Photo: Passing on snow block traditions in Kugluktuk

Kugluktuk High School principal Haydn George lays out the foundation for an expansion of the main igloo at an igloo village outside of town built by students at the high school. In a unique project organized through a partnership between the high school and Nunavut’s Department of Culture and Heritage, George and elder land experts from Kugluktuk spent six weeks this spring taking students on the land to teach them igloo-building skills, such as how to find the right snow, cut blocks and build sturdy shelters. Now the hamlet is hoping to attract tourists to spend the night there. “You can’t teach it in a classroom, you have to feel for the snow,” said land expert Jorgen Bolt. (PHOTO BY JESSE AJAYI)