 
Love,
Sharon

Sharon's Arctic Trip Journal #8 July 24 2008

It is early morning here, 5am; the sun has been up and bright in our window since 3am!  The light is very beautiful.  Yesterday afternoon I had an experience that was the fulfillment of a desire I have had since I was very young, and I am feeling very happy and so grateful.   

While Walt was off in meetings with government officials (he is being asked to consult now and is also feeling very fulfilled!) I decided to go for a hike.  I started climbing the hill near by and was slowly making my way up. It was very windy and very dusty, as the roads here are primarily dirt and there is a lot of construction going on.  I was enjoying the tundra flowers and lack of mosquitoes and finding bones and such, and having a lovely time despite wind and dust (and noise from the construction).  I made it to the top area, heading toward the inuksuk at the top. These are stone monuments placed at the tops of hills to guide travelers on the land – you can see them across hilltops for a long distance.  They are made of large stones put in the shape of a person, and they indicate a place of refuge and safety for travelers.  They are used often as a symbol of Inuit culture in Inuit art, and they are to be the national symbol for the Canadian Olympics coming up. I was heading over the hill to find a way down, and it started to rain.  I had my poncho with me and quickly put it on, and was soon warm and cozy, despite winds and rain.  As I headed down, I had choice to go a more direct route back in the direction I wanted to be going towards the hotel, which was straight into the wind and steeper, or an easier path which was much less direct and actually went in the wrong direction.  So I said what the heck, I am taking the direct path to where I want to go, despite the wind.  After a little way I looked down and I found a beautiful caribou antler tip with 3 prongs! I was so excited – I have always wanted to find antlers in the wild, and have never done so until now!  I am fulfilled. I felt so happy.  Rain, wind and antlers! 

I felt I had been guided to the spot, and making my choice to take the more direct path had been part of that.  I have been thinking a lot about leadership, and had decided earlier in the day to interview some of the women leaders I have meeting here for a book on women’s wisdom in leadership.  Being in tune with inner direction is one of the keys to success for me!  The connection to spirit is strong. I am very interested to find out what qualities these women find as key to success, and what guides and sustains them. There are many barriers they face, and yet everywhere I look I see women in leadership.

I made my way back and met up in the bar with Walt, Lynda (CEO of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities) and Bruce, a school board leader married to a deputy mayor of Richmond Hill that we have been spending time with.  Brenda, the deputy mayor, has developed a case of vertigo, so she was up in her room.  We have really enjoyed getting to know these 3 very interesting people this week.  We had some beers and then dinner together, and Walt and I bought some more of the Inuit carvings from local artists who bring them here.  Lynda has agreed to be one of the people I interview, and I have a few others in mind if I can hook up with them. 

Time to rest a bit more and then we are taking a boat ride this morning (canceled yesterday due to wind).  Walt is meeting with more officials interested in his expertise this afternoon and they are setting up a meeting with the mayor of Iqaluit tomorrow morning.  I would love to interview her as well! 

When I hold my selenite crystal wand (which I brought along) and the Caribou antler, I feel very connected to sky and earth. 
The north has always symbolized the qualities of wisdom and clarity, and I feel these qualities very present here.  The quality of the air is very pure here as well!

May your day today be filled with

Great Light,
Great Love,
Great Thanks,

Sharon

Sharon's Arctic Trip Journal #7 July 23 2008

Today was Walt’s presentation and it went extremely well.  In fact he is now off at a meeting with the Northern Bureau of Indian Affairs as I type this, sharing more information with them and they have already invited him to speak at a conference in Ottawa in Feb!  They are aware of the needs he is pointing out and want his help in what to do about the impact of all the increased shipping coming into the area.  It was great for me to watch him in action – this is the first time I have seen him present and teach – very impressive!  He has a natural, easy style, and is very clear and clearly knowledgeable. He does his homework and presents it very well.  He had great slides!   He was given a beautiful print of an Arctic watercolor as a thank you gift, and later a second plaque, so one will hang in his office at work, and the other we can put up at home.  Very beautiful.  He has also received a baseball cap from the Nunavut Municipal Environmental Planner, who has become a good friend at this point (Lynda), and an Iqaluit pin, so this is starting to feel like family for sure.   (I did make it clear that I am NOT willing to live here though – 10 months of winter and 4 months of almost total darkness and no trees I do not think I could do on a regular basis!)  Today was just as warm (still breaking records for high temperatures all week), but windy.  Our boat trip for today had to be canceled, but we are on for tomorrow morning.  Just as well, as Walt was shanghaied into meetings today.  I hope we will still get a hike in this afternoon, and I got to catch up on my writing!

