HALUUQQUGUT IQALUKTUUTIAMIT. INUIN NAAMMAINNAQTUT. HILA ALIANAQHIJUQ. HIQINIQ QULVAKPAKGAMI. AUDLAAQNAQHIJUQ AUDLAATINAQHIJUQ. APITAKMIJUQ NUNAKPUT PIQHIQPAKGAMI IPAKHANI. NUTAQQAT ANIIQPALIQMIJUT. HITUAQATAQTUT APUTIGAALUK ALINAQHIJUT. ANGNAT MIQHUJAKPAKTUT KALGIANILU PITQUHIITKUNILU. ANGNAN NUTAQQATLU INUIN ILLA AANURAQTUT PINNIHIJUT. KAMMANIKTUTLU ALIANAQ TAUTUGIAMI. ALIANAQ MIQHURIAMI. QUANA ANGNAT AJUILIQTUT.
QUANAQPIAK TAPKUAT ILIHAIVAKTUT. UPINGNAMI TIKILIQMAN QUANA. UPLAQINAHUAT IQALUKTUUTIAMIGUUK MAI 14-24MUN. HIKUINAKMIGUK. KATIMALAITUT KAMIUNITTIHAMI UPLAQIVINGMILU. TAMNA AANIARUT PINGMAN HULI. KATIMANNIAQTUT KATIMAJIIT. NAUNAIQNIAKPUK HUMILU QANURITTUNIK ULAPGAIKNAHUANIK. QUANA IKAQJUQNAHUAT. TUHAJAKHANIK UTAQQILUHI NALAUTIKKUTLUUNIT TITIQANIKLUUNIT. NAAMMAINNAQTUT INUIN.
HUQULLAAQATTIGIIT NUMAGIAQHIMAJUT IQALUNNUN IPAKHANI. QUVIAHUNGMATA INUIN NUNAVUNMIN, QUANA ILAUNGMATA. ALIANAQPIAQTUQ PIHIIT NALARIAMI. UMATIVUT NAAMMAQHIVAKTUK. AANURAAT MIQHUQHIMAJAIT PINIQPIAQHUTIK.
Welcome to one of Nunavut’s cold spots, Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island. This time of year as our land prepares for spring time weather, we get lots of sunshine, more daylight and at times blowing snow. As daylight gets longer up here, many Inuit head out to their favourite fishing spots out on the lakes and the ocean.
The community now distributes tags for caribou hunting as there is now a quota set up in our hunting areas for Inuit of Iqaluktuutiaq. The decline in caribou herds is one of the reasons for doing this now, in all the years I have lived here all my life, it is the first time I have seen this being done. Us Inuinnait were born and live and eat and survived on caribou as part of our diet and survival. Without caribou in our diets, especially for our Elders, life would be very difficult. But today we have to rely and wait if you are lucky to get piece of caribou. We the Inuit have always shared whatever was harvested. Today caribou is scarce on the island, so with hunters in our community, it is whoever gets a caribou tag that can go hunting. It is the same with polar bear.
Other wildlife harvested by Inuinnait is still open year-round, only caribou is monitored so that the possibility of increasing caribou population for years and years will be there for our next generation. Quana to Ekaluktutiak Hunters and Trappers Organization for providing country food for the residents of Cambridge Bay. Good luck to our hunters as they provide food for their people.
Frolics being planned
The community is looking forward to spring and the 2021 Omingmak Frolics. Last year when the pandemic was announced the 2020 Omingmak Frolics had to be cancelled due to Covid-19. A year later, the restrictions have lifted a little and the chief public health office has given permission, with restrictions, to go ahead and have the annual spring festival.
Plans are being made to set up a planning committee with the recreation co-ordinator Zach Cziranka-Crooks at the Wellness Centre. Volunteers are needed and please contact Zach to give him your name.
There will also be snowmobile races and a fishing derby, and much more with rules and restrictions for this year’s frolics. Please keep up with information as time goes on about frolics this year. Good luck to everyone and to each of our volunteers – you are the best!
During the pandemic there has been extra funding to set up cultural programs, combat food insecurity and much more. We have so many Inuit women sewing now, making kamiit, atigiit, pualuit and for men there has been several workshops etc also.
Our community is filled with many beautifully made pieces of outdoor clothing, as you walk in town you see many beautifully dressed Inuit and the children all dressed warm, made especially by their mother or grandmothers. It is so much fun sewing.
The Kitikmeot Heritage Society also held a kaligok making workshop and many beautiful women making indoor tops in the Inuinnait style. Soon many women will have learned to sew and to proudly wear their projects. It is important that as Inuit we learn and carry on the culture and traditions and the language. We are proud to be Inuinnait and that our Ancestors are with us always, smiling down at us for keeping Inuinnaugupta alive, forever and ever.
God Be With You Son.