Actor and Inuit games athlete Johnny Issaluk has been named as an explorer-in-residence with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He’s seen here, second from right, standing with Arctic adventurer Adam Shoalts, storm chaser George Kourounis, and the world’s foremost female cave diver, Jill Heinerth, during a May 15 ceremony. See our story later at Nunatsiaq.com. (Photo by Nick Walker/Canadian Geographic)
Students graduating from Inukjuak’s vocational and technical training centre, Nunavimmi Pigiursavik, celebrate around a campfire with family members and teachers on Thursday, May 9. Nunatsiaq News will be closed on Monday, May 20, for Victoria Day. We’ll be back at it on Tuesday, May 31. (Photo by Sylvain Paradis)
Cambridge Bay’s “The Bay” basketball team successfully defended their championship title at the annual Arctic Shootout basketball tournament in Yellowknife on Sunday, May 12, following their 98-96 double-overtime win against Yellowknife’s Dwayne Johnsons. Top, from left: Reggie Maksagak, Terry Aknavigak, Nathaniel Crooks, Travis Schindel and Zach Crooks. Bottom: Peter Ohokanoak, Kean Niptanatiak, Jonny Pedersen, David Ohokannoak, and Lance Akoluk. (Photo courtesy of Talia Maksagak)
Food truck season has begun in Iqaluit. Nanook Express brought its new menu of country food items to the city this past weekend, with tasty offerings like smoked Arctic hare poutine, seal burgers and caribugolgi, a riff on Korean barbecue. Nanook Express is parked across the road from Northmart on weekends. (Photo by Sarah Rogers)
Igloolik’s Northern Haze rocks the room at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami’s A Taste of the Arctic event in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 15. A celebration of Inuit Nunangat and northern culture, A Taste of the Arctic showcased Arctic talent and foodie-approved Inuit cuisine, including ringed seal sliders and narwhal chowder. Northern Haze headlined the evening, taking the stage after throat singing talents Abigail Asheerak Helmkay and Qattuu Carleton, and Akinisie Sivuarapik and Evie Mark. (Photo by Patricia Lightfoot)
Mary-Joanne Kauki, the Inuktitut teacher at Jaanimmarik School in Kuujjuaq, makes bannock on a wood-stove. After a day filled with games, students settled down for a picnic as part of their school trip to Three Lakes, just outside Kuujjuaq, on April 18. (Photo courtesy of Isabelle Dubois)
Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk dissects a caribou heart for Nunavut secondary students as part of a health careers camp in Iqaluit on Friday, May 10. Kimmaliardjuk is a cardiac surgery resident at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and will be the first Inuk cardiac surgeon in Canada. She spent two days in Iqaluit this week talking with students about the different pathways to a career in health care. Read more later at nunatsiaq.com. (Photo by Sarah Rogers)
A British Airways Boeing 777 lands in Iqaluit at about 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 9. BA Flight 273 was en route from London to San Diego when it diverted to Iqaluit for a reported medical emergency. At least one passenger was offloaded and taken by ambulance to Qikiqtani General Hospital. The aircraft remained on the tarmac and other passengers did not disembark. The flight continued on at about 6:30 p.m. A British Airways spokesperson said later that a passenger had been “unwell.” (Photo by Sarah Rogers)
Children learn how to make animations and video games at the Iqaluit Makerspace on May 1. “My favourite part is that we get to do art,” said 10-year-old Abby Alainga, on the bottom right. “Me and Abby made a game called Ice Breaker,” said Leah Ray Higdon, 9, to her left. “You have to climb icebergs without falling into the water.” The Makerspace program, run by Pingguaq, opened in September 2018 and offers a daily after-school program that focuses on teaching kids coding and digital arts. That day there were 17 kids in attendance, from 9 years old to 13. (Photo by Thomas Rohner)
Iqaluit resident Hayley Roberts visits the first retrospective of Inuk artist Alootook Ipellie’s work, Walking Both Sides of an Invisible Border, at the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum in Iqaluit on Sunday, April 28. The exhibition, which continues until Saturday, June 15, features Ipellie’s distinctive pen and ink drawings, posters, cartoons and examples of his poetry. (Photo by Patricia Lightfoot)
