Since it’s the peak of summertime heat, I figured it’s the best time to share more of what my trip to Canada’s Arctic province of Nunavut involved, primarily through photos I took on this trip. We could all use a dose of northern coolness on these ridiculously warm days and nights down here in the south (because when you’re up there, everywhere is south!)
Quick background for you: this was my first travel “assignment” as a photographer for Ethnos360. I’ve been a photographer in a more personal, hobby oriented way for many years and it’s only recently, since rejoining the Communications team, that I’ve been able to lean more professionally into still photography. Ethnos360 has collaborated with some fantastically talented photographers over the years, so I would be remiss to leave out that I sensed I was walking in the footsteps of true artists in this role!
After a series of flights and layovers that just kept heading north, I began to see the trees, lakes, roads and other discernible landmarks below me eventually turn into nothing but snow. As we landed it was following an approach over a snow-packed frozen bay where the nearest open water was almost 80 miles from where it is in the time of year when the ice has all thawed.
I was prepared, to a degree, for how different the landscape would look, but seeing it in person, driving through the small city, seeing the ways that buildings and construction methods have to adapt to such a different climate was amazing.
We spent three solid days in a truly cozy house that had huge panoramic windows that looked down at that frozen bay where from first light (which was around 4:30am) to the sunset (not fully set until close to 10:00pm at that time), you could see and hear snowmobiles with hitched sled-like trailers called a “qamutiik” (which are also what are used behind sled-dog teams which we saw a bunch of on our second day!).
Those three days were occupied by interviews with the team of two families that Ethnos Canada has allocated to the town and are in the early-stages of learning the culture and language of this particular Inuit population, who speak a language they call “Inuktitut”, hanging out with them and then having them take us to see the late-spring landscape they called home. It was fortunate that we were there for part of a local festival called “Toonik Tyme” where they celebrate the coming thaw and the humongous accomplishment of living through another long, dark winter. This allowed us to see several cultural demonstrations including the end at the finish line for an annual sled-dog race!
When we weren’t seeing the way that the Inuit people lived and the things they valued, we were taking in the incredible landscape. From solo treks out in the park-land right behind the house, to several snowmobile excursions all over the place and at all times of day, my co-traveller, Bruce, and I took as much in as we could stand, using the borrowed heavy cold-weather gear, which for me, still didn’t keep me warm enough! It felt SO good to come into the house and warm up by the wood-burning stove that I attempted to keep burning as much as I could.
Too soon, it was time to head back south BUT not before we had the chance to witness one of God’s most spectacular forms of art, the aurora borealis! It takes the right sky conditions and the previous three nights missed the mark, but the final night was a crisp clear night with perfect viewing conditions and it was breath-takingly beautiful. I brought my camera and tripod (which I have to add using a camera in constant 10-20 degree conditions presented a challenge at times, especially if it’s windy) and tried to capture them as best as I could. What you see here is a combo of both phone and camera photos and on the fly with no experience, it was actually my phone that best caught the subtle colors.
Reluctantly, we headed back south on our final morning and swore to ourselves we would return!
While the strikingly resilient Inuit people we observed, and their breath-taking homeland stick in our minds, it was the way we could see the Creator’s hand in their lives and in the lives of the team of families slowly building relationships of trust with them, that awed us most of all.
Pray with us for that the sun of righteousness would fully dawn on this beautiful, northern land, with healing in its wings. The work is hard, but eternally rewarding.
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