There are no trees in Nunavut so, of course, when Inuit lived year round on the land, food was consumed raw. That tradition has continued and is a preference for many here. It reminds me of a time when I lived on the Magdalen Islands in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A friend from the mainland had stopped at my house to show me a fish she just bought at the dock. Her eyes were wide in amazement; she was astounded that fish actually had blood. Until then, her only experience was with the fillets or frozen and breaded sticks found at the grocery store in the city where she lived.
As I share in this community feast, I feel privileged to sit among people who still know what it's like to be connected to the land; to know the rhythms of winds, the movement of sun and time, and that fish have blood. Older generations of Inuit and some younger ones are still a part of it all, even if they now live in houses instead of igloos and tents, and drive snowmobiles instead of dog teams.
The connection with the land remains present in those who return to the flow edge to hunt seals, in the carver who bends patiently over his soapstone to create art or the throat singers who evoke the sounds of the wild.
A happy Christmas
It's good to see the smiles on people's faces tonight. The Inuit, who survived thousands of years in the hardest conditions on Earth, now face new obstacles. Young people, especially young men, are taking their lives at alarming rates; alcohol and drugs have ravaged many families and have lead to soaring rates of violence and abuse; television has imparted southern ways of life.
But on this Christmas holiday night, all the beauty of the culture shines through. I close my eyes briefly and listen to the elders speaking in Inuktitut and to the children playing and I can feel all the energy in this small room. This is the true spirit of the Christmas season in Nunavut: sharing, games, music and laughter – bridging the gaps between ages, strangers and cultures.
I hope with all my heart that the Inuit can draw on their extraordinary past and culture to find the strength to face today's challenges and those of tomorrow. That is my Christmas wish.
I open my eyes slowly, lift a piece of raw seal meat to my lips and take a bite.
Nunavut at a glance
By Sara Ditta
Nunavut, which was established in 1999, lies north of Manitoba and extends to the North Pole. It is twice the size of Ontario but only about 29,500 people live there; 85 per cent of them are Inuit. The vast territory also boasts the youngest population in all of Canada; the average age of residents is only 22. Four languages are spoken: English, French, Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun.
Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut and previously known as Frobisher Bay, is located in the southeast area of Baffin Island. The word Iqaluit means "the place of many fish" in Inuktitut. In January the average temperature is –30 C but it rises to a balmy 15 C in July. In December, there are only six hours of daylight each day.
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Patricia Bell is the CBC's Circumpolar Affairs reporter. She spent her first Christmas in Iqaluit in 1999 and has been living there for eight years. She is now a fan of muktuk, caribou and arctic char.
Planning to take a trip to Canada's Great White North? Check out Discover Canada: The North.
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