2019 Arctic Expedition: Day 4
(student and staff blogs below)
Today was an exciting first full day in Greenland! After sailing out of Kangerlussuaq and down the Kangerlussuaq Fjord, one of the longest fjords in the world, we woke this morning surrounded by beautiful Itilleq Fjord, the site of our first shore landing.
Following breakfast, students and staff transferred by Zodiac to shore for a series of workshops. These included a geology workshop led by Thomas Hadlari; botany and plant pressing with Canadian Museum of Nature scientist Roger Bull; the opportunity to learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals with Dominique Souris; a photography workshop with Garry Donaldson; water sampling and climate discussions with Daniele Bianchi and Bianca Perren; fishing with Canadian Ranger Jimmy Evalik; and Qajaq and paddle board workshops with Greenlandic kayaker Maligiaq Padilla – he even displayed his qajaq flipping skills!
The afternoon provided an opportunity for reflection with a selection of Isuma Workshops including: journal keeping with James Raffan; Songwriting with musicians George Woodhouse and Ian Tamblyn; Drum dancing with Inuit elder David Serkoak; sculpting fish with Noel Alfonso; sketch art with Jolly Atagooyuk; Greenlandic mask dance with Vivi Sorensen; making traditional headbands with Annie Petaulassie; and painting with Becky Okatsiak.
After Isuma, students rested before going into a presentation on qajaqing with Moosa and Pitsiulaaq Akavak, followed by the Captain’s welcome. The ship has now left Itilleq and we are heading North up the coast of Greenland.
Highlights of the Day with George Woodhouse
This is the first of a series of expedition recaps hosted by musician George Woodhouse with select students and staff onboard the expedition. During these podcasts, George will engage participants in reflecting on the highlights of their day in the Greenlandic and Canadian High Arctic.
Avery Velez talks about their experience with building a fire on stones, cutting up cod and drinking Labrador tea. Joah Thompson went stand up paddle boarding and embraced the chilly waters. Elly Crawford talked about what she gathered doing the plant workshop. Antoine Delarue did an exploration workshop to find animal remnants. Danny helped others collecting berries as he has done many times before.
Anna Kelly, student
Oxford, United Kingdom
Day 2 aboard the Ocean Endeavour and within the Arctic Circle! We are making our way from Itilleq Fjord to the Greenlandic coastal town of Ilulissat with an incredible view across the Davis Strait to the port side of the ship (and this evening our first glimpse of bright sunshine). The ship and crew are fantastic and so smiley! Already I feel very at home on board and so privileged to be here.
Words cannot do justice to the immensely beautiful landscapes surrounding us. We set sail down Sonderstrom Fjord yesterday surrounded by vast mountains descending into bright blue water, with clouds dipping just below the peaks. It is among the longest fjords in the world at over 90 miles, with the rocks exposed formed as many as 2 billion years ago! We made our first landing this morning on the banks of Itilleq and it felt very surreal to explore the Arctic tundra for the first time. During my workshop, we were given the opportunity to take a soil core from the nearby pond. This technique allows scientists to see back as far as 12,000 years before present and use sediment, dissolved gases and algae deposits to reconstruct the state of the atmosphere in the past. After three unsuccesful attempts, during which everyone got stuck in the mud at least four times and I somehow managed to get water inside my waders, our 5-man team proudly came out with around 200 years worth of soil core. It was amazing how clearly visible the layers of deposit were even to the naked eye, but we are hoping the analyse the samples in more detail at some point later this week.
Aside from workshops, the vast majority of learning so far on expedition has been through presentations and conversations on board. I have met so many First Nations and Inuit students and staff, all of whom have been delighted to talk about their histories, cultures and daily lives and it has been so interesting to hear about the Arctic from people who know it so intimately! Something that I found particularly striking was their deep connection with the land and the large part of this that is respect. Maligiaq (one of the Greenlandic staff) gave a presentation on qajaqs this evening, and told us that in some areas it is against Inuit law to hunt in any other vessel. This not only preserves Inuit culture, but is also in action because qajaqs are quieter and avoid the pollution of motorised boats, keeping the ocean environment in good condition. In a region where living off the land and utilising its resources is so important to the people living there I have been amazed by the care that they give back to their environment, part of their ultimate and continuous consideration for sustainability.
Tomorrow we are visiting Disko Bay and I am so excited to see icebergs for the first time, especially during the zodiac cruise! Hope everybody is well and will keep you posted!
