Inuit salute to the seal ends ICC conference

Sunny skies and warm weather drew hundreds of people in Nuuk down to the shore on July 2 for Seal Day, held after the official business of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference ended July 1. (PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL AVERY)

VICTORIA SIMIGAQ

NUUK — The seal took centre stage at the Inuit Circumpolar Council after the official agenda of business at the four-day general assembly in Nuuk wrapped up July 1.

Dedicated to the seal, this event, held July 2, turned out to be one of the best-attended events at the ICC gathering.

Greenland’s fishing union NAPP, Nuuk Hunter’s and Fishermen’s Association, and Greenland’s own culinary ambassador, Ane Sofie Hardenberg, wanted to showcase the traditional Inuit use of the seal and to display that the seal is not only harvested for its skin: all body parts are used.

Hunters competed to catch the first seal and then four seals were carved, cooked and grilled the traditional way — with the meat laid on flat rocks that had first been heated up by a fire.

The event, held near the former university of Greenland by the shore, took place in hot and sunny weather, with a sea breeze that kept the flies away.

After the food came entertainment: the Wainwright Drummers and Dancers, the Kuskokwim Fiddle Band, and Artcirq, followed by the NAIP folk dancers, the Pavia Geisler Band, the Kleemannikkut Band, performances by the Greenlandic choirs NIPE, Aavaat and Erinarsoqatigiissuit, as well as a show by the Qajaq Association and Inuit games.

For Michael Avery, a 25-year-old biology student at Pennsylvania State University, the day of the seal was an opportunity to learn more about the culture of Inuit.

Avery, who is conducting research in Kangerlussuaq to see how vegetation is affected if mammals decrease in number, usually sleeps in a tent and walks three to four kilometres every day to do his field work.

But when Avery heard that ICC would hold its assembly in Nuuk, he decided to check out the capital city of Greenland and learn more about the country he is doing research in.

Seal Day was the perfect place for him.

From Aaju Peter of Iqaluit, who is originally from Greenland, Avery learned that Inuit in Canada eat raw seal, while Inuit in Greenland cook their seal meat.

Avery sampled seal blood as well as the liver.

“Oh, it was good, especially the grilled meat in the flat stone… it was fresh and tasty.”

Soon the meat had run out, as the 300 or so picnickers there were free to take any part of the seal.

This year, the Nunavut government sponsored its own Day of the Seal event this past April 22.