Isn’t it splendid to think of all the
things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive-
it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half as interesting if we knew
all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would
there?
--- Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
I
spent my morning reading in the John Tizya Cultural Center (http://www.yukonmuseums.ca/cultural/tizya/tizya.html)
because it is on the river with big windows and it is full of information about
the Arctic and the Gwitchin people. I found a coffee table book of Canada in it
and as I flipped through it I was thrilled that I could recognize so many of
the beautiful places pictured in the book. The photography was incredible and
the author spent time in each province and territory taking pictures and
getting to know different stories of each place. It was lovely. The book not
only shared about Canada through its incredible photos, but also through the
numerous narratives of individual Canadians—like the Icelandic Farmer in
Saskatchewan, the fisherman and bird protector in Newfoundland, the aboriginal
dancer in BC, and Mr. and Mrs. Yukon from Whitehorse. The country we live in is
so rich with history, culture, and beauty. It makes me so proud to be Canadian.
I
feel even more privileged to have experienced so much of this great nation. It
truly is a blessing. When I thought of the Arctic prior to this experience, I
thought of frozen tundra, a forever winter where only the craziest and most
solitude of people would live. In reality, the community is very welcoming here
and people live among each other as family. I’m also sitting in a tank top and
shorts right now and the sun is high in the sky and hot! This land is
definitely one of extremes. In the winter the temperature can go quite low and
the school declares indoor recess when the temps dip below -35 (the magic
number is -30 in Whitehorse) and in the summer it can be as hot as temps above
30 degrees.
I
went for a hike last night with a coworker. She was kind enough to take me out
into some of the bush trails that I wouldn’t explore on my own due to warnings
of bears around town. We headed towards the community ski lodge, a log cabin
with some basic furniture, kitchen, and FULL of skis and boots! My fellow hiker
told me that this past winter the teachers tried to start a ski club, but for
some reason it didn’t pull through. Nevertheless, skiing was a great way to get
out of the house on the weekend during the sunny hours and get some exercise. I
was amazed when I saw the awesome collection of skis and deeply saddened when
another teacher told me that often he was the only one out on the trails.
Apparently, the ski lodge was first built in the 1950s when some Olympic
cross-country skiers came out of Old Crow. Someone decided that the Gwitchin
people should train in the sport because at the time they may have been the most
fit people in the country due to all the walking they did (at a time when there
were no vehicles or machines here). Crazy!
We
headed out on some of the trails from the ski lodge, but soon realized it was
quite boggy. I guess that makes sense since Vuntut means “of the lakes” in the
Gwitchin language. Each time I took a step (on what seemed like a dry spot),
the water would lift up from the ground and surround my sandals and socks. Unfortunately,
the active layer of the permafrost had melted hence the soakers! My coworker
showed me where I could find wild cranberries (pretty much everywhere!). They
harvest in the fall, but right now leftovers from last fall’s batch were just
unfreezing, creating a crisp, but juicy pop of bittersweet flavor in the mouth.
Delish! She also pointed out Labrador Tea needles that can be boiled to drink.
The needles have a very strong scent- very woodsy. The tea is supposed to help
with pain, but I’ve also been told not to boil too many or for too long because
it is such a strong medicine it can make you go a little loopy. I decided to wait on trying the tea until I’m
back in Whitehorse. Overall, it was a
great Friday night and I’ve enjoyed my weekend thus far.
Figure 1 Wild Cranberries. They are everywhere!
Figure 2 Boggy Old Crow.
Figure 3 Beautiful water and skies here.
Figure 4 One of the well landscaped houses here.
Figure 5 Everyone seems to have piles of antlers in front of their house.
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