Climate Change 9
climate change. One such moment occurred as I was riding in a boat with Levi on my
way from Qikiqtarjuaq to Auyuittuq National Park. A friend of mine and I were to spend
10 days on the trail hiking the 100 kilometers to the south end of the park, but we had to
get there by boat. We happened to be the first people able to make the 3 hour journey
that year. A point that many, Inuit and Qallunaat alike, expressed surprise about. The
reason was due to the early retreat of sea ice. The date was July 24, and this represented
one of the earliest moments of “ice out” that Levi, among others, could recall. This point
is demonstrated in the excerpt below.
As Levi was piloting the boat, he would point out significant places, “Here is
where I killed a walrus.” Or “there my cousin radioed and we got two whales.” Often
times the places were associated with hunting spots, but not always. As we were
approaching the appropriate fjord (North Pang Fjord) for entry into the park, he pointed
to the south where one could see the Penny Ice Cap. He said, “See there….that’s going.
Going and going. Every year it’s different. Back further.” I asked whether this was
typical, and he replied that “things were a lot different than when I grew up.” And then
he started to tell stories.
Levi: “We used to go to Pang a lot. We take the skidoos on the ice and through the pass.
We have a lot of family there. I only got to go there once this year… because unless you
fly, the ice isn’t there, and you can’t go. Well you guys are going eeeee but it’ll take you
two weeks. With the skidoo it only takes 5 sometimes 6 hours. But there’s no ice
anymore. What’s today?”
EM: Uhhh It’s the 24
th
(of July)
Levi: “See. (pause) I’ve never taken a boat here this early.”
Convention