All animals, you're not supposed to play, hurt or kill them, even insects. If you even kill black flies or mosquitoes with fire while they're in your tent, they'll return and there will be more of them. I've experienced this.
The ice is not that solid anymore and it's no longer good for spring camping. We can't get to our spring fishing place anymore. The ice wants to breakup sooner.
Teaching how to live well amongst people. If I see any fellow man poor, give them something small, even if it's small. I was told to help others with food. I was told to watch the sky, but I never learned anything. But I tried to use the teaching and predict the weather when I have to go hunting.
Peter Kanayuk from Pangnirtung speaks about his childhood and hunting bears. "The most enjoyable, my favorite hunt, is the polar bear. You have a different feeling when you're after the bear. It's fierce and you're feeling happy. Not every day you catch a bear. Those were my favorite times."
We weren't supposed to make fun of animals because they are our only food. Even insects. We weren't supposed to have make fun of them. I don't know about mosquitoes. There were strict rules regarding animals. If you're not going to kill them for food, don't bother them.
There used to be a lot of mosquitoes and it was warm.
Therese Mattaq of Pond Inlet speaks about Inuit teaching: "They wanted me to know the environment. They wanted to me to know the stars. Things that are not made by Inuit but made by things we do not know. God made them from the beginning. That was our teaching."
Abraham Ulayuruluk of Igloolik speaks about changes in polar bear behaviour. "In the past, polar bears weren't around that much. Once in a while, they would come from the floating ice, and we would catch them. Back then, in summer time, when someone got a bear, they were all healthy and fat.… En savoir plus
Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change - Interview with Deborah Qaunaq.
I think sometimes our earth has tilted. When the fall comes and ice should be forming, it doesn't happen right away. In the spring, when it should be melting, it stays cooler. It now seems to stay cooler longer than in the past.
A short clip on an exciting Paraski initiation camp in Igloolik with great participation from enthusiast’s students. This program was successful thanks to the dynamic recreation coordinator, local teachers support and involvement, and participating Instructors Eepa Qappik from Pangnirtung and Caleb Little from Iqaluit.