The final keynote was Dr. Terry Fenge, who specializes in Aboriginal rights and interests, and environmental affairs. He was key in the Nunavut Land Claim agreement, strategic Counsel to the Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference from 1996-2006 and is currently the Senior Policy Advisor to the Artic Athabaskan Council. The main point I took away from what he shared was that the polar world is international, and a tight community!  The Inuit and indigenous people are international, as they span boundaries, and they think this way.  They do not have a victim consciousness, although they are most impacted by climate change.  He also summarized the tone of the conference as optimistic, in that there is the belief that we can adapt, and we will.  Collaboration is key to doing so, with many partnerships needed. He noted that mitigation is now seen as a subset of adaptation and Canada and other countries are all creating adaptation strategies.  He provided lots of good information on what is going on! He reviewed the barriers and noted which require most attention with ideas on the way to go.  One was funding, and one idea was American Foundations, which are becoming very interested!

Martha Flaherty (Walt’s long lost relative) joined us for Terry’s talk, and we talked more about her work as well.  She is a delightful person, and is about to be a tour guide on a cruise ship to Greenland. She has traveled extensively.  I would like to collaborate with her in support of women in leadership – we will see where this leads!

I will write more tomorrow as our last few days here unwind.

Love and Light,
Sharon

Sharon's Artic Trip Journal #6 July 22 2008

So much has been going on that I have not had time to write!  I will start with tonight (Tues) night and work backward to stay current.  Tonight was a lot of FUN, as the whole town was invited to a square dance in the town square.  The music was accordion and guitar, typical for Northern music.  There was a definite Scottish influence at one point in the history here.  The dancing is very lively and simple and many of us joined in.  I have some great pictures of Walter dancing! And the children too. It turns out that Walter has long lost relatives living here, which go back to his grandfather’s Flaherty side of the family!  There was a branch of the Flahertys that had moved up to Canada during the war, and somehow it had come up, when he mentioned that his maternal grandfather’s side of the family goes back all the way to an infamous female pirate, Molly O’Flaherty of Ireland.  Turns out that Martha Flaherty was here visiting her mother, although she currently lives in Toronto!  She is a beautiful woman with a very interesting life, and she has been a strong advocate for Indigenous women and culture.  A film is in the works about her, as when she was about 7, her family was forcibly relocated to the very far north (Grise Fiord), when Canada was trying to claim sovereignty there.  She later was also put in the residential schools. She has gone on to have a distinguished career. She was happy to meet us and we danced together! A very beautiful woman, inside and out.  We have pictures of her whole family.

The workshop sessions were very interesting today and the connections are powerful.  The one I liked best was a presentation by Dave Carlson, who is the Director of the office responsible for coordinating all projects for the International Polar Year (IPY), 2007-2008.  This is a huge cooperative science endeavor, to focus attention and research on polar issues.  He is overseeing more than 170 funded projects in all areas, from people to wildlife to oceans, land and everything related, over both Artic and Antarctic regions.  These efforts are collaboratively funded by many countries to the tune of 1.2 billion dollars, with Norway, Canada and the US taking lead funding roles. There are scientists form 61 countries and over 55,000 people involved in these projects.  The projects meet 5 key criteria, one of which is that all data is shared and made available to everyone.  Most projects rely on local community participation to collect data as well, and continue the theme of this conference of combining traditional wisdom with scientific research and data for full understanding of what is going on.  A key point he made is that we hit the tipping point in 2004-05, and since then the amount of sea ice has steadily declined each year.  We are currently at 40% less than the average sea ice for the period of time between 1979 and 2004.  One example of the problems this creates is that reindeer herds get stranded on islands, and can not migrate south over the ice to feed in the winter.  The weather is also much more severe without the ice frozen (that surprised me).  There are more storms and wave action erodes the coast line. The northern people rely on ice for being able to travel, so they are also in dangerous situations when the ice is not present or is too thin or unstable.  The measure of success for the IPY is to show they can work across a range of disciplines, and how much they can engage the public and raise awareness.  If this model woks, it can be used to tackle other complex issues as well (such as the water crises on the planet).  He was a fascinating man.  Walt and I had dinner with him later that eve and enjoyed a lot of conversation about his work, Walt’s and mine around leadership and influence.  He has a 3 person office managing all of this!!

