Thursday Tidbits

Posted on May 27, 2021 under Thursday Tidbits with 3 comments

 

Farewell, Kangiqsujuaq

 

“Goodbye, goodbye,

 Think I’ll set my wings for flying,

In the sky, in the sky,

There’s room enough to fly,

So, goodbye.

Goodbye, Again – Ray Materick

 

Well, it’s time for this bird to fly. This will be my final post from Kangiqsujuaq.

There are just too many memories to list but here are a few:

The howling of sled dogs when the village is asleep.

Throat singing.

Inuit babies.

New Year’s Eve fireworks by the mountains and Wakem Bay.

The guys who work at the airport. My friends.

Just Dance in the school gym.

Dog sled races.

Inuit children.

Christmas in Kangiqsujuaq.

Inuit winter games.

Staff Christmas dinner where I ate raw beluga and raw caribou for the first time.

The Christmas dinner that we provided to those who wouldn’t have one.

The epic ice fishing trip.

Riding in a Qamotiq. A mistake!

The seal hunting expedition and walking across Ungava Bay.

Hiking in the mountains in summer and winter.

Inuit teenagers.

Walking the airport loop alone or with colleagues.

Singing with the children at the FM station.

The beauty of the tundra in all seasons.

Taking a stroll in a storm at -57!

Teaching after a 40- year hiatus.

The Inuit staff at the two grocery stores.

My colleagues at work.

Sewing mittens.

Attending the Pentecostal church.

Surviving my first few months in the Arctic.

Weekly phone calls with my brother, Don.

Inuit adults. Inuit staff members.

Teacher’s road.

Covid.

Getting my two vaccine shots.

Skating alone at the arena.

The Qaggiq.

Parent-Teacher night.

The first day at school.

The last day at school.

Inuit elders.

Spotty internet.

Spotty cable.

My adventures getting a phone line with Bell.

Doing music at the summer camp with young children.

Pen pals across Canada for my students. Thanks. You know who you are.

Posting a story from my neighbor’s veranda at 5:00 a.m. in -35 temps.

The sky. Oh, the sky.

The parade through town for our graduates. They sat on top of the fire truck.

Outdoor funerals in the winter.

Learning songs in Inuktitut.

Teaching songs in English.

Recess duty. Holding one end of a skipping rope.

The water and sewage trucks.

Trips to the airport to pick up cargo (groceries).

The nursing station.

Skidoo trip across Wakem Bay.

Learning about Inuit culture.

Zoom calls.

Masks. Hand sanitizer. Social distancing.

Skinamarink. Baby Beluga. Ed The Invisible Dragon. Country Roads.

The Christmas concert (pre-Covid).

In closing, I want to thank the people of Kangiqsujuaq for making me feel welcome and a part

of their community. I have learned a great deal from the Inuit people including patience, perseverance,

and persistence. These are among the kindest and most gentle people on the planet. They are incredibly

talented people who have endured so much hardship.

I will miss them.

Farewell, salut, tavvauvusi.

Nakurmik.

Best wishes and stay well.