| In 2004, I completed two Inuit art buying
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| | There is new construction going on since
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| trips to Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher
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| | with the creation of the Nunavut
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| Bay), the capital of Nunavut, Canada's
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| | territory, Iqaluit is growing as more
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| newest territory. For both trips, I flew
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| | Inuit from other Arctic communities are
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| out of Ottawa on Canadian North airlines.
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| | migrating to the city.One thing that was
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| The other airline that services Nunavut
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| | very noticeable in Iqaluit was the large
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| is First Air. Only the last half of the
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| | numbers of children everywhere. Nunavut
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| jets was allocated for passengers as the
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| | has a very young population with 56%
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| entire first half was for cargo. Being so
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| | under the age of 25. I saw many Inuit
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| remote, Canadian Arctic Inuit communities
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| | mothers wearing traditional Inuit parkas
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| pretty well have to have everything
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| | with large hoods in the back where their
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| shipped up there by plane or by boat
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| | babies are carried. The Inuit youth is
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| during the summers since there are no
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| | one of the Canadian Arctic's untapped
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| roads connecting to the rest of Canada or
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| | resources and its future. They have
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| even between each Nunavut community. The
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| | access to satellite television and dress
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| Arctic landscape from the air was
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| | just like their counterparts in the
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| desolate, hilly and barren. As the plane
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| | south. However, at present only about
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| got closer to Iqaluit, the airport's
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| | 25% of high school students graduate so a
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| small terminal building stood out with
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| | big challenge for the Nunavut government
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| its bright yellow color.The airport
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| | is to encourage the Inuit kids to stay in
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| itself is within walking distance to the
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| | school. During my second trip, there was
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| rest of the town. There are taxis that
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| | darkness for only a few hours each day so
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| charge a flat rate of $5 per trip
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| | it was very strange to be walking around
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| anywhere in Iqaluit. Interestingly
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| | town at 10 pm in the evening with
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| enough, these taxis also pick up and drop
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| | daylight still present. Even at this
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| off other passengers along the way so
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| | hour, there were still quite a few young
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| shared rides with others are common here.
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| | Inuit children playing outside.The
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| There are several hotels in Iqaluit and
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| | locals, Inuit and non-Inuit alike were
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| rooms are generally clean, comfortable
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| | very friendly. I got the impression of a
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| but quite basic. Accommodations and
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| | tight community perhaps because of the
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| dining up north in Nunavut are both
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| | isolation of the Canadian Arctic.
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| expensive. All food items with the
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| | However, the local Inuit were also very
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| exception of local Inuit fare must be
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| | open to visitors and willing to share a
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| flown up from the Canadian south. A
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| | bit of their lives. During the daytime,
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| carton of milk will cost about $10 in
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| | I went up to a few Inuit art carvers who
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| Iqaluit. Most Inuit locals cannot afford
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| | were working outside their houses. Each
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| to buy overpriced fruits, vegetables and
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| | turned off their power saws when I
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| meat from the south. Many local families
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| | approached them and seemed happy to talk
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| still rely on Inuit hunters who bring
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| | to me. I met most of them later during
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| caribou, seal and whale to the
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| | the evenings when they showed me their
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| table.There is only one high rise
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| | finished works of Inuit art.I had the
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| building in Iqaluit and it is used mainly
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| | opportunity to walk about 30 minutes to
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| for local Nunavut government offices.
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| | the outskirts of town past the airport
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| All other buildings are low rise,
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| | one day. I climbed up a hilltop with a
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| including the hospital. The vast
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| | satellite dish facility overlooking an
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| majority of the residential housing is
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| | expansive valley. There was nobody else
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| similar to cabins that are raised off the
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| | around and it was incredible how silent
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| ground because of the harsh Canadian
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| | the area was. It was like a vacuum where
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| Arctic winters. Many look a bit run down
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| | I could hear only my own breathing. It
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| with junk and disposed items piled
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| | was a very peaceful and even spiritual
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| outside. With the fact that there are no
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| | moment there. While sitting on this
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| lawns or trees possible this far north,
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| | Arctic hilltop, I was suddenly startled
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| the neighborhoods are certainly not the
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| | at one point by a noise and it turned out
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| prettiest sights around. But one Inuit
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| | to be the flapping wings of a large raven
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| art carver told me that his government
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| | flying by.There are tours offered by
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| subsidized rent is only $36 per month.
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| | local outfitters to see the northern
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| There are some small clusters of nice
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| | wildlife and experience some of the
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| homes on the outskirts of town. Some
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| | Arctic tundra further out. I hope to
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| houses have husky dogs tied up outside
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| | take one of these tours on a future
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| and many have snowmobiles. In fact, the
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| | visit. A trip to Nunavut is not cheap
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| roads, most of them unpaved, are shared
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| | since everything, including flights are
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| by cars, trucks, snowmobiles, all terrain
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| | so expensive. However, I will definitely
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| | return not only for more Inuit art, but
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| vehicles and people. During the
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| | also to experience more of the local
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| summers, Iqaluit can get quite dusty with
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| | Inuit culture and the Arctic land.Clint
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| all the vehicles turning up the dirt on
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| | Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery ,
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| the roads. As a result, Iqaluit did look
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| | an online gallery specializing in Inuit
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| a bit nicer during my first trip which
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| | Eskimo and Northwest Native American art
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| was during the winter when the city was
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| | including carvings, sculpture and prints.
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| in white snow rather than brown dirt.
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