Iqaluit's Alianait Arts Festival magic

While attending Alianait I was generously hosted by Heather Daley, the festival's director. It was a pleasure to experience the magic of this festival that focuses on bringing circumpolar, Inuit and other indigenous artists together with select Southern Canadian musicians. The festival includes professionally produced shows at the Nakasuk school auditorium's stage, musical jams, theatre, and workshops. Many musical genres are represented from fiddles and accordion, to throat singing, blues, rock and more.

It runs over Canada Day so that its big top becomes a focal point for this community celebration.

I was invited to post-show artist get-togethers and experienced joyous musical collaborations. Artists coming from Nunavut, Greenland, Northwest Territories, Mongolia, Iran, southern Canada mingled together at parties and invariably music ensued, with a great deal of curiosity and exchange about each others styles and vibes.

This video of Simon Lynge jamming with the assembled crew shows merely one of many highlights.

REND from Edmonton played two great shows, including
Canada Day show in the big top. Representing alternative rock.

Members of Sedaa share their music mixing Inuit drums and
their style of throat signing to great delight of party-goers.

World fusion jam made a truly magic soundscape.
Sedaa, Barrule (Isle of Man), Sylvia Cloutier (Nunavut),
Tiffany Ayalik (Yellowknife)

Mongolian musician explains their style of throat signing
to Inuit and southern Canadian musicians.

Blues jam on stage: The Tradeoffs (Iqaluit),
Quantum Tangle (Grey Gritt and Tiffany Ayalik, Yellowknife),
The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer (Vancouver)

Iqaluit, Nunavut in summer

I spent 6 days in Iqaluit, Nunavut during the Alianait Arts Festival, from June 29 to July 4. Summer on the tundra and on Frobisher Bay is a remarkable experience.

With Nunavut's much shorter summer than the one I've been enjoying in the Yukon - at similar latitudes - there is a sense of urgency to take in the sun, be outside, participate. Here are a few impressions of the landscapes and town. (Simply click on an image to see it in larger slide show mode.)

The big top flew the Pride flag for the first time. It was a much
appreciated gesture after the Orlando massacre in Florida.

A stunning sunrise around 2:00 am. The nights don't get
dark this time of year, as the sun merely dips below the
horizon for a short while.

Panorama over the Road to Nowhere toward Frobisher Bay

The draw of the Big Top after the Canada Day Parade

Dynamic skies over the tundra beach at Frobisher Bay.

Frobisher Bay panorama showing the ice breaking up. The first icebreaker of the season was expected within a few days,
clearing the way for the all important Sealift later in July.

Beautiful light around 2 in the morning.

Iqaluit leaves lasting impressions

Modern transports for a Northern life.

At the end of March I had the pleasure of spending a week in Iqaluit, Nunavut working with a local arts festival. That trip concluded one of my most intense 3 months travel schedules covering about 25,000 km and spanning from Baja Caifornia to New York, to St. John's NL and then Iqaluit.

I had never been to Nunavut - it is an expensive place to get to let alone travel in. For years, we have contemplated trekking on Baffin Island, so I was happy to have this opportunity for a first look through work. I did manage to make the most of my free time - visiting the local museum, the visitor centre, a drive out to Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park, meeting local artists in their studio, having a friend drive me around the whole town covering all the available roads. I even had dinner on the Road to Nowhere.

While I was there the #sealfie campaign was just taking off in defense of traditional seal hunting. It quickly morphed into raising awareness of Inuit culture, issues of cultural survival - and even more basic: survival - and what living on the land (mostly frozen land) means. The campaign also showed why Canadian seal hunting is not so easily divisive into commercial hunting and traditional hunting; in following this grassroots campaign, artist-led as it is, and listening to Inuit and Northern perspectives I feel I understand more.

(BTW, personally, I have no trouble with hunting for food and clothing. I eat meats and fish of various sorts and often eat the local fare when I travel, from llama jerky to alpaca steak to guanaco fillets, and  most recently in Iqaluit from caribou to muskox to whale.)

Semi-frozen whale skin and tiny bits of blubber and Ulu knife.
Served with soy sauce

That is what I love about travelling: getting to know landscapes - really being in them - learning how to inhabit them and meeting the local people. It is usually not terribly romantic to learn about living close to the land. Having grown up on a family farm, I know about food production and the ethics involved. I also feel that city dwellers have become disconnected from where food and clothes come from. I wish there was less judgment and more listening and seeking to understand.

With that a few impressions of the arctic landscapes around Iqaluit:

Iqaluit and the frozen Frobisher Bay

Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park
This landscape makes
me want to  hike

Frozen river in Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park

In Apex on the beach.