Chiara Concini, student
Edmonton, Canada
Hello to everyone back home reading this post! Mom and Dad, in case you are worried, I am doing amazing and staying healthy. Today is our first full day aboard the Ocean Endeavour, our floating home. Yesterday, we were all up early to board our flights to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, with a stop in Iqaluit to refuel. When we arrived in Kangerlussuaq, a few buses took us to the harbour, where we boarded zodiacs that brought us to the ship. There were no real issues with transportation, so it seems like our trip has “good karma”, at least for now. I have never seen a ship as large as the Ocean Endeavour. I felt absolutely overwhelmed when we first pulled up to it. There were mini doors on the sides of the ship that opened outwards where the zodiacs could pull up to. After a safety drill, the ship started moving down the fjord. I was worried about getting sea sick right from the start, because when I first saw the water from inside the moving ship I was really dizzy. I did not need to worry much though, because the water in the fjord was so smooth. Early this morning we entered a new fjord, and we all boarded zodiacs once again to head to shore. The water was so smooth, and it looked like it was barely moving at all. Greenland is gorgeous, and I have never seen anything like it in my life. The first thing I noticed when I stepped off the zodiac was the smell of the air. I cannot describe the feeling when I inhaled deeply and felt how fresh and sweet the air is. Another thing that stands out to me is how untouched the land is. As we are above the tree line, the vegetation is really short. There were huge ridges that we hiked over, and the ground was covered in moss and lichens, making it super spongy (it felt kind of like walking on a bunch of pillows). During the hike, a thick layer of fog developed and it started to rain. As a result of our hike, which was part of a workshop with one of the scientists on board, I am now significantly more competent in identifying the differences between animal scat from the summer versus the winter. We also saw an arctic hare, a dead star fish, and the exoskeleton from a sea urchin. Tomorrow, we should be arriving in Illulissat. Until next time! – C
Claire Fu, student
Hong Kong
Just yesterday, we left Ottawa as a group and flew over to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. I stepped out of the plane to sharp, cold air. It was a foggy day, mist covering up much of the mountains, but the mountains were so similar in shape and size to the ones in Hong Kong that the fact that there were no trees was really disorienting.
That was my first impression of Greenland and the tundra. To be honest, it was not a good one, and I was less than impressed with the withering brown shrubs and gray ocean. But today, stepping out of the Zodiac and onto a little slope, the scenery changed to one of serenity, fog settling over the mountains in a way that made it seem like an unreal watercolor painting of some place that doesn ́t exist. The wind, instead of biting like it was yesterday, was a gentle breeze instead that brought with it bouts of air so fresh and cool and unpolluted that all I wanted to do was lie down and inhale. My new friends and I ran up a mountain. Instead of grass, there was soft spongy vegetation under my feet. The view was breathtaking up there. I felt so small, and it was such a unique experience to stand up there and look around a deserted landscape, feeling a little warm actually from hiking up there. Even though most of the mountains look like barren rock, in reality they are covered in all kinds of moss and lichen!
Of course, I did a plant workshop, and we went out exploring the area finding willows (not the tree kind!), a bluebell-like flower and even some edible berries and potato-like roots that tasted bitter and weird. While hiking up the mountain, my friends and I even found a wild arctic hare, a massive white bunny that streaked up towards a hole somewhere out of sight. I have a video of it and it is so cute!
Our ship, the Ocean Endeavor, is a massive (and majestic!) cruise type of ship. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was expecting, but definitely not carpeted floors, staff wearing suits with gold name tags that waited on you with fruit punch in wine glasses, or a check in desk that provided you with a key card like a hotel. When I accidentally dropped a watermelon at the buffet table, instead of letting me bend down and pick it up like I was planning to, a waiter rushed over and told me to not worry about it! The food is very good here, by the way, so Mom, Dad, 不要担心。 There is also a hot tub, a sauna, a spa, a pool and a gym. Unfortunately, we are only allowed to use the gym, but still! I pretended I was some rich lady who came all the way over for a fancy cocktail party on the fancy ship.
I’m having a lot of fun, and am meeting a lot of new people. Everyone is so nice here, and I have many friends already. It’s weird because many of them are 17, but we don’t feel the age difference. Maybe being out of school does that. Also Henrik, Linda, Fiona, if you are reading this I would like you to know that half the people on this expedition thought I was 16 or 17, so hah! They were all fairly surprised to find out I am 14. So no insulting me about how old I look anymore.
I also learned a lot about Inuit culture as well, but since this blog post is getting a little long, I will stop here. My roommate is called Anna, and she is an Inuk from Nunavut, Canada. She told me many stories and gave me some magnets representative of their culture to stick on our fridge. I’m signing off now because we have a meeting soon, so talk to you all later!