The other presentation Tuesday that was most powerful was the keynote in the morning (it is now Wed and I am editing what I wrote last night late!), given by Paul Kennedy, who is a very well known veteran broadcaster in Canada.  He has produced over 200 documentaries for CBC “Ideas” for the past 26 years, many of which have won awards.  He was a fantastic storyteller, and rather than share his ideas on climate change, as a true journalist he took the opportunity to interview 3 amazing people that he had worked with many years before for a series on the Oceans, and share their thoughts.  One was Alexandra Morton, a woman living off the grid in Vancouver who is the world expert on the most northern pod of Orca.  They have become endangered due to the contamination of their primary food supply, wild salmon, due to salmon farming and resultant diseases that have been introduced into the ecosystem. Biodiversity and invasive species are big issues. Her message is that change can not be incremental now – we need a fundamental paradigm shift in perspective.  We need to work WITH nature, and because we are so powerful, we need to be conscious about it.  Her personal goal is to show how the salmon can be brought back.  Also I found out that salmon are critical to forestry, as they bring needed protein far upstream to the tree roots.  Who knew?

Another person he spoke of was John McGuiness, a diver and underwater explorer now in his 70s who has dived all over the world, including being first to dive under the North Pole.  He was a friend of Jacques Cousteau and also works for NASA.  His message for us was one word:  leadership.  Leadership based on principles, values, courage and persistence.  I could relate to that!

The 3rd person he talked abut was Bill Montevecci of Newfoundland, who studies the now extinct Great Hawk, which was the “northern penguin” until the 19th century.  He noted that we know exactly how we drove this species to extinction and even how the last bird was killed and by whom.  He also noted that we are on record for 27 species/year going extinct in the present day.  Baffin Island, where we are now, is above the tree line, and many artic birds nest here.  There was much more, but the main message was that the animals have to adapt and so do we, as conditions change, which they are rapidly doing in this century. The environment is dynamic and we need to be both aware of our impacts on it and its impact on us!

Paul was very eloquent and inspiring.  I am realizing why I am here this week, as my vision is to work with leaders who seek to make a difference in the world.  There are certainly many here who fit that category!  And many others who aspire to that and are interested in how to do so.  Everyone is interested in moving from vision to action and how to mobilize governments and organizations and people to change.  A lot of the tools I have learned in OD (organization development) over the years can be very helpful to these leaders.

Sharon's Artic Trip Journal #5 July 21 2008

Listening to the Elders is very humbling and for me brings up both respect and sadness.  The Inuit are very adaptive, and this is how they describe themselves. They have always had to be aware of their environment and adapt to whatever conditions they were facing.  They had and have great respect for nature and understood wildlife migration and seasons.

In the last 40 years however, they have truly moved from the ice age to the space age.  As one elder described it, think of going from:
·    Seal lamps in an igloo for heat and light to central heating and electricity
·    Raw meat and fires for tea to microwaves and supermarkets
·    Subsistence living to a wage economy
·    Unwritten rules, norms and code of ethics everyone understood to    regulations, laws and policies
·    Oral tradition and customs shared across communities to education and global information

The elders who spoke primarily spent their first 5-7 years in igloos, living the migratory life. They hunted seal in the spring at ice holes, fished in the summer and fall for trout and arctic char and hunted Caribou in the fall and winter.   Most of them were taken from their families and put in residential schools when they were 8-12 years old, and this was very destructive.  Like the American native Indians, they were forbidden to speak their language, forced to learn English, and to abandon their traditions.  There was also much abuse, and this is still very present for them.  On Jun 11th of 2008, the Prime Minister of Canada issued a formal apology to the Inuit for the treatment they received.  This has been a long time coming and while it has brought up old wounds, they said it was necessary to help them let go of the past and to focus on the future. 

