Posted on November 9, 2020 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

 

Family House – Kangiqsujuaq

 

“Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Man, it’s a tall order for a person to be placid these days. It seems that everything is out of sync. Is the world more unsettled than it has been historically or have social media and mass media just made it seem that way? It’s particularly difficult to find silence although the north is one place that it can be found rather quickly and conveniently by just stepping outside your door and walking on the tundra. Being on good terms with all persons is a lofty goal but one worth pursuing.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

The bitter rancor south of the border is very disquieting. Unfortunately, this is not just a problem in the U.S. It appears that there is another global pandemic besides Covid. Intolerance of every kind.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Not to go too overboard on Covid but one thing has been highlighted. Jobs that appear to be humble to many have been shown to be crucial and worthy of respect and dignity.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is perennial as the grass.

Love conquers all. Enough said.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

I’m not sure if the Baby Boomers are prepared to surrender anything! Most (not all) post war babies have had it pretty good, wouldn’t you say? I am learning a great deal from the Inuit and hope to be able to meet and talk with some elders before my time in the north comes to an end. There is still a great deal to be learned.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Fears and dark imaginings are also born of watching too much CNN or Fox News. Mercifully, I don’t get either of these channels and I have a full-time job to keep me focused. I do know what’s going on. Democracy is under siege in many parts of the world.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

This last statement requires resolve and a great deal of faith in the human condition.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Desiderata. Max Ehrmann

They say that it is darkest just before the dawn. This is easily one of the most unsettling times in several generations, but this should not stop us from striving to be charitable, happy, useful, compassionate, and cheerful.

It won’t be easy but nothing good in life ever comes easily.

Some of you will remember this musical version of the poem:

https://youtu.be/6X8YnCq6UME

Have a great week.

Posted on November 2, 2020 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Lights on ice (This photo is on the ceiling of the entrance to the primary side of the school)

 

Music has been an essential part of my life. It is right up there with oxygen and water. My earliest memories are of growing up in a musical household. Before we had television (I’m dating myself!), we sat around the piano with our parents and sang songs from all genres of music. When I was a teenager I played in a band. In my twenties, I learned how to play the guitar one cold winter up in the Peace River country of Alberta. I’ve been playing and singing ever since. My children are musical and I note that the next generation is coming along nicely as my grandchildren are learning to play various instruments.

Of course, I always have a tune rattling around my brain. Lately, my “earworm” is the wonderful song, Taanisi by Twin Flames. The lyrics are in Inuktitut and English. I particularly like this line: “Life is short, life is short, life is way too friggin short”. Ain’t that the truth.

One of my colleagues, a terrific educator, stopped in to see me a few days ago after class. In her hands was a compilation of Inuit songs called “Inuitartists. Inuit Inngirtit”. It was produced by the Department of Education of the Government of the Northwest Territories. It is a treasure trove of history and music and features the works of distinguished Inuit musicians. I hope Taqa will teach me a few of these songs.

I thought my loyal readers might be interested in learning about the history of Inuit music. Following is a paraphrasing of the introduction to the book.

“All reports of the early period seems to indicate that any musical activity formed an integral part of other activities that took part in the daily lives of the Inuit. Life dependencies were few and simple. One either enjoyed good health , or lacking this, one hastened towards the final end so there were incantations to the spirits to have and maintain good health. Good weather would facilitate the hunter in his search for food and it was crucial that the hunt be a success: there were songs to bear out these themes.

Organized war or blood feuds were beyond the conception of the Inuit. However, in settling personal disputes, the discontented parties would engage in a song duel. A song duel was a public affair. Instead of fighting, two men may compete with each other in songs of ridicule. The audience was therefore the sole judge. (I’m trying to visualize and alto and a tenor going toe to toe in the choir loft!)

When singing, quite often they employed the technique of repetition. Certain phrases would be repeated for effect. Incantation, repetition, and repetition done in a slow tempo makes for an indelible impression not only on the singer but on those within audible range.

When the missionaries showed up,  among the activities or ceremonies that were labelled as ‘not good’ and discouraged by them was the music of the early Inuit. The music specifically was not tabooed, but since activities which incorporated music were, the Inuit played it safe and suppressed any musical undertaking.

Along with the missionaries, other groups of people visited the Arctic They brought with them their own music. Country music with its roots in southern white , rural America merged with the regional folk music of west and southwest America in the twenties to become ‘Country and Western’ music. Decades later this type of music became popular in the prairie provinces. Workers from these provinces may have taken the music to the western arctic. Some of this was filtered to the eastern arctic. (This helps to explain why a student recently asked me to sing a Johnny Cash song) Long before this, Scottish music had also found its way into the north aboard the whaling ships. Eventually the Inuit developed a taste for the sounds of the new settlers and visitors. Country and Western and Scottish music became popular. It was almost as though these new sounds legitimized music again.

It should come as no surprise then to find traces of ‘folk’ music, be it Country and Western or Scottish, in the material that is presently being rendered by Inuit artists. In spite of this influence though, there remains a distinct uniqueness about contemporary Inuit music. As a significant factor, the language dictates certain rhythmic patterns peculiar only to the Inuit.”

