An early start saw our arrival on the sandy beach that fronts the settlement of Pond Inlet on the northern coast of Baffin Island. The warm welcome from members of the local community offset the somewhat inclement weather. One group went on an engaging walk with a local guide along the beach to explore the remains of a Thule settlement. Boulders of multi-patterned and coloured gneiss and other ancient rock types have been washed out of the huge terminal moraine by the action of the waves, deposited at the end of the Ice Age, and were strewn along the sand. Impressive examples of solifluxion were also evident with deposits of sediment slipping down onto the beach fuelled by excessive water runoff.
The Thule site consists of ten or so winter houses and an extensive refuse tip or midden which is located at a spot called Salmon Creek. The midden has been badly damaged by traffic, making its way down to the beach where fishing for Atlantic char takes place. There were literally thousands of butchered animal bone fragments exposed including those of seal, whale and caribou. The houses are in an exceptionally fine state of preservation and may perhaps have been occupied by Thule people for hundreds of years, with each successive generation continuing on the lifestyle and traditions of the previous one. At the end of our exploration of the site we were driven back to town to the Tununiq-miut Theatre where we were treated to a wonderful cultural performance.
One of the young local women began by explaining the importance of seals to the people of the area, as a source of food, oil and skin. She called on a community elder who sang a number of traditional songs as she lit a blubber oil lamp carved from soapstone. The wicks for these lamps were made from either moss or cotton grass. Embedded in oral tradition, the songs were not merely entertaining but also instructional, passing on vital advice and folklore to the younger members of a community. One of her songs celebrated the arrival of spring.
A couple of extremely agile young men demonstrated some Inuit games. One of these involves each contestant jumping vertically from an almost horizontal position while balancing on one hand and kicking a model seal suspended at varying heights from a wooden frame. This calls for incredible balance, strength and coordination. The record for this is apparently over nine feet. Throat-singing by young women, bedecked in traditional costumes, followed on from this and was absolutely captivating. The performers proudly showcased the culturally rich heritage of their Inuit community.
To cap our visit to this northern Inuit settlement we walked the short distance to the Community Library and visited its superb museum detailing the lifestyle of the Inuit. Display cases highlighted hunting traditions, skills and equipment, including the ingeniously crafted kayak and toggle-headed harpoon. Just before we left a young girl arrived at our landing site on the beach cradling a brown lemming and provided an impromptu photo opportunity.
