The Elders Speak
It's been a busy week of filmming in Pangnirtung. We have been interviewing elders and other locals day and night while presenting to the Hamlet Council, Youth Council and Hunter and Trappers Association about the project. The community is aware and engaged by our presence here. We will be going on live radio before we leave to provide the community a final update on our activities.
We have heard many stories about how climate change is affecting Inuit and the land. The stories are at times shocking but this is tempered by the resilient and knowledgeable nature of this community. Locals are calm and know that their way of life is strong despite the serious nature of the issues.
We've interviewed the oldest man and women in town as well as many other elders. Their stories were compelling. The old ways are as fresh in their minds as the Arctic air in our lungs. We've heard about how there are more polar bears now than before. How the actual axis of the earth may have shifted because the sun and moon are now in different locations in the sky and how this might be related to global warming. We've heard about how sea ice is breaking up faster and icebergs are melting at an unprecedented rate, largely because the sea is warming. We've heard how the glaciers in Auyuittuq Park - "the land that never melts" - are receding rapidly. We've heard about the importance of country food for people's local diet and how this may be compromised by a warming world. This Inuit knowledge is rich, place specific and based on oral tradition.
Our film crew is working super well together. It's amazing to be working with Isuma Productions, true experts at merging digital filmmaking and oral tradition, allowing locals to share their knowledge and stories in Inuktitut. One participant last night said that despite the numerous film crews that come to Pang each and every year, this was the first time that he had conducted an interview in Inuktitut, and that he really appreciated that our crew was conversant in the language.
We're heading off now with elder Jamesie Mike for a skidoo ride to the mouth of the park. He's going to tell us about the epic changes to this epic landscape first hand. More to come...