I hope you found this as interesting an informative as I did.

Maybe I’ll bring my kilt back after Christmas. On second thought, maybe I won’t. Might be a tad chilly singing Scottish songs at -50!

“Inusi aninaluarma

Inusi aninaluarma”

(Life is so precious

Life is so precious)

Have a great week.

Posted on October 26, 2020 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Mary Arngak tending to the qulliq

 

It seems to be a global phenomenon. More and more people are working their butts off trying to preserve their culture and heritage. Family trees have become all the rage. Until Covid made its unwanted appearance, we could attend music festivals, food fairs, visit museums and art galleries and experience the wonders of other countries.

In my hometown of Antigonish, Nova Scotia our very own Antigonish Highland Society has been in existence for over 150 years promoting Scottish heritage. I guess preserving heritage is not all that new, come to think of it. It is more likely because I have become more interested in culture. God knows I could use some!

I came to the north to teach but truth be told, I really came up here to learn. Most Canadians will never have the opportunity to see the north. I hope you are enjoying the experience vicariously.

This past week, I was given the opportunity to learn more about Inuit culture on two occasions. On Tuesday, a group of teachers went to the museum to listen to Maali give a presentation on the various plants found on the tundra. I won’t list them all here. There were 47 in total with pictures and descriptions. Amalinaaq; Imugaq(She loves me; she loves me not. You can remove the petals);Kakillanaqutik (used to protect the pads of dog’s feet); Kimminaqutik (for snow blindness); Mamaittuqutik (Labrador tea), Maniq, a moss for lighting fires; Pujurtuq (Like a puff ball) -if stepped on then it will rain within a few days; Suputik . It is similar to dandelions- when they are fully ripened and turning to puff balls, it is a signal to start hunting caribou. The plant is also applied to the belly buttons of newborns and it is also a source of fuel; Uivvaujait (used in tea and a form of tobacco).

My personal favourite? Silliit. Actually, silliit is not a plant but a rock with healing powers. It is found near the Bay. You can warm them up and apply them to painful areas of the body. It is an older version of a “magic bag”. I plan to try this out on my arthritic knee.

We had a wonderful evening and were served tea, bannock and a variety of jams and preserves made from local berries. Thanks so much to Maali.

Before school started in September, I went over to the museum to visit with Mary Arngak. She is the Pingualuit National Park Director and she runs the museum. She is held in high regard as she is involved  in many aspects of community life here in Kangiqsujuaq. I went there to talk about the wonderful archives stored at the museum including many stories gathered from the elders in the community. I hope to spend some times looking at archival material for my next book.

As we were talking, Mary offered to come and spend time with my students to share her knowledge and wisdom. Last Thursday she came to the school along with Lydia, a colleague and well- known teacher of throat singing.

For nearly an hour and a half, these two wonderful women kept my students enthralled. Nobody was paying as close attention as I was. Mary started off by showing us a qulliq. (Pronounced hoo lick). A qulliq is carved from soapstone and is used as a source of heat, a lamp, a dryer, and as a telephone and television! More on that later. The qulliqs come in different sizes. Hunters carried small ones with them on the land and larger ones were used to keep people warm inside igloos. Different mosses are used as fuel and they are mixed with oil. In previous times, the source of the oil was beluga fat but these days, it has been replaced by any one of the commercial cooking oils. The moss is lit and carefully moved around the edges of the qulliq as the fire spreads very slowly. Each of my students took a turn tending the fire. As mentioned, the qulliq is used mainly as a source of heat and as a dryer. The stick used to tend the fire is called a tarqutik. It is also a communication device. If a family wanted to invite friends for a meal, someone would take the tarqutik and tap on the qulliq with the sequence of 2,1,2,1,2,2,2,1 taps. This was the precursor to the telephone! And as far as television goes, what is better than gazing at a fire. There are entire television channels dedicated to fire gazing.

Lydia, wearing a stunning Amautik, the parka with the pouch for carrying a baby, gave us a demonstration of throat singing. I was mesmerized with the variety of sounds that she was able to make using just her throat. She told us that the sounds were used to mimic the sounds of nature, rivers, animals and insects. I was amazed when two of my students joined her. They have been taking lessons in throat singing from Lydia. Watching them trade sounds back and forth was quite thrilling. Seeing my students in their own element was very moving and inspirational. The teacher, once again, learning from his students.

Lydia also played a traditional drum during some of the songs that were sung after the presentation. Mary had compiled a number of songs written in Inuktitut and translated into words that I could read. Mary is a wonderful musician and has recorded a CD of songs. She asked me to accompany her and I was happy to oblige. I surprised her when I sang Taanisi, a song with lyrics in Inuktitut and English.

I want to thank Mary and Lydia for sharing so freely of their time, knowledge and talent. It is one of the highlights of my time in the north.

There can be no higher calling than to preserve and protect one’s culture and heritage.

Have a great week.