They also spoke of the climatic changes they have been aware of for the last 20 years or so, which are rapidly changing the land, sea and wildlife patterns.  Some of theses are”
·    Summers are hotter (this week they have broken records again in many places) high used to be 15 tops – this week it hit 26 here
·    Winters are different – warmer and more snow and storms; they had rain and hail last winter and also more blizzards, stronger winds
·    Fall is later and spring earlier
·    Seal skin is thinner and the animals have less fat
·    They are seeing new birds – Robins have been sighted
·    They had never seen plastic as children – now there is plastic all over the beaches and on the land too
·    There are new insects, and even butterflies they never had
·    Sea ice used to be 7 feet thick and is now 4 feet – the ice breaks up sooner and areas do not freeze
·    Sea level is higher and the shore is eroding
·    It is more difficult to read weather by the clouds – the jets change the patterns
·    Snow comes in layers and there are fewer layers

Climate change has happened faster here than anywhere in the world.   There have been many studies already and the elder’s wisdom correlates with the scientific understanding.  In 2004 a study was done with 8 Arctic countries and in 2008 Canada is completing a climate adaptation plan.  All infrastructures are impacted as the permafrost is melting.  Also other warming makes it easier for ships to come in and exploit non-renewable resources the north has, and development here is greatly accelerated.  (I saw an ad in the paper that 250,000 workers are needed for the construction and mining jobs – skilled trades).  Time to go have breakfast and learn more!  Today will be a very full day - will try to post more later!

In the light of the midnight sun,
Sharon

Sharon's Arctic Trip Journal #4 July 21 2008

Wow, a lot to share between last eve and this morning! The symposium opening speaker changed at the last minute, and we were very fortunate to have someone I had read about in an issue of the Kosmos Journal (Kosmos is the leading international Journal for planetary citizens committed to the birth and emergence of a new planetary culture and civilization) several months ago: Sheila Watt-Cloutier.  She was nominated for a Nobel Peace prize in 2007 and has a long history of working for indigenous people and environmental issues.  It is amazing to see so many women who have taken on leadership roles and made a huge difference in the world through their vision, persistence and ability to get people to collaborate. She led a key NGO back in the 80s when the ozone depletion issue became widely known, which led to the landmark Montreal treaty, a first win-win partnership between industry and governments that led to the ban on polluting coolants in refrigerators, for one thing.   She lives in Iqaluit (for those of you who play scrabble, note here is a q word with no u after the q)! – although it is a proper noun L) and speaks internationally.  She was very inspiring. 

After hearing from local dignitaries, we were treated to several aspects of Inuit culture – an amazing fashion show of traditional and modern fur clothing made form Caribou and seal primarily – gorgeous work.  Then, two women demonstrated traditional “throat singing” – hard to describe in brief, but it involves two people and is done as a cooperative game, with one person leading and the other following – but then they trade off leads and riff on each other, like jazz musicians! All done with voice and deep sounds made in the throat, larynx and diaphragm using breath.  There are traditional songs used for rituals, unique songs made of occasion or people, and cultural songs that many people know.  They sang a song of geese, one of birds and one of the wind for us.  They end in laughter, as they go until one of them gets tripped up by the other!  I could see how they pass the time in the long winter!! A lot of skill and fun involved.  After that we had a demonstration of drum dancing by some of the elders, who we will learn more from later today and tonight we will have traditional stories and more dancing and singing outside under the midnight sun.  I love drumming and I think that every indigenous culture I have ever heard about has evolved drumming in some way.  Seems to be a very universal impulse in us to drum, dance and sing to express our spirit.  The Inuit are very social and the community is very strong here.  This is true for the non-native people who live here as well.  Due to the harsh climate, people really bond and they tell us there are so many community activities, they are kept very busy!

This morning I volunteered on the registration desk for an hour or so, while the mayor and others welcomed the group over breakfast.  It is great getting to know the conference organizers.  There is an amazing group of people here for this conference.  Primarily from all over Canada, but also Alaska, and some international folks.  Then everyone went on one of several excursions, and Walt and I split up.  He went on a bus tour of “Services where the ground rarely thaws, an exploration of northern infrastructure,” and I went on a bus tour of “Retracing Iqaluit: From a traditional Inuit settlement to Canada’s newest capital city.”  Mine was fantastic.  The very knowledgeable guide has lived here since 1965, and held many council positions as well as been a teacher at the Arctic College here. He took us back to the park, and we hiked a short way to a ledge above the river.  There were many tents there, and he explained many locals camp there much of the summer.  They want to live on the land.  He led us to a depression in the ground and invited us to “sit in the house” while he explained what we were seeing.  Archeologists in the 1950’s (after the US air fueling base) had found clear evidence that 3 successive peoples had lived in this home site, over 3500 years.  I can’t go into all he said, but there were the Dorset, the Thule and the earliest Inuit.  I am not sure I have this all correct, but I know there were 3. The last group used whale ribs and skins, with sod as insulation, and scraped skins as a “window” for light to come in.  They heated with a lamp of seal or whale oil, which does not smoke.  This place was an ideal site, as it was over the river, which meant fresh water, at the mouth of the bay, and access to seals and whales and in the winter there was a caribou herd that came through.  The site received south sun for best solar heat, had rocks behind the ridge for protection and the best microclimate, and was thus a prime location.  There were about 15 sites, and a home would have held 8 people or so.   

