Harvesting Food Security in Nunavut

It was my first trip to the Arctic. The first time out on the tundra heading towards an igloo. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pumped. The igloo was built to give tourists like me, a sense of old-school Inuit life. What happened inside that igloo was magic.

We were greeted by two lovely Elders, Susan and Marie, who served us hot tea and pilot biscuits. We spent the afternoon in the igloo with Susan and Marie. The conversation was easy. We shared stories. We laughed. We cried.

Qulliq or kudlik lamp. Photo Credit: Tereina Neubauer

Marie prepared seal in a light broth on the cook stove. While I had eaten seal before, it was not prepared in an igloo by an Inuk Elder! I was pumped and feeling very privileged! The experience did not disappoint. The seal warmed me from the inside out. It was delicious. I probably had more than my share. Oops. Sorry.

What does seal taste like? I suppose it depends on how it is prepared, on this day it was “fall off the bone tender” and tasted similar but more delicious than beef.

The smell of the cooked seal seemed to lure the guides and hunters. Soon our igloo was standing room only. I remember watching the men enjoy the seal. Watching them eat seal, made me realize the seal was not just nourishment or a traditional food staple. I was watching something more. The energy in the igloo changed. I was witnessing a deep love, a complete respect, a vital bond. The first dance at a wedding.

I don’t have the words to describe the experience of sharing a meal of seal with Inuit on that day. But I am starting to understanding why country food is so important to the culture and why Inuit are called the ‘People of the Seal’.

During the time in the igloo, as well as an afternoon visit for tea at Susan’s house, we were showed many examples of how every part of the animal is used. Most people are aware of clothing made from fur and hides, but animal bladders are used as storage containers, bones are used to make tools … and even games! (We played a game, I lost!) Susan has a tupperware container of these bone tools. She even has the tool, crafted from a caribou hip bone, that she used as a young mother to collect her baby’s pee from their bed made of caribou hide. Susan explained how an Inuit mother knows when a baby is about to go to the bathroom. The baby is then removed from the amauti or if sleeping in bed, the collection tool can be placed before the baby eliminates. Nowadays, of course diapers are used. But I found the history to be fascinating stuff.

The common theme of many conversations we had in Nunavut was country food. Country food, or the traditional food of Inuit is acquired from the land and sea and is healthier and less costly than modern foods. During these conversations, we learnt how important country food is to the Inuit culture. We heard about the nutritional benefits of country food, the desire for more country food, and the difficulties that some have accessing country food. This helped identify an exciting new venture for Feeding Nunavut and its donors to contribute to food security in Nunavut by supporting local hunters and the sharing of country food!