The Caribou Inuit
When I had my son, Wilford Qilirniq Burnett, I wanted him to connect with his Inuit heritage right off the bat. We were living in the Yukon at the time of his birth, and I stumbled upon an opportunity to rejoin Northern News Services as the company’s Kivalliq bureau chief, based in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.
The travel with a newborn wasn’t so fun, but that opening couldn’t have lined up better. I got to re-immerse myself in Inuit culture – this time from a Western Nunavut lens, where hunting, language and hockey reign supreme – while my Inuvialuk partner could connect with old friends and my son could enjoy the babysitting of many a friendly auntie (and some self-appointed nanuks).
As well, it was an opportunity for me to dive back into telling authentic stories and document some of the most beautiful people in the world.
Explore the Kivalliq with me below, and keep up to date with my work at Nunavut News.
Fear Factor
Nothing like the long-held tradition of eating gross stuff for an adoring crowd, taken at Pakallak Tyme in Rankin Inlet.
Feel the excitement
Fishing derbies in the North are about more than a good time on the water (or ice as the case may be): they can be kinda life changing.
Fighting for his life
For a moment, Desmond Jr. Kreelak felt himself slipping away in his battle through cancer.
“I didn’t want to give up, but I wanted to give up at the same time, because I just wanted to be out of the pain,” recalled the 15-year-old Baker Lake student. “I just closed my eyes and I started to feel my body starting to shut down.”
You can read the full story here, and listen to it in their words in the video to the left.