After the prehistory lesson, we got back on the bus and learned about the development of the area since explorer Frobisher arrived in the 1500s, whaling came in the 1800s, white fox fur was fashionable in the 1900s, and then the American’s set up a base here for air refueling.  In recent years, development has been expanding rapidly in the north, and of course they are connected globally through the internet now!  The indigenous people are very aware of climate change, as it affects all of their traditional life, and they experience the changes in the land and sea.  I was talking with the conference organizer and she told me that one of the speakers we will hear from fell through the ice about 5 years ago, and ended up losing both feet as a result.  This was ice that had always been frozen.  In the winter when everything is frozen, that is when they can travel about.  As with the polar bears, when the ice breaks up, there are many challenges to safety, and sustainability issues are now different.  Thus this planning conference they are all attending!   The goal is for the scientists to learn from the elders and vice versa, and the planners to learn form everyone else and to share what they are all doing. 

Well it is now lunch time and then I will hear the elders speak this afternoon and eve.  Blessings from the north,
Sharon

Sharon's Arctic Trip Journal #3 July 20 2008

Continuing the journey, today we hung out in the morning, and then took the bus over to Sylvia Grinnell Park for two guided tours – Wildflowers and Geology of the area.  The flowers are very cool – they are all very small and have many different strategies to survive the harsh climate, from creating their own micro climates to growing very slowly (the willow was about a foot long and maybe a hundred years old).  They have 3 different kinds of berries and the plants have very adaptive ways to reproduce.  There is Arctic cotton, and other versions that have very silky seed pods; these are used to make wicks for the seal oil lamps.  It turns out it is so cold here in the winter that there is not that much snow, and you can find heather year round.  The Caribou eat mostly lichen, and it can take a hundred years for an area to re-grow once they have migrated through, so they change their patterns every year.  We took a lot of pictures of the flowers, but we are not able to upload until we get back; this computer does not recognize the card in the camera.  Walt got some “good” pictures of me with the mosquito netting all around my head, as it was pretty buggy today.  The netting worked pretty well and I could see through it just fine.   When we were given a version of Mountain sorrel to eat, I forgot I had it on and tried to pop it in my mouth through the netting – that got a laugh.  The terrain here is like high desert, and the flowers are like alpine flowers, even though we are at sea level.  It is very hilly and very rocky, with the springy vegetation in between the rocks.

On the geology walk we found out that the area is mostly granite, and the rocks are about 1.8 billion years old.  He showed us how the glacier moved through and how you could tell direction (it went west).  There were also a few boulders of different rock, and one was an iron ore, which we tested with a magnetic pen.  The presenters were very interesting and told us a lot about how the Canadian federal government and the Nunavut provincial govt interact.  The Inuit people were very intelligent in how they set up this province (it took the 10 years to get the final agreement they wanted).  The agreement includes that 2 % of the land belongs to the Inuit people, and they will have full jurisdiction over it.  They chose the land with the most economic development potential, and they knew which areas to choose.  So the iron ore deposit that I mentioned is in their 2%. So is a nickel mine on Baffin that is the richest in the world. Thus they have a lot of say over how it is developed, by whom, and how the profits are used.  For Walt to have the impact he wants, he should be talking to the provincial govt people, and that is who we have been meeting.  They are all very nice, very liberal and very smart!  (Upon talking further with them,  they are still working to execute some of these agreements and it is not all roses).

The park was also beautiful; we were back at the river where Linda took us last night.  This time we had great views, and after the talks we walked down to the river near two waterfalls.  This river is great drinking water, as there is NO development or civilization above it.  The water is pure.  It was warm enough that there were a lot of kids in swimming.  Too buggy for me to do that!  We enjoyed the sights and then hiked back up to make the bus back.  We are getting a lot of exercise!