爸爸妈妈，非常想你们，我很想和你们讲话可是船上的Wifi很贵，二十三天是两百块。我这里非常好，挺舒服的，你们真的不需要担心。而且不是特别冷！希望我能带回来一些北极样品。拜拜！
Here’s a funny story: At the port, while we were waiting to board the Zodiacs, we were given life jackets to wear. Now, those life jackets were weird in that they were a horseshoe-shaped heavy material that had straps for your arms. We hooked them over our necks, and they are supposed to either automatically inflate when they touch water, or when you pull on the string.
Of course, I didn’t know that! I was playing with the strings in boredom while waiting when suddenly, it inflated. A massive, yellow life jacket ballooned in my face, making a really loud noise as it did so and scaring me. At the time, I was chatting with some of my friends and all of us started laughing at how sudden and how ridiculous it looked. I was laughing in tears at how embarrassing it was, and random people stopped their conversations to stare at me. The expedition leader Geoff Green himself had to try figure out what to do with this now inflated life jacket, and the next day, he reminded everyone not to pull on the strings, telling the hilarious story about me. I dissolved into another heavy fit of laughter and embarrassment. So that’s a story of something you shouldn’t do. This is a friendly reminder to never pull on random strings of life jackets that aren’t inflated.
Danielle Crowley, student
Staten Island, New York, U.S.A.
Hello back home! Today is day four of the arctic expedition, and seeing as though I didn’t have a chance to blog on the first 3 days, I’ll give you a recap.
Day 1:
I arrived at the airport in Ottawa around 11am, and stuck around for a few hours to wait for a few other students to fly in so that we could depart and make our way to UOttawa as a group. This is where I made my very first friend on the expedition, India. Arriving at UOttawa I participated in a few ice breakers, which gained me familiar faces around the campus, before heading over to the Canadian Museum of Nature. Did you know that in the Arctic exhibit they have real ice displays that you can touch and they never melt? Super cool. I found out from another student, Avery, that they have metal pipes on the inside of the ice sculpture that expels cold air throughout the inside of the sculpture. In closing the night we were put into our pods, which are small groupings of students and a few staff members to make keeping track of all of us easier. I am part of the Akpa pod, Akpa is a type of bird. Finally I retreated back to my room and met my Ottawa roommate, Kadence, who was very nice and actually a really fun person to be around.
Day 2:
After a great night of sleep, we were woken up early and shipped off to Camp Fortune for the entire day. Here we were split into our pods, and then our pods were grouped up into two big groups where we split for different activities. My pod was part of the education scavenger hunt in the morning before lunch. We were given a map, and as pods we had to find SOI staff member groups in the woods and once we did they would give us a small ten-minute introduction. I thought that this was a very creative and fun way to introduce all of the staff and their professions. For lunch we had hamburgers/pea vegan burgers, and then the two groups of pods switched activities. For the second half of the day we did a ropes course in the trees that had obstacles and ziplines. In fact, one zipline was so long that you couldn’t see the platform on the other end. Overall, our last day in Ottawa was a blast and I slept like a baby after all of the day’s activities.
Day 3:
To close day two we packed our checked luggage and dropped it in the lobby to be loaded on our charter flight to Kangerlussuaq. We were woken up at 5:30 AM and had to pack our carry-ons and dress for cold weather. I was on Flight A and our plane took off at around 7:30AM, stopped to refuel in Iqaluit, and then finally we landed in Kangerlussuaq and boarded our new floating home. My roommate on the ship, Emma Lee, is extremely nice and I’m glad that she’s very talkative because it pulls out my extrovert side. In closing the night we had an amazing dinner, followed by a beautiful bedtime story told by one of the Inuit elders on the ship.
Today:
We were awoken at 7AM for breakfast. Following breakfast we prepared for our first Arctic tundra landing by choosing activities/workshops and dressing in warm layers. I chose paddleboarding, or should I say my pod nominated me for paddle boarding. Due to the amount of students and the lack of such quantity of paddle boards/kayaks, only two members of each pod can go paddle boarding per day. Luckily, I was able to today, and hopefully I will be able to again. Greenland is breathtaking. The tundra is massive and covered in so many varieties of plant life and ponds, that are swarmed with a plethora of species. Dressed in a full drysuit, we headed out with our paddle boards and kayaks. I was the first one to fall into the water trying the stand up, but it was quite refreshing and very easy to get back on. I can now say I’ve swam in the Arctic Ocean. That is so insane and unbelievable. I swam in the Arctic Ocean. I SWAM IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. In fact we took a video of the bunch of us jumping in off of our paddle boards. Now we’re on rest hour waiting to find out what the afternoon hold for us.
