Day 2: A fateful meeting and A good night

We began the day with a quick breakfast and then the plan was to catch a city bus to Sir Richard Borden high school at 8:05 am. we unknowingly had assumed the weather would be cooperative. Unfortunately, it had rained and snowed for the majority of the night meaning that the bus we needed to take never arrived and we had to take a cab to the school. After a quick introduction by the teacher we were underway. We showed the PowerPoint and images then answered questions. We, (Jeff, Dalen, Allison, Joe and Chris) then split into small groups where we answered questions and interacted with the Canadian students. On the way back from the school we again had to try and figure out the bus system in the gloomy weather. On the bus back we met a truly amazing person, Rosemarie Kuptana from Sachs Harbor in the high arctic. Rosemarie had helped produce a video and education guide to one of the many texts and videos we had studied in preparation for this trip. Rosemarie, at the time of the video, had worked for the International Institute for Sustainable Development or IISD. She narrated and helped produce the video called, "Sila Alangotok" or "the climate is changing" which documents the many cultural and ecological changes observed in Sachs Harbor.

After a quick lunch we studied up on some local culture and relaxed for a while. The next stop is the Nunavut Sivuniksavut program, which is the local education group (local meaning Ottawa) that educates young Inuit students before a university setting. After an explanation of our school we learned of their program, which was originally started in 1986 as training for land negotiators and administrators. After the establishment of Nunavut as a territory in 1999, the program changed into a prep school for Inuit students from small communities. The programs goals include: education in traditional knowledge, politics, sovereignty issues, land issues, environmental health issues and cultural change. The program sponsors education in many different settings including a cumulative field study in a chosen country, this year Peru!

After we learned the history of the school we began a question and answer section where we began to learn many things about the young adults and their homes. The majority of students came from Baffin Island itself, but others came from the mainland. After a discussion of multiple topics and issues we had the privilege to witness a few culture dances and songs. These songs and dances described anything from "a mothers love" to a song about the sun

This unique experience allowed us, simple high school students, to truly experience a new and exciting culture. After finishing the night with a rousing game of Inuit skills including leg wrestling, arm pulls and cheek pulls we headed for the hostel for another night at the jail. Tomorrow we head to Iqualuit at 9;00 am and will be on Baffin by 2:00pm.

Until then,

Dalen and Jeff out