Two weeks down, eight more t0 go!
“Cool” things I’ve done so far (no pun intended):
- I ate caribou, including the tongue, which is considered the best part of the animal. Caribou meat is usually boiled and then dipped in soy sauce, or made into a stew with vegetables. It tasted a lot like beef actually.
- I rode on the frozen lake in a wooden sleigh towed by a Ski-doo. When the weather is colder and the ice is more solidified, dogs are sometimes used to drag the sleighs. We went with one of the locals, his nephew and his nephew’s friend. They were kind enough to show Patrick and me their fishing cabin, on an island in the middle of the lake. Since ice was slightly melted, the sleigh got stuck amongst the slush during our journey, and we had to pull it to a firmer part of the ice. That was quite the experience!
- I drove a Honda ATV out in the land. I was petty terrified actually, as I don’t even know how to drive a car. Patrick and I were stuck in the middle of nowhere for about half-an-hour, unable to start the vehicle, and then we discovered that we simply forgot to turn on the air valve!
What I have learned about Baker Lake so far:
Baker Lake is the only inland community in Nunavut. It isn’t on the coast, thus seal-hunting is out of the picture. However it is situated beside a lake called, you guessed it, Baker Lake. And this allows for some great fishing to take place all year round. The town has 2000 people, 1 elementary school, 1 high school, 4 churches, 2 mining companies, 16 Inuktitut dialects, and 1 common past-time: being “out on the land”. This can refer to hours, days, or weeks of fishing or hunting outside of the community, often in family cabins.
The community has changed drastically in the recent years, especially since the introduction of the mining companies. English is the language of the youth, and Inuktitut is the language of the elders. Youths are strongly influenced by Southern pop culture and technology. I saw quite a number of iPod touches. Patrick and I had our neighbours over for dinner today , they’re a white couple that have been here for 11 years. The husband is an IT specialist for the school board, while the wife teaches Grade 12. They told us that the presence of technology has really increased in the community during the time that they were here. When I asked whether it was because people were able to afford technology more so now than before, they responded, “Nope, it’s never really been affordable, but ya know it’s just the latest thing, and people have got to have it!”
We also learned from them that high school graduation rate is about 30%, and this is steadily increasing, so there is definitely positive change happening in the community. The main issue facing Inuit people isn’t the lack of employment opportunities. In fact the government alone provides more jobs than can be filled. As a result, many teaching and policing positions are offered to Southerners. It takes an average of 280 days to fill a government job opening, simply because there aren’t enough qualified personnel, and there lies the big problem – Not enough people have the necessary education to be employed. And that’s where projects like our literacy camp come in…
The Project
Tomorrow is the first day of camp! I am flooded with excitement, anxiety, and anticipation for how we can tackle those super energetic kids. In the past week, we’ve hired our two local leaders: one is a mother of three that has been part of the camp in the past, and is extensively involved with the community and its youths; the other is a young woman that has volunteered in British Columbia and Botswana as part of the Northern Youth Abroad program, and has applied to St. Lawrence College in Kingston for Business Management. They are a splendid addition to our team, and are filled with ideas and knowledge about how to work with the local kids. Together we unpacked boxes upon boxes of books in our preparation for the camps. The books are now sitting in neatly organized bins in the designated “reading corner”, waiting to be fumbled through by eager little thumbs…
“Cool” things I’ve done so far (no pun intended):
- I ate caribou, including the tongue, which is considered the best part of the animal. Caribou meat is usually boiled and then dipped in soy sauce, or made into a stew with vegetables. It tasted a lot like beef actually.
- I rode on the frozen lake in a wooden sleigh towed by a Ski-doo. When the weather is colder and the ice is more solidified, dogs are sometimes used to drag the sleighs. We went with one of the locals, his nephew and his nephew’s friend. They were kind enough to show Patrick and me their fishing cabin, on an island in the middle of the lake. Since ice was slightly melted, the sleigh got stuck amongst the slush during our journey, and we had to pull it to a firmer part of the ice. That was quite the experience!
- I drove a Honda ATV out in the land. I was petty terrified actually, as I don’t even know how to drive a car. Patrick and I were stuck in the middle of nowhere for about half-an-hour, unable to start the vehicle, and then we discovered that we simply forgot to turn on the air valve!
What I have learned about Baker Lake so far:
Baker Lake is the only inland community in Nunavut. It isn’t on the coast, thus seal-hunting is out of the picture. However it is situated beside a lake called, you guessed it, Baker Lake. And this allows for some great fishing to take place all year round. The town has 2000 people, 1 elementary school, 1 high school, 4 churches, 2 mining companies, 16 Inuktitut dialects, and 1 common past-time: being “out on the land”. This can refer to hours, days, or weeks of fishing or hunting outside of the community, often in family cabins.
The community has changed drastically in the recent years, especially since the introduction of the mining companies. English is the language of the youth, and Inuktitut is the language of the elders. Youths are strongly influenced by Southern pop culture and technology. I saw quite a number of iPod touches. Patrick and I had our neighbours over for dinner today , they’re a white couple that have been here for 11 years. The husband is an IT specialist for the school board, while the wife teaches Grade 12. They told us that the presence of technology has really increased in the community during the time that they were here. When I asked whether it was because people were able to afford technology more so now than before, they responded, “Nope, it’s never really been affordable, but ya know it’s just the latest thing, and people have got to have it!”
We also learned from them that high school graduation rate is about 30%, and this is steadily increasing, so there is definitely positive change happening in the community. The main issue facing Inuit people isn’t the lack of employment opportunities. In fact the government alone provides more jobs than can be filled. As a result, many teaching and policing positions are offered to Southerners. It takes an average of 280 days to fill a government job opening, simply because there aren’t enough qualified personnel, and there lies the big problem – Not enough people have the necessary education to be employed. And that’s where projects like our literacy camp come in…
The Project
Tomorrow is the first day of camp! I am flooded with excitement, anxiety, and anticipation for how we can tackle those super energetic kids. In the past week, we’ve hired our two local leaders: one is a mother of three that has been part of the camp in the past, and is extensively involved with the community and its youths; the other is a young woman that has volunteered in British Columbia and Botswana as part of the Northern Youth Abroad program, and has applied to St. Lawrence College in Kingston for Business Management. They are a splendid addition to our team, and are filled with ideas and knowledge about how to work with the local kids. Together we unpacked boxes upon boxes of books in our preparation for the camps. The books are now sitting in neatly organized bins in the designated “reading corner”, waiting to be fumbled through by eager little thumbs…
Hey Lauren!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your adventures are going so well!! Tori and I made it back from Botswana and I just read your part about one of the local leaders having been there. When in Bots we met with WUSC and actually learned about the Northern Youth Abroad program and saw pics!! Can't wait to hear how the first weeks of camp have been!!
xo
mish
CARIBOU TONGUE?! sounds tasty!
ReplyDeleteLauren!!! I love reading your posts. they are so descriptive and i feel like i'm there with you on this amazing journey. be safe and have lots of fun! <3 <3 <3
ReplyDelete