This whole experience so far has been so surreal. Greenland is so beautiful, and if I could I would sit out on the ship deck and stare out at it all day, and night since the sun doesn’t fully set. I wish I could have all of you here to experience the insane experience with me, but I hope you could live vicariously through my blogs as I will try to blog as often as possible. I am so glad I was pushed to take this journey. I have made so many friends from all over, Vancouver Islands, Ireland, Alexandria and more, and I’ve already learned so much about the culture of all of these countries as well as the culture of the Inuit. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been granted, and I will forever hold it close to my heart.
I miss you all so much, and I can’t wait to see you again. 419 I love you<3. I will try to blog again tomorrow, but if I don’t have the time I definitely will again on Sunday morning. Thank you for always loving and supporting me. Talk to you soon. 🙂
Élodie Poirier, student
Baie-Comeau, QC, Canada
Nous sommes descendu du navire de croisière pour rejoindre la rive du Groenland. En un seul mot: magique. Le ciel état nuageux et l’eau d’un vert émeraude à couper le souffle. Le sourire collé sur les lèvres, je sentais le vent froid dans mes boucles dans le zodiac. Je ne pouvais pas croire que j’avais la chance de voir ce paysage si inaccessible. Une fois les pieds sur la terre ferme, nous avions le choix entre différentes activités. Mon choix c’est arrêté sur la pêche. J’ai donc remontée sur le zodiac pour une partie de pêche mémorable. Tous ont eu la chance d’attraper des poissons, certains ont eu par contre plus de chance que d’autres. Je n’ai pas été parmi les plus chanceux qui ont vu au bout de leur ligne des morues allant jusqu’à près d’un mètre. Je n’aurais pas pu souhaiter mieux comme première journée d’activité au Groenland.
Eyglo Sturludottir, student
Kopavogur, IS, Iceland
Hæhæ.
Í dag er fyrsti fulli dagurinn á skipinu. Það eru allir að gera sig tilbúna til að fara í land og byrja að læra og gera eitthvað skemmtilegt. Ég hef aldrei tekið jafn marga ferðamáta á einum degi eins og ég gerði í gær. Ég tók skólarútu upp á flugvöll, flaug til Grænlands, keyrði svo með rútu niður á höfn, tók lítinn gúmmíbát sem við köllum Zodiac upp að skipinu og er núna búin að vera að sigla í alla nótt. Ég varð svo spennt þegar við vorum úti á Zodiac og ég sá skipið okkar að ég gat ekki hætt að brosa. Við byrjuðum ferðalagið á því að sigla út Sonderstrom fjörð sem er lengsti fjörður í heimi og það tók okkur alla nótt bara að komast út á opið haf. Ég er komin með nýjan herbergisfélaga sem heitir Nicole. Þegar ég var komin á skipið fengum við tíma til að skoða okkur um og fá okkur kaffi og kökur áður en við fengum kynningu um lífið um borð og hvað við ætlum að gera næsta dag. Skipið er mjög flott og við erum með þjóna í matsalnum sem gefa okkur að borða, þannig ég er í algjörum lúxuspakka. Ég er ekki ennþá orðin sjóveik þannig ég vona að það haldist þannig.
Ég var að koma inn eftir að hafa eitt fyrripartinum í landi. Við tókum Zodiac út á litlar eyjar og fórum í workshops þar. Ég valdi að fara að einni tjörn þar sem við tókum fullt af sýnum og ætlum að skoða þau seinna í dag með smásjám. Síðan vorum við bara að labba um eyjunna og skoða og taka fullt af myndum. Það var svo fallegt og friðsamlegt og ég get ekki beðið eftir að sýna öllum heima myndirnar sem ég tók. Sumir veiddu þorsk í sínum workshops og aðrir bjuggu til eld og fengu sér te þannig þegar við vorum búin á stöðvunum okkar fóru allir í kringum eldinn og voru að spjalla. Ég er bara fljótandi á bleiku skýi það er búið að vera svo gaman í dag og ef að allir dagarnir verða svona þá efast ég um að ég muni nokkurn tíman koma heim. Ég er byrjuð að vera smá ringluð eftir að skrifa þetta þannig ég ætla að segja þetta gott og fara að fá mér ádegismat.