After a shower (that felt SO good) and 2 ibuprofen (a good idea), shortly we will go down for the symposium opening and reception.

It is wonderful to be in such a different social reality and environment.  I am looking forward to meeting more people and the conversation is great.  And the symposium has not even started yet!

More on that later-
Love,
Sharon

Sharon's Arctic Trip Journal #2 July 20 2008

Hello again, I continue to practice my writing!

We arrived Friday afternoon and it is now Sunday morning.  We are having an amazing time and so much has happened in a short time! We are taking lots of pictures, and will figure out a way to post them at some point, so I will let you know how to get to them!
Starting where I left off…Fri eve was topped by a fantastic meal – I had the grilled Arctic Char, which is similar to wild salmon and delicious. Walt had Caribou medallions and that was delicious too.  A bit stronger than beef, but tender, and great sauces.  We had a wonderful view of the bay, and also do from our room (which we are not spending a lot of time in!).  The sun actually set around 10:00 pm, but it never gets too dark; more a twilight. The moon does rise and has been full and beautiful.  The sun rises again around 3am, so that is it for nighttime!  It is bright as noon at 4am.  We fell into bed around midnight.

Yesterday we decided to hike and take the “road to nowhere” trail – when the road ends that is it – no more roads and just wilderness.  The people here just talk about “going out on the land.”  I could see Walt moving here just to have the address  - #4000 Nowhere”   that is the street name! The tundra is very interesting – it is very rocky – the rocks are a BILLION years old here.  And the ground is covered in a springy lichen/moss, with lots of very small wildflowers, which are beautiful.  The Inuit used the lichen/heather for bedding and to burn – starts a fire easily. We are very glad we brought good hiking boots, as they are needed.  While on our walk we found a Caribou jaw bone, with teeth intact, and some other bones as well.  We practiced the “take nothing” rule and left it on the land.  We do have pictures!  We came back, had lunch and met the conference organizers, and helped a bit with set up for registration.  200 people from all over Canada are here, with lots of Nunavut representation as well.  We are meeting very interesting people! To go in chronological order though, after that we decided to take a cab ride over to the adjacent town of Apex, and hike back from there along the shore.  We were told there was a good carving store and fur seamstress there – but it turns out Saturday was National Parks day in Canada and everyone was at the local park, with lots of cultural events going on.  We will be going there tomorrow, so we chose to do this hike.  We did walk back along the shore – the tide was out, which meant WAY out – probably a half mile of tide flat.  There is a small ice berg in the bay, and with the tide out it is grounded – so we got as close to that as we could, and took some pictures of Walt in shorts with the ice berg in the background!  They are having very high temperatures here this week – makes the point of the conference - it was 25 degrees Celsius, which is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit!  So it is hot and buggy, but with a nice wind and gorgeous scenery.  The iceberg, which Walt tells me is a “bergy bit” is beautiful up close. 

When we got back, I hit the shower and put my feet up for a bit, and Walt headed straight for the bar.  When I joined him about an hour later, he had made several new friends, and we ended up spending the evening together.  They are all very interested in attending his presentation on Wed.  Lynda is a Nunavut native, and had pictures from her childhood with her to show some other friends who were there from Ottawa, of her dressed in furs.  Here mom was an Inuk (Inuit person) and her dad a Scott.  He had a government post, and one story she told was of them having a polar bear cub for about 4 months when she was 7.  The mother had been breaking into homes, and had to be shot, and then they found the cub.  They eventually gave it to a university.  Her family actually traveled a lot, and lived in several places including Africa, but she and a brother eventually ended up back here, which is home to her.  Her high school years were in Ottawa. She is now a municipal planner, for all the municipalities in Nunavut, a huge area.   The other folks were friends Lynda had met a few years back at another conference, and the woman is the deputy mayor of a large town of about 150,000 outside of Toronto. She and her husband were here together; he works on the Board of Education in their area.  We all had a great dinner and few bottles of wine, although Linda declared herself designated driver and had little to drink.  Alcoholism is a major social problem here, as the Inuit, like other native cultures, struggle to find their identity in the “modern” world of a “wage economy.”   

