Playtime with the sled dogs

Maren is a high school teacher who has lived in Igloolik for the last four years. A year and a half ago she got 8 pups from Simon, the Inuk who took Jenn, Natasha and myself out on his dog sled yesterday. Maren's pups are now a fully grown sled team and she invited me over for their daily exercise. Today she wasn't going to harness them to her komatik but another pair of teachers had just imported a kick sled from Quebec that they wanted to try out with two of Maren's dogs. Dan and Kim have two young pups of their own which they intend to train to pull the kick sled, but for now they hoped to test whether or not the idea was sound with two more experienced dogs. The idea worked perfectly! It's amazing how fast one can travel when pulled by a pair of Inuit dogs running with their teammates towards a rising/setting sun. We each had a turn of the sled while the others walked over the ice. Have I mentioned how beautiful it is out on the ice? A still camera can't quite capture the expanse, film would be better but still can't match up to the reality. There is a film production company in town called Isuma and a few years ago their first feature film was released and even made it to Britain. I saw it in Edinburgh, probably at the Filmhouse. It is called Atanarjuat and was filmed around Igloolik with actors from the town. I remember watching it and marvelling at the landscapes - I never dreamed that I would end up here myself! Apparently the komatik Alvin borrowed to take Jenn and myself out to floe edge belonged to Atanarjuat himself - or at least to the actor who played the leading role. Anyway, the film is worth watching purely for the Arctic landscapes.

In the evening Jenn and Ian had invited friends round for a leaving party for a couple who were leaving Igloolik to go and live in Saskatchewan. Most of the qallunaaq (white people - actually, I think the true translation is more derogatory!) who live here stay for only a couple of years. The salary is very good and it helps a lot of people pay off college and university debts. Most are teachers as there are both an elementary and a high school here. There is also a research centre so there are a small number of scientists. It was good to meet a few more people in the community. A couple of Inuit came round to the house in the evening to sell some artwork. One brought a painting done on tent canvas by his wife, and some cinnamon rolls that she had made. Another brought an intricately fashioned komatik made out of wood. Inside the box on the komatik were some tiny utensils: a kettle, a gun, a fishing stick, all done in incredible detail. Apparently that is the usual way that the art here is sold. As work is finished, or when money is needed, individual items are taken round the houses and sold.