Isadora Lelièvre, student
Baie-Comeau, Québec, Canada
C’est partie! Notre première journée complète à bord du bateau et déjà, on ne sait plus ou donner de la tête. Il y a tellement d’activités et tellement de choses à voir, je comprends pourquoi l’expédition dure 2 semaines. Debout à 7h, couché vers 11h, 3 rencontres par jours, des activités à bord comme à l’extérieur du bateau, ça remplie bien une journée. Aujourd’hui on a rejoind la terre ferme le matin, on avait le choix entre plusieurs ateliers. Je suis donc partie explorer! On a marché, discuté, mangé des baies et des plantes, vue un lièvre et pris des tonnes de photos. Ensuite est venu mon moment préféré de la journée, le moment de manger! Il y a tellement de choix, c’est fou. En apres midi, on a eu une rencontre et j’ai participé à l’atelier de danse et tambour, c’était vraiment intéressant.
Nuiana Hardenberg, student
Nuuk, Greenland
Today have been so meaningful to me. I went on the zodiac and fished. I love fishing. It reminds me of my family back home in Nuuk. The few times that we set time aside to spend time together and enjoy our surroundings. Being on a boat is always a happy memory of mine. There is always laughter and smiles whenever I picture anyone on any boat, because that is all I see. It is a time that you are pushed to get to know not only the people on the boat but also the surroundings.
The nature has always been my favorite part of Greenland. Out in the ocean. The breath of crisp air and the beautiful sky above you, that can have any colour in the rainbow. It can be bright blue or even a beautiful mix of yellow and pink. It is a happy place of mine. A dear place.
After the other students check in I went outside and in front of the ship. I stood there and practised the traditional Canadian drum. My heart was beating with the drum with every stroke I took. I was in peace. I felt like crying because I felt like a real Inuk again. For most of my life I felt I had to prove that I was a part of the Inuit community. I still make grammar mistakes and even pronounce the words wrong but I am trying.
I will always feel like Greenlandic Inuk, and I could not be anymore proud to be one that I am now.
Oksana Dryden, student
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Did you know reindeer herding is an important career in Sami culture? Me neither. To think that this is only a morsel of the information I’ve come across so far on this trip is astounding. While the plane ride and bus trips certainly offered plenty of well-deserved opportunities for sleep, the workshops presented me with a whole cache of interesting subjects. Seeing as I’ve recently taken an interest in physical geography back in Ottawa, I decided to enlighten myself on the geologic factors that formed the largest fjord known to mankind. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to learn is by meeting new people. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must pinch myself to ensure this is not my wildest fantasy.
Pierre-Luc Hurtubise , student
Alexandria, Ontario, Canada
Manquant l’opportunité d’écrire un blog les 3 dernier journées, aujourd’hui après notre premier voyage en zodiac pour aller visiter le Groenland, je vais écrire mon premier blog de l’expédition!
J’ai commencé ma première journée de l’expédition en quittant mes parents a l’université d’Ottawa. La deuxième moitié de la journée as été remplis. J’ai commencé par rencontrer mon collogue, l’élèves de CECCE et en me dirigeant vers le Musée National de la nature j’ai rencontrer la deuxième élève du CECCE. Le musée de la nature est de plus en plus incroyable a chaque fois que je le visite. Après ceci, le fondateur de Students on Ice Geoff Green a commencer notre expédition en invitant plusieurs personnes a venir parler, par exemple Ministère Catherine McKenna.
Ma deuxième journée avec Students on Ice c’est déroulé au Camp Fortune ou j’ai fait de la tyrolienne avec plusieurs personnes provenant de l’Irlande et de l’Alberta.
La troisième journée était une journée de déplacement. Nous sommes embarqué dans les autobus a 7h00 le matin, l’autobus nous a débarqué juste à l’avions nous somme décoller a environ 8h00. Nous sommes atterrie à Iqaluit à environ 12h00 pour de l’essence. Nous sommes atterrie à Kangerlussuaq, pour nous rendre au navire, The Ocean Endeavour.
Notre première journée au Groenland était extraordinaire. Nous avons débuté notre journée a 7h00 ou nous nous sommes déplacer vers le rivage. Lors de notre séjour sur le rivage ils a eut plusieurs ateliers dont nous avions le choix de un. Personnellement j’ai choisi l’atelier sur les 17 actes pour un développement durable. Dès notre retour nous avons mangé diner. En parlent de la nourriture, elle est véritablement incroyable pas du tout se que je pensait manger. Après l’écriture de ce blog je vais me diriger vers une panoplie d’autres ateliers à faire lorsque nous sommes sur le navire en se dirigeant vers notre prochaine destination.
