Arctic Photos

Click on the pictures to see the full-sized versions.

In addition to taking lots of scenenry pictures, I had the opportunity to enjoy some uniquely northern experiences. This picture was taken when we went for a snowmobile ride out on the bay (in June!) with a local family. We rode in a quamutik (sled) pulled behind the snowmobile. We saw some seals sitting on the ice, but they dove through a hole in the ice before we got near, so this is the only picture I have of them. If you really squint, you can see them as a dark spot on the ice in the distance.

I also went hiking with a friend - this is her on a rather steep hill we walked along on the way to....

...this spot, where we camped for the night (ok, we came back early because it got cold and windy, but who's counting? *heehee*).

The Inuit enjoy being outdoors, and doing things as a community. This is one of the girls in town, taking in part in a fishing competition. Those who caught the most sculpin (kanayuak or 'ugly fish' in Inuktitut, and they are ugly!) won prizes. This young lady came in second, with 15 or so fish. The fish were put back in the water afterwards, as the people in Naujat don't like to eat them, although they are eaten in other communities. There are a lot of Arctic Char in the area (a delicious fish, which tastes similar to Salmon), so why settle for a less-tasty fish?
This picture was taken in early July, and you can see the ice beginning to break up near the shore, making small 'icebergs'. Jumping between them was fun (and helped you move quickly when they started tipping or sinking underneath you!)

The community spirit included celebrating together, and sharing with others. There was a 'feast' at this home this day (I didn't ask what the occasion was), and quite a number of people were there - I think it was an open invitation to the community. We were invited to help ourselves to the fish, maktaa (blubber), etc (all raw), but I didn't try any, as I wasn't sure how fresh it was and I didn't want to get sick on my last day.

Inuit women carry their children on their backs in a jacket called an Amauti. The baby sits against the mom's back within the jacket, which would help keep the child warm (in my opinion). The amauti was traditionally made of animal skins, as was all their clothing, but now they are usually made of 'southern' materials - cloth and padded liners for warmth.

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	In addition to taking lots of scenenry pictures, I had the opportunity to enjoy some uniquely northern experiences. This picture was taken when we went for a snowmobile ride out on the bay (in June!) with a local family. We rode in a quamutik (sled) pulled behind the snowmobile. We saw some seals sitting on the ice, but they dove through a hole in the ice before we got near, so this is the only picture I have of them. If you really squint, you can see them as a dark spot on the ice in the distance.
I also went hiking with a friend - this is her on a rather steep hill we walked along on the way to....
	...this spot, where we camped for the night (ok, we came back early because it got cold and windy, but who's counting? heehee).
The Inuit enjoy being outdoors, and doing things as a community. This is one of the girls in town, taking in part in a fishing competition. Those who caught the most sculpin (kanayuak or 'ugly fish' in Inuktitut, and they are ugly!) won prizes. This young lady came in second, with 15 or so fish. The fish were put back in the water afterwards, as the people in Naujat don't like to eat them, although they are eaten in other communities. There are a lot of Arctic Char in the area (a delicious fish, which tastes similar to Salmon), so why settle for a less-tasty fish? This picture was taken in early July, and you can see the ice beginning to break up near the shore, making small 'icebergs'. Jumping between them was fun (and helped you move quickly when they started tipping or sinking underneath you!)
	The community spirit included celebrating together, and sharing with others. There was a 'feast' at this home this day (I didn't ask what the occasion was), and quite a number of people were there - I think it was an open invitation to the community. We were invited to help ourselves to the fish, maktaa (blubber), etc (all raw), but I didn't try any, as I wasn't sure how fresh it was and I didn't want to get sick on my last day.
Inuit women carry their children on their backs in a jacket called an Amauti. The baby sits against the mom's back within the jacket, which would help keep the child warm (in my opinion). The amauti was traditionally made of animal skins, as was all their clothing, but now they are usually made of 'southern' materials - cloth and padded liners for warmth.