As someone who had always been very interested in the North, it was an amazing privilege to spend one month in the community of Cape Dorset, Nunavut throughout May and June, 2008. I have been fascinated by the Arctic for as long as I can remember its: ecosystem, wildlife, climate, and especially people.

I was fortunate to attend a meeting in Iqaluit in February, 2008 where I was introduced to Pootoogoo Elee, a community researcher from Cape Dorset, Nunavut who is also working on ISIUOP. I was really unaware of what this experience would entail as I had only been in the Arctic once before, and was heading up this time almost entirely by myself. My only contact in the community was Pootoogoo, better known around the community as Black. Needless to say, any concerns I had were quickly wiped away upon arriving in the Hamlet of Cape Dorset.

        I was amazed at how welcoming and friendly everyone in the community was to me. Everyone I passed whether it was an elder, a teenager or a small child said hello, some asked what I was doing in the community, and one evening a young girl without even saying a word ran straight up to me and gave me a hug. I could not have felt more welcome in the community. I was also able to attend and help out at an Elders Appreciation dinner that was held at the High School. This introduced me to new people, and some wonderful games that are quite popular in the community like the bean bag toss among others.

       

        The bulk of my time in Cape Dorset was spend working on my research centered on the topic of the Politics of Sea Ice. With the help of Black, I was able to arrange and carry out 20 interviews during my stay.  These interviews involved asking broad questions about: sea ice knowledge and use; boating use in the community; what is understood about the political debates around shipping; and the kinds of impacts shipping may have in the Arctic if it is to increase. In addition, the interviews included mapping activities. Using a Mylar overlay on top of a map interviewees drew travel routes, dangerous areas, hunting areas, boating routes, shipping routes, ship sightings and much more in order for me to obtain a visual representation that will add to my work as well as ISIUOP. Through these 20 interviews I was able to gather a wealth of knowledge that only people who use the sea ice on a regular basis and live in the area of Cape Dorset would have been able to provide. 

   

        In addition to carrying out my own research I also carried out some follow-up work for the larger ISIUOP project.  Adding to previous work carried out in the community I held, with the help of Black, two terminology workshops. Each of these workshops brought together three community elders (with Black facilitating and interpreting), to come to a consensus on Inuktitut definitions of sea ice terminology that had been previously gathered and for which English definitions had already been created. These two workshops were very productive and we were able to define all of the terms we had set out to define.

   

        In order to gain first hand experience on the sea ice I was fortunate enough to go out on two trips. The first was a snowmobile ride to the floe edge. This was arranged by Black who also came along as my interpreter and our guide was Mangitak Kellypalik. This adventure was probably to date one of the most amazing things I have ever done. To ride along, going over what seemed like puddles in the middle of the Arctic Ocean on the sea ice and to see the tidal difference on the shore line was just remarkable, in addition, to have Black point out how close we were to open water was thrilling. I still vividly remember how nervous I was when walking around in the middle of the sea ice. To show me that the areas that looked like puddles to me were safe, Mangitak stomped around through one. I did not venture to walk through one, but I can to this day still picture him walking around, splashing through this area to try and make me more comfortable. The second trip was a boating trip around the open water near the community with Timmun Alariaq. We could not have picked a more beautiful day to go out, it was very sunny and warm. We paddled around so I could take many photographs of the sea ice, we saw seals in the distance, got out and walked around the sea ice and islands near by the open water, and had lunch in the boat. It was amazing for me to see just how important boats are to the people of Cape Dorset.   

   

        After my experience in the community of Cape Dorset, I can honestly say I am more passionate and intrigued by the Arctic than ever before.

   

        I would especially like to thank everyone from the community of Cape Dorset for welcoming me and making my time there so memorable, and especially thank Black for all of his hard work and support. I hope to return soon to Cape Dorset.