Mon coup de coeur de la journée est une conversation que j’ai eu avec une professeuse de Géographie en Angleterre a propos des différents système d’éducation.
Never let go…
Pirita Näkkäläjärvi,
Communications professional and Sámi cultural expert
Inari, Finland
Finally time to sit down and write a blog post! Greetings from the Students on Ice Expedition onboard Ocean Endeavour, sailing somewhere along the West Coast of Kalaallit Nunaat!
I wrote a longer post in my mother tongue Northern Sámi (below) but I also wanted to share a reflection in English. I have been astonished and really impressed by how central and integral indigenous peoples are to the Students on Ice Expedition. This year half of the 130 students are indigenous. Among the 94 educators, there are a lot of indigenous elders, tradition bearers, teachers and counsellors.
We indigenous peoples are really visible on this trip! We are not just an exotic decoration on the pages of the expedition brochure but really an integral part of everything. Every morning and afternoon the students get to choose from a variety of indigenous workshops in which they get really exposed to indigenous art, storytelling and histories. You hear Inuit language everywhere onboard the ship from dining hall to presentations. Last night we ended our day by a bedtime story by one of the elders onboard.
What an amazing transatlantic platform for the future leaders of our peoples to meet, learn together, exchange ideas and build bridges!
I wish that in the future we could have an expedition like this in the Sámi Arctic! We could perhaps sail along the Norwegian coast, making landings on the Sámi communities along the coast and even visit areas on the Russian side of Sápmi. There would of course be Sámi students onboard but also Sámi elders, yoikers, artisans, reindeer-herders, fishermen and other tradition bearers, who would teach all the students about the Sámi culture. Maybe one day!
Viimmat astu čállit blogga! Dearvuođat dáppe Students on Ice -ekspedišuvnnas!
Mii leat viimmat ollen Ocean Endeavour -támpii, mii lea min ruoktu čuovvovaš guokte vahku. Jos lehpet fitnan Suoma ja Ruoŧa gaska vuoddji támppain, nu dát lea oalle seammalágan, earret dáppe eai leat earát go mii, 94 bajásgeassi ja 130 studeantta miehtá máilmmi. Támpa vulggii Kalaallit Nunaata nappo Ruonáeatnama girdigietti lahka ja vulggii goarkŋut Kalaallit Nunaata oarjerittu bajás.
Mis lea hui somás joavku ovddasteamen Sámi dáppe! Jon-Erik Näkkäläjärvi ja mun bohte Suoma bealde, ja Nils Ánda Baer ja Martina Fjällberg Ruoŧa bealde. Muđui sullii bealli 130 studeanttas leat eamiálbmotstudeanttat eanaš inuihttaguovlluin Kanadas. Dát lea vuosttas geardi, go leat ná olu eamiálbmotnuorat dán tuvrras.
Mun gulan bajásgeassijovkui. Munnje leat dán rádjai addojuvvon golbma barggu:
1. Mun oahpahan buot studeanttaide sámiid, sámi kultuvrra ja sámegielaid birra. Lean ráhkkanan doallat láidesteami sámiid birra, oahpahit vehá sámegiela, doallat uhca lávlla- ja luohtekonseartta, čilget sámi politihka birra ja maiddái mo EU laktasa dasa, čilget mo sámi kultuvra ávkkástallojuvvo Suoma bealde turismmas ja politihkalaččat, ja čilget manin lea dehalaš ahte sámiin ja eará eamiálbmogiin leat iežaset mediat. Lassin lean fállan, ahte sáhtán oahpahit mo dahkat radio- ja tv-prográmmaid ja uhca somevideožiid. Jos muhtun lea beroštuvvan, nu sáhtán maid oahpahit mo strategiijakonsulttat čovdet kundariid čuolmmaid ng. hypothesis-driven problem solving -metodain.
2. Mun jođihan bloggenjoavkku. Mu bargun lea ovttas bloggenjoavkkuin fuolahit studeanttaid bloggačállosiid neahttasiidui juohke eahkeda. Mis leat dáppe támppas logemat dihtora, main studeanttat sáhttet čállit iežaset bloggačállosiid beaivve mielde. Bloggen lea áidna vuohki muitalit ságaid iežas bearrašii ja ustibiidda, daningo mii eat geavat dihtoriid ja mátketelefuvnnaid ollenge dáppe támppas.
3. Mun lea okta pod-joavkojođiheaddjiin. Pod lea min organiseren- dahje logistihkkavuogádat. Dainna mii sihkkarastit, ahte buot studeanttat leat báikki alde iešguđet dilálašvuođain. Min podda namma lea Akpa. Dat lea inuihtagiella ja oaivvilda čáhppes piŋviidnalágan lottáža. Jođihan Akpa-podda ovttas Noel Alfonsoin, guhte boahtá Kanada luoddudiehtágiid museas Ottawas.
