POND INLET

 Woke up to a very different weather pattern. Cloudy, rainy and and headed to Pond Inlet, a rather larger community of Inuits. And they were expecting us! Capt wasn’t sure we could access the docks with all the wave action, but never underestimate sea faring Norwegians. The zodiacs were sent out for a trial run, and then we suited up! Just a few words of what it takes to go on shore. We are divided into groups, and the groups rotate every day. The staff gives a 10 min. Call for a group number to come to the boat den. We don our long underwear and then another layer. I use THICK wool socks. Then our normal winter jackets and water proof pants are put on. Most of our landing are in water and we literally step off the the zodiacs into 1 ft of water. Over our winter clothes we then put on a nice HellyHansen rain repellent coat. Add a warm hat, a neck gaiter and our huge and heavy rubber boots…and we are almost ready! We have been given life jackets also, which have to be put on in a specific manner. Then a mask, sunglasses, warm gloves and we finally waddle down the the lower deck to get in the rafts. When we return to ship , we wash our boots in a solution and then go thru a metal detector! This is a Canadian rule, not the ships rules, but Canadian waters are very strict for some reason. Yesterday the Canadian navy followed us along side for hours.  IDK why.

PondInlet is a far northern Hamlet above the Arctic circle. Some of the towns people met us as we landed on their docks and took us for a walk about. We saw their medical and police stations and the coop and ended up in a large cultural center where some of the I units were waiting to greet us and explain how they live in the harsh climate. They explained how the Canadian gov and missionaries literally beat their languages and customs out of them for so long. Finally, about 50 years ago they became a more sovereign nation and have brought back their customs and even their language. They are a proud but quiet people and we’re very excited to show our group how they live now.

We saw drumming, throat singing, and many athletic feats that they use to prepare themselves for the grueling ancient custom of hunting in this cold barren earth. They spoke and dressed in the native clothes and we learned so much.