After dinner and great conversation, Lynda volunteered to drive us around, and took us out into the park to see the river.  It was now about 10pm, and we watched the sun set and moon rise.  At the river, we found a small group of people having a fire, and joined them for awhile.  They were from Newfoundland.  So far, we have met several people who said “I came for 6 weeks, or 6 months, and I am still here 6 years or 16 years later!”  One reason is that if you do have some education, or are willing to work in any area, there is plenty of work and it pays well.  The cost of living here is very high, as everything has to be shipped or flown in.  There are no roads to get here!  There was a sign at the store saying “the ship was in – we have your favorite things again!”    We finally tumbled into bed again around midnight.  I have to find a clip today, as the light comes in between the curtains and is very bright from 2am on! 

Today we start with conference tours, and have a guided wildflower walk and a geology walk, and then a reception and keynote address from a woman who is the President of the Inuit Tapirilt Kanatami, Canada’s National Inuit organization.  She has a very distinguished resume related to circumpolar affairs. That will be followed by an Inuit fashion show!

Well, time to go get breakfast and the day underway. 
More to come later,
Sharon 

Sharon's Arctic Trip Journal #1 July 18 2008

Hello, I am sending greetings from Iqaluit, Nunavut in the Arctic Circle!  My husband Walter is so happy - he has achieved a life-long dream to be here in the Arctic.  It is very beautiful here – about 70 degrees and enough wind to keep the mosquitoes somewhat at bay (Deet and a hat do the rest!).  We are staying at the Frobisher Inn, overlooking the bay, on the south end of Baffin Island.  We are learning a lot already about the Inuit people and history, the art, culture and how people have survived and thrived in the arctic climate for over 10,000 years. 

If you are interested in hearing about our adventures, read on!  If not, please delete!  I am sending this to friends who I thought might enjoy the trip log!

Thursday we drove up from NJ to Montreal, which was a gorgeous ride up through the Adirondack Mountains of NY.  Once situated in the hotel, we headed for the Old Quarter and enjoyed seeing some sights (Notre Dame Cathedral, the marketplace) and had dinner on one of the many outdoor restaurant terraces. 

Friday we flew to Kujjuuaq in northern Quebec and met an interesting man sitting next to me who is a health planner and nurse for 12 villages in the area, promoting diabetes education.  The incidence of diabetes has become a major health issue, as traditional diets have been replaced with readily available processed foods.  The Inuit traditionally eat mostly meat, and they eat it raw!  Their diet is Caribou in fall and winter seal in winter and spring, and Arctic Char in the spring and summer. Supplemented with berries, bird eggs, small animals they might trap, etc.  But many to most now live in towns and do not live on the land.  They still have “country food” but also shop at the supermarket (which has everything!).  From there we flew on to Iqaluit (pronounced ee-kah-loo-it).  This is the capital of Nunavut, which is the newest of the Canadian Provinces, since 1999.  There are about 7,000 in this town.  Everything here is built to withstand arctic winter, so it is a well built frontier town.  The Inn we are in is very comfortable and beautiful.

Why are we here?  Walt is speaking at a conference being held here for the Institute of Canadian Planners, on the impacts of Climate Change and how to plan for it.  He is speaking about the Maritime impact, and how to plan for that to reduce environmental impact.  Shipping has already increased dramatically in this area and will continue to do so as the ice melts and the Northwest Passage is open longer and more of the year.  Last night in the bar we met a father and son; the father does computer consulting for government agencies in the arctic (there are a lot of them) and the son is a pilot.  He told Walt he recently flew a group of Chinese executives up here, as they are looking to invest in development of an iron ore mine in the north of Baffin Island, which has significant mineral deposits.  This is one reason shipping will be increasing, as rich mineral deposits in the arctic are exploited.    

Along with talking with them over a few beers, local Inuit carvers came around to sell their wares.  We bought a rock carving of an Inuit woman, and almost one of a narwhal, but we were outbid as we went to get cash.  There will be more opportunities and the gent we met gave us a primer on what to look for when buying art.  We got signed pieces, and by a well respected artist.  What we are paying $100 – 200 for, he told us is worth $800-2000 in Montreal or the States.  Good deal!  The carvings are very beautiful and a way for the Inuit to make money.  They have keen powers of observation and detail, developed from their heritage of hunting and living so closely on the land. 

That wraps up day 1 – I intend to write daily if possible, just to record the experiences we have! 

From the land of 22 hours of daylight….
Sharon