Ovdalgo dolliimet meara ala, nu mii leimmet moadde beaivve Ottawas, Kanadas. Ovdalgo Students on Ice -ekspedišuvnna virggálaš prográmma lei oba álgánge, de min sámi joavku finai deaivamin min ruhtadeaddjiid. Galledeimmet EU:a Kanada-delegašuvnna Ottawas. Beasaimet dieđusge giitit sin dán vejolašvuođas searvat vuosttas EU:a ruhtadan joavkun ekspedišuvdnii, muhto muitaleimmet maiddái sidjiide sámiid birra. Diplomáhtat ledje erenoamaš beroštuvvan gullat boazodoalu birra ja gullat min jurdagiid sámiid boahtteáiggi birra. Olu giitu vel oktii EU:i, go bovdiidet searvat min ekspedišuvdnii ja ruhtadeiddet min oassálastima!
Ottawas mis ledje dievas beaivvit. Mis lei iđđedis gitta eahkedii prográmma, man ulbmilin lei ráhkkanit eallimii meara alde, muhto maiddái oahpasmuvvat eará oassálastiiguin. Students on Ice lágiduvvo dán háve jo 19. háve ja dan gal fuomáša, ahte man hárjánan organisašuvdna lea bargat dákkár stuorra joavkkuin. Ii mannan go guokte beaivve, ja lei hui oadjebas dovdu ja lei beassan oahpasmuvvat earáiguin oktasaš buđaldemiid ja spealuid bokte.
Odne lea easka nubbi beaivi dáppe támppas. Iđđes min dolvo támppas gummefátnasiiguin Kalaallit Nunaata riddui. Beasaimet vehá oahpasmuvvat dán guovllu lundui ja duovdagiidda. Dieđájoavkkut válde iskkosiid mearas, čogge rásiid ja dutke bávttiid ja geđggiid. Guolástanjoavku gottii moadde dorskki. Okta joavku finai meallumin inuihtaid qajaq-fatnasiiguin. Mii earát dolastalaimet ja máinnasteimmet gáttis. Eahketbeaivve mis ledje támppas bargobájit, main beasai ee. gullat inuihttadánsuma birra, duddjot inuihttadujiid dahje oahppat beaivegirjji doallama.
Dajan vel dasa lohppii man hirpmástuvvan lean leamašan ovtta áššis!
Namalassii das, ahte dán ekspedišuvnnas eamiálbmogat duođaid oidnojit ja gullojit! Bealli studeanttain leat eamiálbmotnuorat. Stuorra oassi bajásgeassiin leat árbediehttit, eallilan olbmot sihke oahpaheaddjit ja divššárat, geat gullet eamiálbmogiidda, eanaš inuihtat Kanadas ja Kalaallit Nunaatas. Juohke iđit ja eahketbeaivve studeanttat sáhttet searvat bargobájiide, mat muitalit eamiálbmogiid birra. Juohke sajis boradanlanjain gitta ovdanbuktimiidda gullo inuihttagiella! Ikte eahkes eahketčoahkkaneapmi nogai dasa, go okta elder máinnastii.
Máilmmi fiinna báiki min boahtteáiggi jođiheaddjiide gávnnadit, oahppat ovttas ja lonohallat jurdagiid!
Vare dákkár ekspedišuvdna Sámis, vaikkeba Norgga rittus, gos livčče mielde dievva sámi juoigit, duojárat, árbediehttit ja čeahppit oahpaheamen sámiid birra nuoraide, geat leat boahtán miehtá máilmmi! Gii diehtá, jos muhtin beaivve dakkár vaikke ollašuvašii!
Shawna Normore, student
L’Anse-au-Loup, NL, Canada
For someone who likes to talk a lot I’ve been left speachless many times since landing in Kangerlussuaq yesterday afternoon. The beauty of the land is enough to take your breath away. Yesterday was relaxing and we just explored the ship and met our roommates. My roommate is from Nuuk and she is an all around beautiful person. In our room we have a bunk and bathroom each as well as a couch and two TVs. There is so much storage space to unpack our things and hang clothes to dry if needed.