Eva Aariak receives the Order of Canada—recognizing outstanding achievements and dedication to community and the nation—from Governor General Julie Payette at a morning ceremony in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 8. Aariak was awarded with the level of member of the Order of Canada, which acknowledges local or regional contributions. Aariak, Nunavut’s second territorial premier and first language commissioner, is celebrated for her advocacy work (especially in equity and gender equality) and promotion of language and culture. She now works with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. Also during the ceremony, Louis Kamookak, an oral historian widely known for his documentation of Inuit history connected to the Franklin expedition, was honoured. Kamookak died March 22, 2018. He was awarded with the level of officer, which acknowledges national service or achievements. Kamookak’s wife, Josephine, received the Order of Canada on her husband’s behalf. (Photo from QIA/Facebook)
Former Makivik Corp. president Jobie Tukkiapik, his son Lukasi Whiteley-Tukkiapik and Alec Ningiuruvik head out onto the Kuujjuaq River, which is now open past the marina, on April 27. The group went on to get their first seal of the season. (Photo by Isabelle Dubois)
Inuksuk High School students Nicholas McDermott, Grade 10, and Laura Attagutsiak, Grade 12, show off some of the rabbits they raised as part of the school’s Green Club during an open house and rummage sale Saturday, May 4. The club works on a variety of environmental projects, including raising chickens, phone book recycling, pop can recycling and research projects. The club currently has over 20 rabbits. Proceeds from the rummage sale helped cover costs of animal feed, materials and a spring trip to Ottawa. (Photo by Emma Tranter)
A group of Cambridge Bay youth from Kiilinik High School and their chaperones pose on the beach in Hong Kong, during the last stop in a multi-year series of trips of students from the school to honour Canadian soldiers in all theatres of war for World War I and World War II. During this year’s trip they also visited Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Patti Bligh)
Jaanimmarik School students dig into some Arctic Char puanasik as part of their school trip to Three Lakes, just outside Kuujjuaq, on April 18. Students played spring games throughout the day, including a snowshoe race and harpoon throw, before taking a rest with a picnic. (Photo courtesy of Isabelle Dubois)
Alec Ningiuruvik of Kuujjuaq stands beside the seal he killed while out seal hunting on Saturday, April 27, with Lukasi Whiteley-Tukkiapik and his father, Jobie Tukkiapik, who is standing beside their boat. (Photo by Lukasi Whiteley-Tukkiapik)
Nunavut Sivuniksavut students visit the Alta dam in Arctic Norway on Wednesday, May 1. As the second-year students had learned in their circumpolar studies class, construction of the dam prompted major demonstrations and hunger strikes by Saami activists in the 1970s. “We’ve been told these events led to the recognition of Saami identity, the recognition of Saami rights, and the creation of political organizations like the Saami Parliament,” said a Facebook posting from NS. (Photo courtesy of NS/Facebook)
Ahuya Sinnupa May, racing with Team 13 in this year’s Nunavut Sno-Challenge, hoists a trophy above his head to celebrate his win on Saturday, April 27. The snowmobile race runs a 320-kilometre course to Kimmirut and back from Iqaluit, and is hosted by Toonik Tyme and the Iqaluit Racing Association. May, who comes from Kuujjuaq, finished with a time of two hours, 15 minutes and 13 seconds. He won $16,000 and two plane tickets. This year, there were 22 racers, each having a gasman to help them in the race. (Photo courtesy of Kelli McLarty)
Kuujjuaq students participate in Jaanimmarik School’s harpoon throw. It was one of many events on April 18, when the school visited Three Lakes, just outside Kuujjuaq, for a day of spring games and a picnic. (Photo courtesy of Isabelle Dubois)
Chief Superintendent Amanda Jones (centre) officially takes charge of the RCMP’s “V” Division during a change of command ceremony at Iqaluit’s Frobisher Inn on Wednesday, May 1. Jones is the eighth commanding officer to run the division and the first woman to take on the role. She replaces Chief Superintendent Michael Jeffrey, who was unable to attend the ceremony. (Photo by Emma Tranter)
Students compete in a snowshoe race during Jaanimmarik School’s trip to Three Lakes, just outside Kuujjuaq, on April 18. Students played spring games throughout the day, like Inuit baseball and ayagaq, and afterwards enjoyed a picnic. (Photo courtesy of Isabelle Dubois)
Electro-pop throat-singer Riit (left), accompanied by Alexia Galloway-Alainga (middle), performs at a free concert on the sea ice on Sunday, April 28, in Iqaluit. A crowd of 30 to 40 people came out for an afternoon of entertainment as part of the second Nunavut Music Week. (Photo by Emma Tranter)
Igloolik singer-songwriter and Indigenous Music Award nominee Angela Amarualik opens for Hannah Georgas on Saturday, April 27, at Iqaluit’s Inuksuk High School. See our story later on Nunatsiaq.com. (Photo by Emma Tranter)
Sammy Kudluk stands beside his snow sculpture of an Inuk sitting, holding a qulliq, during Kuujjuaq’s “Love Life” event on March 13. (Photo by Isabelle Dubois)
