Waltzing with Bears

In my lifetime I would only rarely get to experience something so foreign to my culture as what I did today.

Today we had the great privilege of being invited to prepare a polar bear hide at the home of Seepa, one of Tara's students. The following are some photos of the process.

 I did get to try my hand with an ulu mind you I'm a far cry from the skill of Seepa and her aunt pictured here. 

She gently explained that the men generally prepares the hide to a certain point then the women clean and scrape the inside of the hide then stretch it on a frame. This hide prepared today is not a really large one and will be used for clothing.

The hide you see here is the first hide that Seepa prepared. Traditionally larger hides like this one are used for bedding in an igloo. They are a very warm barrier to the cold.AND NO most Inuit do not live in igloos any more. AND YES many work very hard to maintain the survival skills of this culture. Seepa's husband and sons are good hunters. Seepa is a good teacher and works hard at passing on the traditions of her ancestors to her children and grand children.

 Bear hunting licences here are a lottery like Moose hunting license in NS or Nfld. The life of this creature is not taken for granted and its life continues to sustain life for those who hunt ...in many ways. It is not seen as a trophy. This bear was shot by Seepa's husband's niece. I can only begin to explain how patient both of these ladies are to take the time to explain so much about the traditional culture to us. The soft lilt of the Inuktitut language and the hearty laughter filled and warmed the room for us as we watched and traded stories of customs and traditions.

Be the change in the world you would like to see.

Love and light
Chris