Today started out with a buffet for breakfast, which was delicious, then I got to go sup-ing (stand up paddle boarding) and kayaking in the Arctic Ocean. This was perfect! It was what I was most looking forward to doing and it was everything I dreamed it would be. A few of us jumped into the water for a swim from the paddle board, or “sup”, in dry-suits. The kayaks are traditional Inuit Kayaks and I found that were they were easy to paddle and extremely light in weight. Looking around at the mountains and seeing different wildlife was the perfect way to start my day.
After lunch we had a choice of 10 different work shops, and I chose drum dancing. It was so much fun and more difficult than it looks. We wrapped up the day by sitting in the hub (lounge area), and having performances from two Greenlandic women. The first performance was songs and the second was songs, drum dancing and mask dancing. The mask dancing was really cool and something I’ve never experienced before, I really enjoyed it. We also watched videos from throughout the day and listened to each others’ highlights from the day.
I have fallen in love with the Arctic and I cannot wait to adventure more and see what other amazing things I will get to experience over the next 2 weeks.
PS: Don’t go worrying about me mom, I’m loving every single second. love ya XO
Stacey Challinor, student
Cape Broyle, NL, Canada
Today was one of the funniest and most insightful days so far, I have learned so much and enjoyed it all at the same time. I was accompanied by SOI staff members Noel and Jim alongside other expeditioners and participated in a fishing workshop. We left the OE by zodiac and headed to the rocky shores of Greenland; however, we were given a choice of multiple different workshops to do and there was so many too choose from! As a proud Newfoundlander, I immediately was interested in fishing (or as we would call it, jigging) and I jumped to the opportunity to partipacite in this activity. I caught 2 scuplins, a single capelin and 2 codfish; however, they were fairly small and all my non-Newfoundlander friends showed me up by catching fish so much larger! This experience was amazing and definitley a memory that will stay with me forever. I was amazed that we did not need to use any bait here when fishing.
Noel, an ithycologist by profession, was very helpful with answering marine environmental related questions specifically geared towards fish species and some marine mammals. Jim, the zodiac driver, made this experience even better by being positive and friendly to all expeditioners while fishing. He was particularly very helpful with the expeditioners whom have not fished before, and it made me happy to see students who have not fished get to experience something that is such a strong part of my culture. After we returned from fishing to the rocky shore we all were stationed on doing our own workshops, I noticed that the fire-building workshop had assembled a fire, and had already been boiling fish caught by another fishing group. The fish was boiled with plants from the surrounding area; however, all these plants in which are eatable.
Before returning back to the OE for dinner, we collectively all adventured around the small island until the zodiacs were ready to bring us back on board the ship. I continued my day with a workshop hosted by Noel, involving fish identification and taxonomy, both things of direct interest to me and my current educational studies at Marine Institute. Noel explained the external and internal characteristics of how to identify a particular scuplin caught today by myself and I was happy to be able to understand what he was talking about during his workshop. As I have recently completed a fish identification course, I found Noels insights very helpful to my future studies in my Marine Enviornmental Technology program. When I get home I will be sharing some of the information that Noel has answered from my questions, to my classmates as he is very knowledgeable of different fish species and oceanography. These were primarily some of the highlights of my day, I cannot wait to learn more and advocate my experience to all of those reading this blog entry in Newfoundland when I return!
POEM by Stacey Challinor
Cloudy skies,
A calm resting sea,
Tall, rocky mountains,
Beautiful nature full of biodiversity.
A reason to smile,
Living life to the fullest,
I am grateful to be apart of this experience.
I have seen so little so far,
But I have also seen so much.
The way the sun shines on the water,
It is a view that is wholesome,
And a view that I love.
The nature, scenery and smiling faces,
Are nothing but a gleam of light in my eye.
The way the birds fly and fish jump,
Is something that will never make me sigh.
Cloudy skies,
A calm resting sea,
Tall, rocky mountains,
The arctic is striking and the place to be.
Stephanie Quon, student
Vancouver, BC, Canada
So I don’t have much time to blog today since curfew is in 10 minutes, but I’ll write what I can.
Today we had our first stop in Greenland and it was incredible! I got to participate in a workshop where we took samples from the pond and I was amazed to see all the life in an area that seemed relatively untouched.
We got to ride in a zodiac to and from the ship, and it was beautiful. The feeling of wind in my hair and being on the water reminded me a lot of dragonboating back home in False Creek. Seeing the mountains in the distance also reminded me of Vancouver, so though it was a completely new landscape it still reminded me that I’m still on the same planet I was a few days ago!
It is so amazing to talk to the staff and students as they are so passionate about what they do and so excited to share their knowledge. I spoke to an Inuit elder yesterday and she told me people in her community love Chinese food which is something I never would have expected! I’m super excited for tomorrow and all the days to come!