Torngat Mountains Expedition 2023: Day 5
With a full day of sailing yesterday, we woke up to a beautiful sunny and clear morning approaching Nain. We started the day with our daily morning expedition briefing then a special presentation from two youth participants born and raised in Nain. Serenity and Peyton shared information about their hometown, schools, and the pastimes they enjoy. They even showed us a demonstration of “back push”, where two opponents sit on the floor with their backs together and try to push the other out of a circle. This was the perfect opportunity to practice pod cheers as each pod competed in some Inuit games.
We anchored in Nain at 10:30 am and were all anticipating our first expedition landing. With a busy afternoon exploring Nain ahead of us, we geared up just as we had practiced the day before, then headed out on our first zodiac rides to shore.
Once we arrived at shore, we were greeted by local resident Regina Saimat at the Moravian Church. In 1771 a ship sailed from London to Labrador with 14 missionaries. They founded Nain in 1776 and established a mission at Okak. The missionaries gave gifts to the Inuit to ratify their occupation of the land. Regina gave a presentation about the church and explained its significance and cultural relevance in Nain. The church is a place where people go on their first day of school, have graduations, attend girl’s day (15+) or boy’s day (15+) ceremonies, and even serves as a place for marriage ceremonies. As we were leaving the church, SOI Team Member and musician Tim was so inspired by the church architecture, he began playing the organ and treated us to an impromptu performance.
Our next visit was at the Nunatsiavut Government Office where we were joined by two SOI alumni Veronica Flowers and Kim Pilgrim. They shared a sewing demonstration and showed us a sample of a waterproof stitch when making seal boots.
We then headed on a hike up to Moorhard Overlook. It was a moderately challenging route but all worth the steep climb to see a spectacular view looking over Nain. SOI Team Member and mineral geologist Aaron spoke about the geology of Moorhard, specifically the labradorite. We used hand lenses to take a closer look.
To cool off after the hike, we walked along the intertidal zone and took off our shoes to touch yet another body of water, this time in Nain. Some of us found some interesting local flora along a walking path, including Labrador tea and fireweed cotton.
Our evening debrief was a special time for each of us to share the highlight of our day. It ranged from enjoying their first zodiac ride, meeting local residents, and learning about beautiful Nain, NL. We concluded our amazing day with a final Inuit game of the hopping challenge as we set sail again.