North of 60...on the Moon

I periodically have to go up to the Territories for work. Last week was another visit. Most times its a busy trip, off the airplane, go to work then back on the airplane, usually 10 to 14 hour days. This leaves little time to explore my surroundings but I have been making a point to change that little by little.

Each visit gives me a chance to accumulate a little more experience into the incredible culture that exists up there.

It is different then going up to towns like Fort McMurray, High Level, Fort Nelson,etc.

When you are in Yellowknife or Norman Wells you sense the battle to keep heritage alive amidst an Industry driven town.

The heritage is rich, coming from several different Aborginal peoples as the Inuit, Deh Cho, Dogrib and many others. Some of the buildings in the towns are still orginal and you can't help but ask questions.

So now, I cut some time out, visit outside the business sectors to observe, listen and experience the other side of the Arctic. Its like stepping on to the Moon.

What hit me most this last visit was listening to a couple of older Inuit women chatting to one another.

I had no idea what they were saying to one another(they could have been talking about parallel parking for all I know) but it was the way they dialogued that had me mesmerized.

Its hard to explain but the tone of their voices..., it made you feel safe. They spoke softly with wisdom. They spoke calmly and sometimes sadly taking long pauses in between sentences. The silence seemed full of thoughts before they spoke again.

I wanted to know what they knew. These women I am sure have seen hardships that would make me buckle but yet they seemed to be peaceful and wise but most of all content with themselves.

These women were a refection of their lifestyles. Aboriginal arctic settlements still hold family as their first priority. Life is more about what you need rather than what you want.

I find it a drastic difference from the "modern" world I live in. Back in Alberta its a frantic pace of "get things done !" the "to do" list is never ending, the pressure to do more, faster, cheaper, blah blah blah.

My theory... the Inuit peoples take time to reflect,contemplate and maybe it is their isolation that affords them this.( although the isolation is becoming a thing of the past with satellite and internet)

To stay grounded,I believe a person must take time to reflect in the same manner. I just wish I didn't have to travel so far to remind myself of this all the time.

I could go on about other aspects of the North...politics, environment, injustices and triumphs with the new youth but I will leave that for another blog when I go back up again.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta ,Canada